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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1982)
Z Page 2 Portland Observer May 13, 1982 Candidates vie for District 18 legislative position Robert Boyer Bob Boyer is president o f the In land Boatm en’s Union, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, and has been active in youth work, educa tion, voter registration and the NAACP. He is employed at Water ways Terminal. What new sources o f revenue would you support? How would you balance the budget? “ I would like to see a restructur ing o f taxes so that income taxes are graduated—so people who make more money and corporations that have higher p ro fits , pay m ore.” There should be a fair and equitable tax structure. He would support a lottery if it were designated for edu cation or a specific human resource program. To balance the budget, programs should be designed according to the dollars available. Do you fa v o r p u b lic u tility dis tricts? Boyer favored PUDs prior to the WPPS problem . “ The cost o f power in Clark County was one-half that in Oregon, yet we use the same Ed Leek_____ Ed Leek is fo rm e r chairm an o f the Northeast Coalition o f Neigh borhood Associations, is active in neighborhood associations and the Democratic Party. He is a re ta il clerk. What new sources o f revenue would you support? How would you balance the budget? I would start out with a graduated income tax. “ The maximum is now at $10,000; everyone with earnings above that pays the same percent age. A graduated corporate tax could decrease taxed for 80 per cent o f the businesses. You raise more money by collecting more from the larger companies. “ Iam opposed to a sales tax or an increase in property tax.” Leek would eliminate the 30 per cent property tax relief and replace it with a “ super-HARP” —tax relief based on income. Property tax relief now goes to people with $200,000 houses. “ If they can't afford to pay taxes on $200,000 houses then they shouldn’ t have $200,000 house ” Do you fa v o r p ublic u tility dis tricts? “ I was an initiator o f the current petition making the Public Utilities Commission elective.” Generally in favor o f PUDs and active in the drive for PUDs in the past, Leek has some concerns aobut the cost o f buyouts o f private u tilities at this time and how that would affect rates. Do you fa vo r the fa ir share con cept fo r state employees ? “ Yes. They should pay if they get the benefits.” Should public employees have the s power source. But with PUDs fund ing WPPS the cost is skyrocketing. I would have to reassess to ensure that buying out the private utilities would not raise the rate.” I f the cost to the ratepayers over a period o f time would be less—and if the econ omy can handle the buyouts— he would favor PUDs. Do you fa v o r the fa ir share con cept f o r state employees? A ll people share in the benefits. When the union goes out on strike and the fair share people d o n 't, it causes bad feelings. The union is the bargaining u nit—the person wants the benefits but w ill not go on strike. Boyer prefers a closed shop, where if there is a strike, all go out on strike. Should public employees have the right to strike? Public employees—if they have a union contract—should have a right to strike. He supports binding arbi tration for police, fire and teachers. H ow would you reorganize the state system o f higher education to economize yet provide quality edu cation? Boyer would look at the entire system. I f there is any way possible he would like to see departments condensed to stop duplication. “ We don’t have the money to finance ev erything, but we should see which programs have the best return for the money. I don’ t see a need to close schools—there are areas o f the state that have specific needs and should have their schools.” What committees would you like to serve on? What are some issues you would address? Boyer would prefer Labor and Ways and Means. In the Labor Committee he would deal with the need to d iversify industry. Each county should have a bureau to as sist w ith economic development. There is a need for trained people and research resources to deal with the problems of the economy. Ways and Means deals w ith the state’ s finances. “ I would seek funds fo r tra in ing , consolidating funds in the state and local bud gets.” What are the major problems f o r the people o f D istric t 18 and how would you address them? Unemploymen’ is the major prob lem. As education chairman o f the Inland Boatmen’s Union Boyer pro posed a tugboat school and has at tempted to steer the union to sources o f funding. He designed a youth development corps to train young people in housing rehabilita tion trades. Another serious problem is lack o f home ownership. A state bank or some other type o f funding is need ed to enable people to buy or lease. Home ownership brings community pride. Small businesses in the area need help to stabilize and grow. There is a need fo r more small businesses to prevent dependence on one indus try. He would like to see more com mercial development on Union Ave nue-restaurants and supermarkets. Who would you consult on pend ing legislation? How would you keep in touch with yo ur constitu ents? Boyer would form a network o f neighborhood associations, organi zations, churches and other organi zations. He would stay in contact with the people, listening first. What is your opinion on the crime problem? Boyer believes the crime statistics arc somewhat distorted. The neigh borhood crime watch and the locks program help. He would rather spend money for prevention with teenagers than for prisons. What do you think o f the Tub- man decision and the Black United Front's tactics? “ The Board should stay with their original decision—E lio t.” As long as the BUF is non-violent he w ill support them. He recognizes that the BUF’s tactics brought medi ation. “ D iffe re nt organizations have to take different approaches, in this case confrontation was the method that worked.” right to strike? Leek supports the right o f public employees to strike with the excep tion o f public safety employees— prison guards, police. These areas should be covered by binding arbi tration. H ow would you reorganize the state system o f higher education to economize yet provide quality edu cation? “ I would take a hard look at the kost benefit o f all the colleges and close two schools The effect o f closing a cnlleuc in r lie economy of that city is a iradc-ntl Government can't be m the business of Droviding facilities soleh to provide jobs.” Iieve property taxes. What is your opinion on the crime problem? "C rim e is related to jobs. People have to have incomes. There is pres sure to consume and compete.” There are no effective sanctions. The prison bond measure is fo r more maximum security, they do need to be removed tem porarily. Leek advocates restitution centers, halfway houses, forest camps and other alternatives to prison. There is a need to retrain and re habilitate prisoners. “ The cost for society in the long run fo r ware housing prisoners is astronomical.” Who would you consult on pend M hat Corn mi i lees would you like ing legislation? H ow would you to serve on? H hut are som" issues keep in touch with yo u r constitu you would address? ents? Aging and Minority Affairs, hu “ One o f the failuers o f represen man resources, labor. tatives in the past has been keeping Leek said he could get the South in touch. This district needs a regu African divestment bill through the lar breakfast meeting like others, Legislature. “ W ally [Priestley) — during the session and between ses and I love him —just doesn’ t have sions.” There is also a need to have the skills to get the b ill through I a regular group o f people willing to can draw together a pressure group, act as advisors in various areas. a coalition o f the minority and reli There is also a need for polling. gious com m unities, and it would What do you think o f the Tub- pass.” man decision and the Black United The Martin Luther King holiday Front tactics? is another issue he would push. Also “ The decision was fore-ordained im proving Project Independence, after the School Board elections— which helps senior citizens remain in when Bauman and Newhall lost. I their own homes. have little hope that it w ill be re Holding the line on human service versed. It is one o f a series of contin program is all that is possible— uing insults. It was pereptuated by “ how to hold on to what we have.” insensitive, seemingly uncaring What are the major problems f o r people.” the people o f D is tric t 18 and how Leek is “ uncomfortable with the would you address them? separatist nature o f the Front. I The m ajor problems are unem have always been an integrationist. ployment and property taxes. “ We People used to move away from my need public jo b creation p ro wife and I at BUF meetings.” He grams.” Leek supports Don Clark’s questions whether the Front repre proposal to use the unemployment sents the community as a whole— trust fund to create w ork. WPA “ They take up issues that are o f programs—“ lots o f buildings are concern to the community, but there needed, lots o f services. Rivergate is a diversion o f opinions. The BUF needs roads and sewers.” These is not the black community.” could be built through a WPA-type The tactics of the Front "are hard progrs for me to deal with. I am not com T h e .. is a need fo r training fo r fortable with confrontation but I long-term employment. Leek would have used and understand the tactic. like to improve the apprenticeship The School Board would have programs. The economic develop washed its hands o f the whole affair ment program should be redesigned if the Front had not acted.” so it will be used properly to create “ Some type o f confrontation was jobs. necessary but I ’ m not sure this type There is a need to move away was necessary. A combined fro n t from property taxes. There is no re could have been put together that lation between property taxes and could have found enough people to income or services received. There is make them reconsider—through a need to provide more of the educa marches, dem onstrations, pres tion budget from income taxes to re sure.” 4 Vesia Loving- What new sources o f revenue do you support? How would you bal ance the state budget? “ I would like to see more industry in the country whether this is from overseas or local. There should be more manufacturing to create jobs and bring taxes. Low interest rates would also encourage new compa nies.” Do you think the state should use its option to obtain and sell electric power? What is y o u r opinio n o f public utility districts? “ 1 feel that public utilities might be more beneficial. The u tilitie s have a m onopoly and i f they had com petition the rates would go down.” Do you fa v o r the fa ir share con cept f o r State employees? "N o t necessarily. I did belong to a union but now now; 1 don’ t feel that unions are necessary. Not everyone can a ffo rd to pay dues. People’s situations vary.” Should public employees have the right to strike? “ Yes, definitely." Everyone who is not satisfied with conditions on their jo b should have the right to strike. H ow would you reorganize the state system o f higher education to economize yet provide quality edu cation? “ In the Portland Public Schools there are too many chiefs. After the administrators are paid there is very little le ft fo r the students and teachers; it is not necessary to have fo u r or five superintendents. The administration costs too much.” What committees would you like to serve on? What are some o f the issues you would address? M rs. L o v :ng would prefer the Education and Human Resources committees. “ I am concerned about senior citizens a lot; they need care whether it is in a nursing home or in their own home. “ We need protection fo r low- income people. They should have a right to medical care. It might mean more taxes but no one should go without medical care.” What are the major problems f o r the people o f D is tric t and how would you address them ? “ Jobs are the real problem. The m a jo rity o f our people are out o f jobs. We would have a better neigh borhood if there was employment." There is also a need fo r economic development and low-income housing. Who would you consult regarding legislative decisions? How would you keep in touch with your consti tuents? “ I would make myself available: wherever I went I would be avail able.” She would also send commu nications to organizations and per sons regarding issues coming before the legislature. What is your opinion on the crime problem? “ I am concerned about crimes against senior citizens. The only way to stop crime is through jobs and education.” Ms. Loving would like to see a system to eliminate drugs and is interested to determine why girls get into prostitution and how this can be prevented. “ Prostitution is a social problem that has plagued me; it brings a negative image to the community." Unemployed persons have prob lems because they are not eligible for welfare if they are employable. This forces them in to crime and prostitution. Mrs. Loving would advocate for vocational training fo r children of welfare families to teach skills and the work ethic. What do you think o f the Tub- man issue and the BUF tactics? “ When we asked for Eliot we did it because we felt it was better; we had looked at everything and felt it was least disruptive. It is also a neu tral area—both black and white par ents will send their children there." The Boise decision was a racist tecision, she believes. "They have been tryin g to close Boise fo r 12 years; I have fought fo r 12 years. The C ity's comprehensive plan has designated the area from the Colis eum to Killingsworth Avenue as in d ustrial. It was stopped by Boise school. Then we stopped the free ways and they weren't built. “ W hite parents would not send their children Boise and after a few years we w o u ld n ’ t have a school. Other organizations joined the fight a Vesia Loving is a teacher's aide at Boise Elementary School. She « ac tive in the Black United Front, Van couver A venue Baptist Church, and is concerned with education and po lice problems. because it was rig h t. . . ” “ I am a member o f the Front. As a C hristian, if I felt it was doing something that was not right I w o uldn't be part o f it. The Front was organized because it more or less meets the needs; it is not run by one person—each is a part o f the de cision making. This was the first demonstration o f this type and it was right. After four years o f patience, no method is too strong. The Front is what brought the change in a ttitu d e —it brought them face to face with the problem. “ I feel good about the part I've played in changing things.” Haw» tha N aw Portland Observer dallvarad to your hom a each w aah Subscriba1
