Page 2 Portland Observer July 3. 1980
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Towards energy self-sufficiency
By N. f-ungai Kumbula
Who controls the schools?
A group of former School board members -
discontent with the "new " board - have set
themselves up as a screening committee to in­
sure that future board members are accep­
table. Their endorsement and their money -
combined with the fact that the school board
election is held at a special election where ten
percent of the people vote - will insure the
success of the candidates.
Is this democracy? One of the things
Oregonians take great pride in is our open
election system. Anyone can file for election -
he needs neither permission nor part endorse­
ment. True, name familiarity and access to
money play a major part in our elections - but
the individual who believes he has something
to offer still has an outside chance of election.
This new committee is being formed with
the sole purpose of subverting the democratic
process. Their purpose is to screen, select and
finance candidates to the school board - can­
didates to the school board - candidates that
will perpetuate their own image.
These so-called leaders are attempting to
bring about "rule by committee” to replace
government "of the people, by the people and
for the people."They apparently believe they
are better able to chose our elected represen­
tatives then we are.
But look at their records - Beatty, Cherry,
DeWeese, McCoy, Newman, Crowell, etc. al -
They are the former school board members
who established and perpetuated an evil
system of segregation in the Portland Public
Schools. They are the people who when
threatened by possible federal intervention -
solved their problem by coersice, destructive
programs that have destroyed the lives of
thousands of black children. They are the ones
who carelessly scattered Black children, while
carefully protecting white parents from any
responsibility. They are the ones who created
the problems the "new board" is now at­
tempting to resolve.
They are the former board members who
created such discontent throughout the
district that the people have refused to pass
levies to support the schools. They are the
ones who created discontent that caused two
of their members to lose their elections and
two others to be re-elected only because they
faced no creditable opposition.
The stakes are higher than merely who will
sit on the School Board. The ordinary voters
are not to be allowed to chose their represen­
tatives. The elite functionaries of the power
structure will select our public officials for us.
Letters to the Editor
Ethanol, or ethyl alchohol as it is
the Nakambala estate in Mazabuka.
built right next to its sugar mill in
alternatively called, promises to ease
the project w ill save Zam bia $5
the Low veld, Zim babw e’ s sugar
cast* some of A frica’s energy woes
m illio n a year in badly needed
district. It is the largest o f its kind
The spiralling price o f oil that has
foreign exchange.
outside of Brazil, the world leader in
played such havoc w ith Western
UPPER VOLTA To arrest the
gasohol production . The plant
economics has all but ruined
rapid deforestation o f its country­
needed only US$2.6. m illio n in
A fric a ’ s fledgling economies. I f
side, Upper Volta has embarked on
foreign currency to set up and, was
present trends are any yardstick to
a scheme to use ethanol as a cooking
completed ahead o f schedule.
go by, soon it will be ethanol to the
fuel. Generally, the local population
Triangle can produce up to 15
rescue.
just goes out and cuts down the
m illion gallons o f ethanol per year
Several A fric a n countries are
trees. So, the co u n try’ s ethanol
and this should supply up to 15% of
converting surplus sugar in to
usage is aimed, not at curbing the
the country’s gasoline needs. In the
ethanol which is then used as a
(low of currency out of the country
fu tu re it w ill be expanded to
gasoline additive. As much as 20%
but, rather at conservation of what
produce 20% which w ill result in
o f the gas could be made up o f
is left of her forests.
considerable savings to the young
ethanol w ith o u t re q u irin g any
SUDAN: At Kenana, the Sudan
n a tion. A lready, Zim babwe is
engine modifications. Beyond that
has the w o rld ’ s larges, sugar
emerging as a world leader in energy
figure, the engine would have to be
project. Now the government is
to the young nation. Already, Zim ­
altered
looking towards the production of
babwe is emerging as a world leader
Z IM B A B W E : S tarting this
ethanol within the next ten years.
in energy self-sufficiency.
month, gas distributors around the
Like most “ dirt poor” Third World
K E N Y A : The Asian owned
country are getting supplies o f
nations, Sudan has been ravaged by
Madhvani group is setting up Kenya
ethanol. The dealers w ill be adding
outlandish expenditures on foreign
Chemical & Food Corp. This cor­
15% to all their regular gasoline,
oil.
poration is building a plant near
thus upgrading it to premium, the
These are but humble beginnings
Kisumu in Western Kenya that will
new blend w ill cost the same as
o f what, hopefully, will be A frica’ s
produce up to 15 million gallons o f
today’ s im port premium and w ill
answer to the oil question. As the
ethanol a year again, using sugar as
save the country fro m US$14
the source.
continent struggles to get a grip on
m illion to US$17 million annually.
its economy, projects like this will
Z A M B IA : Indeco, Zambia’s state
This is the extra foreign exchange
have to be multiplied and expanded.
holding corporation, has ordered
that the country w ould have to
As much sugar as the continent
machinery worth US$22 million to
spend importing foreign oil.
produces, the wheels o f progress
build an alcohol distilling and fod­
Triangle, a local com pany,
der yeast plant. Using sugar
need not grind to a halt for lack of
produces the ethanol. The plant is
energy.
molasses, the plant w ill produce
about a million gallons o f ethanol at
Notes from City Hall
Wants no Black Commission
To the Editor:
Well, now that Governor Atiyeh
has o ffic ia lly recognized the
demand lor a State Commission of
Black Affairs (and other minorities)
by setting up a “ Task Force” to
study the idea, Calvin Henry must
lee! very encouraged that his
favorite project seems to have
acquired some sort o f establishment
momentum.
Calvin Henry, and the “ Oregon
Association fo r Black A ffa ir s ” ,
Calvin Henry, Chairman, has been
promoting a Black Commission for
about six years. The P ortland
Branch NAACP was literally trap­
ped into sponsoring the Black
Commission in 1977 when Reverend
John H. Jackson was President o f
the Branch. He was asked at a
Salem meeting to endorse the
proposed legislation fo r a Black
Commission and told Mr. Henry to
send the proposed b ill to the
Btanch, for it would require Branch
action. However before the Branch
received the information a bill was
printed by the Legislature with the
name o f the Portland Branch as one
o f the sponsors. O f course that put
the Branch in a squeeze position. If
it disavowed endorsement of the bill
it would look like a rift in the ranks
ol the NAACP branches in Oregon
to the press and the legislators; but
by keeping silent and letting the en­
dorsement stand, the Branch was
ta c tic a lly supporting something
which h is to rica lly the N A A C P ,
both nationally and locally, did not
approve.
A bout tw enty-five years ago
(when there were no Salem, C or­
vallis or Eugene Branches) and
Portland then as now had the largest
black population in the state, the
national NAACP policy was to get
rid ol most ol the state-sponsored
civil rights commissions, and they
pretty much did. Oregon had such a
Commission which first worked as a
private “ goodw ill” group, chaired
by the late David Robinson. Eater
the committee was incorporated in­
to the Bureau o f Labor under the
original Civil Rights Act o f ORS.
Still later, a bill was introduced to
abolish this C iv il Rights Com ­
mission, and the NAACP endoresed
it and worked for it. I was President
ol the Portland Branch at the lime,
and David Robinson was bitterly
disappointed w ith our action.
However, NAACP had recognized
for a long time that the Oregon
Commission on C ivil Rights had
become a dumping ground where
civil rights problems were sent to be
“ Studied” by the legislature and
law enforcement officers. Since the
Commission had practically no staff
and only met lour times a year, it
seemed to N AAC P that its chief
function was to stand between us
and our efforts to get civil rights
legislation with teeth. With few ex­
ceptions, this was the function o f
state c iv il rights commissions
throughout the U nited States,
Massachusetts and Wisconsin being
the notable exceptions at the time.
To see the idea o f a State Com­
mission on Civil Rights, or as it will
now be called, a “ Black C om ­
mission” revived strikes fear and
dismay in the breasts o f many o f us
old timers. Are we going to have
another dumping ground created? A
place to which problems can be
referred instead o f being solved?
Aside from creating a few jobs for
minorities, we cannot really see any
use for reviving such a Commission.
Rather we should have direct action
to enforce the very good laws which
we have on the books and which are
mouldering in dust except for an oc­
casional civil rights case being set­
tled after years o f d illy-dallying.
From this old-timer to the younger
generation: Look this gift horse in
the mouth. Its teeth are worn with
age and it can’ t chew much.
Lorna Marple
Former President and present
Parliamentarian-Historian
Portland Branch NAACP
Opportunity for renewable energy
To the Editor:
Oregonians have the unique op­
p o rtu n ity to make a renewable
energy breakthrough in 1980 with
the initiative petition signature drive
fo r the “ Renewable Energy
Development and Conservation
A c t.” The in itia tiv e implements
Oregon Constitution Article X l-D ,
which calls fo r the election o f a
three member, non-partisan Oregon
Energy Development commission
(EDC) to administer an aggressive
financing program for renewable
energy development and conser­
vation using existing state bonding
capacity.
In addition to making loans
available to individuals, community
development corporations, small
businesses, and consumer-owned
utilities for solar, hydro, geother­
mal, biomass, wind, alchohol fuels,
and conservation projects, the
OEDC will be the wholesale power
supply agency fo r our newly fo r­
ming people’ s u tility districts
(PUDs).
Portland General Electric and
Pacific Power and Light both have
extensive nuclear investments and
are fighting the Renewable Energy
Development and Conservation Act
tooth and nail. They w ill have made
only token effo rts to develop
renewable energy resources while
the Governor’ s Alternative Energy
Commission indicates there is a
tremendous potential in Oregon.
The final deadline for submitting
the in itia tive to the Secretary o f
State is rapidly approaching; i t ’ s
July 3. So concerned citizens should
“ Sign for Solar” now.
Over 15,000 public power ad­
vocates, environm entalists, and
Democrats have petitions in their
possession, so you should not have
to look for an available petition.
Sincerely yours,
Dave Me Teague
Democratic National Committee
Person Elect
PORTLAND OBSERVER
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Community Service
ONPA 1973
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Po^laod Oregon 972,7. Pos, Office Bos 3,37. Portland. Oregon
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ONPA 1973
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outside Tri County area P ostm aster Send address changes to
the Portland Observer. P 0 Bos 3137. Portland, Oregon 97208
5th Place
Best Editorial
ONPA 1973
The Portland Observer's official position is espressed only in its
Editorial column Any other material throughout the paper is the
opinion of the individual writer or submitter and does not neces
sarily reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer
Honorable Mention
Herrick Editorial Award
NNA 1973
283 2486
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ALFRED L. HENDERSON
N ational A dvertising R epresentative
A m a lg a m a te d Publishers. Inc.
N e w Vorfc
2nd Place
Best Editorial
3rd Place
Community Leadership
ONPA 1975
Editor/Publisher
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3rd Place
Community Leadership
ONPA 1978
By Charles Jordan
Commissioner o f Public Safety
EXPIRED DRIVER'S LICENSE
"Y our driver's license has expired
and you just haven't taken the time
to get it renewed. You see an officer
approaching and you panic. ”
The officer w ill probably follow
the traffic violation procedures we
discussed April 17.
In most cases you will be issued a
citation for your traffic violation as
well as a citation for operating a
vehicle w ith o u t a valid d riv e r’ s
license.
If you attempt to elude an ap­
proaching o ffic e r you may be
arrested. Many juveniles will see the
police and try to outrun or lose them
in traffic. It will be a simple matter
to just p u ll over and accept the
citation. In the case o f a teenager,
the juvenile may be driven home if
the car driven is not stolen.
DRIVING WHILE UNDER
THE INFLUENCE
"In still another instance, a police
o ffic e r feels you are d rivin g
erratically and suspects that you are
under the influence o f drugs or
alcohol. ”
A gain,
tr a ffic
v io la tio n
procedures are usually follow ed,
however, you may be asked to leave
you car and perform some percep-
tion tests on the street. I f the officer
is satisfied that you are not under
the influence, you are free to go.
On the other hand, if the officer
has probably cause to believe you
are under the influence of drugs or
alcohol while driving a vehicle, you
will be arrested. You may lose your
driving privileges for a period o f 90.
days or longer if convicted.
If you are driving a vehicle while
under the influence and become in­
volved in a tra ffic accident when
someone is seriously injured or
killed, you can be charged with a
felony; in the case o f a fatal ac­
cident, manslaughter.
Black United Front is community
By Nyewusi Askari
A great deal o f attention has been
drawn to P o rtla n d ’ s Black com­
munity (the Black United Front in
p a rtic u la rly ) and many n a rro w ­
minded things are being said
(publicly and printed) by the defen­
ders o f white racism, concerning our
black leadership, therefore, it is
necessary to give a clearer under­
standing o f what the Black com­
munity’ s leadership is/is no,.
community reflects that proudness.
Therefore, the projection o f Ron
Herndon is merely the projection of
the Black community. Ron is simply
doing his jo b as a com m unity
worker, alongside other community
organizers,
workers
and
professionals. T hus...w hat our
community is. cannot be defined in
terms o f a few individuals. Neither
can the Black United Front and this
Black community is not about to
allow the w hite power structure
disrupt our internal growth w ith
definitions not fi, to be written on
toilet paper.
At the present time, it is apparent
that these defenders are having a
d if f ic u lt tim e dealing w ith the
positive thrusts fo r Black com ­
Strange, they say, that we are
munity development, by Black Port­
choosing to fight without asking for
landers. To them, the present
permission. Not strange that some
movement is strange, unbecoming
Negroes are finding it d iffic u lt "to
and down right o u t-o f-lin e . And
let go o f OP Masa ’ ’ In the mean­
daily they speak o f us, in strange,
time, white communities across the
unacceptable tongues.
state are engaged in continuous
The common belief among these
efforts to improve everything from
people is: The Black United Front,
the quality o f education o f their
is simply Ron H erndon’ s thang.
school systems, to the quality o f
A nother common b e lief is, Ron
drinking water. Their appointed or
Herndon is the leader o f this Black
elected leaders are d aily stating
community. It will be said now, and
positions o f white community con­
time and time again, “ The Black
cerns, so why, all of a sudden, is it
United F ront” is not just simply
so strange for the Black community
Ron Herndon. It is no, a Ronnie
o f Portland to do the same. Maybe,
Herndon thing. The Black United
i t ’ s because fo r too long Black
Front is a Black community force o f
people here, have layed back and
community people dedicated to the
allowed Ill-responsible people to do
betterm ent o f th e ir com m unity.
nothing for them, in the name of
Brother Ron Herndon, is jus, one of
"Sumpin. ” Those days are overt!!
the many emerging potential Black
We can no longer allow our children
leaders from this community.
to be mis-educated, our sisters and
P ortland, like many other
brothers to be misused/abused and
basically white, power structured
murdered
by trigger happy
cities, has developed the habit o f
cowboys, and ce rtainly w ill no
underestim ating B la ckfo lks. In
longer allow our leadership to be
doing so, it has ignored a very im­
defined by power hungry madmen.
portant chapter o f A m e rikkka n
We, as a community, is no, begging
history; the history o f Black peoples
for anything...we are organizing to
ability to strive and survive/live and
ge, what is rightfully ours as Black
le, live/bu, fight against any and all
people, a com m unity, and as
forces dedicated to keeping us in a
Americans.
"Yessur Massa" position. History
It’s very strange to the defenders
reveals the struggle, and the many
o f white racism, that we Blacks have
hundred years o f survival against
chosen to attack their heroes, such
w hite racism and its defenders.
as Dr. Blanchard. Well, Blanchard
Black people, no matter what is
is jus, one o f many. We find it very
written, no matter wha, is said, is a
necessary from this point on, to
proud people, and Portland’ s Black
make continued efforts to remove
from our midst, those people (Black
or white) who are responsible for
the continuation o f social and
p o litic a l wrong doing to Black
adults and children alike, and w ill
not allow any form of injustice a-
gainst Black people in this com ­
munity, to go unchallenged.
The Black community is not an
isolated island. It is part o f the
heartbeat o f P ortland. And it
should be expressed that not all
whites are racist, jus, as not all
Blacks are Black. A demonstration
o f white support for the betterment
of the Black community is evident in
many aspect of our lives. For exam­
ple, many white businesses and
establishments in the business world
bring their business to the Black
community, for the purpose o f the
continued growth o f the state o f
Oregon. As the State o f Oregon
continues to grow, so will Blacks,
and an effort is being made by both
white and Black businessmen to
solve the many problems faced in
this area. Many white businesses
and establishments, daily, advertise
in the Black press, in a continued
effort of healthy communityship.
Yet, there is the problem of not
enough effort being made by certain
white establishments to better their '
understanding o f what the Black
community is doing to better itself.
Instead of relying on the white press
and other forms o f white media for
in fo rm a tio n
o n /a b o u ,
Black
people, they should ask Black
people. We are the ones being
spotlighted. Yet, we are not moved
by sensationalism, and we arc cer­
tainly not asleep on what the real .
issues are.
It’ s the year "1980" no, 1960, no,
1950, not 1940, no, 1920 and cer­
tainly not ” 1492.” We think d if­
ferently, fight differently, and our
efforts and spirit echo the efforts
and spirits o f our brothers and
sisters across Amerikkka. "Recall
th a t!!!” when you arc at a loss to
understand our hunger for equal
"Justice. ”
(Please turn to Page 6 Col 3)
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