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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 30, 1981)
Portland Observer July 3 0 .1M1 Page 3 African expelled from USA Q . Congressman Wyden, this week you introduced a bill which would eliminate the requirement that Medicare recipients spend three days in a hospital prior to being ad m itted to a skilled care nursing home. What does this really mean fo r patients - and taxpayers? A. For patients, it means more humane treatment. For taxpayers, lower cost. Linder the current regulations. Medicare recipients who want to be admitted to a nursing home must first spend three days in a hospital - whether there is medical ju stificatio n or not. One o f the biggest problems with this is that it frequently means patients have to be transferred from one facility to another when they arc not physically capable of withstanding such a move. As a result, many patients die or are severely traumatized. In addition, the 3-day prior hospitalization rule is costly. In Portland, for example, it costs $200- $400 per day for hospital care, com pared to only $60-$ 100 per day for skilled nursing care. Since the average Medicare stay is only 24 days, that means that the amount saved by avoiding unnecessary hospital days would pay for the en tire stay in a skilled nursing home. It is high time we brought an end to regulations which encourage needless hospitalization — and discourage less costly health care. Patients and taxpayers alike will benefit from a more responsible ap proach. By Ron Still Chief o f Police operator will be with them shortly. Part o f this problem could be solved if citizens who do not need a police response, would call directly to the Division or detail their need. These numbers are listed in the blue pages of the telephone book. However, i f you do need the police, calli You w ill talk to an emergency operator. The operator will first want a brief description of the situation to determine if the police should be dispatched. If it is appropriate, a report will be taken over the telephone. If a police o f ficer is needed, the operator will ask for the location o f occurance in order to start an officer in that direction. W hile the car is enroute, the operator is obtaining additional in form ation, such as suspect and vehicle descriptions or other infor mation that will assist the arriving officers. If the operator determines the situation is not an emergency, a car may not be sent immediately, but as the district car becomes available. Here are some additional tips that will aid you and assist the emergen cy operator: 1. Please be patient if you are placed on hold. Do not hang-up, an operator will be with you shortly. 2. Don’t worry about the order in which you should give the in fo r mation to the operator - the operator will ask the necessary questions. 3 Please do not use the emergency police number, 760-6911, as a directory assistance, it may prevent someone with a bonafide emergency K from getting operator. through to the 1 realize this is a brief article on the Bureau o f Emergency C om munications, but 1 hope it gives you a better understanding of what you will encounter when requesting police service. A gain, I invite your comments and questions regarding the P ort land Police Bureau to be sent to me through the Public Information O f fice, 222 S .W . Pine, Portland, Oregon 97204. I will not be able to respond in my open letters to each and every concern, but will select those which assist in im proving communications and relations with the community. Oregon Bar seeks citizen members The Oregon State Bar is looking for three public members (not at torneys) to add to its policy-making body — the board o f governors. Currently the board is composed of 12 attorneys of the bar. The board will appoint the public members. The public members, who will begin their terms in late October, will have the same functions and duties as the attorney members with one exception. They will not be permitted to serve as nor vote for officers. The only requirement for the voluntary positions is that a can didate be an Oregon resident and not a member o f the Oregon State Bar. The board meets regularly nine times each year in two-day sessions, generally all day Friday and the following Saturday morning. About one-half of the meetings are held in Portland with the remainder held at locations around the state. Expenses are paid for all meetings. Public members would be expected to at tend all regular meetings and other board committee meetings. Those interested in applying for a position on the board need to com plete an application form and sub mit it to Robert J. Elfers, Executive Director, Oregon State Bar, 1776 S. W. Madison, Portland, OR 97205, no later than Friday, August 7. Ap plication forms may be requested by calling 224-4280, Portland, or toll- free, 1-800-425-8260 in the rest of the state. The move to include public mem bers on the board is part of “ sunset legislation.’ ’ In 1977, the State Legislature adopted a "sunset law” requiring review o f about 50 state agencies, including the bar. The law said the bar would cease to exist as a licensing agency after July 1, 1982, unless action was taken by the Legislature to continue it. The Legislature this year agreed to extend the life of the bar but tied Zimbabwean teacher Dennis Brutus, a Black African professor at Northwestern is being pressured to leave the U.S. sooner than what had been agreed to, after two Black congressmen stepped in to challenge im m igration pro cedures in this case. Im m igration officials also say that they have "lost Brutus’s file,” and although they have dropped all five reasons for not renewing his visa they have come up with a new charge. Clear political overtones are surfacing. Dozens of letters of sup port are coming in from scholars who feel Brutus, who has been critical of racial policies in South Africa, should be allowed to remain at the university where he has taught for the last 11 years. The National Conference of Black lawyers, represented by Lewis Myers, is working with Brutus Defense Committee. On June 11 Black Congressman George Crockett (D-Michigan) sent a letter to im m igration officials asking for details about the Brutus case. On June 19, Joel L. Rogers, acting district director for im migration in Chicago, replied in a letter: "Inasm uch as there are similar cases pending that have an earlier filing date, it is expected that Service action on this request for faces deportation reconsideration will remain pending for at least six months. This should not create a problem for M r. Brutus as he will be permitted to remain in the United States while this matter is pending.” No mention was made that Brutus file was lost. Brutus was then informed that he had to leave the U .S . by July 5. Myers, who was in Texas, put o f ficials on hold and rushed back to Chicago and arranged for a hearing July 21. The Crockett letter was not the first one sent to officials. Black Congressman Harold Washington (D -Illin o is) sent two letters, dated May 5 and June 5. He also wanted details, but officials did not fully respond. On July 8, officials told Brutus and Myers that because several Black Congressmen had intervened officials would pull the Brutus case " o u t o f tu rn " because this is the iiprm al procedure following congressional inquires. Therefore, Brutus only had until July 21 to render appeals. There would not be a six month waiting period. The Black congressmen were never told of these procedures. Brutus was also told that five charges against him, first leveled in butch more Phone¿aM-iw/ in several administrative changes, including the addition of the public members on the policy-m aking body. The bar is a public corporation — an arm o f the Supreme Court and part o f the judicial department of the state. It receives no state funds, however, but is supported by dues, programs and publications paid for by attorneys. Membership in the bar is required in order to practice law in Oregon. The bar is one o f the few in the country that handles all matters in connection with the organized legal profession, including admission, membership, discipline, resignation and reinstatement. Although the Supreme Court has the final authority on admission to the bar, disciplinary action and resignation and reinstatement, the initial com plaints, investigation, grievance hearings and trials are all handled through the bar office and the board of governors. Ha las .g». *n» ma - & H O M T C U T S S P E i w C IA L jood i tn jrwny t r e a t m e n t y vwry cut 1406 NE Broadway, Portland, Oragon 97212 February, were being dismissed. Those charges related to a failure to document and make clear his “ status” in the U .S. Brutus claims he filed all the needed papers. Now officials say Brutus is linked to subversive elements relating to South A fric a . He was banned in South Africa in 1966. Brutus, who was born in Z im babwe, said “ I f anyone speaks out against the government there they are subversive. The U.S. is respond ing to charges given by the South A fric a n s .” Last month Brutus demonstrated against a conference on South A frica at Northwestern. He lashed the university for not allowing an discussion o f the $80 m illion it has invested in South A frica, and for not inviting Black South Africans, fighting for their freedom, to the conference. In 1965 Brutus became the first Black to leave Robbins Island alive after a 16 month term because o f his political views. Supporters say letters o f support should be sent to: The Black Press Institute/Brutus Defense Commit tee, 7917 S. Exchange, Chicago 60617. Seniors meet T F j E liot S e n io r/Y o u th Drop- In Center is sponsoring its second Pot-Luck Luncheon August 4th, 12 noon at 116 N .E . Russell Street - The Masonic Temple. his arrest but that the arrest is not directly involved in his deportation. Krieger said there is no record that M unne had ever asked for an ex tension o f his visa beyond June 30, 1980, and that if he had applied at that time it is possible that it would have been extended. M unne was represented by legal counsel at the hearing and no appeal was filed. He was given 90 days to get his business in order, then on July 20th was given until August 1st. Munne said he was not informed of the appeal process and that now his attorney is out o f town. The Goodwins of Lebanon con served electric energy and saved $190 last year bv weatherizing their house with help from us. An Open Letter One o f my goals as C h ief o f Police, is to facilitate a better under standing between the community and it’s Police Bureau. An area of great concern to me is that citizens know what to expect when they call for the police. The Bureau of Emergency Com munications handles most requests for Police service. As you might ex pect, the Emergency Com munications Center is a very busy place, averaging approximately 500,000 calls to the police annually. F orty-five percent o f these calls result in a car being dispatched. Because the demand is so great, some calls will be placed on hold. When this occurs, a recording will explain to the caller that all emergency lines are tem porarily busy, to please w ait, and that an (Continued from Page 2 Col 6) He was ordered to leave the country by July 21st. On July 20th he hand carried a letter to IN S, asking that he be granted additional time to get his business in order. The next day, an extension was denied but he was told that if he leaves by August 1st, he w ill have no problem . The following day he received a letter from his attorney advising him to leave ( and also to pay his bill before leaving the country). Bob Krieger, district manager o f INS, said Munne had come to the attention o f the office because o f The current board, elected by the membership, is divided into six regions around the state. Members are elected on a one-lawyer, one- vote basis from the regions for three-year-terms. Officers are elec ted annually by board members. They’re only two of our cus tomers who have saved millions of kilowatt hours with our conservation programs over the past 5 years. You’ve helped save energy too. But starting August 24, we'll show you how we can help you save even more. THE PEOPLE AT PACIFIC POWER (S' IMHI Pacific; Powet and l.ifcht Company BETTER LATE THAN NEVER AND CHEAPER TOO. Dial direct anywhere out of state in the United States* between 11pm and 8am, talk 20 minutes and pay only $3.84 or less. Now 11 might seem a little late, but isn’t it better than not at all? Reach out and touch someone. Tonight. ©1981 Pacrfk Northwest Bell Pacific Northwest Beil •fcw ejx Alaska and Hawaa
