Page 2
Portland
Thursday. May * . 1977
Jwrí tkt JLufulatwt
We see the world
by *«p
through Black eyes
Vote ye* for schools
The p e o p le o f O regon have once ogam soundly
d e fe a te d a school fi nonce m easure - the "s a fe ty
n e t".
A lth o u g h the m easure had trem endous
fin a n c ia l a n d p o litic a l support, the voters w e re not
sold.
The d e fe a t o f the "sa fe ty n e t" as w e ll as re p e a te d
defeats o f school levies across the state should sig n a 1
»he legislators and the school adm inistrators that
som ething is w rong.
O f the sm all g ro u p o f voters p o lle d by The
Observer, p e o p le w e re not as concerned w ith ever
increasing taxes as they w e re w ith w h a t they fe e l is
in d iffe re n c e on the part o f the school adm inistrators.
Some o f the local concerns expressed w e re the
in v o lu n ta ry transfer o f upper graders out o f the
A lb in a district, o n e -w a y busing, the b u ild in g o f the
new e d u c a tio n a l center w ith o u t voter a p p ro v a l, the
decrease in teaching staff w ith o u t c o m p a ra b le
decrease in a d m in is tra tio n , and, most o f a ll, lack o f
open tw o -w a y c o m m u n ica tio n b e tw e e n the a d m in is
tra tio n and b o a rd a nd the people.
U n fo rtu n a te ly, m any p e o p le have com e to b e lie v e
that the only w a y to have th e ir voices heard is to turn
d o w n school levies. They fe e l there is no m id d le
g round - no w a y to m ake concerns a b o u t th e bud g e t
heard or to in te rve n e in school policies.
O ne school district that has fo u n d a w a y to in v o lv e
the pu b lic is th e Parkrose District, w h e re citizens task
forces are in v o lv e d in fo rm u la tin g the budget. This
not o n ly gives the d istrict citizen input but form s a
base o f citize n s u p p o rt
Contrast this w ith the
Portland district's practice o f h a v in g the budge t
presented to the board by the a d m in istra tio n .
The Portland School District faces an o p e ra tin g
le v y e le ctio n ne xt Tuesday. This le v y is necessary to
p ro v id e the sam e le v e l o f service n o w o ffe re d .
F ailure o f the le vy w o u ld b rin g about drastic cuts in
the e d u c a tio n a l program s. A nd w hose c h ild re n are
hurt most by th e fa ilu re o f the edu ca tio n a l system?
W e re co m m e n d a yes vote on the School District #1
levy next w e e k. Then, if you are dissatisfied w ith the
fu n c tio n in g o f the schools, talk to the school board.
Invest in youth
A n in te re stin g p rogram has d e v e lo p e d in Portland
in the last tw o years, w h ich involves businesses in
the ed u ca tio n a nd in sp ira tio n o f m in o rity students.
PIMEG (Program to Increase M in o rity E ngineering
G raduates) w as ip itia te d on the east coast by,
G e neral Electric a nd o ther te ch n o lo g y com panies
a nd universities. The program attem pts to reach 8th,
9th and 10th g ra d e m in o rity students and interest
them in e n g in e e rin g .
Last year the p rogram w as introduced into
Jefferson and G rant H igh Schools This year the
p rogram hopes to p ro vid e sum m er e m p lo ym e n t in
on e n g in e e rin g e n viro n m e n t fo r a p p ro x im a te ly ten
students w h o have expressed an interest in e n g in
eer i ng.
A m o n g the a ctivitie s p la n n e d are Junior E ngineer
ing Clubs, visits w ith professionals, arrangem ents fo r
tu to rin g , a n d id e n tify in g w ays in w h ich interested
students can be assisted.
P ortland com panies that are w o rk in g w ith the
p rogram a re :
B o n n e ville Power A d m in istra tio n ,
Corps o f Engineers, Chevron, FMC Corp., G e neral
Electric, Pacific N orthw est Bell, S andw ell In te rn a tio n
a l, Pacific Pow er and Ight, Portland G eneral Electric
and T ektronix.
W e com m end these com panies for th e ir effo rts on
b e h a lf o f the fu tu re o f m in o rity youth.
Emanuel site best
A ll e vid e n ce still points to the Emanual H ospital
site as the best place fo r the new V eteran's H ospitol.
Congress has postponed b u ild in g u n til it can m ake its
o w n in ve stig a tio n o f the M arquam H ill a nd the
Em anuel sites.
In the m e a n tim e , the C ity o f Portland's Bureau o f
P lanning has endorsed the Emanuel site, a g re e in g
w ith the m a jo rity o f the city com m issioners.
A lth o u g h the fe d e ra l g o ve rn m e n t is not bound by
city decisions, it w o u ld seem b e n e fic ia l fo r it to listen
to those w h o w ill have to p ro vid e occess and p u b lic
services.
The P lanning Bureau's decision is based la rg e ly on
the tra ffic im pact the M a rq u a m H ill site w o u ld have
on southw est Portland.
The o n ly reason the proponents o f the M arquam
H ill site can g iv e in its defense is the p ro x im ity to the
U niversity o f O regon H ealth Science C enter a nd the
•re su ltin g exchang e o f doctors and program s. In lig h t
o f the trem endou s disadvantages, this seems a sm all
m a tte r w h e n the Em anuel site is o n ly fiv e m inutes
a w a y.
The west h ills site is a scenic, re sid e n tia l are a w ith
d iffic u lt access.
The hospital could in no w a y
e nhan ce the area but w o u ld p ro b a b ly prove
d e trim e n ta l. On the other hand, location o f the
hospital near Em anuel w o u ld p ro vid e an im p o rta n t
e conom ic boost to th e lo w e r A lb in a area - w h e re the
re s id e n tia l areas hove a lre a d y been re m o ve d by
g o ve rn m e n t program s.
W e cannot h e lp b u t b e lie v e that the veterans using
the hospital a nd th e ir frie n d s a nd re la tive s w o u ld
fin d the Em anuel site m ore accessible to stores,
churches, e n te rta in m e n t a nd hotel fa c ilitie s a nd that
this e n d to th e ir iso la tio n on the h ill w o u ld be
b e n e fic ia l.
MHR Commission
(Continued from page 1 col. 2)
Barnett is quick to emphasize that now
is the time to aggressively seek to
eliminate the misunderstanding and the
prejudice in our community. In the heat
of the late 1960 s when the reaction to
racism and discrimination reached a
feverish pitch, the Commission was
created. Now. as the violent eruptions of
that period have subsided, the real work
of the Commission begins. In the more
tranquil atmosphere of the next decade,
the MHRC must continue to forge ahead,
with an intensity equal to that of the
1960's. I f the problem of the twentieth
century, as W.E.B. DuBois once said, is in
fact the problem of the color line, then the
work of the Commission cannot be stop
ped.
This is why Nick Barnett's leadership
is so important now - not when times are
turbulent and uncertainty clouds our
dedication to fairness and equal oppor
tunity. But now - when we can think
together, and work together, and argue
together, and make progress together.
Nick Barnett's leadership is important
right now!
Holloman
(Continued from page 1 col. 61
posed of labor, civil rights, and political
leaders who support the Kennedy -
Corman bill.
Dr. Holloman is also past president of
the New York City Health and Hospitals
Corporation. which operates the 17 mun
icipal hospitals and other health care
facilities in New York City.
He is the former national chairman of
the Medical Committee for Human Rights
and former national chairman of the
Physicians Forum.
Tickets for the National Health Secur
ity Banquet can be obtained by contact
ing the Oregon Coalition for National
Health Security, 307 Dekum Building,
519 S.W. Third Avenue, Portland. OR
97204. The telephone number is 224 2836
Tickets are $20 per person. Proceeds will
help the Coalition's efforts for the pas
sage of national health security legis
lation to make quality health care avail
able to all Americans.
JLdtM
To the Editor:
I enjoy The Obser v er and feel it has done
much to benefit our community. I have
written several times to commend you
and your accomplishments. This time I
have a question: Under your caption
“Congratulations” you mention three
very worthy young ladies - Brenda Knap-
per, Lucretia Fuller and Karen Mathis -
what happened to La Verne Davis? Mrs.
Davis has worked almost from the incep
tion of the Pageant. Previously I have
felt a bit hurt that she received little
recognition. I was delighted this year
when she was asked to serve as Mistress
of Ceremonies. Her name was mentioned
under Kimberly Chosen but I missed it
under the Special “Congratulations" note.
Sincerely,
Evelyn Collins
A LF R E D L. HENDERSON
Editor/Publisher
lot Place
Conun unity Service
ONPA 1973
Published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, 2201
North Killingsworth, Portland. Oregon 97217. Mailing address:
P.0. Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208. Telephone 283-2486.
1st Place
Best Ad Results
ONPA 1973
Subscriptions: $7.50 per year in the Tri-County area, $8.00 per
year outside Portland.
5th Place
Best Editorial
N NPA 1973
Second Class Postage Paid at Portland. Oregon
The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only in
its Publisher’s column (We See The World Through Black Eyes).
Any other material throughout the paper is the opinion of the
individual writer or submitter and does not necessarily reflect
the opinion of the Portland Observer.
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Associa»»« ■ Founded f * N
S PE C IA L C O M M IT T E E ON W A TE R
RESOURCES PROBLEMS
Speaker Lang has appointed a special
committee on water resources problems,
which has been meeting four times a
week since late April. The committee is
looking into the short term problems
"that have been created by the drought
and some of the longer term problems" as
they relate to water resource policy and
questions.
Committee members have heard com
prehensive testimony dealing with the
drought. The following is a partial list of
the committee's concerns:
*Extremely dry conditions in Oregon's
forests;
"D ro u g h t-re la te d problems which
threaten Oregon's agricultural commun
ity including wheat crops, livestock,
waterhauiing, and hay and forage short
ages;
•Low stream flow and snow pack, with
the subsequent impact on fisheries, rec
reation, tourism, and the environment;
•And, economic and financial impact
both for government and the individual,
including “drought aid, feed and water
subsidy, property tax relief, livestock
subsidy for forced sale due to adverse
feed conditions, deferred mortgage and/
or operating capital expenses by lending
institutions and subsidy for herd re
establishment."
The committee hopes to deal with more
than twenty measures currently being
considered this session relating to the
drought related problems and to make
recommendations to the
enactment.
nhly for
DEMOCRATS CONSIDER ENERGY
LEG ISLATIO N
A comprehensive package of energy
related bills was discussed by Democratic
House members last week. The summary
of over fifty measures includes the State
of Oregon's response to President
Carter's recent energy speech to the
Congress. Specific measures being con
sidered by the Oregon Legislature in
elude loans and tax credits for residential
weatherization; tax credits, exemptions
and loans for alternative energy sources;
State conservation standards including
building and lighting standards, conaer
vation standards and appliance stand
ards; energy planning and development,
including resource development and plan
ning; utility organisation and rate
structures; transportation; solid waste;
and, information, education and awards
in energy conservation and westheriza
tion.
The Oregon House hopes to provide
leadership in a set of actions to deal with
energy problems and shortages.
The
measures being considered this session
represent a commitment to solve energy
problems and plan for the future.
Spokesman for Freedom
To listen to the howls of some editor
ialists, you'd think Andrew Young has
been making awful diplomatic gaffes.
Actually, he's only been telling the truth.
The truth often hurts, and that accounts
for all the beat America's spokesman tor
freedom has been getting.
When Young accepted the poet of US
Ambassador to the U .N ., he said he
wanted to be the Administrator's "Point
Man" - to occupy the moat advanced and
dangerous positions. In fulfilling that
role he has said some things that are not
popular in some circles, or are more
usually said with so much caution that
nobody gets the message.
By gutting the doubletalk that usually
infects public comments of officials, and
by telling some home truths in a refresh
ingly open style. Ambassador Young is
serving his Administration, the country,
and the people, who ought to become
involved in foreign policy discussions to a
far greater degree.
But what exactly is it that Ambassador
Young has said that gets so many people
upset? The moat recent statement to
unleash criticism was that the South
African government is "illegitimate."
Now who can argue with that? What is
morally legitimate about a white minority
government that rules over a large Black
minority denied any semblance of a stake
in that society.
The South African
situation is simply not comparable to any
other. There may be countries ruled by
dictators which deny democratic rights,
but such governments reflect the society
they rule.
In South Africa a minority white
population rules over a majority Black
population, which is compelled to be a
cheap labor source, denied basic civil
rights, forbidden the right to own prop
erty or to live in sections of the country,
and even denied citizenship.
South Africans who are Black are
presumed to be citizens of arbitrarily
defined “homelands" and are treated as
foreign contact laborers in their own
land. In the eyes of the white govern
ment, they are not “South Africans" at
all.
So how can a government representing
2.3 million people in a country of 26
million be considered legitimate? Why
should an American newly concerned
about human rights go along with the
fiction of South Africa's supposed legit
imacy? Ambassador Young was right on
target in his definition of that country's
government.
Another statement that drew criticism
was that Britain is “a little chicken" on
race. Well, the language may be a bit
more colorful than that of most diplomats
but again, it's true. Britain, from the
heyday of its empire to the present, has
always exhibited a casual racism. Of
courae it is not alone in thia; our own
country along with many others shares
this disease.
Ambassador Young was referring to
the Rhodesian situation when he said
that. Can anyone deny that if a Black
colony declared unilateral independence
and proceeded to defy legality and to
subjugate whites, as Rhodesia oppressed
its Black majority, that the British would
have acted differently? And it could be
healthy for the British to hear such truths
from a Black American diplomat, since
racial discrimination against Black and
Asian Britons is a very serious problem.
What are some of the other supposedly
swful things Ambassador Young has
said" That the Cubans in Angola are a
stabilizing force? The President himself
has agreed with that. That America is
often too concerned with communism in
Africa? Well, perhaps we are. It seems
absurd to have a policy of detente with
Russia, to have high officials visit China,
to trade with the Soviet bloc, and then to
panic and cut off all relations with African
countries that espouse Marxism.
The real test should be whether such
countries honor their agreements with us
and to all appearances. Angola, for one, is
protecting American oil interests on its
soil. So why pick s fight over ideology
with Africans, when we don't with
Europeans?
Ambassador Young baa been outapok
en. He's angered asms and gratified
others. But most important, he has told
truths that needed telling, and he has
brought foreign policy issues out in the
open where they ought to have been all
along.
Open letter to M r*. McCready
Worthy of mention
Portland O bserver
__ __
Proponents a( the "safety net” plan
have greatly increased their activities in
support of that measure these last few
day«. Ballot Measure »1 will be voted on
in Tuesday's special election, which also
features two measures relating to Ore
gon's Department of Veteran's Affairs.
The school mensure - Ballot Measure
SI amends the Oregon Constitution by
providing "that after two levy failures, a
school district board could levy a limited
amount.for the purpose of operating the
schools.
Such levy is limited to the
previous year's operating levy of the
district plus no more than six percent.”
Proponents argue that the measure
will effectively deal with the problem of
school closures by ensuring funding for
schools, while opponents view the mess
ure as a “short term ” solution, which does
not deal with the school finance reform
issue. House Bill 3209, which addresses
school finance reform and the basic school
support formula, is pending in the Oregon
Senate after passing the House by a vote
of 51 to 8 on April 20th.
Herrick Editorial Award
N N A 1973
2nd Place
n
Best Editorial
3rd Place
Community Leadership
ONPA 1975
Dear Ms. McCready:
Your recent letters to the Portland
news media and to me certainly came as a
surprise, especially in light of your pant
favorable support toward the problems of
Portland’s poor. I can readily appreciate
your concerns about the Thirteenth
Banquet of the Portland Metropolitan
Steering Committee; however, I do feel
that it was unfair and unnecessary to
forward notification of your concerns to
the news media prior to lor concurrent
with) your notifying me. Regardless of
my disappointment at your choice of
tactics, let me assure you that I am astute
enough to understand the political dy
namics involved, especially when a situs
tion concerns Cleveland G’lcreaae. Exec
utive Director of PMSC.
As to your stated primary concern, you
obviously have been misinformed or are
uninformed as to the purpose each year of
PMSC’s annual banquet. The banquet is
not and does not purport to be for the
poor, pe se; it is in honor of the PMSC
Board of Directors who serve as repre
sentatives of the public, private and
low-income sectors of Portland and who
never receive any salary or pay for the
services they render on behalf of the
poor.
For informational purposes, allow me
to provide some comparative data related
to the Twelfth and Thirteenth Annual
Banquets. First, you received an invita
tion to our banquet at the Sheraton last
year, just as you did this year. The ticket
price then was $10 and. since you were
not prompted at that time to register any
complaints, I must assume that your
present irritation is due to the $2 increase
in ticket price. As a public official who is
keenly aware of the latest salary in
creases for the Mayor and Commissioners
(justifiable salary increases. I might add,
in view of current inflationary trends),
you should also be aware that the same
inflationary factors caused our ticket
prices to be increased by $2 over the
prior year. The cost of the dinner this
year was $9.75 per plate, without gratui
ties. The balance of $2.25 ($12 per ticket,
less $9.75 direct expense) was used as it
was last year • to defray the additional
coats of the banquet, such as printing.
plaques, invitations, programs (one is
attached for your review; see Exhibit A),
flowers, certificates, frames, etc. Last
year, we had a profit of $9.86 which was
deposited into the PMSC corporate ac
count to be used at the discretion of the
PMSC Board of Directors.
I might add that in the past eight
years, the PMSC staff and I have made
certain that a large segment of our truly
poor are well represented at the banquet,
with their dinner tickets sponsored
through donations from staff and other
kind individuals who sincerely believe, as
I do, that the poor should be (and deserve
to be) exposed to the luxuries of our
society. For many, the banquet marks an
evening of gratification and satisfaction,
if for no other reason that it provides
contact with people who are well-known.
For others, the joy comes from something
so simple as a good meal or a chance to
hear thoughtful remarks from a variety
of speakers. Yes, I do believe that the
poor deserve at least this much.
Please note here that I referred to the
truly poor and not the "self made poor"
who came to the banquet under the
leadership of Mr. Kent Ford and who
used what appear to be approximately
fifty fraudulent tickets which were dis
covered on the morning after the ban
quet. Mr. Ford and his many “comrades"
did not hesitate to share in the dinner
and, after eating and speaking a few
words to the audience, exit with the same
weary cliche that pom- people don't
belong in elaborate facilities like the
Sheraton and shouldn't even share in a
meal sponsored by someone else (aae
Exhibit B). To those who can consciously
and sincerely believe in this philosophy, I
extend my tolerance and. mostly, my
pity. 1 am convinced that each of us has a
right to our personal opinions, but we
also have an obligation to respect the
personal opinions of others. Unfortun
ately, there are many people who demand
the right but are unvilling to fulfill the
related obligation.
In dosing, may I say that I would be
more than pleased to meet with you, at
your convenience, to share your thoughts
and input as to how we might better
approach the planning of PMSC's Four
teenth Annual Banquet. Perhaps we can
discuss at the same time some of the
seemingly underlying motives/reasons
for the profoundly negative comments
that you have made during the past year
with regard to my judgment, administra
live ability, honesty, etc.
My appreciation is offered for the time
and attention that you have given to the
contents of this letter.
I hope to be
hearing from you again in the near future
and, hopefully, on a more positive and
constructive note.
Most sincerely,
Cleveland Gilcrease
Executive Director
PMSC
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