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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1981)
Portland Observer, October 1, 1981 Paqe 3 Dick Bogle It's going to be interesting to see how certain Reagan administration efforts against drug abuse arc go ing to fare. Chairman of the House commit tee on narcotics, Leo Zeferetti, says the current extent of drug abuse in the military cannot be tolerated if the United States is to be prepared to meet emergencies at an instant’s notice. A summer study of 2,000 service men in Europe and aboard ship shows the Navy has a greater pro portion of abusers than (he other services. Sixty per cent o f the personnel aboard (he carrier Forreslal were found to use drugs while on duty. A quarter of the Navy junior enlisted personnel surveyed said they used marijuana or hashish daily. The problem is not being ignored since the services have drug abuse u. programs underway and the com mittee may be making new recom mendations based on testimony from its recent hearings. Another population area seeing increasing drug use is rural Amer ica. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, rural areas seem to be catching up with urban areas. Much of the abuse centers around marijuana, paint sniffing and mis using pain killers. But at the same time these reports are coming out, at least 23 per cent of the N ID A ’a funds are being cut as of October 1st. Staff is being re duced from 400 to about 230 and its funds are being shifted to block grants for the states to handle with little or no federal monitoring. Some N ID A and state officials are saying the cuts will mean signifi cantly fewer residential and out-pa tient programs to help drug abusers in rural and urban areas. N ID A deputy director James Lawrence says states will not feel the pinch for at least another year because of ad vance funding. The government is stepping up its efforts on the foreign side to reduce opium growing. The U.S. has fin ally persuaded Thailand to crack down against opium growing. U.S. narcotic agents say eradica tion of the opium crop is the first move in any serious fight against narcotics. Opium production in the golden tri angle, that’s the adjoining borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos, amounted to 600 tons last year. That’ s enough to make 60 tons of heroin. The big villain in this Southeast Asian drug scenario is a man named Special o>" Khun San. This man has a private army of 4 thousand and until now has been tolerated by Thailand be cause of his strong anti-communist image. Thailand had posted a paltry 2 thousand dollar reward for Khun San but now has raised that figure to 23 thousand. 3 Broadway Hairweevers Kids ♦25°° Next month is to be the target date when the opium poppies are about a foot high. It’s then that the Thai government, with American fi nancial backing to the tune of 7 mil lion dollars, will embark on crop destruction. That government is again trying to convince farmers that coffee, kid ney beans and certain other fruits and vegetables can be grown on the land. 1634 NE 7th A t Broadway 281-9486 Tua».-Sat. 9:30 am til 6:30 Pacific Power Citizen o f the Week For the sake of our communities and young minds, le t’s hope it works. From the Capitol by Rep. Ron Wyden NOTE: Each week, U.S. Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) reports from Washington, D.C., on what’s been going on in the nation's capitoi—key votes, key issues, key concerns. This week he reacts to the President's budget message.) Q. In his latest budget message to the nation Thursday night, President Reagan said his new round o f proposed budget cuts are necessary to get the economy back on track. Do you agree? A. Virtually all of us understand that cutting government spending is essential to restore the health of the economy. As sure as night follows day, high deficits mean high interest rates—and high interest rates are poison for our economy. What concerns me is that the President is once again sparing “ sacred cows’* such as the Defense Department and tobacco, peanut and sugar subsidies. Once again, he’s asking programs such as education for the handicap ped and school lunches for children to bear the brunt while these favored programs escape with minor cutbacks. He’s asking school children to eat catsup in place of a vegetable, bean curds in place of meat, cake instead of eggs—while waste in the Defense Department is being allowed to con tinue virtually unchecked. We can find economies in the Defense Department and still have the strong defense we truly need. We can also make cuts in other sacred cow programs— thus allowing us to retain funds for education programs for the han dicapped and other such programs which allow our citizens to become self-sufficient, productive members of our society. Q. What about the president’s decision to restore minimum Social Security benefits? A. I ’m delighted that the president made that decision. It’s certainly a step in the right direc tion. Unfortunately, the president did not go on to repudiate other pr- oposed Social Security cutbacks. In all my years of working with senior citizens, I have never seen them as frightened as they have been since the president originally proposed severe cutbacks in Social Security benefits. Unfortunately, the president’s speech still leaves them dangling in the wind with regard to what the future holds. The critical issue now is for us to push ahead to enact responsible Social Security reform that protects the earned benefits of current retirees—while ensuring the in tegrity of the system for future retirees. I intend to do all in my power to see that such a reform is forthcoming. From the Boardroom by Gladys McCoy, County Commissioner On Thursday, Oct. 29, 1981, the M ultnom ah County Board of County Commissioners votes on an Ordinance upgrading the County's Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program. The reasons for these changes are based on several needs for maximum participation of minorities in the M B E Program. When certain changes in the U.S. Department o f Transportation (D O T ) requirements relating to M B E went into effect in A p ril, 1981, there was a need for the County to upgrade its program to include female and economically and socially disadvantaged firm's; to expand the program scope to include goods, services and Professional Services contracts as well as constructions; to determine the certification process; to prove more workable incentives; to establish a ceiling for M inority set- aside an to set goals for Minority and female inclusion. There was a limited amount of support from the MBE community for the County’s present program. Changes were made in the definition o f “ M in o rity ” or “ M inorities’ * to mean the traditional ethnic groups and to add Pacific Islanders and the economically and socially disadvantaged as defined by the Small Business Administration. The definition for M B E now reads to mean a business at least 31 percent of which is owned by minorities, or, in the case o f a publicly owned business, at least 31 percent of the stock o f which is owned by minorities and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more such individuals. (The County included a control factor in this definition.) Women have been defined separately as Female M inority Business Enterprise (F /M B E ) having the same definition as MBE, substituting "fe m a le ” for “ minority." The separate goals for each group can be set based on the availability and capability of each, respectively. When the change is made to set goals in not only Construction contracts, but Supplies, Services, and - Professional Services, Multnomah County plans to have minimum goals by approximating M B E /F M B E participation in Construction: M BE 10% , FM B E 1%; Supplies: M BE .3 % , FM B E 0 % ; Services: M BE 10%, FM BE 1%; and. Professional Services: MBE 7%. FMBE 2%. Still another change in the upgrading reflects the abolition of the 1% preference system in the Incentive Program for Non- M inority Contractors since it has proven to be unpopular and ineffective. Presently a 1% preference system allows non- M in o rity contractors bidding to receive a 1% bid preference if they utilize certified M in o rity subcontractors in an amount not less than 15% o f the total contract award. Since 1979, no steps have been taken by the County to implement and monitor the M BE year ago when my office began working with the Purchasing Division, Department of Administrative Services, to upgrade (he program. This has been replaced by the Alternative to Incentive Program. The Alternative means local jurisdictions will utilize the mechanism whereby M inority Business Enterprise and Female Business Enterprise participation goals are set on a project-by-project basis, requiring the prime contractor to indicate F /M B E utilization equal to or greater than the project goal; or, indicate best efforts to attain that goal, to be considered a responsive bidder. The 1100,000 lim it on the Set-Aside Program has been retained. Finally, Multnomah County will be contracting with the C ity of Portland on the C ertification process whereby the C ity o f Portland becomes the agency which certifies that applicant MBEs/FBEs meet all appropriate criteria for program participation. No provider will be considered unless he/she has been certified by the City. M ultnom ah C ounty’ s current M in o rity Business Enterprise Program scope is lim ited to construction projects let by the Department o f Adm inistrative Services through its Purchasing Division. It specifies that 10% of the dollar value of projects costing less than $100,000 shall be let to MBEs in closed competition. My support for the passage of the County Ordinance upgrading the M in o rity Business Enterprise Program reflects my continued concern for implementing and monitoring County contracts to see the Minorities get their fair share of the awards. It is a good program. It is necessary. It is workable. It is consistent with our County goals and commitment to A ffirm a tiv e Action. l i ensures that M in o rity Business Enterprises and Female Business Enterprises have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts, helping to build a stronger economic base for Minorities and females as well as for the community. Multnomah County will present its 1981 M in o rity Business Enterprise Program to the community on Friday, Oct. 30, 1981, at the M in o rity Business Opportunity Day, at M em orial Coliseum, in the Assembly H a ll, between the hours o f 9 a.m . and 4 p.rn. I invite you to join us in this effort. This will be an opportunity for community members to become more involved in the C ounty’s Flu shots set Multnomah County, Community Health Services Division, is offering immunizations against influenza at both regular and special clinics in October and November. Components of the *81-'82 strain are the same as last year and will in clude A /B ra z il, A /B an g ko k and B/Singapore. M ultnom ah County is recom mending, that the following types of people be vaccinated against the flu: persons 63 years o f age and over, persons with chronic pulmonary, renal, cardiac, or metabolic disease, persons with severe anemia, and persons with malignancies or immu- nosuppriessive disease. For additional information or any questions, please call Multnom ah County. Information and Referral, at 248-3816. M B E /F B E Program, learn about the technical aides, participate in the question and answer sessions, and be educated about M B E /F B E Program opportunities. The achievement of Multnomah County’s MBE/FBE Program goals and objectives depends on community input, support, and understanding as well as effective County management. Help us develop and maintain a successful M BE/FBE Program. Vanessa Sykes, 1981 Rose Festival Princess from Jefferson H igh S chool, is studying p erfo rm ing arts and communications at the Universtiy of Oregon. Vanessa has been q ualified in the “ professional le v e l“ for all her performing arts classes. At Jefferson, Vanessa studied performing arts and was a m em ber of the J effe rs o n D ancers and the P erfo rm an ce Group. She was a member of Rally. Her contributions to the community are many. She has a special interest in disabled children and for several years helped raise funds for the March of Dimes and the Red Cross Blood Program. She assisted public school teachers working with developmental^ disabled children and was a counsellor for the YM CA. Vanessa represents students on the board of directors of the North/Northeast Mental Health Clinic. Her hobbies include dancing, skating, jogging and music. Vanessa is the daughter of Earl and Marilyn Sykes. She has a sister. Carmen, w h o is a sophomore at the Univeristy of Oregon, and a younger brother, Earl, Jr. B R O U G H TTO Y O U BY Pacific Power Fred Meyer S h o p p in g C r t i l f t t m Super Shopping Centers Help Lower Your Cost of Living . . . Your nearby Fred Meyer Super Shopping Center i. filled with ' P • .pie Pleasing" services to make your shopping more pleasant. Wide, spacious aisles, friendlv helpful clerxs anu u.i de-cover parcel loading are just some of the "People Pleasing seiviues to you Plus everyday low prices on thousands of items you use ano need everyday help lower your cost of living. Because we re open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, including Sunday, you can shop when you W A N T to, not when you HAVE to. Come in anytime and "funshop" in a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. Walnut Park „ .E. K illin g sw o rth a t Union Interstate Peninsula Lom bard at In te rs ta te Lom bard Plenty of Free and Easy Parking Open 9 am to 10 pm daily, including Sunday.
