2
P w iU n d Ofaarrver Thursday May 18. 1»T8
Return Ivoncie
We see the world
through Black eyes
No endorsement
Not this time
Another candidate we connot endorse this yeor is
h s * ?h great regret that we withhold our
endorsement for County Commission, Position 3, State Senator Vern Cook, who is running for the
horn. G iodys M cCoy. We hove been very disappoint Democratic nomination to the U S Senate. We hove
ed w rn Mrs McCoy s performance on the School olwoys endorsed Cook in the post and consider him
Board and ao not feel that we con give her our »o be a man who is concerned about the plight of
those who ore traditionally left out of the political
endorsement on that 'ecord
processes.
Mrs. McCoy is a good and tolen’ed person ond we
Cook opooses affirmative action on the basis that
do not question her desire for on excellent education
citizens
should not hove to poy for the crimes
tor □ cn aren. but w e do not see her role on the
(slavery,
segregation) of their ancestors. Cook
Board as providing the leadership and indepen
believes
in
equal opportunity - that eoch applicant
dence necessary to insure that Block, children and
should
be
selected
on his own merit without regard
Block fam es ore properly served. Mrs McCoy was
to
roce
We
see
affirmative
oction not only as o
e ecred district w >de - not by the Block community _
method to moke up for post discrimination but os a
ond she is 'esporsbie to all of the citizens, but os a
B ocx woman we expec’ed that she would hove a guord ogomst current discrimination. The days of
spec tic concern for the education of Block children. racial discrimination ore not over and o look at the
The Schoo District has been in a state of turmoil employees of ony major compony will demonstrate
the continuing need for affirmative oction
over desegregation ond its ramifications — busing,
Cook also opposes Indian fishing rights and
’ he N e w m an P an middle schools, feocher attitudes,
promises,
if elected, to support legislation to
treatment of Block students, etc. For the first time
eliminate treaty rights
•he Block community has risen up and said a
As a member of the U.S Senate Cook's vote
eso-na -g "no" ’o one of me district's desegrego-
would hmde' Comer's minority "ser-aside'' pro
♦ion moves. The school reorganization proposals,
grams, strengthening of affirmative action require
even a hen odop-ed are not providing the middle
ments,
ond the protection of Indion rights. Therefore,
schools odfocent to the Block community that were to
although we hove great personal regard for Vern
nave been the answer eavmg the necessity for
Cook, we connot recommend his election to the U.S.
oispursmg Block students oc'oss the district. The
Senate
A o no e 'e r e n o r y schools remom segregated
su m m er m e fede'af government found the district
discrirr.noting ago "st Blocks in its disciplinary
procedures ond other complaints ore currently under
investigation.
Arnold Biskor, candidate for the City Council
Yet Mrs. McCoy has not come to the Block
position held by Mildred Schwob, is a well qualified
communih, to de’ermme what is happening to kids.
candidate. A certified Public Accountont, he has the
She has not come to ask why there is such great
business expertise to run o city bureau effectively,
otssotisfacJion with the district ond with her perfor
yet has o great concern for the rights of the people
mance on me Board. Neither has she looked into the
He is concerned about neighborhoods and how city
□legations constantly b a n g mode against the
business effects neighborhood residents os well os
district - of mistreatment, rejection, and neglect of strengthening the residents' influence in city deci
B'ock students She has assumed that because the sions.
ofc ect ve of the district, of herself ond of most Blocks
He is interested in expanding housing availability,
— th e o b -e c ti. e of desegregation — is proper then the especially for the elderly who would like to live
actions o f th e d is tric t ore proper. She has promoted downtown near the services they need
ond defended them.
Commissioner Schwob has been available to the
Mrs McCoy has relied on the information provided public and has usually responded favorably when
he- by ’he admin strotion and has accepted the contacted regarding specific issues. This ploces her in
administration's recommendations.
She has not good steod with many voters.
Her management of the Pork Bureau, we believe,
ndeoenoe'-’ly determined the validity or the com
p ete-ess of ’he -formation on the proposals ond nas demonstrated her mobility to effectively manage
recommendations. Her role on the Board has been a orge bureau and to pion for maintenance and
one o f o f— ost u nor mous acceptance of the recom- growth. Although she responds when asked she
mendations of Dr Blanchard, ond Boord members does not always see or foresee the problem. A good
Newman and Ridgley.
example is the playground at Unthonk Pork. Al
M s McCoy states that because she is a wife and though the City did not design or build the pork, its
m o th e r and ’.as o full-time |ob. this mony times out maintenance is o City responsibility. After a child
of the Portlond oreo, she has not hod the time to was killed by a swing set, the other swings were
~ioke toe community contacts or do the foct finding removed. But the Pork Bureau did not see the other
•ncr we would have expected.
The County dangerous ploy equipment at the pork ond it was not
C om m issio n oosr on is a full-time paid job with a removed until five months later, after a meeting with
- ited staff and she would be able to devote her angry citizens.
We do not believe the lock of
time to citizens.
attention to be purposeful neglect, but to be a lock of
There ore some positive aspects of having Block foresight on Ms. Schwob's port
We therefore endorse Arnold Biskor for City
people m e ec’ea positions, even when those people
pre n ot os responsive ’o Block interests os they Commissioner, Position No. 2.
should be. The - positions con open doors to other
B oevs ond they can prov de ro e models for Block
youth.
Biskar over Schwab
it
s w ’- some degree of pom that we do not
endorse Mrs McCoy A e hope that pain is mutuol
and w
moke Mrs. McCoy more awore ond
'espons ve to the Block community during her finol
yeor on the School Board, ond, if she is elected, in
’he important role os a county commissioner
REGISTER -VOTE
Cease - District IB
Jane Cease is an octive community member who
advocates o fair tax system, programs for senior
citizens ond youth, ond odequate school financing.
Her occupational background is in solid waste
disposal and land use planning, both vital to the
health of the inner city ond its residents.
^ rs Cease's community service includes. Gover
nor's Community Services Committee, Citizen Task
Force for City Budget Review, State and Regional
Citizen Advisory Committee on Solid Waste M an
agement, Multnomoh County Mental Health Advi
sory Board She has been a citizen odvocote of every
legislative session since 1967.
The Observer endorses Jane Cease for the Oregon
Legislature, District #18.
N allie Fox fo r Lobor
Two candidates are challenging Frank Ivonae for
a t y Council, position #3 - State Senator Stephen
Kafoury ond Mike Burton.
Kafoury has on outstanding voting record in
the Legislature, where he is identified with urbon
affairs ond human rights. He has taught at Jefferson
and AYOC ond lives in Irvington
Burton hos been octive in neighborhood ossocio
bans in North Portlond. He is interested in urban
development, citizen participation and sound mon-
ogement.
We, however, support Frank Ivoncte in his bid for
te-elect.on. An honest conservative, Ivoncte has not
always voted the way we would like but he has
come through on some important issues like
supporting PMSC funding.
•We ore concerned about the consolidation of
power m the hands of the Mayor. The M o y a ',
growing influence on the School Boord - with the
probable appointment of his former assistont Bill
Sch° ° < B° ° rd Ond the Proposed
City/Scnool Commission — concerns us. There ore
those who welcome the Mayor's entry into this oreo
with the hope that he will be a positive influence on
the Boord — that anything would be better. But we
believe in separation but cooperation in decision
making for the City ond the School District to be
proper. No man - not the Mayor, not the President —
should hold the power to control both.
This is not to soy that we ore dissatisfied with the
AAayor's programs, but to mointom on independent
voice on the City Council, we endorse Frank Ivoncte
for re-election
Heard for Education
Three candidates are competing for the position of
Superintendent of Public Instruction. The position is
now held by Verne Du neon, a former teacher and
odministrotor.
A competent but quiet person,
Duncon is most criticized because of his lock of
aggressive odvococy for education with the Legisla
ture.
Ruth Me F a land, on instructor at Mt Hood Com
munity College, emphasizes more effective teochers
ond fewer administrators; more appropriate text
books; ond testing os o tool to help teoch rather than
to exclude students.
State Senator Fred Heard, who teoches at Oregon
Institute of Technology, hos served on important
committees dealing with education — Ways and
Means, the Emergency Boord, ond the Senate ond
House Education Committees.
Among Heord's proposals, should he become
Superintendent of Public Education, ore: a locally
controlled reodmg progrom; expanding community
schools; increasing vocational education; creating a
deportment of urban education; strengthening affir
mative action; and, if necessary, seeking from the
Legislature tools for more effective enforcement of
State requirements; ond incentive grants to local
districts to develop more effective reodmg programs.
Education in Oregon is in a neor-crisis situation
with instability of financing and low public faith in
the educotionol system. Heard has the relationship
with and the working knowledge of the Legislature
to use it effectively in the interest of better
educational programs. His legislative record attests
to his energy and ability.
The Observer endorses Fred Heard for Superinten
dent of Public Instruction.
Plummer - Position # 5
Berna Plummer is o condidote f a the Republican
Forty nomination to the County Commission, Position
No. 5.
Mrs. Plummer is currently affirmative oction officer
f a the county. Previous experience includes plan
ning ond evaluation f a the county, teochmg ond
©orly childhood education. She is m taested in
criminal justice, having served on the CRAG Criminal
Justice Technical Committee ond the City/County
Security ond Privocy Committee.
Mrs. Plummer is octive in the Republican Party ond
was a delegote to the 1976 Notional Convention
where she participated in the Block Caucus effort to
demonstrate to the Republican Party the need to
involve Block voters.
The Observer endases Berna Plummer.
Measure # 3 . Ye»
Portland O bserver
Published ever? Thursday by E x » Publishing Company. 2201
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P.O. Box 3137, Portland. Oregon 9 7 2 0 Telephone 283-2486
.
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hubscnptiooa $7.50 per year in the Tn-County area. $8.00 pei
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Claes Postage Paid u P e n ie e i. Oregaa
AI f R L D L HENDERSON
Fxtitar/Pabiiviier
1st Place
ty Service
ONPA 1973
1st Place
Beat A4 Result«
ONPA 1973
5th Place
Beat Editorial
NNPA 1973
IMxerv er » official position irexp ressed only in
Os P ublishers column iW e See The World Through Black
E yes). Any other material throughout the paper ia the opinion
of the individual writer or submitter and does not necessarily
reflect tbe opinion of the Portland Observer
Honorable .Mention
Herrick Editorial A »ard
NNA 1973
National A dvertising P-r-rtaentath i
2u4 Piare
Beat Editorial
3rd Place
New Yari
Mt»
I Oregon
Newspaper
_ Publishers
' Association
MEMBER
N
e & Í p A p ER
The contest for Lobcr Commissioner is one of the
most hotly contested ond one of the most important.
The Bureau of Labor includes the Civil Rights
Division, Woge and Hour, ond Apprenticeship and
Training. It IS designed to protect the rights of
working people.
Several of the candidates ore well qualified and
could do o creditable job.
Senator M a y Roberts, o former caseworker ond
juvenile counselor at the Albina Human Resource
Center, has served one term in the House and one in
the Senate. She served os a member of the Lobor,
Consumer and Business Committees ond has o good
legislative record.
Ralph Groener, Clockamas County Commissioner
ond fo ,mer Legislata, hos a record of involvement
wit people s issues. He wos octive in the grape
boycott, is o post president of the Day Core and Chi Id
Development Council of Oregon, is chairman of the
Oregon Coalition f a National Health Security.
Jose Bustos, octive in Spamsh-speokmg groups,
advocates independence in the Lobor Bureau -
freedom from influence of either labor or business
• h connections in neither comp, he offers that
independence.
N ellie Fox is d .recta of Legislative and Political
Education (COPE) of the Oregon AFI-CIO Although
involved in the union movement most of her life Ms
Fox could not be considered a "labor boss" Rather
she wos a member of the retail clerk's union whose
activities on behalf of women ond low-payed
employees brought her the recognition that enabled
er to move into the upper ranks of the AFL-CIO. She
is on exomple of the port of the lobor movement that
brought job security ond decent w a k in g conditions
to this country ond hos worked f a economic and
social re fa m .
We a e concerned about too dose ties between
organized lo b a and the Loba Bureau jhot is
supposed to e n fa c e lo b a regulations, but we do not
think that would become o problem m this case We
believe N ellie Fox hos the ability and desire to
strengthen the Civil Rights Bureau The Observer
endases N ellie Fox f a Loba Commissioner
Christ - District #15
Representative Jim Chrest wos appointed to the
House m 1974 and elected in 1976 Prior to going ,o
the Legislature. Chrest wos involved in agonizing
the North Portland Citizens Committee
He w a,
involved with youth activities - baseball and
oject Busy K.d," - and helped organize the North
Youth Services Center.
In the Legislature h i, activities hove included
ntroduemg legislation to requiring hospital, to offer
the pap test (co n ca detection,; w a k in g for passage
of unit pricing which aids consumas, w a k e d for
compensation of crime victims, proposed successful
legislation to promote education of handicapped
and gifted children; was active in promoting "Proiecf
Independence" which o.ds elderly person, in their
own homes.
Chrest', w a k on behalf of the elderly, the
consuma, and educotion and his effort, to preserve
ond enhonce Smith and Bybee Lakes ond Columbia
Sk)ugh moke him on asset in the Legislature Hi,
obility and desire to w a k with the people a e
supplemented with the determination and indepen
dence to use his talents f a the benefit of his district
The Observer endases Jim Chrest f a the Demo
cratic nomination f a the Oregon Legislature, District
Blum anaur - Position # 3
Earl Blumenour is challenging incumbent County
Commissioner Alice C ab ett f a position No. 3. Mrs
Corbett hos provided no leadership in her tenure on
the County Commission and during the period that
»he wos designated as the Commissioner for
North-Natheost district, she wos not seen in this
neighbahood.
Blumenour has campaigned on the theme that he
will be a full-time working Commissioner He
proposes o night court f a those who must now take
time off w a k to go to traffic court and f a other legal
business; tighter controls on the police records
system (CRlSS); improved government efficiency;
ond odded citizen involvement.
The Observer endorses Eorl Blumenour for County
Commission, No. 3 (Democrat).
o h r ^ r M e^ U7
enob,e* ,he s,a’e
«•» general
o ^ g o ’ -on bonds to provide financing for mult,-
fam ily housing f a the low-income elderly. The fund
created would be colled the "Elderly Housing Fund"
Commerce
the D epatm ent of
compon,ei' '^ .v id u o ls a government,
would be given grants, loon, a contract, to build
housing to be rented to the low-income elderly
Because there is o great shortoge of suitable
low-cost housing, we endorse this measure.
Park Levy - Ye»
The people of Portlond will vote on o six-year.
$19 7 million serial levy f a p a k improvements. The
property tax increase would be 54c per $1,000
assessed evaluation
The proposal includes im-
a o vem en t of existing p a k s os well os development
of some new facilities.
FHe City's porks ond the progrom, that take place
m them a e im patont to the ro^m unity. Vote ye, on
the City pork levy.
I
Previous endasem ents:
County Chairman - Don Clark (Democrat,
Governor - Bob Sfroub (Democrat)
Governor - Tom McColl (Republican,
Legislature --
Wolly Priestley - District 16 (Democrat,
Gretchen Kofoury - District 13 (Democrat,
Carol Bryant - District 14 (Democrat,
State Senate — Cindy Bonzer — District
(Democrat,
Measure #1 -- Yes
Measure #2 - Ye,
Measure #6 - Yes
Endasements with no opposition;
Bruce Broussard - District 16 (Democrat,
Jewell Loosing - County A u d ita
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