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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1982)
Pag« 2 Portland Observer, April 29,1962 County recommends divestment Economic pressure on the South African government and on Am eri can companies in South A frica is a tactic that anti-apartheid groups ad vocate in this country and abroad. As a result, an increasing number of public and com m u nity o rg an iza tions are supporting demands that institutions o f all kinds withdraw funds from companies that do busi ness with South Africa. D ivestm en t, as this action is called, is believed by many black South A fricans to be an effective means o f support fo r their lib e ra tion struggle. The hope is that the economic and psychological effects o f divestment will spur the white mi nority government to take steps to ward ending the apartheid system. On A p ril 1st, the M u ltn o m a h County Commission joined in the growing divestment movement by passing a resolution that urges the Public Employees Retirement Sys tem to “ strongly consider” divest ment o f South Africa-related funds. The Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS, currently invests over $200 m illio n in 86 Am erican corporations with business opera tions in South Africa. W hile it would take state legisla tive action to influence PE R S to stop these investments, the Commis sion’s action adds to the growing list o f supporters o f statewide divest ment. The Commission’s previous decision in February to jo in PERS without taking some action against the South A frican investments had drawn strong public criticsm. The resolution, which was spon sored by C om m issioner Gladys McCoy, passed unanimously. Com munity groups which had endorsed the resolution were: the Am erican Federation o f S tate, C o un ty and M unicipal Employees (A F S C M E ); the Black United Front; Ecumenical M in istries o f O regon; Japanese American Citizens League; M etro politan Hum an Relations Commis sion; W o m e n ’ s In te rn a tio n a l League o f Peace and Freedom. The American Friends Service C om m it tee in itia lly requested the county’s action on the issue. P riva te citizens and members from several o f the above organiza tions testified in fa v o r, citing re search and fa c t-fin d in g trips to South Africa that have led many na tional organizations to support d i vestm ent. In fo rm a tio n was pre sented that black South Africans de sire divestment, even though it is il legal for any South African to advo cate such action. Also cited was cur rent research that shows that divest ing South Africa-related funds does not necessarily adversely affect an institution’s investment returns. Testifying against the resolution was one individual invited by C om missioner Caroline M iller to present the opposing view point. C laim ing that divestm ent actions were not helpful to black South Africans, he went on to suggest that if divestment were pursued, it would be the O re gon Investment Council that would have the authority to make the deci sion, not the sfh^e legislature o r PERS. Commissioner M ille r explained that she was in a better position to know what was best for South A fri cans since she had spent two yearsun southern A frica fifteen years ago. According to M iller, those support ing divestment, including everyone who was testifying in favor o f the resolution, did not have correct in formation. Claiming that the resolu tion was “ meaningless" and that it did not “ really do anything for the cause,** she nonetheless voted in favor o f it. The action by M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty came in the m idst o f in creasing economic relations between Oregon and South Africa. In 1981, there was almost $30 million worth o f trade between South A frica and Oregon companies, which is nearly trip le the am ount exchanged in 1979. The recent trip o f State Treas urer C lay Myers and Cham ber o f C om m erce representative, Rolv Schillios, raises questions o f what additional trade is being developed. The Po rtlan d C ity C ouncil may consider the same issue in the near fu tu re. O rganizations and in d iv i duals interested in supporting this e ffo rt, or obtaining additional in form ation may contact the A m eri can Friends Service C om m ittee at 230-9427. I JOE URIS ft ] for 5 1 CITY COUNCIL Joe Uris supports community police review— mv ODDonent does not. se Uris will w ork for jobs, greater C( im m unity power and equal rights for all. JOE U R IS -A BREATH OF FRESH AIR IN THE STALE CORRIDORS OF GOVERNMENT. Joe Uris for City Commissioner Committee. Richard B. Solomon, Trees, p.o. box 12581 Portland, 97212 Serving The Rug and Carpet Needs of Northwest Families & Businesses Since 1900. India charges U .S. threatens area Recent charges made by the press o f India and other countries border ing the In d ia n O cian have again raised the issue o f a U .S . threat to the security o f the region. The d aily P a trio t accused the U n ite d States o f attem p tin g to transform the Indian Ocean into an “ American lake” and India’s Prime M in ister In d ira G andhi expressed alarm over the stockpiling o f nu clear weapons in the area. The Indian Ocean is classified as a “ strategic site” by the Pentagon. The area covers nearly a fifth o f the earth’s surface and about 40 coun tries. Reagan’s new Asian doctrine has three basic elements: the formation o f a broad alignm ent o f frien d ly countries (Indonesian, Thailand and Malaysia); military aid for U.S. allies in Southeast Asia; and deployment o f larger U .S . naval contingents in the In d ia n ocean on a permanent basis. To establish a military pressure in the area the U .S . is also using the bases of its allies. The Pentagon has been given a $743 million budget for m odernizing and extending naval and military bases in Egypt, Kenya, Oman, Somalia and in Diego Garcia Island. It has proposed a five-year plan to spend $30 billion enlarging its power in the Indian Ocean. In the Persian G u lf area alone, $2 billion will be spent for military purposes. These expenditures will include a broad netw ork o f m ilita ry bases, arms depots, control and communi cation centers, electronic espionage points, etc. There are also plans to transform m ilitary bases with lim ited functions into m ulti-purpose bases that will be part o f a chain to control areas from A frica to Aus tralia and from Asia to Antarctica. O rien tal Rug*» and Broadloom s |M IW \IO W \ M O K I V W . Farti al Washington 225-4125 I IO S I X t M t K » H I K I On 'h , North M all 2*4 2119 (le a n in g and Repairing < O M P I t i t M K S K t t M it l i l t s 14 If» % I IhxiMsm M uk . < arpcl. iu m ilu rr and Ik a p r n < k a n i ng Imports At Wholesale Prices The U.S. also plans to use Indian Ocean bases as a springboard for sending its Rapid D eploym ent Forces to countries outside the re gion. M ore than 60 warships roam the Indian Ocean, including nuclear powered a ircraft carriers and sub marines. From its bases in Kenya, Som alia, O m an and A u stralia the U.S. has virtual control over the re gion. In d ia ’ s m inister o f state fo r de fense, Shivraj Patil, told Parliament that, “ The United States’ plans pro vide fo r both a q u a n tita tiv e and. qualitative increase injts presence." Washington is also trying to obtain use o f a naval base and airport in Sri Lanka and is looking at the Maidive Islands and M au ritiu s for m ilitary bases. The Reagan administration is also carrying oiut a strong campaign to block implementation o f proposals by the countries bordering the In dian Ocean and the M ovem ent o f N o n -A lig n e d N ations ot turn the Indian Ocean into a peace zone— a proposal that has been discussed by the U n ited N ations for more than ten years. The Adm inistration also opposes the convening o f an inter national conference on the Indian Ocean to draft a proposal to make the regiona a peace zone. Desk •710 list $462 our price If* Flashlight Emergency Lite •43 list. our price oard, community begin talks (Continued from page 1 col. 6) then provide a recommendation to the Board. He recommended that the partici pants in the mediation process hold informational forums at the affect ed schools— E lio t, Boise, H u m boldt, King, Tubman and possibly others. During Saturday’s meeting Rever end John Jackson had explained that the B U F ’ s reason for asking that the dispute be settled by M ay 10th was the pending tax base elec tion. “ W e support the tax base in crease and want to make sure this is no excuse for people to stay away from the polls. We don’t want to be in a position to get the blame. ” M onday night Frank McNam ara questioned the B U F ’s motives. By placing a date prior to the election, “ They could mount efforts to block the tax base." He also questioned the responsibility o f the mediators selected to represent the communi ty . “ W h a t black leaders?___ ” “ One would want to have faith that they would enter with the same spir it o f open-mindedness required o f the B o a rd .’ * K now ing who they were “ would help to know if there were some there with that spirit of open mindedness." A lthough the black representa tives had stipulated that the board be w illing to “ reconsider," a mo tion by M c N a m a ra changed the wording to “ review.” Charlotte Beeman was upset that some o f the Board’s concerns— par ticularly her opposition to agreeing to “ reconsider" the site— were not included in the S u p e rin te n d en t’s recommendation. Dean G isvoid voted against the reso lu tio n . H e stated his concern that the M a y 10th date, also M ay 10th to M ay 14th, as proposed by P ro p h e t, was too short a tim e period. Steve Buel voted against the reso lu tio n although he favors m ed ia tion. He is concerned that the O re gon Open Meetings Law will be vio lated and will not participate in a vi olation o f the law. H erb C aw thorne abstained. He considered the Board’s refusal to ac cept the w ording o ffered by the B U F — “ willingness to reconsider" — as unacceptable to him and an a f fro n t to the com m unity. H e also thought the Board should give Prophet the authority to negotiate a settlement. “ We are here with CRS because we won’t let D r. Prophet handle it. We need to ask our Superintendent to use his best judgment. This would prevent law violations, m isunder standings, and “ ghost meetings." Vote Marble Table plus 4 stools......... *1088 lis t ... *695 Candelabra *37 list T.V. Lite................. *144 list Burglar A la rm .................... *18 list our price ♦24 our price *69 our price *9.95 our price SOLAR COMPANY 283-4003
