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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1978)
K, Page 2 Portland Observer Thuraday November 2, 1978 District 15 — Jim Chrest W e see the world through Black eyes Vote on November 7th Another election has rolled around and once again candidates have come forward asking for votes. Many of the successful candidates will never be seen or heard from again until the next election, many will not come back to talk with the voters who elected them. A few will be seen in the community, attempting to maintain com munication, and making decisions in their elected positions that benefit the common people. But this is not entirely the fault of the office holders. Communication is a two-way street. Although elected and paid by the people, most of the contacts and pressure to support particular points of view come from paid lobbyists and special interest groups. The voters have not ap plied pressure to insure that they are heard, have not monitored their votes and activities, and merely forget them until election time comes around again." The failures that we see in the Democratic process are not due to natural flaws in the system, but are the result of an apathetic elec torate. Another difficulty facing the voters as well as those seeking office is that it is fast becoming a fact that unless a candidate has access to large amounts of money — and this money is usually provided by utilities, banking interests, the medical professions, timber companies and unions — he cannot be heard. Hours of talking to the voters and years of service can be over whelmed by an intense media blitz. The same is true of Ballot Measures, which usually have a group of concerned citizens on one hand and an industry that will be adversely effected on the other side. Who has the money? X Governor — Bob Straub The best choice for Gover nor is Bob Straub. In his first four years in office Straub successfully requested the creation of an Affirmative Ac tion Office of the Legislature, hired more Blacks on his staff than any previous Governor, and brought the number of Black State employees to a higher level. He has taken strong — if unpopular — stands against the death penalty, for the right of abortion, called a special session to deal w ith tax lim itation Measure 6. Although he does not have the ability to gain favorable publicity that some of his predecessors have, he has proved to be Oregon's most capable Governor since Robert Holmes. He deserves another four years. X U.S. Senate — Vern Cook Is money taking the justice out of the elective process? In a highly furnaced campaign <$259,797) Mark Hatfield is seeking a third six-year term in the U.S. Senate. His Democratic opponent. State Senator Vern Cook, is relying on his twenty-two year record in the Oregon Legislature and an effort to meet the voters across the state. Cook has demonstrated his belief in equal rights and his attention to those issues that protect the rights and improve the lives of the poor. The Observer endorses him for election to the United States Senate. SO Labor Com m issionor — Wendy Roberts Mary "W endy" Roberts is a candidate for Labor Com missioner, which has respon sibility for the Civil Rights Bureau and Apprenticeship. Two of the most important State functions relative to mi norities. The Civil Rights Bureau still does not bring prompt and effective justice for those who are victims of discrimination and the minorities are not included in fair proportion in apprenticeships. Mary Ro berts is one of the few elected officials who has dealt first hand with the suffering caused by racism, having worked in the Albina office of Children's Services and the Juvenile Court. She will not only have the commitment to make the Bureau function properly, but has the knowledge of management and the strength of will to make changes. © l i IS Superintendent of Public Instruction — Vern Duncan The race for Superinten dent of Public Education is be tween current Superintendent Vern Duncan and Mt. Hood Community College professor Ruth McFarland. Dr. Mc Farland has good ideas and a flamboyant personality, but has not dealt with the realities of administering the complex Department of Education. Dr. Duncan, on the other hand, is quiet and reserved — not much of a campaign speaker — but he has guided the Department of Education for the last j four years in a responsible manner. His main thrust in his first four years was on reading, and reading scores have improved across the State. He deserves re-election and gets the Observer’s endorsement. OS District 16 — W ally Priestley Wally Priestley has served District 16 well, and during his six sessions in the Legisla ture has remembered who sent him there. Although Priestley's failure to succumb to the dictates of well- financed special interest groups has brought him con demnation by the white press, his voting record on those issues of concern to the ordinary voter is ex cellent. For example, the Oregon Consumer League rates his Legislative voting record as 100%; Common Cause 100%; Oregon State Council of Senior Advocates, Excellent; Oregon Women's Political Caucus 94%; Oregon Environ mental Council 90%; and AFL-CIO 84%. PORTLAND OBSERVER lat Place Community Service ONPA 1973 la t Place Saat Ad Hosuit» ONPA 1973 Published every Thursday by E xit Publishing Company. 2201 North Killingsworth, Portland. Oregon 97217. Mailing address: P.O. Box 3137, Portland. Oregon 97208. Telephone 283 2486 Subscriphons $7.50 per year in the Tri-County area. $8.00 per year outside Portland A kktf. ALFRED L HENDERSON Editor/Publisher Second Clasa Poataga Paid at Portland. Oragon Honorabla M antion Harrick Editorial Awerd NNA 1973 The Portland O b s trrtr't official position is expressed only in its Publisher’s column (W e See The World Through Black byes). 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 Obsrrvrr 2nd Place Baat Editorial 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1978 National Advartiaing Rapraaantativa Amalgamated Publlaheri. Inc Naw York I Bth Place Bear Editorial NNPA 1973 e V I p A p ER 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1978 Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association 1 Jim Chrest has represented North Portland since 1974, serving on the Committee of Education and on Intergovernmental Affairs. He has worked for consumer protection, including unit pricing, compensation for crime victims, and aid to elderly persons in their own homes. Chrest has the independence and intelligence to make him an asset to the Legislature, and to the residents of his District. ® M S D Executive — Rick Gustafson 35, County Chairman — Don Clark « Don Clark, Chairman of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, deserves re- election. Clark, though plagued w ith shortage of funds, has kept the county fiscally secure. His health program, providing health care for the poor through the normal health care channels, is acclaimed throughout t h e ______________ nation. Clark has been responsive to the community and through the Quadrant Advisory Boards has sought citizen input in decision making. Earl Blumenaeur and Gladys McCoy, both Democrats, are certain of election. Mrs. McCoy will be beginning a new position - a full time, paid position- with a clean slate and should be judged on her future performance, not on the past. We wish her the best. / The extremely im portant races for Metropolitan Service District Executive and coun cil members are all but over looked in the shadow of the hotly contested Governors race and numerous ballot measures. The persons elect ed to these new positions will control in large part land use planning, solid waste (dumps and garbage), transportation, highway placement (including Union Avenue redevelopment), and JS D is tric t C o u rt — Betsy eventually possibly housing, economic develop Welch ment, Tri.-Met and the Port of Portland. Rick Gustafson, a former Legislator, has the Elizabeth Welch is seeking knowledge and experience to get MSD off to a election to the Circuit Court, good start. Department of Domestic Relations, to which she was ® M SD Council, Position 11 appointed by Governor — Robert Phillips Straub. Judge Welch has ex tensive experience in the field Robert Phillips receives the of domestic relations and Observer’s endorsement be juvenile law. As a Deputy cause, since his return to District Attorney assigned to Portland following graduation the juvenile court, she from Oregon State University, specialized in child abuse and neglect cases. As he has been visibly involved in director of the city's LEAA High Impact program grass roots organizing. An ac she was instrumental in planning and obtaining tive member of the King and funding for juvenile offender treatment and for Sabin Neighborhood Associa crime prevention programs. Her emphasis on tions, Phillips is involved both early detection of delinquency and provision of through his employment with services to families and children in trouble, results Adult and Family Services and his community ac from her years of experience with family and tivities in developing and guiding programs for youth, juvenile law. the elderly, the handicapped, institutionalized persons and the poor. As Chairman of the North William east Police Precinct Council he has demonstrated ® District Court - an ability to bring opposing factors together to Snouffer discuss the differences, to work under pressure, WilliamSnouffer has been and to see behind the obvious. a judge in the District Court X MSD Council, Position 12 since 1976. He is a former Deputy District Attorney, a — Nick Barnett law school professor and a Nick Barnett is the Execu trial attorney in private prac tive Director of the Metropoli tice. He has been rated by at tan Human Relations Com torney's as the most outstand mission and therefore is ex ing District Court judge and is perienced in the multitude of known for his fairness and problems and pressures that impartiality. He was appoint effect the life of the com ed to the Judicial Conduct munity. A professional social Committee and the Judicial Fitness Commission. w orker, Barnett has had Intelligence, courage and integrity are the most previous experience in higher valued qualifications for a man who makes education as it relates to career decisions about other people's freedom. Judge development. His main concerns if elected to the Snouffer possesses these credentials. MSD Board, will be to insure that planning for the growth and development of the metropolitan area will provide a positive impact on inner-city Be Decisive. Vote No! residents. Barnett has the experience and the sense to Vote No on Measure 6 and No on Measure 11. perform this function well. Both Measures are an attempt by frustrated tax to obtain relief from property taxes. jSfl MSD Council, Position 8 — payers Basically, Measure 6 would place a limit on all Carrie Miller property taxes raised and Measure 11 would have the state pay a portion of the residential property Carrie Miller, a former taxes out of income tax revenue. teacher, is president of the Portland Federation of Measure 6 is the original initiative patterned af Teachers (AFL-CIO, which ter California's Proposition 13, and Measure 11 is represents teachers and non- the Legislature's effort to soften the blow. professional employees, anc Both Measures will bring drastic cuts in city, Secretary of the Oregon county and state services - schools, police and Federation of Public Em fire, social programs, parks and recreation, health care, etc. ployees. She serves on the Who will be hurt most by these Measures? The City of Portland's Economic people who are dependent on state and local ser Development Council. She has demonstrated a determined concern for vices - the elderly, children and youth, the ill and human rights and for ethical principles in her handicapped, minorities and the poor. These dealings with the Portland School District. She Measures are racist in their intent and application has the independence and the intelligence to con vote No on Measure 6 and on Measure 11. tribute greatly to the MSD Council. 9 IS Measure 51 — Yes M Measure 10 — No Count all those cavities and fillings in your mouth. Add up the money it cost to repair them — and the pain, loss of work, and inconvenience it cost. Check out the mouths of little children in Oregon, who got their first cavities about the time they began kindergarten. Check out the mouths of the elderly who are too poor to replace extracted teeth. Is all this necessary? No. One of Portland's greatest health hazards could be avoided easily, safely, and cheaply. Don't be deterred by those that cry "p o is o n ” — "com m un ism " — "corrosion." Vote yes on Measure #51 to fluoridate Port land's water. Measure #10 is another attempt to get LDCD (The Land Development and Conservation Commission). This measure would eliminate the state land use goals that have been written by LCDC with citizen input and would require the Legislature to rewrite the goals within 60 days or LCDC will be eliminated. The people of Oregon have spent years^ developing comprehensive plans to guide development in their neighborhoods. This measure would not only negate all of that work, but would be a step backward, placing local planning in the hands of a Legislature already over burdened and restricted by political con siderations.
