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