* • • • 2 Portland Obaarvar July M, IHO
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Coalition showing signs of strain
Olympic sportsmanship?
The United States decided to boycott the
Olympic Games in Moscow this year, so US
athletes are unable to compete against the
world's finest The temptation is there - as can
be seen in the media - to guess about who
would have won had they been Dresent.
Of course it will always be impossible to
know who might have won; the only thing that
is certain is who did win. Like everyone else,
athletes have their good days and their bad
days.
Because the Americans are not competing
there is an impulse to make light of the games.
The main story on the fro nt page of the
Oregonian’s Tuesday Sport's section was an
Associated Press piece ridiculing the athletes
who are competing.
Every nation can enter three athletes in each
event if they meet qualifying criteria. Each
nation can enter at least one athlete, even if he
doesn't qualify. Many of the small, under
developed nations whose interest in athletics
has to be subordinated to the effort to just get
enough to eat have not previously been able to
send athletes to the Olympics. This year, the
Soviet Union provided transportation, so that
many of these poor nations could be represen
by N. Fungat Kumbula
‘ ‘ How can we contest the next
ted.
elections i f we are part o f the
The AP article ridicules athletes from Nepal, government?” Is the question
Sierra Leone, Laos, Mozambique, Libya, India ZAPU (Zimbabwe African Peoples
and Tanzania. "The refree stopped the bout at Union) partisans have been asking
the two-minute mark, permitting the Nepalese o f their leadership in recent weeks.
to escape the ring with nothing damaged but In the A pril elections that brought
Robert Mugabe’ s ZAN U (Zimbab
his pride;" probably couldn't beat a pick-up we A frican N ational U nion) to
team at the neighborhood YMCA," "playing power, the two parties ZAN U and
with no discernable tactics;" "Olympic low- ZAPU had campaigned separately.
Z A N U won a clear m a jo rity and
lights," etc.
could
have formed a government on
No one should expect the amatuer athletes
its
own.
However, in the interests of
of the poorest nations to compete with the
national unity, Z A N U had instead
government sponsored competitors from East opted for a coalition with ZAN U .
Germany or the "under-the-table" promotions Z A N U had 57 o f the 100 seats;
ofU.S. "Amatuers," but we do appreciate the ZAPU had 20 and the other 3 went
fact that the Soviet Union made participation to puppet former “ prime minister”
in the Olympics possible for more young men Muzorewa's UNAC.
Form ation o f the coalition sur
and women from Third World countries than prised a lot o f people who often
ever before. We hope the courtesy will be ex cited the “ differences” between the
tended by the U.S. for the 1984 games to be Z A N U and Z A P U leadership.
held in Los Angeles.
These differences were such that
Although red-blooded Americans would like even during the war o f liberation,
to think otherwise, the quality of the 1980 ZANU had its own army, Z A N LA
(Zim babwe
A fric a n
N ational
games is demonstrated by the records being Liberation Arm y) and ZAPU had
broken. Since we have opted out, why do we Z IP R A
(Zim babw e
Peoples
have to ridicule those who chose to par Revolutionary Army). They fought
in separate parts o f the country:
ticipate? Is this sportmanship?
Ebony explores effect of economy on Blacks
The August EBONY Special Issue
reports on “ Blacks and the Money
Crunch.” It is a nationwide look at
how Black Americans are holding
up under the current recession, an
attempt to enlighten those who can
help to ease the situation, and to
show the most serious victims of the
recession how they can make their
lot better, even in hard times.
When the editors began working
on this issue several months ago,
they kept hoping that they might not
have to do it. They were hoping for
an upturn in the downward
economic spiral, but they were not
expecting one. The editors con
cluded that unless the nation does
something specifically aimed at
helping poor Blacks, the Black
population will soon be in a worse
economic position than they have
experienced since the Great
Depression o f the 1930s.
The August Special Issue o f
EBONY is a new issue about an old
villian with a new name — ‘ ‘ The
Money C runch,” and how it has
knocked on almost every door in
Black America. August EBONY ex
plores the new disguises o f this old
villian, in depth and underscores the
disproportionate impact it has had
upon Black America. The money
crunch in Black America is the white
money crunch compounded by
problems of racism and oppression,
reports EBONY.
The term, Money Crunch” is a
shorthand term fo r a host o f
economic ills that have affected all
Americans but for reasons as old as
racism, Blacks have borne more
than their fair share o f the national
burden.
The m aterial in the August
Special Issue o f EBONY is divided
into six sections. Topics include:
Down But Not Out, Hard Times In
The South, Young Married Budget
For The Future, Unemployed But
Not Making It, Middle Class Money
Blues, 101 Tips On How To Save
Money, C ontrolling The Urge To
Splurge, Eating Well While Spen
ding Less, Collecting From Uncle
Sam and Moonlighting For Fun and
Profit.
The material speaks to the central
paradox of the political economy o f
Blackness: the paradox o f a poor
but potentially powerful m inority
group that would rank in the upper
percentile of the w orld’ s industrial
nations. This the editors believe is
the wild card o f the current crises.
For although Blacks are poor,
relatively speaking, they are also
rich in resources, numbers, spen
ding power and ingenuity. For this
reason, much o f the material in the
17th consecutive August Special
Issue of EBONY, is directed at the
more positive side o f the Black
response to the crisis.
Some interesting facts from the
August Ebony ‘ ‘ Black Balance
Sheet.”
1. Blacks have an estimated
aggregate income o f $125 b illio n
annually
2. The aggregate wealth o f the
Black com m unity is estimated as
$23 billion (2 percent o f the nation's
total).
3) Blacks, in general, allocate
th e ir income to areas that
m arginally affect their economic
circumstances.
4) Blacks, who constitute more
than 12 percent o f the U.S.
population, control less than 3 per
cent o f all businesses and account
for less than 1 percent o f the civilian
labor force.
5. Accumulated wealth o f whites
is influenced to a greater degree by
intergenerational transfers in the
form of inheritance than is true for
Blacks.
6. In 1910 Blacks owned 15
m illio n acres o f land in the U.S.
Today they own less than 4 million
acres.
7. Black families have between
one-half and one-third o f a chance
o f remaining in the top 10 percent o f
the income p ro file than do white
families.
8. W ith the Black p o p ula tion
there are wider disparities in income
and wealth between the low and
high ends o f the respective
d is trib u tio n than in the w hite
population.
9. Black fam ilies hold, on the
average, only $39 in stock.
Priestley proposes tax reform
(Continued from Page I Col 6)
come workers and homeowners bear
a disproportionate share.
The Governor'« Plan
Governor Atiyeh proposed that
the predicted deficit be adjusted for
by cutting $130 m illion out o f the
State budget; collecting $18 million
from funds not spent by the State
agencies; obtain $91 m illio n by
collecting insurance and certain tax
payments quarterly instead of an
nually; and collecting $10 million in
past due taxes.
He proposed that the $130 million
be saved by cutting 15 percent from
higher education ($29.5 million), 8
percent from com m unity colleges
and other education ($8.3 million);
cutting the Human Resource budget
by 13 percent ($50.7 m illion) and
cutting other state activities by 14
percent ($20.4 m illio n ); $21.5
m illion worth o f capital construc
tion would be deferred.
Priestley disagrees w ith cutting
human services and education.
" T h e people who already have
nothing are always the first ones
hurt. Budget cuts shouldn’ t come
from human services. I f people
can’, eat they w ill have to steal and,
aside from the personal tradegy, it
w ill cost the State more in the long
run.
“ I f people can’t become educated
and prepare for the future, that will
increase the long term problems and
costs.”
EDUCATION
A loss o f $12.4 million in federal
revenue sharing w ill cause a fund
loss to school districts. An error
made by the Blanchard ad
m in is tra tio n last December or
January not only creates a burden
fo r other districts but places the
P ortland d is tric t in a p o o r
bargaining position.
Basic school support is used to
provide fin a n cia l assistance to
school districts who do not have
adequate tax bases to provide
educational programs comparable
to richer d istricts. In effect it
equalizes districts. Portland's share
makes up about 23 percent o f its
budget; the State average is 40 per
cent; and some districts receive up
to 60 percent funding.
In order to project the funds for
the next school year, each district
provides an estimate o f students to
be enrolled. These are not com
pletely accurate but usually even
out. This year, Portland, which has
25 percent o f the State’s students,
underestimated by 2300 students (5
percent). A ll districts were advised
wha, they would receive, but now
Portland must receive $1.5 m illion
more (for its missing 5 percent) and
the other districts w ill receive less.
‘ ‘ O rd in a rily a sm all m istake
w ouldn’ t cause much p ro b le m ,”
Priestley explained, “ But a large
mistake by the largest district in the
state created serious problems for
smaller d istricts. Since this hap
pened, we are not in a position to
complain much and have «greed to
go along with the Governor's plan
even though we w ill get less money.
I don’ t understand how Superinten
dent Blanchard — w ith his
reputation o f business management
- could have made this mistake.”
The two proposals for removing
the $12.4 m illion shortage were: 1)
to reduce the basic school support
by 2.9 percent, a $940,000 loss for
P ortland; or, 2) a 1.3 reduction
based on the entire school district
budget, a $1,335,000 loss for Port
land. (The Governor’ s Plan)
Solutions
Priestley’ s solutions are simple:
reverse the changes that have been
been made over the past tw enty
years and tax businesses and those
citizen who are most able to pay. A ll
o f these changes could be made by
the Special Session next week:
1) Lower the maximum payment
made by the State fo r individua l
home ow ner's tax payments
therefore providing tax relief fo r
low er cost homes but co llecting
taxes on those homes valued at ap
proximately $70,000 and above.
2) Reinstate the corporate inven
tory tax.
3) Restore inheritance taxes on
substantial inheritances.
4) Lower the amount o f federal
taxes deducted on the State income
tax form, and thereby increase taxes
paid by persons w ith higher in
comes.
5) Refer a constitutional change
to the voters to return police and
park costs to the highway fund to
free the general fund money fo r
other uses.
Z A N LA in the east and ZIPRA in
the west. Z A N L A did the bulk of
the fighting because the Z IP R A
leadership was holding most o f its
forces back, supposedly fo r the
projected civil war that was to take
place after the fall o f Ian Smith and
company.
A number o f people in Z A N U
were unhappy that ZAPU was in
vited into the government when they
had done so little fighting. They also
do not trust ZAPU leader Joshua
M. Nkomo. He is a known wheeler
dealer who w ill strike a deal with
anybody who w ill pay his price.
Z A P U supporters, on the other
hand, disappointed at their poor
showing at the polls, were only too
glad to be included in the govern
ment. Some, however, talked o f
winning by the bullet what they had
lost by the ballot: in other words,
continue the war but this time
against the legally elected govern
ment o f Robert Mugabe.
E arlier this m onth, Prime
Minister Mugabe indicated that he
had fin a lly lost patience w ith the
group o f renegade guerrillas that
has continued to harass and in
tim idate people particularly in the
western part of Zimbabwe. This was
a ZAPU stronghold during the war
and the renegades have been iden
tifie d as Z IP R A guerrillas. Their
leader, Nkomo, who is Zimbabwe’ s
M inister o f Home A ffa irs , has
publicly denounced them and o r
dered them to lay down their arms.
P rivately, however, he is s^id to
support them in their efforts to un
seat the Mugabe government.
Should they unseat Mugabe, he
(Nkomo) would be the one to take
over.
There are s till a few thousand
Z IP R A guerrillas in neighboring
Zambia. W ith the war over, they
have no business staying on in Zam
bia if their intentions are “ strictly
honorable.” They are demanding to
be allowed to return to Zimbabwe as
an arm y and w ith their arms.
Mugabe has said “ N O !” When they
come back to Zimbabwe they w ill
come as civilians and they will leave
all their weapons in Zimbabwe. For
now it s a standoff but it may not
last too much longer because they
are no longer welcome in Zambia.
Besides Zambia is most anxious to
improve relations with her wealthier
southern neighbor (Zim babw e)
from where most o f her food comes
and through which most o f her
trade passes.
There are tentative moves within
the ZAPU hierarchy to out Nkomo
as leader to pave the way fo r
Z A P U ’ s becoming the opposition
party. Nkomo either has to resign
his post as Home A ffairs Minister
and so leave the government or his
post as leader o f ZAPU. The logic
behind this argument is that as long
as ZAN U and ZAPU are allied in
this coalition government, there is
no way that ZAPU can oppose the
government in any elections. By
divorcing itself from this marriage,
ZAPU can contest future elections
and, maybe, just maybe wrest con
trol o f the government from ZANU.
W ith in the government itself,
there are moves to expel Nkomo
because of his lack of cooperation
A pparently, since he took up his
post he has concentrated more on
his business ventures than on run
ning his Ministry. At last count he
had bought property in excess o f $3
million and the source o f his funds
is a cause for concern in government
circles. His ties to the Russians have
a lot o f people worried too. It is the
Russians that are advising his forces
in Zambia to insist on returning to
Zimbabwe with their arms.
The Russians would like nothing
better than to see Nkomo take over
from Mugabe. In the war just con
cluded, the Russians gambled big
and lost bigger: they backed Nkomo
because he would have made a more
reliable puppet. They also expected
him to win the war outright. The
elections and the emergence o f
Mugabe sent their carefully laid
planrto completely awry. Now they
are feeding Nkomo the poison that
he is the “ rightful” leader o f Zim
babwe.
A number o f arms caches
belonging to ZAPU supporters have
been discovered in Harare and
H ig h fie ld townships. Fears o f a
ZAPU coup attempt are. therefore
not without foundation. The recent
resignation of Peter Walls as overall
commander o f Zimbabwe's forces
have raised fears and specualtion
that a clash could occur between
ZAPU and ZANU when Walls’ suc
cessor is announced. To prevent
such an occurence, some Z A N U
supporters urge the government to
round up all prospective coup-
makers and put them in “ preventive
custody” at least until the tension
eases.
The euphoria o f independence is
just about over. Now comes the
rough task o f building out o f the
shattered ruins the nations o f Zim
babwe.
Notes from City Hall
By Charles Jordan
Commissioner o f Public Safety
N eighborhood disputes can be
resolved.
The Neighborhood M ediation
Center is a place where two parties
come together on neutral territory,
with an impartial mediation panel,
and discuss ways to resolve their
disputes.
W hat Is in this fo r me?
I f you’ ve ever had a conflict with
your neighbor, wondered what to
do about it besides worry and fret,
the
N eighborhood
M ediation
Center is for you. This project helps
citizens assume power over their
own lives by tackling problems on a
person-to-person neighborhood
level. Neighborhood Mediation is a
process which brings the com
ponents o f neighborhood disputes
in to the open, fa c ilita tin g in
dividuals to arrive at sensible
solutions.
What Is a mediation session?
The mediation session is a volun
tary meeting between disputing
•'S
neighbors, accompanied by a borhood disputes can come to a
mediation panel. A mediator is a well-considered, mature agreement.
community volunteer, “ the middle Each party is encouraged to sign a
person,” who tries to get both
written agreement stating what they
parties to discuss their conflicts.
have decided to do to solve the
Some common com plaints are problem , each person agrees to
dogs that bark too much, cars that respect the provisions o f this
obstruct driveways, hedges that agreement.
creep over property lines, and loud
Is It cost effective?
music played late into the night. It is
Yesl
The
Neighborhood
these types o f nuisances that can get Mediation Center is available to call
under someone's collar and cause Portland residents fo r no charge.
neighborhood friction.
The only requirement is a sincere
A mediator hears both sides o f desire to initiate a positive change in
the story, asks questions to get the your life . For more in fo rm a tio n ,
facts straight, does not take sides or write the Neighborhood Mediation
place blame. A mediation session is Center,
King
Neighborhood
not to determine innocence or guilt,
F a cility, 48J5 N. E. Seventh
but a process to find solutions.
Avenue, Portland 97211; or phone
N e ig h b o rh o o d m e d ia tio n is a 284-2829.
simple, semi-formal and effective. It
is a viable alternative to procedural
red tape, enabling citizens to work
out their own destiny. Neigh
" It usually takes more than
borhood M ediation provides the
th re e w eeks to p re p a re a
good im p ro m p tu speech."
means by which those involved in
Mark Twain
disruptive,
fru stra tin g
neigh-
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sarily reflect the opinion of the Portland Observer
283 2486
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Editor/Publisher
N atio n a l A d v artisin g R ep resentative
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N a w York
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ill
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Publishers
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Best Editorial
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. ••