Page 2 Portland Observer Ihursttoy, June 22. 1971
We see the world
through Black eyes
Our F a to : A Memory aad A Fatare
Herb L. Cawtborwe
Last Sunday we paused to honor our
T a x lim ita tio n r ip -o ff
One would almost believe the Oregon press was in
unanimous support of California Proposition 13 type
tax limitations. judging on the undo publicity given
the co-authors Mr Jarvis and Mr Gann.
When Gann was in Portland last week he was
feated by the press at hts airport arrival, was followed
around the state, and was hosted on talk shows. The
other night we happened to see a TV interview with
Harvey Akason — former Oregon legislator and real
estate agent — pushing a 1 Mr percent tax limitation
for Oregon, one of a senes of interviews of proponents
of limitation.
Judged on the local performance, it could be that
much of the so-called “tax revolt” is a media event. It
is unfortunate that the facts are not presented with
like fervor.
The fact is that if Oregon were to have a 1VY per
cent property tax limitation as proposed In petitions
now being circulated, business and industry would
reap the benefits, not the homeowner
Business and ndustry p*y 62 percent of Oregon#
property tax and homeowners pay 38 percent If the
funds collected from property tax were limited, the
money would have to come from income taxes, so
the homeowner would be hit again. The average
homeowner federal and state income tax would
already be high because he would not have the
deletion from local taxes paid.
A clause in the proposed amendment allows only
two percent income per year in assessed evaluation
— until property is sold. Then the property can be
'©assessed at current value and the new owner will
be paying at the higher rate Since homes sell mom of
ten than business property, the burden of the tax will
soon shift to new homeowners, who will be paying
higher taxes than their neighbors. The theory is that
the person will know before he buys that his taxes
will be higher, but in reality this will shut young
couples and pe'sons with tow income out of the
housing market.
The property tax limitation has been ceiled racist
by Senator George McGovern, Reverend Jesse
Jackson and others, and that it is. Persons inter
viewed about their vote on Proposition 13 mentioned
the services they would like to see cut — welfare and
social programs that they view as aid to minonties
and education. They want to keep their police,
firemen, streets and water — just protect their own lit
tle nest and let the rest of the world be damned.
Elections coming
How will the appointment of Forrest “Joe" Rieke
effect the possibility of the appointment of a Bieck
person to the School Board? Appointment is usually
the best method for minonties to gam public office in
a state like Oregon with a small minority population
— then, after the public exposure of being in office,
they are able to run for election and win.
Gladys McCoy will win a seat on the Multnomah
County Commiss on in November and probably will
resign from her position on the School Board. A new
member will be appointed to serve until July 1, 1979
and will undoubtedly run for election in April of 1979.
Although this position could feasibly go to a Black,
the foul up over the last appointment — the election
of Rieke by the Board when the plan called for Bill
Scott — means that the next appointment should go
to Scott.
So perhaps Portland's Black com m unity was
cheated twice — once when an obviously superior
cane date was not selected and again when that can
didate must be given the next appointment to com
pensate ‘or the emor
But regardless of the inevitable, Portland’s Black
community must begin thinking about that appoint
ment and the April -9?9 election when four positions
Y— — - z r m
EMPLOYMENT]
*
fathers. We paused un (he rush o f the
will be up for election.
It is imperative that Black candidates be chosen busy daily affairs, o f the scramble for
and supported by the Black community and — dollars and deals, and we took time to
although they obviously cannot be elected by Black “ see” our fathers.
In our Black community, our father
voters alone — that they remain responsive to the
is
one
who cares in a very special way.
Black community and its needs. The danger is in the
bringing
to us a unique contribution
selection by white politicians of Black “leaders". Too
often these people are not responsive to the Black On his strong back, our father accepts
communities they perport to represent, but to the a heavy burden — a necessary aspect o f
making a way in racist America. Our
white politician.
The time to prepare for the next School Boam elec father can “ see" into tomorrow, for it
is only with such vision that he can
tion is now.
faotkM
taken from The Observer. La Grande, Oregon
guide a new generation into a world
less prejudiced, less intent on
destroying what he has labored to
create. Our father is full o f the spirit
of caring, he accepts his responsibility.
and be holds fast to a positive vision.
Our father has depth and perspec
tive. He is sharply aware of yesterday,
and yet he dearly sees tomorrow. Our
father has both a memory and a future.
What has been the background of
the father we acknowledge today?
What of our father's memory ?
The man in our community remem
bers with pride in the warm th o f
African sun. When the majority of the
world still hid its frightened face in the
dark caves o f the earth, the Black
African lived in marvelous splendor.
The A frican melted iron, created
rhythm and music, invented currency,
made p o ttery, developed tools o f
brass, bronze, ivory and granite.
Richard Wright says o f our fathers:
“ in short, centuries before the Romans
ruled, we lived as men.’’
From the brotherhood o f African
living, the father we praise today was
stolen by the evil system o f slave
trading.
Those who lived to see
America’s shores mourned the passing
The Latter-day Saints church (Mormon) has stirred
controversy almost from the day it was bom. Holding
a belief that it alone has the full measure of truth as a
modem recreation of Christ's original church, it
was bound to make some people unhappy.
Catholics particularly, who feel a simitar Inheri
tance directly from Christ via St. Peter, have
challenged the assertion.
It should come as no surprise then that many
people have greeted the most recent Mormon policy
change with skepticism.
The change, announced last weak, gives Bieck
members of the church the privilege of being or
dained into the priesthood, provided they are
qualified.
Labeled a revelation of convenience by dissident
Mormon, Douglas Wallace, the change was given
with no elaboration by church leaders except that it
was the will of God
Although the church has been under great
pressure to change its policy on Blacks for years, to
call the change politically inspired as Wallace has
done seems petty and unfair.
In our secular age. tt is difficult for many people to
understand Mormons, the more so for their
missionary zeal in gathering new converts, which can
turn people off.
With Christ and his time of miracles separated
from us by miliema, some individuals see a church
claiming to receive revelation directly from God as an
anachronism.
However the Latter-day Saints church has been the
victim of much unfair criticism and persecution over
the years, to the point where a positive step like the
one they have not taken is met with misunderstand
ing.
To the Editor:
The change is in fact a major policy shift, which
could have a significant effect on making the church
The recent passage of Proposition 13
more palatable to minorities.
in California has created considerable
However it will have little weight unless ail worthy excitement among Oregonians. The
Black members are given the blessings of the
idea of a limitation on property taxes
priesthood as promised
has significant appeal particularly to
The key phrase in the letter released by the church
middle income homeowners who
urges ail priesthood leaders “to follow the policy of
receive no state property tax relief
carefully interviewing all candidates . . . to ensure because their incomes are above the
that they meet the established standards of worth SI 6.000 limit.
iness."
1 strongly support property tax relief
Whether the church will use these stipulations as a fo r low and middle income
way of blocking Blacks from the priesthood, despite
homeowners and renters. During the
the announced change, remains to be seen.
last session o f the Oregon Legislature,
If such methods are used, the church Indeed
we earmarked over $200 million o f
deserves the criticism which have been made against state money for property tax relief and
it. But if Black members are admitted into the
also voted to give people this relief in
priesthood on an equal basis with others, the church October, just before they receive their
is equally deserving of praise for taking a positive property tax b ill. The House o f
step.
Representatives voted to raise the in
At the very least church leaders should be given come limit to $20,000, but the Senate
the chance to make good on the promise, before
judgements are made. The promise may turn out to
be an empty one, but until it does, they deserve the
benefit of the doubt.
HIDING
CAH F0R A
of the numerous ones who did not The
vicious slave trade bargained a great
and seasoned people into slavery Our
father's memory is grounded with the
experience o f slavery He remembers
the attacks on his manhood He cannot
forget the dismemberment o f his
family . And he quite proudly recalls
that through it all he remained a man.
The memory o f our fathers is
marked with high achievement. After
the Civil War. reconstruction began
Black people could not read or write.
They knew little o f politics, for the
slave system had no need to allow for
such learning. In spite o f this lowly
beginning, our fathers learned to read,
learned politics, learned So represent
themselves. Schools opened. Blacks
took the charge o f their own self
development, and a remarkable race of
men uplifted itself.
About thirty years after the Civil
W a r. reconstruction ended and
“ deconstruction” , as 1 have called it.
began. Our fathers had moved too
fast. They had too diligently applied
the tools o f education and democracy.
Through vicious racism and official
neglect, white America told our Black
fathers:
A nigger’s a nigger.
Yon ran tea by Ms face;
And be got no basiness
In a white man’s pince.
children. He marched, he protested, he
negotiated, he spoke o f revolution, he
stood without a whimper before the
frightening odds.
We honor our father because we
know his memory.
W e know his
caring, his acceptance, his vision. We
remember what he remembers. We
praise the Almighty God everyday, all
the tunc. We praise our fathers on
Father’s Day because in him we see a
small instance o f the goodness o f the
God we worship.
We know his memory. We honor it.
And what of our father's future?
The fathers o f Black children face
more struggle, not less. The success of
the past is the good credit rating with
which Black men borrow positive
visions o f a new day. The struggle
today is backed by knowledge,
wisdom, and courage. There is a new
sense o f brotherhood among brothers.
To our sons and daughters, the spirit
o f our fight for human nghts must he
given. They can be strong if they know
the strength from which they have
come. Our fathers are one element o f
this strong com m unity. T o the
children, we must pass on the new sense
o f the brotherhood we bring to the
struggle's struggle.
On Father’s Day, the Black com
munity pauses. We note our father’s
memory, and we see his caring, his ac
ceptance. We glance at his future, and
we see a sparkling vision.
1 hope we will let no half-witted
pessimist, misguided by ignorance of
the past and a fear o f the future, lead
us to dimly view the courageous strides
of our father. I hope we never forget
his memory or his future.
The dark strong man we call our
father has stood his firm ground. He
fought gallantly in the wars o f this cen
tury.
He learned the la w . and
petitioned to gain re lie f fo r his
Opposes property ta x
forced a cutback to S 16.000. I present
ly advocate raising the income limit to
$25,000 or $30.000, and at least
doubling the number o f state dollars
earmarked for homeowners and rent
ers property tax relief.
Presently petitions are being cir
culated to place the C a lifo rn ia
initiative on the Oregon ballot in
November Before Oregonians support
this initiative with their signatures or
their votes, 1 hope they will take a close
look at who is supporting it. and who
will get the relief.
The California initiative was spon
sored by two real estate tycoons, M r.
Jarvis and M r. G ann. Paul Gann
recently visited Oregon, pushing his
proposal here as well. It is no accident
that these men are in real estate,
because under their proposal, business
and real estate interests will receive 63
percent of the relief. Moreover, due to
the reduction in the property tax
deduction. Oregonians will have to^ay
more State income tax, and $90 million
a year more Federal income tax. This
proposal will mean more tax dollars
for the Federal Government to spend
and will mean a huge w indfall o f
p ro fits to big businesses, land
developers, and real estate interests.
Not a penny o f relief will go to renters.
A t the same time, our local govern
ments, that are closest to the people,
and that provide the essential police,
fire, and school services, will be ab
solutely devastated.
We need real property tax relief for
homeowners and renters, not a big
business rip-off. Don’t Californicate
Oregon!
Rod Monroe
State Representative District 12
Coalition success
To the Editor:
BUCK WÉ
SKowrNG AT
The Metropolitan Human Relations
Commission would like to take this
o p p o rtu n ity to congratulate the
Coalition on the success of the Coali
tion banquet and o ffe r special
recognition to the numerous people
who devoted countless hour? of work
in arranging this well-received social
function.
thathaacpcohv ^ ktio H .- so go to
------------------5Ohl y.,
Clearly, the Coalition banquet was
one of the most successful community
events held in Portland — successful in o f working together over so many
terms of participation and a showing months for the higher goal of achieving
of wide support for the work o f the a truly democratic, m ulti-cultural
Coalition.
community.
The kind of unity that was both ex
W o rkin g and dining together
perienced and expressed by the dining illustrates that the C o m m u n ity
together of people from all parts of this C o alitio n for School Integration
City is one o f the highest forms of exemplifies what it advocates.
communal living. This simple act of
Sincerely,
sharing a meal manifested the mutual
James R. Sitzman.
respect and human enrichment that
Chairman
this diverse group of people have
gained from each other in the process
Nick Barnett.
Executive Director
P ortland O b server
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The Portland Observer a official position i r ex pressed only in
,ls Publisher s column I We See The W orld 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 Obaerver
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N Ä Ä 1973
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