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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1978)
I 1 M City looks at dangerous buildings PORTLAND OBSERVER Volum e • No. 48 Thursday. N ovem ber 8.1878 10c per copy Edward Brooke, seen above in happier times, was de feated in his bid for a third term in the U.S. Senate. Senator Brooke was the target of Boston Globe allegations of fiscal irregularities and a resultant Senate Ethics Com mittee investigation which found him not to be guilty of any unethical or illegal behavior. California Lt. Governor Merv Dymally was defeated in his attempt for re-election. Dymally also has been a target of the press, accused of alleged illegal activities involving his Los Angeles area youth program. Congresswoman Yvonne Braithwait Burke was unsuc cessful in her campaign for Attorney General of California. She gave up her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to try for the state position. Bright spots were the re-election of Congressman Charles Diggs of Michigan, who was recently convicted of fraud involving "kickbacks." Diggs is Chairman of the sub- corpmittee in Africa and a prime mover in the struggle to give Washington, D.C. voting representation in Congress. California's controversial assemblyman Willie Brown, easily held his position from a strong Republican challenge. Union members organize Randolph Institute broad Black trade unionists are organiz ing a local chapter o f the A . Philip Randolph Institute. Through the years iu the struggle for freedom and equality for Black people in the United States many organizations have risen and fallen under the pressures o f a dynamic and often hostile national atmosphere. A few have managed to survive the hostile public opinion and frequent physical violence to continue the fight. One of these is the A . Philip Randolph Institute, currently direct ed by Bayard Rustin. According to one o f the local organizations, Julius Williams, In terim Chairman, one role of the local chapter will be to identify and in volve Black workers belonging to the many trade unions. A d dition al organizers are Rufus Fuller, Interim Chairman; Barbara Jackson Jones, R ecording S e c re ta ry /T re a s u re r; Judy Knowls, Corresponding Secre tary; N .P . Cannon, Chaplain; and Bill Fitzgerald, Advisor. A . Philip Randolph, founder o f the Brotherhood o f Sleeping Car Porters, began his long struggle to bring better working jobs and im proved working conditions to Blacks and to unite Black and white workers for their common interest before World War I. The Brotherhood was organized in 1925 but it took twelve years o f organizing and protest to gain recognition by the National Mediation Board and acceptance by the AFofL. In 1940 he threatened a massive "M arch on Washington" to protest discrimination, resulting in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s order to end discrimination in defense plants — the beginning o f “ fair employment practices." H e later became one o f the strongest forces in attempting to get the A F L -C IO to end discrimination in its member unions. As a socialist, Randolph believes the workers and their unions will be the force in any political effort to redistribute wealth more justly. Later effo rts were against segregation in the armed forces, marches for school integration, and heading the 1963 “ M arch on Washington.” The Portland chapter plans on organizing a meeting in December. The Portland City Council had a special Wednesday night meeting to hear public testimony on a proposed ordinance to deal with abandoned and dangerous buildings. The ordinance would provide that when a building has been declared “ dangerous" because it contains conditions or defects that will en danger the life, health, property or safety o f the public or o f its occu pants, the city can require the owner to repair or demolish the building or have it vacated. I f the owner fails to repair or demolish the city can, after a public hearing, either rehabilitate or demolish the building and place a lean against the property. Another option is for the city to take the property through condemnation, rehabilitate and resell. The ordinance also strengthens regulations on burned, unoccupied and abandoned buildings. Phil Gonzales, chairman o f Albina Fair Share, told o f that organiza tion’s efforts to meet with absen tee owners and get them to repair abandoned houses in the A lberta area. There are an estimated 150 Priestley drafts abandoned houses in A lb in a. Many o f them belonging to a few in vestor owners. Fair Share has had lit tle success in getting houses repaired, most owners preferring to ignore the situation. Gonzales suggested that a maximum 120 day time limit be set before the city would condemn property, stating that unless there is a specific time limit owners will seek delays. Mrs. Ida Shepard described aban doned houses on N .E . G raham , stating that they have been vacant for six years. Mrs. Rozella Lockett said one house 3723 N .E. Garfield has been empty for over ten years, a three story apartment building near by for eight years. A neighbor wants to sell his property but cannot find a buyer because there are three aban doned houses. Gypsy Hopkins said, "N o family- wants to live around an abandoned house.” Sid H o ffm a n , a building re m odeler, explained problems he has as a landlord. He said he had repaired houses but renters destroyed them so he had to use money to repair them again that he would have used to restore others. He advised that there are problems in getting in surance and that F H A appraises below the market value and uses a double standard on code require ments. Jim Douglas, also an investor- owner, said F H A and city inspectors, discriminate in the Model Cities area by requiring a more detailed inspec tion and greater code enforcement than in other areas o f the city. This makes financing slower and more difficult. M ayo r N eil G oldschm idt ex pressed his opinion that "a t some tim e private neglect o f private property becomes a public matter” and that the city must take steps to improve neighborhood conditions by taking the property and either rehabilitating or demolishing the buildings. Commissioner Charles Jordan said there are large numbers o f people who would like to buy -ehabilitated houses. In response to property rights he said, “ This is where discretion comes into play. There is no intent to take property if you try to m aintain it. W e are looking at those who are ripping o ff the community.” tax relief plan State Representative Wally Priest ley announced Wednesday that he has filed an in itia tive petition calling for a state constitutional amendment that would provide a $30,000 homestead property tax ex ception with a comparable benefit to renters. The amendment, if placed on the ballot and approved by the people, would remove property taxes from the first $30,000 value o f an owner- occupied home. The home owner would pay taxes on the value above $30,000. Business and industrial property would not be included in the exemption. " I filed this petition so a property tax relief that does not give the lion’s share o f benefits to the rich and businesses, but benefits all the people equally, is at the head o f the line of the many tax relief proposals that will follow.” 4 Measure 6, an initiative limiting property taxes to l ‘/ j percent, and Measure 11, the Legislatures effort at home property tax relief, both failed to gain a majority o f the votes in Tuesday’s election. Legal aid seeks advice Gayle Gartington, Janet Hiner and Katheryn Wilson receive scholarship checks from Lois A. Sayles, President of the Portland Chapter of Links, Inc. (Please see Page 8 Column 1 ) Multnomah County Legal Aid is seeking advice from the community in its annual evaluation of legal ser vices available to low-income people. A public hearing beginning at 6:30 p.m. will be held Tuesday, Novem ber 14th at Hollywood East, the Housing A u th o rity o f P ortland complex at 4400 N .E . Broadway. Everyone is invited, especially low- income people. These are some o f the important questions that must be answered: 1. Should Legal Aid offices be located in neighborhoods or at a central downtown location with community out-reach? 2. Should the Senior Law Project, which provides specialized services for the elderly, be continued? 3. Legal Aid staffers have been doing community out-reach, media coordination and have developed educational materials in order to in form people about their rights, help them avoid legal pitfalls and equip them to handle legal problems by themselves. Should this Community Education effort be continued? Gladys McCoy, former member of the Portland School Board and State Ombudsman, was elected to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners in an easy victory over her Republican opponent. She will be assigned liaison with the Department of Human Services. z U .S. Am bassador to the United N a tio n s A n d r e w Y o u n g w ill speak a t the S ta te D e m o c ra tic P a rty's W a y n e M o rs e B an q u et on Novem ber 11th. The banquet w ill be held a t the Eugene H otel, in Eugene, a t 8:00 p .m . A no-host cocktail hour w ill precede the dinner at 6:00 p.m . A fe a tu r e o f th e b a n q u e t, w h ic h h o n o rs th e la te U .S . Senator W ayne M orse, is the an n o u n c em en t of the w in n e rs of the "Roar of the Tig er" awards and th e M y r tle S y ke s G rass Roots Aw ard. Tickets are available from the D em ocratic Party, 226-7106. Cost Is *10 fo r adu lts and *7 .50 fo r students and senior citizens. Rocky Butte inmates continue protest of jail conditions by Valentine Nemcek Some . . . "Think we can change problems by changing the name o f the problem. " Charles McCabe Rocky Butte is a “ ja il," not a "corrections fa c ility ." The men there are “ in m a te s," not “ de tainees.” Jail in the penal system has a special meaning as a place of short term confinement usually where people await trial. The word • U ja il comes from a L atin word meaning "cage” or "den.” Rocky Butte is definitely a jail (cage). The origins o f “ inmate” are tied to in stitutions (in-mate). The employees there are guards, not "corrections officers.” These euphemisms ate one way the system distorts reality. Since Rocky Butte is a cage in every sense o f the word, calling it something else does nothing to change the facts. On the afternoon o f November 7th inmates initiated a hunger strike. The hunger strike was indicated to bring the public aware o f the inadequacies in Rocky Butte the past three weeks. The Coalition stated: the authorities have improved condi tions to the extent o f only several new shower curtains and bath mats. Other conditions have been ignored. During this reporter’s tour of this jail, it was apparent the statement* o f the P .C . (Prisoners Çoalition) were an inadequate way to describe the shocking conditions existing there. Within minutes after arriving, while still in the duty sargeants office prior to beginning the tour, a long series o f screams eminating from the basement area were heard. These screams continued for some time as two guards arrived at the sargeant’s office to report an inmate was "flip ping out.” After a minute o f conver sation, while the screaming con tinued, the guards received their in structions. “ I f he is just screaming, leave him alone. Let him scream.” The tour then began and although this reporter was told he would see ^’ e ve ryth in g ," the area o f the screaming inmate was missed. The first stop was the "separation center,” another euphemism for the "hole.” “ Hole” is more accurate to describe a concrete cell perhaps 8’x7’ in area and about 6 ià ’ high. These cells have no lights and no windows. Confinement here is for nearly 24 hours per day. Next was the visiting area which was a space 10’ wide x 40’ long divided lengthwise by a full ceiling to floor wall. One side o f the wall was for prisoners and the other for visitors. Visits are on Sundays for th irty minutes and consists o f viewing ports (glass or plastic) perhaps 6 " x l 2 " w ith all com munication done by phones. The kitchen area appeared reasonably clean and the menu for the week looked like standard in stitutional food. However, the food budget was reduced sometime back and the P.C. state not enough food is served (no seconds). The reply to this is that “ they gain weight here.” However, this may be due to the starchy nature o f the food and the lack o f exercise. According to a writ ten "conditions report” from the P .C ., the men in “ D ” and " O ” tanks “ went outside for fresh air and exercise one time in the four months” preceding October 15th (em phasis by P.C.). The living area tour began with " A ” tank which is a row of cells similar to what one sees in prison movies. Cells are perhaps 8’x l0 ’ with a seatiess toilet in each. Running the length o f cells is a walkway about 5’ wide leading to the single shower for approximately sixty men housed in “ A ” block. However, unlike the movies, each cell houses four men in about eighty square feet. Double bunks protrude from both walls. There is one phone in the walkway and a radio outside the block con trolled by the guards. “ B” tank is the section for “ social or disciplinary problems.” It is laid out the same as “ A ” tank. However, the inmates here (four to a cell) are locked in their cells for 23 H hours and not allowed onto the walkway area. My guide indicated that there were a number o f "mentals” here who weren’t in hospitals "because we can’t get them to take them.” " C ” tank is the "show ” tank. Divides into four sections, it housed in C -l about sixteen older, quiet “ in stitutionalized” inmates while C-2 and C-4 held fifty or more inmates in dormitory style. Each section had its own television. Section C-3 was the "baby” tank for inmates perhaps 18- (Please turn to Page 3 Column 1) » *
