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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 1978)
Paige 2 Portland Lioaarver i nursuay. u t w u r •*. Youth Loodorthip Conf «ronco We see the world through Black eyes death peoalty It should be an embarrassment to the people of Oregon that they would even consider the death penalty. However, in this time of increasing social and economic pressures crime is increasing and people are afraid. They have been ted to believe that killing the criminal will prevent the crime. There is no evidence that the death penalty deters crime. Most murders are crimes of passion, involving members of a family or acquaintances, and w ill never be repeated. The death penalty w ill not deter this kind of murder. There is evidence that the murders increase just before and after an execution, which apparently triggers a sick mind. For those who are interested in saving money by killing criminals, it actually costs more to execute a man than to keep him in prison fo r a lifetime. Perhaps a more compelling reason to reject the death penalty is that mistakes have been made — the wrong man has been executed Right now a man sits in Oregon State Penitentiary - sen tenced to life in prison for murder — while another man has recently confessed to that m ur der. If the confession holds up, the man w ill go free. But what if he had been executed? And there is the fact that the vast m ajority of those executed in this country have been Black. The death penalty is used on those who are too poor to buy competent attorneys; are uneducated and unable to express themselves; or who are minorities. There still is no justice fo r Blacks. Indians and Chicanos in the courts of by H tr b L. C avth om e This measure deserves a no vote from both those w ho believe abortion to bo the right of ovory woman, and from those who oppose abortion on moral or religious grounds but w ho oppose discrimination against the poor. Support Many years ago the federal dams were built on the Columbia and Bonneville Power A d ministration was established to provide low cost electrictiy to homes and farms in the Northwest. In Oregon, stringent laws and powerful private utility lobbies brought most of the customers into the hands of private power companies. Across the river in W ashington, more lenient laws allowed the form ation of publically owned utility districts. Today a m ajority of the homes in W ashington use low-cost public power, while most of Oregon pays double the amount or more fo r private power. Measure 4 changes the procedure to allow citizens to decide in a single election if they w ant to form a public utility district, to issue bonds and to elect directors. It does not force public power on anyone: it does not put privat utilities out of business. Measure 4 merely sets forth a sim ple and logical method to simplify the voting procedure. W e recommend a YES vote on Measure 4. Oregon. The most compelling reason to vote against Measure 8 is that it is as morally w rong for citizens as a group to com m it murder as it is fo r an individual to com m it murder. The death penalty is a barbarous act which cannot be com m itted by civilized people. Measure 9 - Yes Measure 9 - "Lim itations on Public Utility Rate Base" - prohibits utility companies from charging customers rates based on the cost of construc tion or acquisition of property. Oregon law permits private utility companies to charge their customers - in their electric bills - for future construction of power plants and other facilities. These facilities can be unnecessary or a poor economic investment since the company cannot lose - the costomers are paying the bill. Measure 7 is an effo rt by some persons who Current electric users are paying fo r plants that for their own religious or moral reasons are o p w ill not be producing electricity for years, posed to abortions to prevent the U.S. from perhaps after the customer is dead or has left the providing abortions. The U.S. Supreme Court has determined that state. Isn't it more fair to make the owners - the abortion is legal in this country and every woman decision makers and the profit takers - to pay the has the right to decide if it is the best solution for bill. If a plant is needed and if it is economically sound, private money can be found to build. The This right is only deterred by inability to pay. stockholder would take some element of risk, but The woman w ith financial means is able to pur they are the ones to reap the profits. chase an abortion if she wishes, but if this Note YES on Measure 9. measure is passed a poor woman will have no Measure 7 * No choice. Measure 7 does not and cannot prevent abor tions. It merely says that the state cannot provide abortions for the poor. Therefore, rather than ad dress the moral and religious issues of abortion, it advocates discrimination against the poor. A Good Idea 1 VOTE NOVEMBER 7 Lucious Hicks should be com mended. He deserves our thanks and our appreciation. The active director o f the PSU Educational Center, housed in the M artin Luiher King, Jr., Facility, has proven that a persistent ap proach to the education o f Black youth produces results. Last Spring, Hicks conducted the First Black Youth Leadership Con ference. It was held at Camp Adams, about an hours drive east of Portland. The Conference aimed to motivate Black youth to think more deeply as to their roles in the Black com munity. The three day conference at tracted only fourteen youngsters. It was a disappointment. As the various speakers came to participate, Hicks apologized. He anticipated their disappointment. His expectations had been high, but the turnout was low. The frustration showed. Hicks could have hung his head and. seeking to save his own pride af ter having overestimated the impact of his first conference, he could have let it end right there. But he did no such thing. He listened to those who en couraged him onward. When some of the speakers assured him that they did not mind the numbers and that progress and learning cannot be measured by a head count, Hicks listened. H e made up his mind to try it again in the Fall. A t Cam p Collins, near Oxbow Park, the second Black Youth Leadership Conference was held this last weekend. M ore than sixty (60) young high school students attended. They came from schools throughout the city. They all came for a purpose — to learn about themselves, to reflect on the meaning o f leadership, and to better discover their place in the affairs o f the future. The conference was a success. I made an opening presentation, in which students assisted me in defining the meaning o f leadership. Darrell M ilner, a PSU professor, completed the First evening with a workshop on Black history. The next day, Carolyn M urray o f PSU taught students about values, while Lewis Merrick discussed the myth and reality o f education. Joyce Marshall, the new director o f BOOST Talent Search, worked to encourage youngsters toward higher education. And Nick Barnett o f the Hum an Relations Commission talked about community organization and action. The conference was a success. Those parents and teachers who sup ported it by encouraging Black youth to attend should be commended. A nd, o f course, Lucious Hicks and his staff deserve a world o f credit in acknowledgement o f a difficult job done well. One thing the Community Coalition for School Integration has taught us is that Black children are mercilessly scattered and isolated. They attend schools in small num bers. They are misunderstood. They seldom interface with people o f their own kind. Therefore, their visions o f leadership are narrow. The narrow vision stifles their motivation to work hard and achieve. A Black Youth Leadership Conference is one positive means to get Black children in touch with Black people so they may be exposed to the Black past and the Black future. Like the Urban League’s Career Awareness Day scheduled for November 4th, the Black Youth Leadership Conference renders a fine service to our youth. Both should be supported as a means to help our children develop the vision to help themselves. Lucious Hicks deserves a good round o f applause. His staff deserves a standing ovation. And the youngsters who devoted three days out o f their lives to think together about the meaning o f Black leader ship deserve our respect and ad miration. Through the Eyes of Mr. W. by H a ro ld C. Williams There are few people in today’s society who have the field or the special touch needed to get at the deep feelings of the people. M ary Roberts. Oregon’s next Com missioner of Labor, has the feeling and understanding o f the people. She has been a student o f politics for many years and has been in elective office since 1972. I f there is anyone who can bridge the gap on improving understanding towards all people, she is the one who has that potential. In these times. Black people must oupport and help elect persons to o f fice that will speak to needs o f Black people. Mary Roberts is that kind of person and is deserving o f the Black community’s support. Below is a lit tle background on M ary Roberts to introduce her to those o f you who might not know o f her work and to re-acquaint those who have known her through the years. M ary Roberts first held elective office in 1972 when her East M u lt nomah County district elected her State Representative. A t that time she was the youngest woman ever elected to the Oregon Legislature. Tw o years later she ran for State Senator. District 11. and won. In that race she received both parties’ nomination. M ary has served in the Senate for nearly four years, holding positions on the Labor, Consumer and Business A ffairs Committee, Local Government and Elections Committee, and Hum an Resources Committee. She served four years on the State Emergency Board. Roberts was a member o f the Legislative Task Force on Apprenticeship and the A ffirm ative Action Sub com m ittee. Both o f these commit tees deal in areas which fall under the Bureau of Labor’s jurisdiction. In her legislative career, Roberts’ work on the Ways and Means C om mittee established her reputation as a mover and doer. Roberts achieved as much through amending budgets and initiating inquiries into agency policy and procedure as others achieve through expensive legislation. For example, Roberts directed the establishment o f the Secure Treat ment U n it for Emotionally Disturb ed Children and Adolescents at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem. This program has substantially improved the lot o f such children in Oregon and saved the state money by avoiding inappropriate (and more costly) placement o f children in already crowded correctional facili ties. M ary Roberts’ legislation includes the Department of Human Resources reorganization bill SB 95, (1975), a version o f which (SB 8) was passed in 1977. Under this bill, the various divisions o f Hum an Resources are pulled together under firm ad ministrative control, making possible a common accounting system and reducing program overlap and costly duplication. Other pieces of legislation include: the Dual Driving Records for Professional Drivers bill (1973), the Natural Death Act (1977), Property Tax Relief and Homestead Property Tax Deferral at 62 (1975). repeal o f the Relative Responsibility law, and passage of numerous bills on day care, discrimination in housing and em ployment and labor. Her legislative record earned her high marks from the Oregon A F L -C IO , environmen tal groups and civil rights organizations. On October 23, 1978, at 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p .m ., M r. and Mrs. Terry Williamson are inviting the public to meet M ary Roberts at their home at 6420 N .E . 41 st Street, Portland. io d ll le t Piece C o m m u n ity Service O N P A 1973 PORTLAND OBSERVER 1 et Piece Bast Ad Results O N P A 1973 Minority business gains exaggerated T o the Editor: Published every Thursday by E x k Publuhin« Companv. 2201 North kiUingjworth. Portland. Orejon 97217. Mailing addrew P.O. Boa 6th Place Bast Editorisi N N P A 1973 3137. Portland. Oregon 97208. Telephone: 283-2486 Subacriptiom $7.JO per year in the Tri-County area. M OO per year H onorable M e n tio n H errick Editorial A w ard N N A 1973 outside Portland Second Claaa P o i t . f l . Paid at Portland Oregon ALFRED L. HENDERSON Editor/Publisher The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only in itx Publisher’s column (W e 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 o f the 2nd Place Beat Editorial 3rd Place C o m m u n ity Leadership O N P A 1976 Pnrtlond Observer N ational A dvartiaing R epresentative A m a lg a m ated Publisher». Inc N aw York 3rd Place C o m m u nity Leadership O N P A 1979 Mt Met* Oregon I ER Newspaper Publishers Association $7.50 in Tri —C o u n ty A r e a $8.00 Other PORTLAND OBSERVER A d d re s s C ity _____ I __________ P.O. Box 3137 Portland. OR. «7208 I am writing this letter to provide an equal-time viewpoint on the ar ticle in The Skanner dated October 5, 1978, with the caption — ‘ ’ Sea-Port Surpasses Goals.” As a concerned minority business man with about three years exper ience in wholesale/supply. I am aware o f the multi-faceted problems that minorities face in trying to lift our heads above the rough sea o f the business environment. Consequently, 1 welcome any programs that offer results-oriented technical assistance to minority business enterprise leading to the creation of more viable and suc cessful enterpreneurs. It is in this regard that this letter is addressed to. A t least five other MBEs’ and myself were very disheartened by the fantastic claims made by Sea-Port Business Development Center. As a sub-contractor o f the Economic Development Administration, Sea- Port’s role is to provide lists o f MBEs’ , plans and specifications and which had a congressionally-man- dated ten percent M B E requirement imposed on the grantees and contrac tors. In most instances, the MBEs’ did their independent marketing or utilized the services o f other private community business intermediaries or government agencies to obtain these contracts. It seems to me that many o f the successes of these independent MBEs are being subverted by the statistical game-playing that Sea-Port is rend ering on the unsuspecting public. Myself and at least five other MBEs who have worked hard to obtain contracts under the E D A -L P W and other government projects without an iota o f help from Sea-Port, therefore, we are completely refuting their claims. We challenge Sea-Port to use taxpayers monies to go out to private industries, corporations and government agencies and show that they can obtain the goal o f $5 million o f contracts before we can truly ap plaud their success in catering to the needs o f MBEs. Thank you. Sincerely Yours, Mathew Akom Smith, Si thole visit (Continued from page 1 col. 4) known fact that Sithole was most unhappy with the secret Nkom o- Smith meeting in Lusaka, Zambia and that as a result, he had leaked the news to the press. Monday night, he denied he had ever voiced any displeasure at the meeting and in sisted that Smith had informed him beforehand. As for the news leak, he blamed that on an “ overzealous assistant.” He seemed overly anxious not to annoy Smith. Asked what he would do if Smith was removed as prime minister and replaced by a more reactionary white, he had the nerve to say then he would continue with the guerrilla warfare. He had claimed control over thousands o f guerrillas but, when asked why then was there still so much Fighting, he could not come up with a logical answer. For that blunder, I wondered what Smith said to him after they got o ff the air. The U .N . has just voiced its displeasure with the U .S. for issuing visas to members o f the rebel govern ment o f Rhodesia. As usual, the U.S. along with Britain, France and West Germany abstained. New statistics coming in show that 1,000 people were killed in the month o f Septem ber alone, 1,000. Somehow, I wish I could draw the curtain on this tragicomedy: the blood is beginning to soak even the audience.
