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.
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