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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 1977)
rs î Portland ü b e r v t f Thuraday. Is the Hessin beer We see the worl by Cfaft through Black eyes La« ta a k a n ta tha boHs ef eAecetiee? $« „,* [M |S rMrtors According to press reports it was Governor Straub and the superintendent of the state police who kept their heods and prevented potential violence at the Trojan nuclear plent during last weekend's demon strations. Reportedly, PGE officials colled for immed iate arrests when the gates were blacked by demonstrators last Saturday but Governor Straub denied state police participation until at least Monday The arrests took ploce - non-violently - early Monday morning. The Governor's action was especially commend able in light of the well-organized opposition to the demonstration - opposition in the form of telephone calls to PGE and to public officials demanding punishment to the fullest extent of the law. We must not forget that this country was born through civil disobedience and most of its civil rights and human rights progress has been made through legal and illegal protest. Those who are willing to be arrested and go to jail for a principle deserve our respect. The Oregon open meetings taw and open records taw will work only if public officials let them work and the people make them work. After State Senator Die O oener alleged that th» Port of Portland hod kept a report on one of the potential bidders on its drydock project secret, Lloyd Anderson, the Port’s executive director, said he sow no value in the public hearing the details of "every stupid subject that the commission might discuss." This «s reminiscent of a recent letter from School District attorney Mark AAcC’anohon. circulated to School Board members and staff. The letter, which was in regard to McClonohon's earlier opinion that minority set-asides are illegal, asked that the letter be kept confidential because there had already been too much discussion of the issue in the press — discussion which could be of no benefit. This policy of secrecy and fear of public scrutiny is one of the district's major problems. A little bit of honest and open communication could do a world of good, but based on the Board meeting of July 25th, this is not going to happen. Rank McNamara's remarks at that meeting bared what may well have been an infraction of the open meeting law, a law that states that no decisions may be mode by a public body except m public meetings. McNamara stated that he hod discussed with Superintendent Robert Blanchard the Superinten dent's intention to change his recommendation on the Newman plan, to defer the Jefferson High School section until January and allow certain community organizations to make recommenda tions. Since Jonathan Newman changed his proposal to meet Dr. Blanchard's recommendation, we know that these two hod also discussed the matter We must assume that Glodys McCoy, who octi vety lobbied for the Newman plan, and Chairman Robert Ridgley were in the know. That is a minimum of four Board members who participated in the change. Now if these board members discussed this issue either in person or by telephone and reoched the conclusion that they should follow the Superintend ent's recommendation — then the open meetings law was broken. Judging from their behavior at the Board meeting — there were no questions, no discussion — there were no surprises. We suggest that the members of the Board of Education provide an explanation to the people how such a momentous decision — one that hod been called impossible by Board members Newman and McCoy and Superintendent Blanchard only days earlier — could have been reoched without discus sion. The people have the right to know whether their elected representatives are obeying the law. Labor ban coatractor The Carter Administration has barred the Ingersoll Milling Machine Company of Rockford, Illinois, from all federal contracts for alleged discrimination ogoinst women and minorities. This is the first company to receive such a strong penalty, but occordmg to Labor Secretary Ray Morsholl, other companies ore slated for similar action. Not too long ago, the Treasury Department barred a Texas bank from all participation in federal deposits. These octions are in keeping with Jimmy Carter's orders that all federal departments and ogencies be alert to and elimiate discrimination. President Carter's detractors, those who say all he has done is appoint Blocks to a few jobs, should realize that those Black people in crucial positions are the ones who will make these kinds of actions possible. Placing Blacks in positions where they have control over programs and funding will do more in the long run than a few more social programs. It takes a while to replace oil those top and middle level positions in government, but this is gradually being accomplished and when it is completed we will find government more responsive to those it is supposed to serve. L P N S - Somalia’s apparent switch from staunch S o v^ t ally to potential U.S. arms recipaent strikingly urxferscores not just the Byzantine nature of politics in the H o m of Africa but the dilemma the Soviets are facing in th eir hid for influence across this continent U n til recently. Somalia was regarded as the Soviets’ only true "chest state" is Africa. Strategically situated along the Indian Ocean sea routes connecting Europe w ith the Midoast. Africa and Asia, this Texas sized country provided the Soviets w ith key naval and air facilities in exchange far all its arms. But Somalia's revolutionary socialist government quickly cooled on the alliance when the Soviets began supplying arms to its b itte r enemy Ethiopia afte r the U.S. N ow . w ith Somalia reportedly phasing out its Soviet forces, the Somalis may be receptive to President Carter's recent offer of m ilitary assistance. The immediate question for the Soviets is w hether to w rite off th eir Somali stronghold in favor of the far more populous and potentially powerful - though currently beleaguered - Ettata pinna. But the fang term dilemma Soma ha poms far the Soviets goes to the heart of th eir entire African policy. The Soviets have baaed th eir bid far African power on tw o main tenets: offering a preponderance of arms aid over economic trade and assistance, and de veloping efam relations w ith govern m e n u of ideology similar to theirs. The case of Somalia illustrates how fragile such associations can bo. W hile Soviet arms aid has been vital to the Somalis, who are arming insurgents in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, the Souiahs have already been farced to turn partially toward the W est in the difficult job of building th eir economy. A P « * - underdeveloped, largely deso late b a d . Somalia is a former Italian the ree le Africo? colony that despite its wishes is still dependent on the ex colonial powers of the West far tra d e in livesloch and b iflana« is to L a M s advantage of i u 5.000 mile coastline to expand Ha shipping trade and obtain vital machinery, transport equipment, chemt cals and fuel for a crash industnalixaticn program. W hile the Soviets have equipped the Somali port at Berbers. funds from the European Economic Community - which Somalia has joined as an associate mem her - have been crucial to building deepwater facilities at the capital of Mogadishu. And Saudi Arabia. Somalia’s pre-Was- tarn fellow Islamic neighbor across the Gulf of Aden, has reportedly been a major factor in wooing the Somalis away from the Soviets by offering « 0 0 million in economic aid. I f the W est doss get a wedge in w ith the Somalis, such an alliance could prove far more durable "The SovieU just don’t have the economic clout or desire to be a big economic factor in Somalia or anywhere in A frica.* says Bob Price. Africa specia list at the Institute of International Stu dies at the University of California Ber keley. " If the Somalis decide they no longer need or can count on Soviet arms, the SovieU w ill be out." A similar satuatxm developed in Egypt in 1972 when A nw ar Sadat, then supplied m ilitarily by the SovieU. turned to the W est instead in economic desperation. And. Price predicts, "The same thing w ill probably happen in southern Africa when the fight against racism is over and Soviet arms are no longer needed there. Even the revolutionary socialist govern m e n u w ill have to count on the W est, not the SovieU. for economic trade." The other basic Soviet tenet in Africa - friendship through M arxist ideology - suffers from the fact th at almost all African soriahs The Soviet Union, for instance, would seem to he a natural tdeokepral ally of the Somalis. But by the same token, so would Somalia's leftist neighbor Ethiopia actually iU worst enemy. W hile Somalia pays official lip service to socialist solidarity, it is far more committed to iU dreams of a "greater Somalia." including its territo ria l rb im s to the eastern Ogaden region of Ethiopia and the newly independent enclave of Djibouti, which Ethiopia also covets. The Somali flag, a five pointed star, represents the five te rri'o n e s over which Somalia b y s claim. In these nationalistic fights. Somalia can much more logically look for support to i u Islamic brothers, including conser vative Saudi Arabia and pro-Western Sudan, than to ideological brothers like the Soviet Union - or certainly Ethiopia. Elsewhere in Africa, Angola and the Shaba revolt in Zaire have amply demon strated that the ideological aspects of territo ria l disputes are far less important than th eir capacity for disrupting the usually fragile power bases of neighbor ing countries. Modern African governments, plagued by internal rivalries and secessionist m ovem enu spurred by artificial colonial era boundaries, are struggling mainly not far ideological purity but simple te r ri torial survival. "W e don’t even know the tru e political color of revolutionary countries tike An gob and Mosambique." says University of Nairobi Professor Carl Rosburg. Right now they're tryin g to consolidate th eir power and have to rely on the Cubans and Soviets. Rhetoric g e u confused w ith ideology. Once these societies become economically and politi cally stable, then w e ll see how strong the SovieU are in Africa." IC b rk Karten, b Afrfaa.) Coficordia coma«Mty figlrts boasiag developaieat (Continued from p. 6 cot. SI ; units on the area. The that traffic flow would double, that the addition for more families would bring a need far increased police surveillance. and that the neighboring schools would be impact ed. A fte r several meetings w ith the community. H A P decided not to build. That fall, the Concordia Neighborhood A am riation conducted a poll < O r th em responding. 40.7 p as th e ir first preference t t of 'a park on the re maining vacant property. The second preference (3 0 5 percent) was far ream in g far single famil y homes so the area would be u n ite r to the surrounding neighborhood. Nearly all «rare opposed to privately developed apartm ent units. In the meantim e. Russel! Dawson, the area director of the Departm ent of Houmng and Urban Development, sought and received authority from the Secre ta ry of H U D to sell the property and to * ''i or use the proceeds of the sab to acquire scattered sites for the construction of pubbe housing. Although the Neighborhood Associa tion had been promised that it would be informed of any changes in HAP*s plans far the property, i u members learned of the pending sab through the press. The decision to sell was proposed by H A P Chairman Fred Rosenbouw at the regular H A P board meeting m March 9. 1977. In M arch. Alvin Batiste. CC A presi dent. asked Patricia Harris. H U D Secre ta ry . to deny permission for the sab of the property far apartm ent use. The local H U D office responded »hat the sab w ill take place. In A p ril. W ally P rie s tb y , a resident of the Cooeordb area asked the C ity Council to "down sone" the undeveloped property so it could be used for single-family housing only. In June. Batiste request ed a hearing before the C ity Council regarding disposal of the property. The CC A contends that since the property was first acquired by the city (at no cost) for a park, and was later taken by the federal government for tem porary housing (again at no cost) it ' should now re v e rt to the city for use as a park. I f the city does not want the property for th eir use. the Association would not object to the property being used for private homes. They object to multiple-fam ily dwell ings on the basis th at the neighborhood already has enough apartm ent units, the 40 units at Dekum Court and a large complex on Lombard - and further development of apartm ents w ill detract from the neighborhood environment. The property, along w ith Dekum Court and p rivately owned property on Lom bard. is an bland of A 2 5 zoned land surrounded by property zoned for singb- fam ily homes. A t a meeting of the Planning held last Wednesday, the i agreed to ra v b w the neigh borhood’s request during the next sixty days. A spokesman far H A P stated that no sab would be made during th at tim e. /i is Portland youth wins national scholarship took place b many fro tions. liberal eduators bave attem pted to & m a capitalist society, esters to the m ajority; therefore, b school, achieve eultural heritages tend to be ignored, creating ap almost insurmountabb abyss between the m ajo rity and the m inority. As very young students b a rn , from exposure in the classroom and reinforce m eet from ro b models, that the tradi tioual outcasts of the free enterprise community (poor, unemployed, m inority, handicapped, aged, etc.) are just as warthy^ofequsl opportunity b education. on the business as the m ajority, capitalism may prove to be the beet economic system. Since the 1900s. when a cultural upheaval of Justice Al Hicks Is ti P ortland O b server Published every Thursday by E r ie Publishing Company, 2201 North K ilhn g seo rth . Portland. Oregon 97217. M ailing address: P O. Box 3137. Portland. ‘ Oregon 97206. Telephone 2 » 2 4 « ■Ï-, K U t E D L. HENDERSON I Class I i Paid at P e rtb a d . Oregee The P e rtb a d Observer's official position is expressed only is its Publisher's column i W e See The W orld Through Black Eyes). A ny other m aterial throughout the paper b the opinion of the individual w riter or subm itter and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the P s r tb a N ew York Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association NWA? ER excuse far discrimination in employment was lack of education or experience, but as amendments like the U.S. Civil Rights A ct of 1904 are adopted, th em societies are farced to examine the real reasons why most working minorities, women, sad children a ra employed in menial jobs. Civil rights groups help stimulate inter cultural awareness to free enterprise societies and equal opportunities in edu cation, recreation, the b w , housing, em ployment. and polities. Pressure from * U .8 . Commiaaioo on Civil Rights, R adal I m b tis a b the P uM k Schseis. Government Printing Office. Washing too. D.C. 1907, p. 1. Northwest M inority Contractors Association O N P A 1973 (Continued from page 1 col. 5) 1st Pisce e s t Ad R e m iti ONPA 1973 Subscriptions$7 50 per year in the Tri-County area, « . 0 0 per year outside Portland. puptb, teaching thorn: although peopb vary in appearance, beliefs, intelligence, and talent, each person b essentially the same and deserves the same chance far happiness b lib . In times prior, the equal rights groups encourage local and federal governments to provide financial support to thorn who need it, so that m otivated, disadvantaged students do not feel defeated by unfavorabb econo mic conditions. Prejudice attitudes must be »tim in g ed in young children through education, if in the future, f r m enterprise «"-»rtfes are to provide equal opportunity for all. When everyone - regardless of race, income, sex. physical condition, or rob gw a - is given an equal level of education, each citizen w ill have an equal opportu nity to be successful and happy. 5th Place Beet Editorial N N P A 1973 I Award NNA1973 O N P A 1975 m in ority workers in order to meet their obligations for providing equal employ ment opportunities. F ortunately. Hicks doesn't have th em difficulties all the time. But when non- compliance or apparent discrimination b found, eith er in construction projects or elsewhere, he suggests citizens actively seek redress through the appropriate agencies. T h e media can abo play a watchdog ro b , helping to safeguard the rights of Americans that have been established and guaranteed by b w . M r. Hicks has received various awards including the Outstanding Civil Rights O fficer aw ard presented by the National Council of M ino rity Consulting Engin s e n , one from the W estern Association e f M in o rity Consulting Engineers sod be a im received an Outstanding Perform sues Rating in M ay of 1970 from the Regional Adm inistrator of E P A . He has received awards far outstanding Federal Service and a Certificate of Appreciation from th e National Urban League. CONTRACTORS • SUBCONTRACTORS 10 N. E. G raham 281>OOI5 Subscriba to Tha Portland Observer Trl-Caunty area $ 7 .6 0 other oreas $ 6 .0 0
