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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1981)
U ra F r a n s 's S -h e - r - * ■ " w :33 u n i. . T 3 1 c r t r eron L ib r a r y Should i acism bi illegal in the United States ? - Racist signs posted on South west T hird and Fourth Avenues in downtown Portland and Southeast Broadway, 82nd Avenue - "Gas a Jew, “ “ Nuke a nigger, “ “ White power. ” - “ W hitepow er" signs posted on Bank o f California. « - Hate literature found in phone booth at 162nd and Halsey. - Hitchiker sees Nazi literature in car that gives him a lift. - Black man stabbed by white man yelling racial slurs, carrying card o f "W hite Socialist Party. " - Racist lite ra tu re stuffed in mailbox in Salem. - Racist fliers against “ niggers, Mexicans, Cubans and Q ueens" appeared around P ortland State U n ive rsity. Same lite ra tu re on Morrison and Alder streets. - Racist fliers and lite ra tu re in Northwest Portland. - " K i ll the N ig g e rs " printed on outside wall o f Galleria. These are many o f the complaints received by The M etro po lita n Human Relations Commission since November, according to M H R C director Linda Roberts. Incidents have occured at least weekly and many times more often and have in creased since G overnor V icto r Atiyeh proposed legislation making racial harassment a felony, early in January. The Governor’ s b ill (House Bill 2479) would make racial harassment a Class C felony, and defines harassment as “ the crim e o f in timidation if, intentionally and with intent to intim idate another person because o f such other person’s race, co lo r, re lig io n , ancestory or national o rig in , the person: a) causes physical harm to the other person; b) by word or conduct places, or attempts to place, the other person in fear o f im m inent physical harm; or c) tampers with, interferes w ith or destroys the property o f other persons. L ite ra tu re d istribu te d by the C hristian N atio na l Socialist W hite Peoples L ib era tion A rm y says, in part, “ Here in Oregon, the powers that be are trying to force a ’ racial harassment' (Sic) law down our throats which w ill be just one more law our Jewish liberals w ill use to suppress w hite Christian Americans. This law w ill make it a felony to express white supremist views i f this is found to ‘ harass’ anybody...thus, it w ill take all o f our energies to fin a lly defeat the enemies o f white America.” A nother flie r - w hile praising Adolph H itler - says, "although the Jews and the communist allies have won the firs t battle, N ational Socialism is prepared to wage war for ten thousand years i f necessary, until our race and the entire world are freed from tyranny o f Jews, com m unist butchers and slave masters.” The Anti-Defam ation League o f B'nai Brith, meeting in Florida last week, urged states to pass legislation o utla w in g p a ra m ilita ry tra in in g camps run by the Klu Klux Kian and other extremist groups. The model law w ould make tra in in g in fir e arms, explosives, incindiary devices or techniques that k ill or in ju re people a crime when it is for the in tention o f provoking civil disorder. There are some who are concern ed that the G o verno r’ s b ill m ight be unconstitutional because o f the First Am endment rig h t to free speech. Among those groups is the A C L U . Steve R em ington, local PORTLAND OBSERVER d ire c to r, said, “ We are against racial harassm ent.” The g ro up 's legislative committee is meeting this weekend to determ ine i f they can support the bill or i f they should o f fer other language. H erbert A p th e k e r, pro m in en t historian and political theorist, con siders the free speech issue to be false. Some believe “ that the rights o f all must be protected, and that any exception to this, is violative o f the B ill o f Rights and could have a dangerous and reactionary impact upon society. “ I believe that they are in e rr o r ,” he said. " I th in k Nazis and Kluxes should have no (Please turn to Page 2 Col 4) Volum« XI Number 18 February 19. 1981 26C per copy Citizens hit City's HDC plan, process The C ity ’ s Housing and C om munity Development Block Grant Application met with citizen anger and hostility at a public hearing held on election night, in a small room in downtown Portland. A fter hearing complaints on the time and place o f the meeting, and the fact that hearing was difficult. City Planning Commission chairman Joan Smith further angered the overflow crowd by cutting o ff the testimony o f the first speaker. Steve Rudman o f the Community Economic Development Task Force, a co a litio n o f seventeen groups including the Black United Front and E lio t N eighborhood Association that had worked with 30 com m unity groups and neigh borhood associations fo r nearly a year to propose new directions and citizen p a rticip a tio n procedures, was cut o ff at the end o f his alloted five minutes and time offered him by other speakers ws not allowed. Rudman said the Task Force’ s main concern was to address “ the inadequacy and inconsistency” o f the citizen participation procedure which allows only two opportunities fo r p ublic inp ut - tw o public hearings on the grant application. They recommended that no changes be made u n til a real citizen par ticipation procedure is designed and approved by citizens. Beverly Stein o f the Ratepayers Union said in all other cities HCD money is available for community self-help programs. She asked that $250,000 be set aside fo r that pur pose and that citizens draw guide lines for its use. Northwest D istrict Association th rille d the audience w ith an operatic rendition o f “ people with low incomes need a place to live” to the tune o f West Side Story. Nick Barnett, speaking for Pied mont Neighborhood Association, questioned the “ form , content and in te n t” o f the study on which the C ity’s recommendations were based and complained that “ v ita l, sub stantive information was informally d istribu te d tw o weeks before the hearing” and that the “ agenda has serious changes w itho ut proper notice.” He called the citizen par ticipa tion o pp o rtu n ity “ callously piecemealed out i f given” which causes only frustration and anger. He reminded the Commission o f the federal mandate fo r public in p u t, saying that “ it erodes credibility o f not reaching illegality.” James Loving reminded those parents that Northeast has tried for five years to have the allowed 10 percent put into social services - special projects - “ but at that time the C ity C ouncil p rio rity was physical - not a dime for anything else.” He asked why the City refuses to hear King Neighborhood Associ ations requests regarding King Neighborhood F acility. “ I d o n ’ t know why the C ity w on’ t spend money on its own building - they got fo r nothing. The federal govern ment built it for them then we had to borrow money from the school district to buy Venetian blinds and fire extinguishers.” He questioned removing I percent from the a dm in istrative budget while increasing the contingency budget by 2 percent. “ Are they hiding money to put back in ad ministration?” Ed Leek called the process “ legitimization not participation” and said time is needed for citizens to study and comment on decisions made “ behind closed doors.” He sharply critized the policy o f Portland Development Commission in Northeast Portland. Saying the PD< office in the area is needed, he added “ but we d o n ’ t need con tinuation o f the policy o f the current director o f th eir o ffic e .” The policy o f the current director tries to drive a wedge between the Union Avenue businesses and the neigh borhoods, he said. Representatives o f the Police Bureau requested that the Crim e Prevention Locks Program not be removed from HCD as there is no other source 6 f fu nding. Three thousand homes have been assisted, mostly in Northeast neighborhoods, which has decreased burglary by six ty percent. (N e xt w eek: 7 he proposals o f the Community Economic Develop ment Task Force). Bill prohibits South Africa investment A bill designed to prohibit the in vestment o f state funds in com panies doing business with South A fric a was introduced to the legislature on February 5 by the House Aging and M in ority A ffairs Committee. Passage o f the b ill (H B 2618) would mean divestment o f ap proximately $700 million o f the $3.2 b illio n cu rren tly invested by the Oregon Investment C ouncil. Tw enty-five state funds would be involved, w ith the Public Em ployee's Retirement Fund, the In d ustrial Accident Fund, and the Short Term Fund being most affec ted. It is recommended that the monies would then be reinvested in companies which would benefit Oregon’s economy. The Oregon divestment campaign is part o f a nationw ide e ffo rt to w ithdraw state, m uncipal, and university funds from companies doing business in South A fric a . South A frican Black leaders have long called on Western nations to put economic pressures on the South A fric a n government since economic ties help the government m aintain its p olicy o f apartheid. Black Commission meets here The Governor's Commission on Black A ffa irs w ill hold a public meeting on February 23rd, 7:00 p .m ., at King N eighborhood Facility. The public is urged to at tend. The next legislative action on the Commission is a work session of the House Committee on Aging and M in o rity A ffa irs at 1:30 p .m ., March 3rd, at the State C ap itol Building. South A fric a is the only country whose system o f apartheid legalizes discrimination only on the basis o f race. Many Oregon groups have already endorsed the bill, including the Oregon State Employees Association (OSEA) and the Lane County Labor Council. Two other organizations supporting divest ment and involved in education concerning these issues are the American Friends Service Com m it tee and the People fo r South African Freedom in Eugene. Sup port comes from m oral and economic considerations. Divestment proponents believe that Oregon Public Policy opposes racial discrimination, but indirectly promotes such practices through its current investments. It is argued that investments in South A fric a provides companies with a supply o f cheap labor which takes away potential jobs o f Americans. O pposition to the b ill w ill most likely come from those who feel that the bill will result in a Io.., o f profits for state funds. However, sim ilar measures passed in other states have not resulted in a negative economic impact on public funds. Hearings on the bill have not yet been scheduled, but are expected in the month o f March. A group called "Oregonians for Responsible State Investment” has formed a coalition to support the b ill and has been holding monthly meetings in Salem to coordinate their efforts. Anyone interested can contact represent atives o f the group through Pamela at 287-6605. This b ill w ill be discussed at the Observer Legislative Breakfast, February 21st. The public hearing will be held on March 5th and 10th, in the State Capitol Building. Time to be announced. No more ‘free lunches'? President Ronald Reagan and some o f his follow ers are saying: “ No more free lunches” and are looking forward to cv’ s in federally funded social program Those who are watching the economy closely question whether there has been a “ free lunch.” Oregon’ s employment figures, just released by the State Em ployment Division, shows that 10.0 per cent o f the labor force was unemployed in January o f 1981 (seasonably adjusted to 8.3 per cent). This is an increase o f 14,300 unemployed over December o f 1981, a 12.7 percent increase in u n e m p lo y m e n t. C o m p a r in g January o f 1981 to January o f 1980, there are 27,000 more unemployed this January than there were a year ago. Wood products is O regon’ s largest industry, and it affects all other areas o f employment. Wood products account for about 60 per cent o f the unemploym ent in the state, and construction for 73 per cent. The Employment Division is encouraged because the loss in tim ber and construction was not as great in the past year as in the two previous years. From January 1979 to January 1980 there was a loss o f 14,400 jobs in construction, while between January 1980 and January 1981 there was a loss o f only 10,000 construction jobs. In the timber in dustry, 10,700 fewer workers were employed in December 1980 than in December 1979, but in January 1981 there were only 8500 fewer jobs than in December o f 1980. The increase o f 2,700 jobs in January 1981 was the first increase in more than a year ago. It was interpreted by Ray Thorne, d irector o f the Em ployment D ivision as “ indicating that the recession in Oregon may have finally turned the corner.” The Associated Oregon Industries received reports ind icatin g im provement in O regon’ s business clim ate “ w ith skepticism .” Ivan Congleton, president o f A O I, said the states economy “ is severely depressed and appears lik e ly to remain that way for many months to come.” In a state already adversly affec ted by m ill closures in Hines, Sheridan, Willamina and elsewhere- closures that remove nealy all em ployment o p p o rtu n itie s and devastate the economics o f the areas where they are located - Oegon State U niversity predicts a "tru m a tic readjustm ent” over the next ten years. OSU forestry economist Darius Adams predicts a 30 to 40 percent decline in the timber harvest by the year 2000 in western Oregon and W’ashingon and adds that a number o f mills will go out o f business. Sales o f new one-fam ily houses dropped 25 per cent in 1980. The resale market was the lowest in five years, totalling 2.9 m illion unit - a drop o f 22 per cent from the 1979 level. The median price o f existing homes - up to $63,000 from $56,000 a year before - showed a slight drop in December. “ The median price o f an existing home, declined in December by $1,300 to $63,000,” Dr. Jack Carlson, chief economist o f the National Associ a tion o f Realtors, said, “ largely because o f high mortgage rates which are keeping sales down, en couraging purchases o f smaller homes, and causing sellers to ask lower prices fo r their homes.” He said a slight decrease in interest rates could result in a slight recovery Shukrae and Jihad Dawon aak for "children m ovies." The Black United Front will picket the W alnut Park Theatre on Union Avenue every Saturday u n til the m an ag em en t agrees to stop show ing "porno' and X-rated movie*. The Front's position is that the currant film policy is detrimental to the community and Is not frequented by com m unity people. (Photo: R,chard Brown, in existing home sales and an ac companying raise in price by mid- 1981. Senate President Fred Heard said Friday “ Oregon’ s economy is not expected to show any marked im provement u n til at least Ju ly or August. This is caused in part by high interest rates that meant a decline in housing and death a major blow to the timber industry." This causes a reduction in tax collec ted by the states, which takes place a time when inflation causes a rise in expenditures. "O re g o n may have been h it harder p ro p o rtio n a te ly than any state except Michigan by last year's recession,” Heard con tinued. “ By August, the sh o rtfa ll approached $200 m illion, or nearly 20 percent o f general fund revenues." In a special session last year, the Legislature cut expenditures by about $128 m illion which included a m o ra to riu m on co nstructio n projects, an average cut o f 13 per cent in each agency budget, and freeze on hiring. Last year Oregon’ s state expen diture, per capita, was 44th o f the 50 states. The work climate, as compared to other states, is not the best either. Average weekly m an u fa ctu rin g wage was 41st among the states. Manhours lost per year because o f work stoppages rated 29th; average unemployment benefits 30th; and maximum weekly w orkm an's com pensation for job related disability was 41st. The most recent quotations by the Bureau o f Labor Statistics fo r fall o f 1979 shows a national average o f $20,517 needed to maintain a family o f four on an intermediate budget. (Please turn to Page 7 CpI I)
