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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1982)
Portland Observer, M ay 13,1962 Page 5 0 * House District 17: Wally Priestley Wc have consistently endorsed W ally Priest ley for election and again endorse him for the Democratic nomination for District 17. Priestley has served in the Oregon legislature for 16 years. His voting record is beyond re proach and has been highly rated by labor, sen ior citizen groups, women, environmental or ganizations, and consumer groups. His philosophy has consistently been to protect the interests o f the low and moderate income per sons and minorities. Priestley is unique in that he opens his office for use by all citizens— whether they are pushing legislation fo r nursing home rights, public power, anti-nuke, peace, etc. A ll are welcome to use the facilities and use the legislative system to promote their cause. This allows the legislators to hear another voice— that o f the people who are not able to hire lobbyists to promote their causes. In the interest of participatory democracy, we endorse Wally Priestley for election. 0< Ballot Measure No. 2 Ballot Measure 2 amends the state constitu tion to allow bonds to be sold to finance housing loans for low-income elderly, non-low-income elderly, and disabled persons. The law now speci- I les elderly households o f low income, so the bonds would also benefit disabled persons and there would be no income limit if the measure is passed. Measure 2 could help our sagging housing in dustry, help make home ownership a more easily obtainable dream and shore up the declining buying power o f seniors and the disabled. It should be passed. 0^ Ballot Measure No. 4 Ballot Measure 4 would raise commercial ve hicle taxes 10 per cent or more each year for three years and the tax on gas and other fuels 1< per gallon per year for the next three years. The money, estimated to total $65.2 million by fiscal 1984, would be collected by the Highway Fund and disbursed to state, county and city govern ments to maintain roads. There is no question that Oregon’s roads need repair. But this measure would only treat the symptoms, not the cause. Critics o f the measure point out the vast ma jority of highway damage is done by trucks and that these vehicles should pay a greater share of repairing the roads. Opponents intend to place a proposal on the November ballot to equalize the repair burden and force trucks to pay their share. A 14.3 per cent gas tax increase was passed by the Legislature in 1981 and in 1980, another gas tax increase proposal was overwhelmingly de feated by voters. W e need fair taxes requiring trucks to pay their fair share of the cost o f main taining Oregon’s roads, not more taxes on car drivers. Let’ s find a better way to correct the road problem. 0 ^ Portland Public School Tax Base: Yes W e are very pleased that the confrontation between the community and the School Board is over. The leadership o f M atthew Prophet shines brightly and the School Board and District can now go on its merry way educating children. The puzzle cannot be completed without money, so we fervently ask all to support the school tax base on your ballot. Programs must be m ain tained to continue the high quality o f education in the Portland School District. 0 * Ballot Measure No. 1 Ballot M easure 1 w ould allow state bond money to be used to build municipal water pro jects. Currently, the Oregon Constitution only allows the money to fund loans for irrigation and drainage projects; the measure would add the m unicipal use and allow h a lf the bond money to be lent to towns o f fewer than 30,000 population for their water projects. Small towns and communities in the state have had water quality problems in the past and Ballot Measure 1 could help rectify them. We recommend a yes vote. 0 * Multnomah Ballot Measure No. 6 This amendment to the county charter would make the county sheriff, clerk, district court clerk and assessor elected positions rather than appointive, as they are now. It would also re quire salaries of all county elected officers to be set by primary or general election vote; limit of ficers to eight year terms; p ro h ib it paying a county lobbyist and require any officer running for another office to immediately resign his or her current post. There are many questions left unanswered by this amendment: H ow would salaries be set? W o u ld n ’ t this raise the costs o f county elec tions? W ouldn’t county departments be better run by administrators instead of persons elected through perhaps expensive or rhetoric-filled campaigns? In the absence of concrete answers, we recom mend a no vote. 0 * MSD Councilor, District 11: David Weiss M S D District 11, which includes Northeast P ortland, has attracted three candidates fo r councilor. W e think D avid Weiss is the best choice. Incumbent Marge Kafoury has missed more than one-third o f the M S D Council meetings in 1981 and is not running a vigorous campaign to retain her seat. W eiss is strongly opposed to the garbage burning plant in Oregon City and has spoken out against accounting irregularities and the lack o f public involvem ent in M S D deci sions. He would make a good addition to the council. 0< Supreme Court: Vern Cook 0 * Incumbent judge J.R. Campbell was appoint ed by Governor Atiyeh in December 1980. Pre viously he had been a judge on the circuit court and the Oregon Court o f Appeals, appointed to both positions and then re-elected. H e is from Eastern Oregon. Vern Cook is a Gresham attorney who served 24 years in the Oregon Legislature when he was a member o f the Judiciary and C rim in a l law committee for 22 years and was chairman o f the Judiciary Com m ittee during the 1979 session. He co-chaired the 1979 committees that rewrote Oregon’s Rules of Civil Procedure and strength ened anti-trust. He chaired the interim commit tee that rewrote Oregon’s evidence code. H e is considered to be one o f the leading experts on Oregon’s open meeting and open records laws and in election law. In other words— Vern Cook understands the law. His own background, his personal philoso phy, and his concern for the “ under-dog” en sure that his application o f the law be equitable, just and humane. We endorse Vern Cook for Position 4 on the Supreme Court o f Oregon. 0 * District Court, Dept. 14: Gary Roberts Through his service with Legal Aid Gary Rob erts has demonstrated his commitment to m ak ing the legal system work for the poor and for minorities. He has not been afraid to battle with the most pow erful adversaries in his pursuit o f legal rights. He sued the State Attorney General and Labor Commissioner to make the C ivil Rights Bureau m ore responsive; he represented the Gray Panthers in their legal efforts to gain more rights for nursing home patients; he obtained court orders to prevent involuntary transfer o f nursing home patients; he served on the Storrs Committee and threatened to sue the Portland Police Union if misleading literature against a police audit committee were not withdrawn (it was). H e has lobbied actively for progressive laws and helped write most o f Oregon’s landlord /tenant and consumer law. Also a candidate for the position is Attorney John Toran. Toran has been in private practice since 1963, has served on numerous Oregon Bar committees including affirm ative action, and served a term as legal counsel to the Senate Environm ent Com m ittee. Although Toran is well qualified for this position, we believe this 8- person race w ill result in a close call between Roberts and Nely Johnson. Therefore we must throw our support to Gary Roberts. Also: Labor Commissioner: Jim Chrest T h e po sitio n o f L a b o r C o m m issio n er is im p o rta n t in th a t it heads the C iv il R ights D iv is io n , W age and H o u r, apprenticeships and other programs o f significance to workers. The Bureau o f L a b o r and In d u strie s has never provided the leadership that it should in the area o f c iv il rig h ts . D u rin g previous ad m in is tra tio n s enorm ous backlogs determ in ed th a t cases w ould take years to resolve — if ever. Now a new law provides that cases must be closed in a year w hether completed or not. There are no huge backlogs, but does this promote justice? A lth o u g h some im provem ents have been m ade in some areas by the cu rren t L a b o r Com m issioner, M a ry Roberts, we still hear com plaints about the C iv il Rights D ivisio n . Also, the powers o f the office have never been used to th eir fu llest to p ro m o te c iv il r ig h ts /a ffir m a tiv e action or to investigate offending employers. Jim Chrest, currently State Representative fro m N o rth P o rtla n d , has a long history o f interest in the causes o f workers. W e believe he has the ability, energy and concern to not only make the C ivil Rights Bureau viable, but to use the o ffic e to advocate fo r c iv il rights and worker causes. 0 * County Executive: Dennis Buchanan W e recommend a vote for Dennis Buchanan for M ultnom ah County Executive. Buchanan is currently a county com m m issioner and is seeking the position left vacant by Don C lark. His chief opponent is Gordon Shadburne, also a county commissioner. B uchanan proposes a p ro g ram w hereby residents o f the county who do not live in a c ity , but w ho receive a d is p ro p o rtio n a te am ount o f county services but pay the same p ro p e rty tax as city d w ellers, be taxed fo r those services. This would relieve property tax fo r city residents. H E also favored the state takeover o f the courts w hich w ill free local funds for other uses. W hile Buchanan is concerned w ith savings and economizing to meet budgets restrictions, he places hum an services, h ea lth services, libraries and corrections as his priorities. W e consider Buchanan to be more in tune to those who require social services because they cannot help themselves than his opponent. Previously endorsed: Court of Appeals: Stephen Walker Circuit Court, Dept. 3: House District 13: Rich Bauman House District 14: Shirley Gold County Auditor: Anne K. Feeney Michael Marcus Jail Bonds: No Appoint Chief Justice: No City Auditor: Jewell Lansing WHO MAY REGISTER: War on crime becomes war on crime (( ontinued fro m page 1 col. 6) on the black com m unity, which has been especially critical o f police ac tivities. It is seen as an attempt to dis credit the people w ho c ritic iz e , an attem pt to say that a black jo u rn a l ist cannot be professional and can not be trusted. M s. W illia m s , who is the O bser ver ‘ W o m a n o f the Y e a r ’ , has received m uch s u p p o rt fro m the com m unity since the latest attack on her. M s. W illia m s denies that she is a critic o f the Police Bureau. “ I have never criticized the Police Bureau. I report questions other people raise; I have also related p ositive things . . . .T h e A d m in is tr a tio n has very little tolerance for criticism; they a t tack a n y o n e w h o c ritic iz e s . T h e press re fle c ts the c r itic is m — the questions being raised by the p u b lic .” Iv a n c ie has never co m p lained to M s. W illiam s directly and generally treats her cordially. His complaints have been that she has interview ed the wrong people or discussed the w ron g issues. H e has not accused her o f misquoting him or making er rors. C h ie f S till reported to television reporter C laudia Brown that the Bu reau has a file on Ms. W illiam s. " In principle I consider keeping files on a person to be com pletely in a p p ro priate and a dangerous signal; I am co ncerned a b o u t th a t. O th e rw is e I ’m not concerned— my work is out fo r everyone to exam ine; my w ork speaks for itself. " I n m y p e rs o n a l life I have n othin g to be asham ed o f. I'v e a l ways obeyed the law . Y ou can 't de fend y o u rs e lf ag a in s t u n tru e r u mors, but the people who know me know what kind o f person I a m ." M s. W illia m s is m ore concerned ab o u t the a tta c k on the press and the attem pt to underm ine the credi bility o f the press. By casting asper sions on the reporters, the city ad- adm inistration plants doubts on the integrity o f the media. " I f they are tryin g to in tim id a te me, it w o n ’t w o rk. M y best defense is to do my jo b . I ’ m not going to de fend m yself agains the charges, but R on S till sh ou ld k n o w th a t he is walking a thin line between criticism and slander." And Jordan, too M s . W illia m s is not the o n ly target o f police ire. C om m ission er Charles Jordan, also black, has also been the target o f rumors. " T h e police d epartm en t is a sa cred c o w ,” C om m issioner C harles J o rd a n said . " Y o u d o n 't to u ch them because o f what they can do; they can create a nuisance for y o u .” Jordan was police commissioner un til last summer when M a y o r Ivancie took the bureau himself and hired a new police chief, Ron Still. “ They can come to your door fre quen tly and the neighbors w onder w h y . A d o w n to w n re s ta u ra n t was harassed by officers hanging around outside. People th in k som ething is the o ffic e rs abuse th e ir p ow er but they can get you if they w a n t.” Jordan was aware that he was be ing investigated by certain officers. " I knew when they were investigat ing me and I consulted an atto rn ey at the tim e ." Jordan explained that the e ffo rt was to fin d som ething in his personal life that could be used against him . " I t ’ s a subtle pressure — they are trying to tell you to stay in your place.” In every c ity , black o fficials have tro u b le w ith the p olice, he ad ded . Why? Because black officials are a l ways looking for equity. Portland is u n iq u e in (h a t it had a b la c k in charge o f police w o rk but does not have a la rg e b lack p o p u la tio n . ’ ’T hey perceive that I d o n ’ t have a fo u n d a tio n because th e re a re not m any blacks in P o rtla n d ; they per ceive a weakness and attem pt to use scare tactics. “ The same scare tactics were used in c irc u la tin g p etitio n s opposing a police audit committee. " T h e litera tu re sa id , ‘ It w ill d e te r s e lf-m o ti vated police activity* and since most p olice a c tiv ity is s e lf-m o tiv a te d it implies the police w o n ’t do anything unless they are calle d . It is an im plied th re a t." M ayo r Ivancie and C h ie f Still are not aware o f the en vironm ent, Jor dan e x p la in e d . " W c need a C h ie f w ho is aw are o f the times and w ill tra in his o ffic e rs a c c o rd in g ly . I d o n ’ t advocate lettin g crim inals go A voter must be 18 years old by election day. A voter must be a U.S. Citizen. A voter must be a resident of Oregon 20 days before the election. you. O n ly three to five per cent o f POLL BOOK DEADLINE: but w hen th e re is high u n e m p lo y m e n t— fr u s tr a tio n an d a n g e r— it pays to walk softly, let up, be cour teous. " T h e y b e lie v e th a t i f yo u get m o re m a n p o w e r yo u h ave m o re force and d o n ’ t have to be c o u rte ous. T h e y h a v e n ’ t c a u g h t u p . Twenty years ago that worked but it doesn’t w ork n o w .” Ivancie fears citizen participation, he said . " H e w ants the b ureau to run itself. C itizens’ bodies can force you to ta k e a p o s itio n ; he d o e s n 't want to deal w ith the p u b lic— does n ’ t w a n t to go a g a in s t th e u n io n which is the base o f much o f his sup p o rt.” All voters whose registration forms are received by the County Elections office on or before April 28 will have their names In the poll books for the Primary election. W ill ha run? C o m m is s io n e r J o rd a n had in d ic a te d e a rlie r (h at a lth o u g h he has expressed some in terest in the M a y o r’s position he would not seek that position unless he felt that (here were objectives fo r the city that he could meet as M a y o r but not as a Commissioner. " I h ave said I w o n 't ru n fo r M ayor unless I have a reason. Frank has given me a lot o f reasons. I f I run, I w ill win. And I w ill win in the p rim a ry ." M a y o r Iv a n c ie was u n a v a ila b le fo r com m ent at press tim e, but his response w ill be forthcom ing. WHO NEEDS TO RE-REGISTER: Anyone whose address has changed Anyone whose name has changed Anyone who wants to change political party. Missing an election does not remove anyone from the poll book. To be removed for not voting, a voter would have to miss ell elections for a 2 year period and ignore the subsequent mailed notice. HOW TO REGISTER: The simple registration form may be obtained at over 600 locations in the County— at all banks, all schools, all libraries, all post office branches and many other locations. In addition, over twenty shop ping area locations will be staffed April 16 24 The registration form must be filled out completely and signed There is an envelope attached to the form for mailing to the correct elections office. REGISTRATION AFTER APRIL 2» All voters whose registration forms are received between April 29 and May 7 will be mailed a Certifi cate of Registration. On and after May 8 Certificates of Registration must be picked up in person at the County Elections office Registering early saves a trip to the Elections office and a possible lengthy wait. CERTIFICATES OF REQISTRATION: k Certificate of Registration is issued to a voter whose name will not appear in the poll book The voter must take the Certificate to the polls, sign it before the election board and surrender it. For subse quent elections the voter's name will appear in the poll book INFORMATION: Any further election information may be obtained by calling the Multnomah County Elections Division 248 3720
