Page 4 Portland Observer, J u ly 28, 1982
EDITORIAL/QPINION
South Africa and Reaganism
Axis partners
bv Dr. Manning Marable
' 'From The Grassroots ‘ '
Dellums leads Congressional
debate on military budget
The Congressional debate on the m ilita ry
budget brings mixed news— some good and
some bad. We can be very proud o f Congress
man Ron Dellums who almost single-handedly
attempted to bring sanity back to the national
budget. Repeatedly charging that an ever
growing m ilita ry budget is madness that w ill
lead the world to a nuclear holocaust and an
end to mankind, he spent hours on the House
flo o r debating, challenging the a d m inistra
tio n ’ s philosophy, re fu tin g the o p p o s itio n ’ s
igures, and challenging them to demonstrate a
need to spend more money on weapons while
the American people are unemployed, hungry,
in need o f housing and medical care, and fu ll
o f frustration. Nearly alone—with his firm
supporters including Rep. John Conyers (D-
M ich .) and Rep. Jim Weaver (D -O re .)— he
kept his end o f the debate at a high level o f in
tellect and in te g rity . Sharp, a rticu la te , in
formed, he was clearly the leader on the floor,
if not the winner.
• A Dellum s amendment to elim inate nu
clear powered aircraft carriers from the budget
was defeated. Dellums charged that building
aircraft carriers is trying to fight a W orld War
II operation in the ’ 80s. He alleged that these
carriers are not planned to fight o ff a “ Soviet
threat,’ ’ but to threaten Third W orld nations.
He said the projected use o f these ships to
“ keep the shipping lanes open” in the Indian
Ocean will lead to nuclear war.
• Dellums’ amendment to delete the B-l bomb
er, which he called obsolete before it is built, was
also defeated. Dellums challenged the idea o f
using manned bombers in an age o f missiles.
Preparing for conventional war in a nuclear age
is a deceit—an attempt to make the American
people believe a nuclear war is survivable, he
said. The government should halt its confronta
tion policies and open lines o f communication
with the Soviets.
• Rep. John C onyers presented an am e n d
ment to delay all nuclear weapons fo r one year
— an a ctio n he called “ not a freeze, but a de
la y.” This delay w ould provide an o p p o rtu n ity
for the U.S. and the U.S.S R. :o engage in talks
w ithout an accompanying I S . escalation. This
amendment also was defeated.
• The House voted to delete funds tot produc
tio n o f nerve gas fo r ch e m ica l weapons. The
House removed $54 m illio n fo r the pro d u ctio n
o f nerve gas bombs and skills fro m the adm inis
tration request. I f the appropriation is reinstate-
ed in the House-Senate Conference (the Senate
had already approved the expenditure) it w ill be
the first time the U.S. has openly manufactured
chemical weapons since N ixo n banned p rodu c
tion 13 years ago. Reagan wants to spend $2 b il
lion over the next five years to replenish stock
piles. The b ill also specifically bans using other
funds on the production o f binary chemical m u
nitions.
• The House vote to fund the M X missile was
close, indicating some atte ntion to the grow ing
peace m ovem ent. The House approved the b ill
to fu n d the missiles but put a hold on $260 m il
lion in basing and deploym ent funds. The M X
missile was first requested by Jimmy Carter, who
wanted them spread out thro ugh the desert to
avoid a Soviet attack. That idea has been reject
ed and everyone admits to not know ing where to
put them.
The Senate cut all M X fu n d in g fro m its au
th o riza tio n b ill in M ay. I f the missile system is
b u ilt it w ill cost m ore than $25 b illio n and w ill
not be on line u n til 1986.
The House debate on the m ilita ry budget pro
vided an opportunity fo r the American people to
learn the tru th about their governm ent’ s expen
d iture fo r w ar, but not much o f it w ill be cov
ered by the press. We doubt that you w ill see any
o f Congressman D e llu m s’ br .lia n t argum ents
on yo u r T V screens or that yo u ’ ll even read his
name in your daily newspaper
¡lack family income declines
The twin effects o f inflation and a
depressed economy resulted in a de
cline in black family median income
in 1981, and an increase in the num
ber o f blacks below the p o verty
level, according to a report from the
Com m erce D e p a rtm e n t’s Census
Bureara.
This m arks the second conse
cutive year in which in fla tio n
coupled w ith
a recessionary
economy resulted in significant de
clines in real fam ily income and in
creases in the poverty population.
M edian fam ily income for black
families was $13,270 compared with
$ 2 3 ,5 2 0 fo r w h ite fam ilie s, and
$16,400 for Spanish-origin families.
A fte r adjusting for inflation, black
families experienced a 5.2 per cent
decline in their real median income.
Real median incom e for Spanish-
origin families remained about the
same.
The poverty threshold in 1981 for
a fa m ily o f fo u r was $ 9,287; fo r
1980 it was $8,414.
The report shows that median in
come for black families was $16,590
in the West and $ 12 ,2 8 0 in the
South. Overall, real median fam ily
income for all families fell in three
o f the four regions o f the N atio n .
The Northeast was the only region
that did not show a decline in real
income.
Changes in "rea l” median family
income refer to comparisons after
adjustm ent fo r in fla tio n , as mea
sured by the change in the annual
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average Consumer Price Index.
A downturn in economic activity
was a co n trib u tin g factor in the
number o f persons who fell below
the poverty level in 1981. The num
ber o f blacks below the poverty line
rose by 618,000, from about 8.6 m il
lion in 1980 to 9.2 m illion in 1981.
There were 21.6 m illion whites be
low the poverty level in 1981, up 1.5
million from 1980.
A b o u t 70 per cent o f a ll black
families below the poverty level in
1981 were m aintained by women
w ith no husband present. There
were 1.4 million poor black families
maintained by women in 1981,
about the same as in 1980.
Other highlights:
•In 1981, 31.8 m illion, or one in
seven Americans, were below the
poverty level, an increase o f 2.2 mil
lion persons over the 1980 total o f
29.6.
•The number o f poor children
under 18 years old rose from 11.5
m illio n in 1980 to 12.3 m illio n in
1981, and the proportion o f children
below the poverty level rose from
18.3 to 19.8 per cent.
•Between 1980 and 1981, the pov
erty rate rose from 13.2 to 14.0 per
cent and was highest among blacks
(34.2 per cent) followed by persons
o f Spanish origin (26.5 per cent) and
whites (11.1 per cent).
•The real median income for fam
ilies maintained by women ($10,960)
declined by 4.6 per cent.
•B lack women in the South,
women under the age o f 25. and fe
male private household workers all
experienced declines in their real
median income.
•Real median fa m ily income in
1981 was down 3.5 per cent. On the
average, fam iiy purchasing power
was about $2,150 below 1979 levels,
the last year in which increases in
family incomes kept pace with infla
tion.
•The increase in the poverty pop
ulation occurred in all major geo
graphic areas. M e tro po lita n and
nonmetropolitan areas had increases
o f about the same size (1.2 m illion
and 990,000 respectively) in the
number o f poor people between
1980 and 1981.
•The overall poverty rate for
metropolitan areas was 12.6 per cent
in 1981, but the central cities had a
considerably higher rate (18.0 per
cent) and areas outside central cities
had a lower rate (8 9 per cent).
As in all sample surveys, the data
in this report are subject to sampling
variability and errors o f response,
including underreporting and non-
reporting A detailed explanation
appears in the report.
The report also points out that the
survey results reflect only money in
come and exclude non cash benefits
such as food stamps, medicaid, etc.
It also cautions that the adjustment
fo r in fla tio n may be overstated
slightly for the average household
because of the treatment o f housing
costs in the calculation of the Con
sumer Price Index.
Portland Observer
q »«»'
» '
While ihe attention o f the world
has been on the Falkland/Malvinas
Islands and the Mideast during the
past four ntounths, racial unrest has
been escalating in apartheid South
Africa.
On July 6, two thousand black
miners northwest o f Johannesburg
went on strike in a platinum mine.
Their demand was quite simple: a
decent wage. Blacks w ho work ex
actly as white miners do, receive
about o n e -fifth (20 per cent) o f
whites’ wages.
The racist regime’ s response was
brutal. Fifty Africans were reported
injured when police used tear gas In
nearby Venterspot gold mine,
another SO black miners were beaten
and arrested for striking. Almost
500 miles away, at the Indian Ocean
port city o f Durban, black coal min
ers drove a tractor through one
b uilding, and set scores o f other
buildings on fire.
W hy is black labor, and especially
miners, on the offensive? First, keep
in mind that South A frica's econ
omy, which depends p rim a rily on
the w orld price o f gold, is at the
brink o f disaster. Two years ago,
gold prices exceeded $600 an ounce.
Assuming that the price would re
main that high, the government and
private sector launched a series o f
grandiose plans for mining and con
struction. One mine shaft system
ic.
White laborers are also restless.
At the height o f early July's black
m iners' strikes, the trade unions
representing 22,(KM) white miners
asked for a 15 per cent raise. The
miners and companies agreed to a
12 per cent settlement on July 6. Yet
annual inflation in South Africa ex
ceeds 16 per cent, so Ihe white min
ers may continue to pressure man
agement.
More than ever before, racist
South A fric a , the modern fascist
state, needs the U.S. to provide crit
ical support at its moment o f tu r
m oil. Once again, apartheid has
found a genuine friend in Ronald
Reagan.
A ccording to Jean Sindab, the
Executive Director o f the Washing
ton O ffice on A frica, Reagan and
his advisors are encouraging the re
pressive posture o f South A frica.
Aaaoc/aMon • Foartdad TMS
I
A ! Williams, Advertising Manager
Editor'» note: Dr. Manning
Marable la Director of the Race
Ralationa Inetitute, Flak Univer
sity. Nashville. TN.
by Congressman Ron H yden
Q The Senate last week voted to
raise S98 billion in taxes fro m a va
riety o f sources. Do you support this
tax hike?
A. 1 have two m ajor problems
w ith the tax b ill approved by the
Senate.
First, I have a lot o f trouble with
the notion o f raising taxes during a
recession. 1 am concerned that a tax
increase—particula rly one o f this
magnitude—could strangle what lit-
:le economic recovery we are expect
ing later this year, thus prolonging
the recession and keeping the deficit
UP-.
Second, I am concerned that
some components o f the proposed
tax hike put the burden on those
least able to bear it.
For example, the proposal takes a
bite out o f the average wage-earner
by increasing taxes for telephone use
and reducing deductions for medical
expenses.
It also adds to the financial prob
Q Last Thursday the House gave
lems o f senior citizens and other
the go-ahead to production o f the
perple on fixed incomes by w ith
M X missile. How do you feel about
holding 10 per cent of earnings from
this vote?
savings and dividends.
A. I have always questioned the
Perhaps the most amazing thing
wisdom o f building the M X . The
about this tax proposal—the largest
weapon is cumbersom, costly and
proposed tax hike in the history of
potentially vulnerable, and thus of
the United States—is that it comes
questionable value to our national
just one year after the Adm inistra defense.
tion pushed through Congress the
But I am especially outraged that
largest tax cut in the nation's his
the House voted to spend $1.14 b il
tory.
lion for production o f nine M X Mis
At best, this represents poor plan siles when a basing mode has not yet
ning. At worst, it represents an un-
been determined.
forgiveable attempt to fool the tax
Il is nothing short of criminal for
payers.
Ihe House to set aside this kind o f
I cannot support the tax bill in its
money for such a questionable pro
present form . A lthough 1 would
ject, when it is asking senior c iti
gladly support a bill that closes bil
zens, the poor and other vulnerable
lion dollar loopholes fo r o il com
Americans to give up programs they
panies and others, 1 cannot support
need just to survive.
a bill that takes the bite out o f taxp-
It is an inexcusable use o f tax
payers who did not receive any tax
payers’ money—and one which I
relief last year.
cannot support.
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
K hom eini's aggression in Ira qi
territory is yet another result o f his
expansionist policies and his total
disregard fo r peace in the region.
This time Khomeini has openly re
jected the Security Council’s Reso
lu tio n fo r a peaceful settlement.
S im ilar to the one carried out 23
months ago by Iraq, this aggression
w ill undoubtedly deteriorate the
present situation in the Persian
Gulf.
Khomeini’s foreign policy, which
advocates the exporting the so-
called revolution, laid the ground
work for the outbreak o f the war.
He has openly put forward the ous
ter o f Saddam’s government as one
o f the conditions fo r ending the
war. In a speech delivered from
Jamaran on May 17th, Khomeini
declared that " i f the other govern
ments o f the region do not behave
according to Islam (meaning Kho
m e ini’ s wish), they must keep in
mind that they are not stronger than
Saddam."
Clearly, as long as Khomeini ex
ists, the M iddle East w ill not see
peace, stability, and friendship. He
is pursuing his ideas for revising a
Caliphate under his own control in
the Islamic countries, from Afghan
istan to Iraq and Bahrain. Further
more, the ruling clique’s propagan
da, running the " H o ly W a r"
against the invader, has had no pur
pose but to put a lid on the p ro
found internal, social, political and
economic crisis and in providing a
ju s tific a tio n fo r the internal sup
pression o f the well-organized oppo-’
sition, mainly, the Mojahedin.
On the other hand, Khomeini is
faced with the problem of having to
explain the 170,000 dead and the hu
man wave tactics he has used in the
war. This has become even more
d iffic u lt now that Iranians must
fight on Iraqi te rrito ry , when the
Iraqis have expressed their w illing
ness to establish peace on the basis
o f both countries’ te rrito ria l inte
grity.
Khomeini cannot stay in power
without creating crises. Yet, none of
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his last-ditch efforts to save himself
seem to portray a bright future for
his regime.
Julie Jessie
To the editor:
I want to congratulate Al M cG il
berry on a very fine awards banquet
July 16th. There were many com
ments about the success o f that
evening.
Ron Dellums was tru ly excep
tional. His speech was informative
and at times, frightening. Certainly
his message was heard and should
encourage each o f us to work even
harder for a nuclear freeze.
Again, A l, congratulations on a
successful event and thanks for ac
knowledging some very talented, ef
fective and committed persons.
Kay Dean Toran
Director,
Affirmative Action Office,
Governor’s Office
Portland Observer
Box 3137
Portland, OR 97208
Name
283 2486
Address
C ity____
A!McGilberry, Editor/Publisher
"Furthermore,” she states, "(head
ministration seeks to reassure Soul
Africa of its desire for a closer alii
ance by strengthening bilateral tie
in many areas."
The administration gave permit
sion for the opening o f honorar
consulates in three U.S. cities: Seat
tie, Denver and Cleveland. Reagan
has asked fo r $2.3 m illio n front
Congress to train black South A fril
can inside South Africa, thereby re.
inforcing the segregated educational
system. Export control regulation»
on such critical items as air ambu
lances, computers and helicopter»
have been weakened to help apart
heid.
South Africa is the greatest moral
question confronting black and pro
gressive people o f our time. I f we
stand silent as the Reagan South-Af
rica axis builds, we must be con
demned as involuntary partners in
the destruction o f black mine work
ers in Durban and Johannesburg.
We must demonstrate in front o f all
apartheid consulates in the U.S., de
manding an end to all official U .S .-I
apartheid relations. No U.S.
businesses in South A fric a , and
freedom for our sisters and broth
ers.
Washington Hot Line
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near Johannesburg worth $104 mil
lion has now been curtailed. General
M ining Union C o rp oratio n , the
country's second laigest mining f i
nance house, has trimmed its capital
expenditures this year by 12 per
cent. The reason: gold prices have
declined to about $.100 per ounce. If
the price o f gold drops as low as
$250 an ounce, a general panic will
set in; the number of South African
mines that close will be catastroph
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