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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1981)
Portland Observar April 2 , 1M1 Pago 3 No one needs me to tell them these days are economically tough for all o f us and when such times come it’ s always toughest on Blacks. T h a t’ s because the Black unem ployment rate far exceeds that o f whites and also because so many Blacks hold low paying jobs. So, i t ’ s easy to see why many Black families could be having big trouble in staying afloat economically. Fortunately there is a local program available for anyone who has some sort o f income, but not enough to make all the payments each month. I t ’ s not a government program and i t ’ s defin ite ly not a giveaway. Located at S.E. 34th and Powell, the Consumer C redit Counseling Service is helping 1200 Portlanders keep the w olf away from the door. It began operating in 1968 after it was noticed that Oregon was in the top three states fo r number o f bankruptcies in 1967. That very high rate dropped the next year, the first year for CCCS, by 23 per cent. Some o f the biggest names in the retail business are supporters o f the service such as J.C. Penney and many others. Their support is necessary both because they con trib u te fin a n cia lly and because many o f them are credit grantors who would otherwise be left holding the bag if debtors don’ t pay. Doug De Hann, chairman o f the board o f CCCS, says 20 to 25 per cent o f the people seeking help with their debt problems need only coun seling and help in communicating with each other as well as instruc tions as to how to prepare and use a household budget. He says about 15 per cent are not serious and d on’ t undertake the program when they find out what it requires o f them. De Haan says the m a jo rity , about 60 per cent, are serious and really want to get out o f debt. What they do is prepare a list o f debts and the amount scheduled for payment. A professional counselor then w ill examine the list and work up a payment program usually for a reduced amount. For example if the regular payment to Meier and Frank is $35.00, perhaps the proposed plan w ill call fo r payment o f $25.00 a month instead. A fter this is done, the entire proposal is submitted to the creditors for their approval. This, more often then not, is okayed by the credit grantors because they realize their money, even though a reduced amount, will be coming in regularly. After the creditors okay the plan, the hard part comes. The debtor then takes all his paychecks to C.C.C.S., where they return to him money fo r housing, food and clothes. C .C .C .S ., takes the rem aining amount and mails payment to those owed. De Haan says the average time for a family or individual to get out o f trouble is between one and two years. He also says the average per son coming fo r help owes about $6,000.00 to 15 creditors. This, he said, does not count real estate nor car payments. Now the big question. How much does this cost? De Haan says most people pay a little b it, never over $10.00 a m onth and i f a fa m ily doesn’ t want to pay at all, it doesn’ t have to. De Haan sees the use o f this program as one way o f avoiding bankruptcy which by the way is easier since 1976 than ever before. In 1979, the Congress revised the federal bankruptcy laws which hadn’ t been significantly changed since their inception in 1898. De Haan says, “ What had been intended as a grubstake fo r the needy instead created a cop out for the greedy.” This has caused a massive in crease in the number o f bankrupt cies filed to just under 100*1» more in the past year. This amounts to $35 b illio n dollars lost to bank ruptcy in the firs t year under the new law. Some are expecting that amount to clim b to 50 b illio n in 1981. What concerns men like De Haan is many people are filing that are not now nor never have been delinquent in their bills and have the ability to pay. The revisions in the law created so many exemptions that one can file bankruptcy and keep most o f his possessions. De Haan says one section o f the law states i f a State does not like the exemptions as stated, that the State can adjust them ot its own liking. There are moves here in Oregon to make such changes in the law but their chances o f passing are not clear at this time. From the Capitol Congressman Ron Wyden Q. Congressman Wyden, the savings rate is falling to a desperately-low level in Oregon and throughout the country. What can we do to reserse this disturbing trend? A. A t the outset, we must get rid of the tax on savings. Americans are understandably reluctant to save when their money is taxed twice - once when they earn it, and once again when they earn interest on it. To help alleviate this problem, 1 am co-sponsoring HR 1541 which in creases the amount o f dividends and interest that can be excluded from taxes to $1,000 on an individ u a l return and $2,000 on a joint return. This legislation would also allow in dividuals 65 years o f age and older to exclude $5,000 (for an individual return) to $10,000 (fo r a jo in t return) from taxes. I am a firm believer that i f we make it econom ically attractive to save, people will begin to do so. Q. Recently the National Com mission on Social Security System. What do you think o f the Com mission 's proposals. Congressman Wyden? A. I t ’ s really a mixed bag, w ith some pluses and some minuses. On the plus side, I was pleased that the commission did not recommend that we tax Social Security benefits. 1 am very concerned however, about the commission’ s recommendation that we raise the normal retirement age from 65 to 68 beginning in the year 2000. To do so would break a long-standing contract with workers who’ ve already paid into the system w ith the understanding that they could retire and receive benefits at age 65. I am also concerned about the commission’ s recommendation to m aintain (at age 72) and later raise (to age 75) the age at which older workers can earn a reasonable salary w ith o u t losing their Social Security benefits. Such a recom mendation only provides yet another disincentive fo r older workers to remain in the w ork force. With the birth rate, and con sequently, the potential labor pool on the decline, we become less and less able to afford this loss with each passing year. Q. Congressman Wyden, what do you think o f the tax credit approach to energy conservation? A. The concept is great. U n fortunately, IRS statistics indicate that Jess than 20 percent o f energy tax credits go to people with modest incomes. Since the m a jo rity o f Americans fa ll in to this income bracket, I believe we should begin to look at a refundable type o f credit or some other plan that would allow those with modest incomes to par ticipate as well. Parents learn computers The tire department Ambulance Pota Or a pizza i Wren you want to rTvikr a call in. i hurry nothing does it taster or more error (reethänttie u m i/in g new Touch A Mate S* telephone Its one button dialing makes calling fast convenient even tun The sames true ot our Touch A Mate 12 Dialer You II lind them both plus other Bell security products right now at your Bell PhoneCenter Store Come in tor a test touch today BELL SECURITY DAYS THROUGH APRIL 19. (PhoneCenterfgtofe @ Downlown Z 0 8 S W tilth M ill ?05 Holly Farm M ill Hollywood 2O3ONF 4?nd Jam zen Beach Hell Phone Booth u»*y on I r u k to r»' H arriet Tubman M iddle School has a goal: get more parents in volved in the education o f their children. One big way that the goal has been realized is through a series of Computer Workshops for parents. These sessions are amazingly well attended on a Friday night and en joyed by parents. H arriet Tubman has been most fortunate to have the computer program in the school. Craig M oore, coordinator, and Michael Grice, assistant p rin cip a l, began w orking in August to set up the program. There are two banks o f computers in the school. One bank operates under the direction of An- Michael Grice halpa aa parents of Harriet Tubman Middle School drena Penn and provides d rill and learn about computers. practice fo r students in language more attractive according to p rin had to turn o ff the equipment to get arts and mathematics and keep cipal, Edith Wilson, because plans their attention again.” track o f student progress right up to are being drawn to give more According to M ichael Grice, ihe m inute. The second bank o f students an opportunity to take the parent’ s enthusiasm is high because computers is a network system o f 16 courses and more sophisticated it is such an unusual opportunity to term inals tied in to the teacher’ s courses for advanced students. explore electronic learning. The in unit. The classes on the network Because they have been so suc tent o f the project is to bring system learn programming skills in cessful the parent com puter parents close enough to the ex Basic (computer language). Because workshops are lik e ly to continue periences o f their child that they can students have advanced so rapidly and be more numerous for the 1981- share the excitement, ask the this year the school expects to have 82 year. questions, and solve the problems an upper level class next year in About the project, Michael Grice students encounter daily. They also robotics. says “ We are glad to be leading the get a chance to meet w ith other Computers used in a class are part way in bringing parents and stu parents and compare feelings about o f a new com m unication concept dents together at the curriculum the computer program and the first level. Computers, whether we like it called “ inter-active media.” When year operation o f Harriet Tubman parents sit down, many for the first or not, are here to stay; they’ re not Middle School in general. just a fad. I t ’ s tim e we point our time, a whole new world is opened young people tow ard a broader up to them. In cooperation with the Because there is so much to ab range career option and help them Northwest Regional Educational sorb about com puter language, understand the preparation Lab Joyce H o llis provides an in hardware, software, management troduction to the many functions of necessary.” and so on the March 27 conference If their interest is any indicator, computers, while Craig Moore and was only one in a series. The next fear o f electronic supplements is Michael Grice outline the specific and last computer conference for gone and this batch o f tom orrow ’ s uses for computers at Harriet Tub- parents will be held on Friday, April adults may be a little closer to a new 24, at 7:00 p.m ., in the school's man. “ The parents reaction is just like reality. Parents who support their computer lab, 2508 N.E. Everett. student's learning by participation Anyone interested in attending that o f their students'* claims Craig help the child's and the teacher’s iqji should call 231-4996. M oore, coordinator. “ They get be more profitable. started and d o n 't want to stop. I Next year promises to be even i I9AI P*ifW Not,to»e«t Urli
