Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 1982)
V Portland Observer, September 29, 1982 Page 5 Washington Hot Line by Congressman Ron Wyden Congressional oversight—or the business of keeping tabs on how ex isting laws and programs are being implemented by the Administration and federal agenccies—is one o f the least used, but most im p o rta nt, powers o f the Congress. The value o f this function was demonstrated earlier this week when Health and Human Services Secre tary Richard Schweiker appeared before the House Oversight and In vestigations Subcommittee to ex plain the A dm inistration’s actions on a variety of important matters. Some o f the in fo rm a tio n that came out at that hearing: •Schweiker says he has no inten tion of backing down on a proposal he made to weaken nursing home in spection and certification standards. •The Secretary did say, however, that he was not a party to or sup porter o f proposals by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to make elderly persons prove fin an cial need in order to q u a lify fo r Medicare benefits. Under the cur rent Medicare system, all persons 65 years o f age and older qua lify fo r Medicare benefits, regardless o f in come. Although Schweiker said he intends to oppose the OMB propo sal, he admitted he has lost several rounds to OMB on other issues. •Schweiker also promised, at the request o f subcommittee members, to look into allegations that the Ad ministration earlier this year rubber- stamped a regulation promoted by (he in fa n t form ula industry that would weaken quality control o f the product. •Finally, the HHS Secretary said his department w ill launch a series o f radio ads during upcoming weeks to warn parents o f the dangers o f giving aspirin to children with the flu or chicken pox. Last spring, con sumer groups sued the Secretary for failing to issue warnings that use o f aspirin in such cases might increase the risk o f contracting a rare and sometimes fatal disease. Schweiker available to 20 Portland schools last year through a $134,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. Marsh Farrow, coordinator for HOSTS in Portland Public Schools, said the children in the program last year gained more in reading skills than children w ith sim ilar d e fi ciencies not in the program. She said an added benefit is the positive relationship the children de velop with an adult who becomes a friend and a role model. She said the program is being expanded to 24 schools this school year. Tutors arc strong supporters o f the program. June Terry, who tu tors at H um boldt and Sabin schools, summarized her feelings. “ Basically, having been a social worker, helping people is part o f my lif e , " she said. “ I'm not w orking any longer and wanted to benefit people still and find something that by Lenita Duka and Richard Brown also says aspirin m anufacturers would be required to post warnings on their products* labels by next spring. eawaiMÄ The hearing served two valuable purposes. First, it gave Members o f Congress information we need to do our jobs. For example, it gave me the ammunition 1 need to continue the fight against the proposed weak ening o f nursing home inspection rules, and to take up the fig h t against the proposal that Medicare be subjected to a means test. But the greatest benefactor o f the hearing was the p ublic. By high lighting Administrative poliicies and positions on im portant issues, the hearing gave Oregonians and other Americans a better handle on how federal laws and programs are being implemented. By so doing, it gave Oregonians and other Americans a better chance to play a real role in the decision making process. Host program needs volunteers Volunteer tutors for children who need individual help with reading arc needed in six northeast Portland schools offering the HOSTS reading program. Citizens may contribute as little as one-half hour a week through HOSTS (Help One Student to Suc ceed), a nationally recognized and federally approved reading program to improve basic skills. Any interested adult who wants to help children can take part in the program. The resource teacher in a HOSTS center develops a plan fo r each child, who is tutored one-to-one by a volunteer following the prescribed plan. The HOSTS program is a supple ment to regular classroom instruc tion fo r students who read below grade level. HOSTS was piloted in three Port land schools in 19R0 81 and made Street Beat The U.S. Congress might have de fe r re d the proposed c o n s titu tio n a l” 1 amendment o f prayer in the schools but the Street Beat team didn’t. This week our question was, “ Should the Portland Public Schools institute prayer in our schools?’’ would give me fulfillment. "HOSTS is worthwhile. A lot o f kids aren’t getting the time and help they need at home w ith reading. They need extra help. W ithout this program, they wouldn’ t get it. Any one who tutors would feel some sat isfaction.” Citizens who want to volunteer in Northeast neighborhoods should contact one o f the resource teachers in these schools: Beach School, Barbara M cK in ney, 285-5469; Boise School, Ron Dieu, 288-6309; Humboldt School, Renee Banks, 281-8797; Irvington School, Denise Jackson, 288-6401; King School, Marilyn Garfield, 288- 6391; Sabin School, Lynn M o n t gomery. 288-6538. 288-1198. A dults wishing to volunteer in HOSTS schools in other neighbor hoods should contact Marsha Far row at the School District's HOSTS office. 249-2000, ext. 381. Mikal Shabazz Plumber Prayer in school should be al lowed. There should be some time Mrs. Beakman Donna Washburn out allocated for prayer—non-man State Employee Clark datory, o f course. It should not be a I ’ m a Christian and whether or Christian, Jewish or Islamic prayer. not children pray depends on the I ’m not sure. I don’ t think it is ne cessary. It puts pressure on too It should be left up to the individual parents. Children aren’t going to be many people. It's like telling people to decide which type. come Christians unless their parents what they have to do. I think it are. Praying is like talking to God should come from the home. and that is something they w on’ t learn in school. Jamas Linton Tri-Mat Driver I send my children to private schools so I don’t know about what they do in public school. To answer your queston 1 d on ’ t care if they have prayer in schools. I f the ch il dren want to pray that’s fine. I f they don't, that’s fine too. I t ’s an indivi dual’s decision. It should not be left up to the government. Kathy Wentz Mortician's Asst. Ada Jackson Teacher I think they should fo r families who believe in it. It will help the stu I feel that prayer should be a l dents because as it stands now lowed in school because we have things are really out o f hand. I think seen the example when they took prayer w ill help. prayer out o f school. This can be ;een with a student’s grade average. Prayer has a direct effect on a stu- lent’s character. Leek explains candidacy (Continued from page I column 5) several small pieces. Observer: What are the "pieces"? Leek: That is the black concentra tion. Black people think they can re solve the p o litic a l problem with structural changes—that they can solve the problem o f the nonasser tiveness o f the black com m unity with structural change. The reality is people have to speak for themselves and they have to become involved in the process. And had they been or ganized in a political sense, and had they presented a legislative agenda to W ally (Priestley) and Jane (Cease), they could have effected changes . . . From a political science view you d o n 't just say, “ W e’ re going to make Harold Williams the District Representative.” What has to hap pen is there needs to be the political involvement and support o f the peo ple in the community----- My perception is that you (black people) would do better with (your) hands on four or five people as op posed to just one. So, from a poli tical standpoint, I support the multi- member district. It was my personal preference, but I didn’ t take any ac tion to bring it about. Since I was going to be a candidate, I d id n ’ t want to be cast in the light of trying to maneuver things to my own ad vantage. (Leek was questioned about the appropriateness o f laying low dur ing the hearings instead o f speaking out as other community and p o liti cal leaders were doing.) Leek: I felt it was the appropria»? thing for me to do. (The Saturday before this in ter view, Leek appeared along with two other candidates at a forum spon sored by the Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs. In response to a ques tion. “ How do you as a legislator attempt to cure the social and eco nomic problems o f the area?" Leek said, "D istrict 18 w ill always be be hind the rest o f the state. M inority communities in this country will al ways be behind the rest of the coun t r y . " The way to assist m in o rity communities, he (old the predomin antly black assembly, is that "th e overall society has to be improved throughout and move d ow n.” It was pointed out his remarks had so infuriated people that Calvin Hen ry, the m oderator, had raised his hand and joined the chorus voicing objection to what they took to be the im plications in his remark. "A n d you looked b la n k," the Ob server said, "lik e you didn't know what all o f the concern was about.” Minnie's Ice Cream Parlor and flHT Deli Sandwiches r 14 FLAVORS Special The Real Black Walnut Ice Cream Hrs. Tue.-Fri. 11:00 am 10 pm • Sat. 12:30-10 pm Closed Sunday 5938 N. G reeley Juanita Matthawa Owner 285-0666 P o rtla n d , O regon In additon, it was pointed out, Leek had made like remarks before the M e tro po lita n C lub, a group o f young black professionals located in inner Northeast, and before Bruce Broussard’s Friday morning break fast group. They, too, had been o f fended.) Leek: That’ s one o f the things I have not learned to do in my person al politics is to h id e .. .to sublimate my honesty........I f I get too much flak fo r it, I w ill either w ithdraw from my honesty or keep on taking the flak. Observer: How would you help people in vour community in inner Northeast? Leek: You have got to make the whole healthier before the part gets better. And while you are working on the whole you make the part better, to o ___I t ’ s not fair to char acterize this as "trickle down.” [L eek identified his approach to curing the ills o f inner Northeast Portland as a legislator: Creation o f youth conservation corps jobs on a state wide level; using first-source agreements like those offered by the C ity o f P ortland requiring com panies to use the city’s job applicant list in return for tax and other bene fits; stricter m o n ito rin g and en forcement o f affirmative action pro grams and use o f set-asides in con tracts let by the state. In addition, he said he had always wanted to create a com m unity development corporation which would get HCD and SBA money which a balanced board o f members o f com m unity groups "w o u ld be able to leverage w ith companies to come in to the area. The profits would be put back into the community.” ) Observer: What groups have you worked with in the past? Leek: King Neighborhood Asso ciation, Northeast Neighborhood Coalition, Fair Share and the Dem ocratic Party. Observer: Why not work with the churches? Leek: I d id n ’ t, except those in volved with Fair Share. Observer: You d o n ’ t appear to have black friends. Leek: I ’ m a loner, too. My rela tionships are limited to my politics, my neighbors and my work. PERHAPS THE BEST ONION RINGS IN THE WORLD / J r " " LUNCH OR DINNER $2.50 AT... 230 1212 832 S E. G rand Bring In this ad for a free basket of onion rings on us.
