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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1982)
Portland Observer, April 15, 1982 Page 5 Washington Hotline by Congressman Ron Wyden Q. Congressman Wyden, you are on record In support o f a bill which would prohibit furth er development and deployment o f nuclear weapons by the United States and the Soviet Union. Can you explain a little more about this bill and why you are sup porting it? A . Every other issue we debate— at the dinner table or in the C o n gress-pales when we confront the problem o f nuclear p ro life ra tio n . This year, the world community will spend more than $600 b illion pre paring to kill ourselves. A big part o f that preparation consists o f the stockpiling o f explosive devices— an e ffo rt which has already been so successful that we now have more explosive m a te ria l on this planet than we have food. Faced with these staggering statis tics, it seems nothing short o f amaz ing that we want to spend still more money on nuclear weapons. And yet many o f our leaders do. The bill I have cosponsored calls upon the U .S . and the Soviets to prohibit further production and de ploym ent o f nuclear weapons. It seems a small price to pay to ensure a safe future for ourselves— indeed, for all mankind. Q. This week y o u announced y o u r In te n tio n to vote against raising the national debt celling un less certain conditions are met. What are those conditions? A. I really have two major condi tions. The first is that the Adminis tra tio n agree to budget com pro mises that will lower the federal def icit. The second is that the Adminis tration give special consideration to reviving the economy o f the Pacific Northwest. Meeting the first condition means the A d m in is tra tio n must agree to cut some o f the sacred cows it has so far left virtually untouched. One of those is the bloated military budget. Another is the huge tax increase the A d m in is tra tio n ram m ed through last year on the false promise it would deliver prosperity. M eeting the second condition means the Administration must take such steps as: •su p p o rtin g a m eaningful p ro gram to assist the battered housing and timber industries; •backing o ff on its quest to im pose disastrous waterway user fees — which are really nothing more than a new tax, and a new tax that w ill cost us jo b s , new investm ent and econom ic grow th p o te n tia l, and; •supporting a special jobs train ing p ro g ram — a program run in partnership between p rivate busi ness and government. I do not believe the first condition is unreasonable when you consider the alternative: the continuation o f huge billion-dollar deficits that de stroy our chances for economic re covery. A nd w ith o u t the second c o n d i tion, Oregon is in serious trouble. For Oregon, the great supply-side experim ent has turned out to be deny-side economics. Oregonians are being denied jobs.They're being denied the chance to provide ade quately fo r themselves and th e ir fam ilies. T h e y ’ re being denied the o p p o rtu n ity to get ahead in busi ness. And they’ re being denied the opportunity to realize the American dream o f home ownership. I, for one, have had enough o f deny-side politics. Oregonians de serve a fair shake, and I intend to do everything in my power to see that we get it. Prostitution : The customer Part V I by Harris Levon McRae “ I don’ t like the idea o f strange men coming through my neighbor hood specifically for illegal sexual purposes. I have daughters o f my own to look out fo r.” W h o are these “ strange m en” that the concerned parent talked about? What kind o f man buys sex from a woman on the streets? The customers o f a prostitute also known as a " tric k ” or " jo h n ” can be anyone. They arc Black and w h ite, old and young and come from all social, c u ltu ra l and eco nomic backgrounds. They are the reason prostitution exists— they de mand and pay for it. “ I'm in my early sixties and my wife is five years older. We've been married for thirty-five years and it has been a good marriage in all ways — but sometimes I need a change of pace sexually, something new—and young,” one man said. Prostitution promotes the cultur al idea that men should have sexual services provided to them on any terms they choose as long as they pay for it. "T h e re is a need for sex without any long term c om m itm en t. I ’ ve been thorugh tw o divorces and a couple o f real heartbreaking affairs with women. I would much rather pay for it from some hooker than go through the em o tio n al traum a again,” one sex customer related. " I find Black women very attract ive and it is near impossible for me to meet any in my circle o f friends and in my line o f work— so I pay for the p le as u re,” another customer added. The law forbids buying sex from a prostitute, and many irate citizens ask why more o f the sex customers arc not arrested. The prostitutes, not the customers or pimps, are usu ally the ones arrested. C ap tain Tobin o f the Drug and Vice Division o f the Portland Police Department comments: “ We are responding to citizens’ requests for making some arrests o f the johns. We use female officers as ‘decoys’ and it has been effective.” For the most part Captain Tobin finds the p ro stitu tio n customer “ usually out of his neighborhood. It is not uncommon to arrest the same prostitute twice in a nigh, bu, for the john it’s different. He jus, wants to get his fine paid and be on his way as fast as possible. Once busted he rarely comes back into the area." “ I have a feeling that many o f these men are visiting from other places— away from home and seek ing sex,” adds Duane M cNanny o f the M u ltn o m a h C o un ty Juvenile Department. Prostitution is very related to tra d itio n a l dom inance o f men over women in our society. It is expressed in various ways including the feeling o f some men that women are prop erty, and the old “ do as I say and not as I d o ” double standard fo r men and women. “ Women not involved in prosti tution for the most part are against prostitution, while males generally tend to see it as a needed social out let,” Captain Tobin said. “ I f there are men w illing to pay for sex, there will be women willing to sell it ,” a Union Avenue prosti tute stated. Apparently this is true. The finan cial rewards o f prostitution have led more than one woman to choose it as a profession. “ Me and my old man go around and around about this all the time. He doesn't like me out there hoing (whoring). I tell him that he has a jo b to do every day and I ’ ve got mine, you know,” one woman said. "Some o f these guys spend forty dollars for a girl for sex, they get a hotel room, plus fringes like drinks and food— I wonder where they get the money,” Duane McNanny said. Customers o f prostitution get the money in various ways— expense ac counts, robbery, hard work, allow ances. Wherever this money comes fro m , it is these very dollars that make sure that prostitution is "here to stay." NBLaids small business development by Harris Levon McRae Founded in 1900 by D r. Booker T . Washington, 12 years before the U . S. C ham ber o f C o m m erce, the National Business League (N B L ) is the nation’s oldest business organiz ation. "T h e average Portlander has not been aggressive enough when it comes to economic developm ent. The Oregon chapter o f the National Business League was brought here fo r that reason— to enhance eco nomic developm ent in N .E . P o rt land. It is the only business organi zation in P ortland and in the state o f Oregon geared toward Black bus inesses,” said James Berry, coordin ator o f the Oregon Chapter o f the NBL. A national federation o f associa ting corporations, individuals and business firms, the N B L ’s member ship takes in a wide range o f busi ness enterprises, ranging from inter national trading concerns and high technology manufacturers, to small service establishm ents and single proprietorships. “ T h e O regon chapter is a little different than the national organiza tion in that it is made up o f small businesses. Reaganomics have made it where small businesses will get the bulk o f the u n e m p lo y e d ,” Berry said. W ith a growing membership that now includes 127 chartered chapters throughout 37 states and the District o f Columbia, the N B L has also de veloped a national network o f asso ciation a ffilia tes through the N a tio n al C o un cil fo r Po licy Review (N C P R ). In addition the N B L char tered the B ooker T . W ashington F o u n d a tio n , a fo u n d a tio n w ith a mandate to maximize economic de velopm ent in Black and m in o rity communities. " W e are currently working on a jo in t venture with the A lliance for Social Change to start a program to create small businesses. We will set up and help at least three businesses in a year. O ur prim ary focus is on Black business but we support the entire community when it comes to economic development.” Booker T . Washington once said: “ N o people ever got upon its feet and obtained the respect and confi dence o f the world which did not lay its foundations in successful busi ness e n terp rise.” M in o rity en te r prise is v ita l not o n ly to the sus tained growth o f our national econ omy, but to the ultimate survival o f minorities period. A ccording to Berry members o f the N B L feel th a t, “ Since o ur fo u n d in g in 1900, the goals and g u iding purposes o f the N a tio n a l Business League have remained in touch w ith the fundam ental tenets o f American life. And there is noth ing more fundam ental to A m erica than business.” Anyone interested in becoming a member o f the N a tio n a l Business League or who needs in fo rm atio n should call 283-4C06. We Pay More Cash! FOR GOLD, SILVER and DIAMONDS OR ANYTHING OF VALUE 777-1284 7710 S.E. Foster Rd. GO TO SLEEP FOR PAINLESS EXTRACTIONS AND FILLINGS WHILE YOU SLEEP. CALL OR COME IN FOR FREE ESTIMATES GLADLY GIVEN LOW COST FILLINGS • X-RAYS • EXTRACTIONS ROOT CANALS • CLEANINGS • CROWNS COMPLETE DENTAL CARE AT PRICES YOU CAN AFFORD Complete Cooperation on ALL DENTAL INSURANCE PLANS OPEN SATURDAYS— No Advance Appointment Needed Hours Weekdays 8:30am to 5pm Saturday 8:30am ,o 1pm Park Free— Any Park n Shop Lo, DR. JEFFREY BRADY, D E N TIS T SEMLER BLDG. ----- S W 3rd & Yamhill Downtown-PORTLAND SALEM 110’ a Commercial N.E 581-8699 2 2 8 -7 5 4 5 Start with Breakfast Uris seeks City Council seat {Continued fro m page I column 5) pany has the legal resources to resist for years. The City must work with the large corporations to influence them to use local small businesses as sup pliers and sub-contractors. Banks should be asked to set aside a pool for loan capital for small bus inesses, many o f which are viable but have cash flow problems. Housing: There are three types of rental problems: dilapidated hous ing; retirem ent rentals where the owner lives in one unit and rents others; large rental companies. When rental housing is not kept up to code the City should act as an agent to make it possible for tenants to purchase as cooperatives, using sweat equity as well as money. The property should be brought to fire code by the City. Where owners are allowing build ings to become dilapidated and plan to turn them into condom inium s, the City should act as an agent to al low renters to form a cooperative. Portland does not have an overall Register and Vote shortage o f housing but it has a shortage o f a ffo rd a b le rentals. There must be either subsidies to the poor or rent control, which is often a disincentive to maintenance, will become necessary. T he C ity should require some low-income units in every develop ment, and should facilitate develop ment o f housing downtown. Police: Uris supports the police auditing committee just adopted by City Council, but prefers a stronger board. The ideal would be for police to live where they work, and new re cruits should be required to live in the city. Most police work is social work and crisis intervention. The way the police handle a situation can deter mine if it is solved peacefully or be comes a m ajo r incid en t. They should have more training in human rights and culture. Police enforcement should con centrate on violent crimes rather than spending undue time on petty crim in als who are easy to a p p re hend. C ity C o u n c il: U ris prefers that Council members be elected by dis trict. A lso, the o u t-o f-d ate system o f having commissioners administer bureaus should be ended. The Council should be legislative— make policy— and hire administrators to run the bureaus. The current system gives too much power to the Mayor, who can change bureau assignments at will, and causes commissioners to “ trade” votes to protect their own bureaus. Schools: Uris would like to see a City Commissioner take the respon sibility to go to the business commu nity and point out the need for a res o lu tio n o f the c o n flic t over T u b - man. A lthough the C ouncil is not responsible fo r schools, school problem s have a direct effect on City government and business. As a Tubm an parent he favored Adams as a site, but believes the communi ty’s desire for Elio, and the Board’s earlier promise should be respected and that the B oard's decision showed “ arrogance and lack o f un derstanding.” at Rustler ’s We agree that your day starts be,- ter with breakfast. Why? While we sleep our bodies break from food and activities. So, we awaken hungry and sluggish. Eating breakfast changes this; it breaks the fast—as a result, we feel much stronger and more alert. So start your day with breakfast at R USTLER'S. You’ll find good food and friendly country service all at a reasonable price. House for Sale 3 years old - G resham area Assumable loan $4,000 down 3 bedroom, family room, 2 full baths, fireplace, double car garage, air cond., built-in garbage disp. and dish washer. Call: 281 6525 Ask for Monroe. Now Serving Breakfasts Mon.-Fri. 6 am to 11 am • Sat -Sun. 7 am to noon PORTLAND 425 Northeast Oregon Street (Between Union and Grand) » »
