Page 4 Portland Observer, February 11, 1982
EDITORIAL/OPINION ™el ewfeudalisrn
Both major parties agree that the
Rights Act and his disastrous posi
New
Federalism is actually a diver
tion on tax exemptions for all-white
The level o f A m erican political
sionary
tactic to abift the political
private educational institutions.
terrain to the r t ^ t during a period
discourse plum m eted to new lows
The greatest concern o f all is that
o f high unempi^Bient and econom
with President R eagan’ s recent
once the slate governments assume
ic stagnation. K r Republicans, par-
proposal to reshuffle Federal and
responsibility for w elfare, C E T A ,
state responsibilities fo r domestic
ticulary
leaden in the Senate, it does
food stamps, e tc ., that even the
socio-economic programs. Reagan's tattered “ safety net" provided for
not obscure their m ajor worry, and
New Federalism is viewed by most
the central concern o f W all S tre e t-
the poor will disappear. Since Prop
Blacks as a retreat in to the nine osition Thirteen, a wave o f tax re
staggering Federal d eficits. Most
o f dow ntown businessmen— those who have the
teenth century, a conservative pro duction referenda have passed many
GOP politicians who are not supply-
gram
to balance the burgeoning
pow er and m ake the decisions— w ill to le ra te a
siders recognize that Reagan's mas
states. Most state governments did
Federal liudget on the backs o f wel not increase welfare payments at all
sive deficits could create panic in fi
strong Black man in a position o f power and in
fare mothers, school children and
nancial m arkets, causing a new
last year, and five states actually cut
fluence is debatable. We have not seen it yet.
the elderly. The logic behind these benefits. In order to maintain need
round o f high in fla tio n , and even
Perhaps the m ore serious question is whether
initiatives is exceedingly fam iliar to ed social programs, liberal lobbyists
another more severe recession some
the d is tric t’ s a d m in is tra tiv e s ta ff w ill support
Blacks— States’ Rights, laissez faire,
time in 1983 or early 1984. “ I f we
and C iv il Rights organizations
P ro p h e t o r w h e th e r th e y w ill a tte m p t to
and an almost feudal conceptualiza would be forced to conduct a series
embrace the kinds o f deficits now
tion o f the role o f government in the
sabotage him by w ith h o ld in g in fo rm a tio n and
p ro je cted ," adm itted Republican
o f g u e rrilla -lik e campaigns in un
social and economic life o f human
Senator W illiam Armstrong o f C ol
through “ passive resistance.’ ’ This is rum ored
frie n d ly state legislatures. In all
beings.
An
assessment
o
f
the
pro
orado,
" th e financial markets will
probability, states that maintained
to be one o f the problem s th a t ham pered D r.
posals conceived by Reagan reminds
go
nuts."
Another Republican sena
certain
social
programs
at
humane
Jim Fenw ick’s early days as interim -superinten
one o f a comment made by Goethe:
tor informed the W all Street Jour
levels might receive massive in-m i
dent. Perhaps D r. Fenwick should have cut w ith
there is nothing more frightening
nal that he was unwilling to embrace
grations o f poor and low -incom e
a deeper sw ord and gotten rid o f some o f the
than ignorance in action.
Reagan's new proposals, because
people from the more fiscally au
On paper, Reagan’s “ financially
dead w ood and those w ho were m ore lo ya l to
cuts in social programs could never
stere states. For Blacks, this could
equal swap" appears to be a simplis
justify the tremendous expenditure
past adm inistrations. His kindness and w illin g
result in a pathetic new migration o f
tic extension o f his general philoso
in m ilita ry h ardw are. “ W h a t we
lite
ra
lly
m
illio
n
s
o
f
persons,
des
ness to give everyone a new o p p o rtu n ity m ight
phy o f States Rights and a truncated
didn’t
figure in all this was that de
perately
seeking
the
means
to
sur
have cost him not only greater success but even
Federal authority. States would save
fense spending would add up to fi
vive. Even for political moderates
the jo b .
J 19.1 billion from the Federal gov
nancing a w ar."
who have endorsed other Reagan in
A n o th e r p ro b le m w ilf be the p r in c ip a ls —
ernm ent’ s M edicaid takeover, and
For Democrats, the New Federal
itiatives, the specter o f m ajor cities
would receive an additional $28 bil
many o f their incompetent to do the jo b , u n w ill
ism could create the first real possi
and rural area with large concentra
lion from a Federal trust fund sim
ing to progress, unaware o f current needs. W ill
bility o f recovery from the political
tions o f minorities turning into vast
ilar to one that finances the In ter
Waterloo o f 1980— but it could also
poorhouses is simply unacceptable
men who tell racist jokes at their s ta ff meetings
state H ig h w ay system. T he new
widen the split between conserva
in the 1980s. " W h a t is the logic in
respond positively to a Black superintendent?
fund would be financed from addi
tives and liberals within party ranks,
Federalizing one poverty program
We recommend to Dr. Prophet that he watch
tional Federal excise taxes on tobac
alienating Blacks and L atin o s.
but turning back the others?" edi
his back ca re fu lly and not hesitate to elim inate
co, alcohol and gasoline sales. The
Every D em ocrat w ould have a t
to ria lize d the N e w York Times.
states would receive control o f 43
any whose u n d ivid e d lo y a lty he has reason to
tacked Reagan if he had listened to
" D o poor people get equally sick in
program s, ranging fro m A id to
question.
his advisers and had introduced tax
different places but unequally hun
Families W ith Dependent Children
gry?”
increases in the midst o f a recession.
D r. Prophet is on his ow n. A lth o u g h he has
(A F D C ), food stamps, public hous
But since Reagan didn’t ask for new
It is possible to believe that Rea
the support o f most o f the Board— at least in the
ing, education, community develop
taxes, they will undoubtedly attack
gan
’
s
advisers
are
convinced
(hat
beginning— he cannot expect that Board to deal
ment and other social service pro
the A dm inistration from both the
w hite voters and po litician s have
w ith the s ta ff problem s that they have tolerated
grams. Between 1987 and 1991, the
left and the right. Fiscal conserva
successfully identified welfare, food
fund would be gradually eliminated,
fo r years.
tives like O klahom a's Representa
stam ps/tnd other social programs
and states w ould be forced to
D r. Prophet is w alking in to the L io n ’ s Den.
tive James Jones and other Boll
with Black and Latino recipients to
choose
between higher local taxes or
Weevils will charge that they now
such an extent that the white ma
But he can prevail i f he pulls his sword first.
would have to slash programs com
jo r ity w ill be w illin g to go along
represent economic responsibility,
pletely.
and that the Republicans are now
with the New Federalism. But even
For many Civil Rights leaders and
the "B ig Spenders." Liberals like
this "clo set ra c is t" strategy fails
liberals, the scheme had the air o f
C a lifo rn ia G overnor Jerry Brown
when one examines exactly which
unreality. Some pointed out that the
charge (hat the transferal o f p ro
racial constituencies would lose if
W hile the states are sinking in to deep fin a n
Federal H ig h w ay Trust Fund has
these program s were reduced or
grams is a "diversionary tactic, d i
cial problem s w ith nowhere to tu rn fo r assist
run large deficits since 1980. Drew
eliminated. One illustration will suf
versionary from the central issue o f
Lew is, R eagan’ s T ra n s p o rta tio n
ance, Reagan has proposed an obscene increase
fice— food stamps. The 1977 Food
our time, which is the sick economy
Secretary, had already urged the
Stamp Act was designed to "perm it
in m ilita ry spending. N ot o n ly has he asked fo r
and tho 9.5 million people who are
A d m in is tra tio n to raise gasoline
low-income
households
to
obtain
a
out
o f w o rk ." The irony is that the
more missiles, planes, tanks, etc., but he has au
taxes from 4 to 9 cents a gallon. Any
Democrats have not yet developed
more
nutritious
diet.”
According
to
th o riz e d and w ill fu n d the deve lo p m e n t and
a d d itio n a l taxes to finance social
an effective programmatic alterna
the Bureau o f the Census research
stockpiling o f nerve gas.
program s would be a burden to
o f M arch, 1980, about 5.9 m illion
tive to the Right. The New Federal
working class and poor consumers.
The nerve gas is supposedly fo r use against
households received food stamps in
ism will serve as a lightning rod for
Reagan’s idea for transfering these
Soviet troo ps in case o f an atta ck on Europe.
all kinds o f criticism, but the fact re
1979. The median annual income o f
programs to the states had originally
these families was a meager $5,300.
This is also the excuse fo r the helicopters and
mains that the D em ocrats do not
come from two governors, Lam ar
77
per
cent
had
total
money
incomes
have
any real solutions to the fiscal
fighter jets— but these weapons are not defend
Alexander o f Tennessee, a Republi
below
$10,000
a
year.
The
average
crisis
o f the state, nor have de
ing anyone fro m a Soviet attack, rather they are
can, and Dem ocrat Bruce Babbitt
face value o f food stamps received
veloped any consensus to recapture
killin g innocent people in El Salvador. The U.S.
o f Arizona. But only one day after
in 1979 was $810 per household.
the political initiative.
the President’s speech. Babbitt care
has already used napalm and biological w arfare
W ho receives food stamps? 63 per
Opportunism makes bad politics.
fully distanced himself from the in
against the people o f Vietnam , El Salvador and
cent o f all household recipients were
The New Feudalism w ill create a
evitable political fallo u t, claiming
white, 3.7 million families. Only 2.1
Cuba, and w ill again.
temporal unity among the principal
that he would have to oppose the
m
illion
o
f
35
per
cent
were
Black;
targets o f Reagan’ s States' Rights
W ill we continue to w illin g ly buy the utensils
plan in its present form. In Babbitt’s
600,000 were Latino, totaling 10 per
agenda—
Blacks, la b o r, and the
o f death, bringing suffering and pain to the peo
view, Reagan would have to placate
cent. One million householders were
poor. But that is a sorry substitute
ples o f the w o rld , w hile o u r ow n people suffe r
the justifiable fears o f Blacks and
65 years or older. Two-thirds o f the
for the hard political work that re
Hispanics, especially in the light o f
from hunger and neglect?
households had children 18 years
mains to be done before the forces
R eagan’ s record on the Vo tin g
old and under.
o f Reaganism are defeated.
Matthew Prophet:
Will they let him do the job?
Dr. M atthew Prophet comes to the Portland
School D istrict w ith solid support in the com m u
nity. He had the unanim ous vote o f the citizen
and s ta ff committees that participated in the se
lection process.
A lthough the School Board was somewhat re
lu c ta n t and w o u ld have p re fe rre d one o f the
white candidates, six o f the seven finally decided
to select him . O nly C harlotte Beeman voted fo r
another candidate.
The question now is whether the com m u nity
and the School Board w ill allow D r. Prophet to
succeed.
The Board has every reason to wish the new
superintendent success. The B oard is seen by
m uch o f the p u b lic as weak and disorganized,
divided and indecisive. N o one has emerged as a
leader. H erb C aw thorne and Steve Buel are the
m in o rity ; Dean G isvold and C h arlotte Beeman
are followers; Joe Rieke is in a class by himself;
and B ill Scott and F rank M cN am ara compete
fo r the lead. M c N a m a ra has n o t show n the
strength to lead and his constant w rang ling at
Scott weakens Scott’ s position.
The B o a rd sh o u ld be w e ll aw are th a t they
need a Superintendent who can project an image
o f intelligence, com m itm ent, strength and com
petence. A nything less w ill leave them in a state
o f chaos.
The only segment o f the com m unity that did
n o t s tro n g ly s u p p o rt D r. P ro p h e t was the
Chamber o f Commerce, which made a last-ditch
e ffo rt to stop his selection. W hether this group
Putting death before life
The A m erican people are being squeezed be
tween Reagan’ s budget cuts— especially in the
areas o f social program s, jo b trainin g, and eco
nom ic developm ent— and the s h o rtfa ll in state
and local tax funds that h urt the same programs.
W hile Reagan talks about m aking social p ro
gram s— m uch needed help fo r the elderly, the
unemployed and unemployable, and children—
the respon sibility o f the states, the high rate o f
unemployment is affecting the collection o f state
taxes to fund those programs.
The State o f Oregon, w ith one o f the highest
unemployment rates in the nation, is caught in a
vicious circle. In a b ility to collect taxes fro m un
em ployed people means the jo b placement and
jo b trainin g program s so badly needed w ill suf
fer. A n d the cycle continues. Cuts in education,
health and other areas w ill depress the jo b m ar
ket and the tax revenues o f the future.
School Board delays Tubman decision
(Continued fro m page I co. 3)
if Boise is closed and its K in d e r
garten through fifth-grade students
are put in surrounding schools, the
Black percentage o f those schools
w ill increase. Also, many students
that w ill have to be moved from
Beach and King to make room for
Boise youngsters will be white be
cause o f their geographic location.
The Board faces a dilemma. The
resto ratio n o f grades to A lb in a
schools; the new policy o f allowing
A lbina students to attend school in
th e ir neighborhoods; and the de
crease o f white pre-school students
com ing into the area schools has
pushed the m in o rity per cent
u pw ard. Establishing the m iddle
school at either Boise or Eliot would
increase that percentage— a situa
tion that appauls M cNam ara, Dean
Gisvold, Charlotte Beeman and Joe
Rieke. To locate it outside the com
m unity not only breaks a com m it
ment but opens the district to a dis
c rim in a tio n charge.
I f Tubm an is assigned to E lio t,
450 p rim a ry students w ould be
moved. Most are already bused to
E lio t and could be placed, as a
group, in another building.
I f Tubman is located at Boise, 333
lower grade students at Boise would
have to be reassigned. Also, to make
room for those students in adjacent
schools, the fo llo w in g transfers
would occur: 100 students from
H u m b o ld t to K in g , 60 students
from K ing to Sabin, 60 students
from K ing to W o o d la w n , 30 stu
dents from Beech to C h ief Joseph.
A p p ro x im a te ly 663 p rim a ry stu
dents would have to be reassigned
and the Eliot building would need to
be expanded to some 600 students.
Use o f the M o n ro e b uilding
would have no effect on the
neighborhood schools and would
not displace students.
Joe Rieke favored delay o f the de
cision until after the tax levy vote in
May. He opposes putting the school
at Eliot.
M c N a m a ra favors the M o n ro e
building and feels E liot would not
provide q u a lity fac ilitie s . " A n y
choice is going to give considerable
difficulty in the community. We will
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take a lot o f heat because o f any i
cision.”
Scott is opposed to delay and si
nothing that will change enough
counterbalance the cost to studen
staff and administration o f delay.
Beeman favors M o n ro e . In
sharp exchange with Cawthorne s
said she had always opposed Eli
because it cannot provide excellen
to " th e p o p ulatio n we want
serve. C awthorne accused her
being on the verge o f "m akin g t
same type spectator approach
with the school closings."
Rieke said it was the Eliot dci
sion that placed him in the imposi
ble situation o f favoring desegreg
lion but not being able to vote in f
vor o f the plan. " I t is not consistei
with what we need— an excellent f
cility for an excellent school."
Cawthorne reminded him that i
December o f 1979 Dr. Robert Blat
chard had proposed middle schoo
at Eliot, Hayhurst and Chapm an-
and had documented that a middl
school could be successful at Eliot.
The Board voted to e lim in a t
some o f the options: to elim inat
Jefferson (Rieke N o); to elim inat
W ashington/M onroe (Rieke, No)
to eliminate Adams (Rieke and Me
Namara, No); Cascade College. Th
Board failed to e lim ia te M o n ro
(M c N a m a ra , Rieke. Gisvold, Bee
m an, N o ), Boise (S c o tt, G isvold
Rieke and Beeman, N o). (Buel wa
absent for this voting.)
Buel called for a vote on siting ii
in the Black community to see when
the lines are draw n and let the
Black com munity know where th«
Board members stand: Scott, Bee
m an, M c N a m a ra , O is v o ld , and
Rieke voted No.