Page 2 Portland Observer Thursday. A prils. 1979
'Muldergate':
The scandal
that won't * qo
awav *
by N. f-'ungai Kumbula
*
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Catch up w ith voters
Two new membeis w ill join the Portland
School Board July 1st. Steve Buel and Bill Scott
were elected with wide majorities, both soundly
defeating incumbants.
Both men are identified with supporting the
recommendations of the Community' Coalition
for School Integration. Buel repeatedly endorsed
the Coalition's pairing proposal which would pair
majority Black and white schools and exchange
students. Scott favors a more rigorious attempt
to bring white students into Black schools on a
voluntary basis but, that failing, would support
the pairing proposal.
Buel and Scott defeated Board members who
rejected the pairing proposal. Ms. Crowell
believes that although the current program has
some deficiencies it is liked by most Black parents
and should not be drastically changed. Mrs. York
said little but her vote was against pairing. Joe
Rieke, whose showing against an unknown first-
tjme candidate who ran a late-starting and poorly
financed campaign, Karen Masterson, was not
spectacular also had rejected pairing.
The School Board acted politically on the
Coalition report, fearing political doom if they
forced the issue openly and honestly.
This election indicates that the Board is more
conservative than its constituents and that it has
little to fear from the citizens.
The election results and the fact that desegre
gation and citizen participation became the major
issues of the campaign should put the remaining
Board members — and the administration — on
notice that the people expect a more honest and
responsive School Board.
The fact that only 8.3 percent of the registered
voters voted in the election demonstrates the
error of the Board's action to move the election
from the May Primary election. Designed to keep
radicals' off the Board, the move merely insured
that the general public not participate.
Immediate steps should be taken to place the
School Board election on the Primary or General
Election date.
advised that he would consider a Trojan shut down
if danger were demonstrated.
Atiyeh's action should be to order the shut
down of Trojan at least until the Three Mile Island
accident is thoroughly investigated and until it
can be demonstrated that Trojan poses no
danger. The Governor should also retain all
members of the Energy Facility Siting Council un
til the final decision on the Pebble Springs plant is
made — if that decision has to be made.
The Legislature should immediately pass the
nuclear safety bills now before it — including a
moratorium on new plants until the federal
government provides adequate long-term storage
facilities.
We call on Portland General Electric to show its
good faith by closing Trojan during the investiga
tion of the Three Mile Island accident and with
drawing or suspending until a future date its Peb
ble Springs application. Since Trojan has to be
closed this summer for maintenance anyway, it
might as well be done now and that would
reassure the people of PGE's regard for their
safety.
The people of Oregon would then have to take
the responsibility not only of conserving energy
but of funding research and development of new
sources of power. Solar, wind, bio-mass energy
sources all are within reach if the necessary money
is spent. In exchange for responsible actions by
the government and the utilities — the people will
have to spend a little tax money on new energy
sources.
The only alternative is the nationalization of the
power industry.
Reconsider computers
In this country over the past
several years, we have learned such
new terms as ‘ Watergate,’ ‘ Korea
gate,* ’ Oilgate* and now, the so-
called ’ Peanutgatc’ . A ll these have
been scandals o f one sort or another.
To that list, we can now add another
one: ‘ ‘ Muldergate” , an ever unfold
ing scandal that has already forced
one South A fric a n government
minister to resign in disgrace and
threatens to topple even John Vor-
ster from his arrogant post o f presi
dency.
‘ Muldergate’ is named after Con
nie Mulder, the former Minister o f
In fo rm a tio n in the last Vorster
government. When Vorster resigned
as prime minister to take on the
mostly ceremonial post o f president,
Mulder was one o f the leading con
tenders to succeed him. He finally
lost to a Pieter Botha who is now the
prime minister. Mulder's loss was at
trib u te d d ire ctly to his role in
‘ Muldergate*.
This is the way it is supposed to
have happened: For quite some time
now. the South African regime has
been trying to improve her. rather its
image abroad. International pressure
had mounted significantly against
the apartheid regime due to the ef
forts o f the anti-apartheid groups
around the world. Such actions as
the bank loan campaigns, the
krugerrand campaign, the college di
vestment issues and other like actions
have taken th e ir to ll on South
A frica . This has tended to bring
South Africa under world scrutiny.
It also has discouraged potential in
vestors.
To counter this, the regime em
barked on a secret campaign to in
fluence w orld o p inion so South
Africa would be seen under more fa
vorable light. To this end, a secret
slush fund was set up through the
Ministry o f Information, the m ini
stry that Mulder headed. In charge
o f this sinister plot was one Eschel
Rhoodie who is now a fugitive some
where in Europe. He is said to have
had as much as $73 million at his
disposal at one point, to influence
world opinion “ by any means ne-
The Portland Public Schools administration,
and some members of the Board have rejected
the request of Adams High School to develop a
computer science program at their school. The
idea of the Adams planners was to find a program
that would retain Adams' attendance area stu
dents as well as draw outside youngsters to halt
Adams' declining enrollment.
One problem that plagues Adams is the same
that hurts Jefferson — the large number of its cessary.”
white students that choose to attend Benson,'
Onc o ' f the fruits o f this nefarious
Washington/Monroe and other high schools. plot was the setting up of a paper
The Three Mile Island crisis is not over yet and The district should limit the numbers of students called The Citizen which only carried
the effects of the "low-level radiation" to which attending other high schools and the Adams' news that portrayed South Africa as
a ‘ ‘ free, democratic, anti-commu
the Pennsylvania citizens have been exposed will problem wouldn't be so severe.
nist, pro-W est, stable, peaceful
not be known for generations. The utility com
The computer science project should be recon country and a boon for investors.”
panies will say the fact that there was no melt sidered. As more and more industries turn to This Department o f In fo rm a tio n
down and no one was killed on the spot are evi computers, the opportunities in this field are project went on to try and influence
dence that nuclear power generation is safe.
rapidly expanding. Computers are used in nearly newspapers, politicians and ‘ policy-
Scientists will study the reasons for the ac every field — from law offices and school districts makers’ around the world. The U.S.
was a particular target because o f the
cident, the effects on the bodies of the citizens, to space exploration and heavy industry.
country’s role as leader o f the ‘ Free
and even the psychological effects on the
The most frequently sought employees are W o rld .' Rhoodie and his accom
children — and they will disagree in their find programmers and keypunch operators. If it is to plices at one point attempted to buy
ings. The only thing that everyone can agree on prepare young people for vocations for the The Washington Star so it could be
is that there is no proof that nuclear power plants future, the school district must become more ac used to manipulate American public
opinion.
are safe. The only real question is whether the tive in this field of education.
He also readily admits that several
value of the power produced equals the sacrifice
Adams is the ideal spot for this program, which U.S. politicians received contribu
of generations of human lives.
would train these students who will go on to tions from this slush fund. Among
That is the question that our Governor, our college or technical schools to learn more advanced the names mentioned are Iowa State
legislature and the utilities must make. Governor technology and theory, and those students who Senator Roger Jepsen, the Republi
Atiyeh said last week, "W e need to reassure will go immediately into the job market with sale can who went on to upset Senator
the people of the safety of nuclear power," and able skills.
Shut down Trojan
LUTHER
By Brumsic Brandon
Letter------
Appreciation
To the Editor:
1st Place
Community Service
ONPA 1973
PORTLAND OBSERVER
The Portland Obterver (USPS 968-680) is published every Thur»-
day by Exie Publishing Company, Inc . 2201 North Killmgeworth
Portland. Oregon 97217, Poet Office Box 3137, Portland, Oregon
97208 Second class postage paid at Portland. Oregon
ALFRED L. HENDERSON
Editor/Publisher
1st Piece
Best Ad Results
ONPA 1973
Subscriptions »7 SO per year m Tri-County area. M OO per year
outside Tn-County Area P o stm a ster Send address changes to
the Portland Observer, P .0 Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208
5th Piece
Beet Editorial
NNPA 1973
The Portland Observer's official position is expressed only in its
Editorial column Any other material throughout the paper is the
opinion o f the individual w riter or subm itter and does not
necessarily reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer
Honorable Mention
Herrick Editorial Award
NNA 197T
2nd Place
Best Editorial
3rd Place
Community Leadership
ONPA 1976
N ational Advertising Representative
Amelgemeted Publishers. Inc
New York
3rd Piece
Community Leadership
ONPA 1978
A’
NHA
Aasociahon - founded IM S
hl
•
*
M l WHIM
O regon
Newspaper
Publishers
Association
We would like to thank the Black
community and the Wiz Company
for their support o f the reception
given on Tuesday, March 20, 1979 to
benefit the Black Educational Cen
ter.
A special expression o f thanks
goes out to Dave Stuart o f Popeye’s
Famous Fried Chicken Company,
fo r donating the delicious chicken
and cole slaw; to Paul Knauls for
transporting the cast and for use o f
his facilities; to Corno’s, Albertson’ s
and the Bee Company for donating
cheese, fruits and vegetables, and
also the Portland Observer for publi
city. A sincere thank you to my very
special friends: Cheryl Oldham, Liz
Mosely, Liz Taylor, Anna Cruse,
M ild re d Davis, Joyce Geisert,
Florice W alker, Debra Hicks, Flo
Kelly, Clara Peoples, Danny M it
chell and Joe Roose for their loyalty
and commitment to make it a very
special evening.
As a result o f the above persons
efforts, the Black Educational Cen
ter was able to gain a sizeable finan
cial contribution from the event.
Again, thank you all for helping us
to help someone else!
Sincerely,
Thomas & Gracye Kennedy, Jr.
Dick in the last Iowa U.S. Senate
race. Clark, a virulent critic o f the
apartheid regime, had always been a
target o f South African engineered
efforts to get him out o f Congress.
Daniel Moynihan, the Senator from
New York who is also known to have
leanings toward South Africa is also
said to have been a recipient o f these
clandestine South A frican co n tri
butions. The South Africans even
tried to funnel funds to Jimmy Car
ter’ s campaign during the last Presi
dential election. Whether they suc
ceeded or not has never been estab
lished.
sists that Vorster not only knew but
personally approved the projects of
which he says there were as many as
130 around the world. O f course,
Vorster denies any knowledge o f this
but, there are indications that, as the
pressure mounts, he may be forced
to step down.
His resignation, if it comes about
w ill, however, not change anything
as far as South A frica’ s policies are
concerned. A ll it would mean is that
one o f the founders o f this hated
system would be forced to step down
in disgrace. The one good thing that
could possibly come o f this though is
that it would definitely deal the apar
theid regime a severe blow, damage
what little credibility it had and slow
down its influence peddling schemes.
Hopefully, it w ill also make those
politicians who arc "buyable” hesis-
tate just a bit. Best o f all, we hope it
will awaken the American public to
the realization that South A frica
m anipulates not only its Black
citizens but Am erican politics as
well.
Somehow word o f this secret in
fluence peddling scheme leaked out
to the press. The Johannesburg Star
and The Rand Daily Mail, o f which
Donald Woods used to be the Editor,
seized upon the story and played it
up until Mulder was forced to resign
and Rhoodie to flee the country.
From his hideout in some unnamed
European capital. Rhoodie has been
spilling details o f the scandal. He in
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