Pag« 4 Portland Obaarvar, January 12, 1983
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Continue the fight for freedom
“ W e know through p o w erfu l experience
that freedom is never voluntarily given by the
oppressor; it must be dem anded by the
oppressed.”
These are the words o f D r. M a rtin Luther
King, Jr., a man who was revered throughout
the world and despised at home. He was a man
w h o , though he strived to o b tain the rights
guaranteed by the US C o n stitu tio n through
non-violent action, was the target o f FB I and
C IA surveillance and government-sponsored
smear campaigns.
Though the early years o f his campaign were
dedicated to obtaining civil rights — the vote,
an end to jim crow , jo b s, education — fo r
black people, he soon saw the oppression o f
black people, minorities and poor whites as the
product o f a corrupt system.
As early as 1965 K ing came to the
conclusion th at the w ar in V ie tn a m had a
d irect negative im pact on the struggle fo r
e q u a lity in this c o u n try . H e soon began to
speak out against that war and peace became
one o f his m ajor themes.
A t the same time he began to call for an end
to the imperialsm that oppresses the people of
the Third W orld and shortly before his death
called for a non-violent mass action to bring
about a redistribution o f wealth in this nation
and in the world.
W hen he began to o penly connect the
poverty and sufferin g o f the w orld with the
m u ltin atio n al corporations and the govern
ment that supports them, his assassination was
certain.
M a rtin L uther King gave his life for all o f
the people o f the w orld who are deprived o f
justice and freedom. The best way to honor his
memory is to continue his struggle.
Jackson secession is elitist
We must agree with D r. M atthew Prophet,
Superintendent o f the Portland Public Schools,
that the Jackson High School community’s Fight
to form their own school district is elitist.
The decision to close Jackson, which was
made before Prophet came to Portland, was ac
complished through an unfair process and per
haps for reasons more political than education
al.
The fact remains, however, that the residents
of Northeast Portland suffered far more dislo
cation from the closure of two of their schools,
Adams and Washington. The sudden closure of
these two schools forced the overcrowding and
racial strife that occurred at Jefferson a year
ago and caused the scattering of students from
these two schools. The students from Jackson
High School had an entire school year to adjust
to the change and to plan with the Wilson com
m unity for the change. Those students were
transferred in a group to Wilson, which is fre
quently called Portland’« finest high school.
The Northeast community did not attempt to
secede from the School District— it swallowed
another b itter p ill, although the children o f
Northeast Portland have suffered at the hands
of the School District for years. The Northeast
community and the inner Southeast community
Washington High School served do not have the
resources to engage in extended legal battles and
whether they would have the property tax base
to support adequate schools is debatable.
The fate o f the children o f North Portland is
tied to that o f the Portland School District. The
fight is not to destroy the School District but to
make it better for all children.
The Jackson H ig h School area is another
story. Ninety-seven percent white, middle and
upper class, this area has an adequate tax base to
provide an average per pupil expenditure at the
Portland District level or above. It would not be
burdened by low-income and refugee children
who have special needs. I f the Jackson commu
nity succeeds it will create a nearly all-white, ho
mogeneous school district that cannot prepare
its children to live in a m u lti-cu ltu ral w orld.
Jackson secession would be a step-backward
into elitism.
Remember Tom McCall
Tom M cC all, form er Governor o f Oregon,
died Saturday following a long fight with can
cer. Governor from 1967 through 1974, McCall
gained a reputation for his independence and his
Among the accomplishments during his ad
ministrations were the beach bill, the Willamette
River cleanup, state land use planning, the bottle
bill, and billboard removal— all of which were
designed to protect the natural environment. A l
though he favored ’ ’clean” economic develop
ment, McCall recently warned that Oregon’s en
vironment should not be sacrificed for a few
smokestacks. McCall received ridicule when he
asked Americans to visit Oregon but not stay
too long. Those who have witnessed the helter-
skelter growth of California and the attempted
encroachment o f C a lifo rn ia corporations on
Oregon’s beaches and desert land understand
what he meant.
Among M cC all’s failures were his inability to
draw more income taxes from the corporations
in order to lower property taxes and stabilize
school financing.
McCall— who was elected with heavy support
from Democrats— was not entirely happy with
the Republican Party although he faithfully sup
ported Nixon. He frequently toyed with the idea
of a third party, which he called a “ third force,’’
and, after his attempt to regain the Governor
ship (after sitting out the mandatory four years
after his second term) was stopped by the con
servative wing o f the Republican Party he re
registered as a Democrat.
McCall dimmed his image somewhat when he
made paid political commercials for private util
ity companies, but more than regained his credi
bility when last fall, dying o f cancer, he hit the
campaign trail to save the Land Conservation
and Development Commission (L C D C ).
A ll but forgotten is M c C a ll’s work with the
Urban League of Portland in the early 1950s to
obtain passage of Oregon's civil rights laws. A l
though there were no significant gains for black
people during the M c C a ll ad m in istratio n ,
M c C a ll did ap p o in t C halm ers Jones to the
p osition o f O m b sb u d sm an , the highest
p osition in state governm ent a tta in e d by a
black person at that time, and later appointed
Jones to the Parole Board.
Tom McCall was one o f Oregon’s better gov
ernors. He was strong and independent, hu
mane, genuinely concerned. Even in death he
provided an example of courage and determina
tio n . In m any ways he e x e m p lifie d w hat is
good in Oregon; his weaknesses were typical of
the weakness o f our state and our society.
Salem watch
Odd thing» are happening in Sa
lem thete day*. Merchant», report
edly. are stockpiling band-aid», but
it'» not a ra»h o f skinned knee»
they're anticipating. During the
1981 special session, legislators used
every band-aid in town as they tried
to devise a workable lax program.
This created a run on drug stores,
and panic in the streets. As shop
keepers prepare for 1983, rumor has
it (hat House Revenue Committee
chair Tom T hroo p (D -B end ) has
formally requested Speaker Grattan
Kerans (D-Eugenc) to authorize ad
ditional monies for the purchase of
these adhesive plastic strips.
Economic development specialists
are looking at manufacture of this
product as a source of new jobs for
Oregonians. Advantages of manu
facturing such bandages include the
large numbers required each year,
as well as the renewable demand for
the product: by the time the last one
is affixed in June, the first ones are
already coming undone.
State legislators are not alone in
their purchase o f adhesive plastic
strips. County Commissioners in
Columbia and Tillamook Counties
(both faced with a projected $2 mil
lion deficit) and Washington and
M ultnom ah Counties, to mention
only a few, are also placing unusual
ly large orders. One economist has
predicted that band-aids may prove
to be a more stable industry than
timber. The only problem is this: if
the manufacture o f adhesive ban
dages diversifies and stabilizes Ore
gon’ s economy, then demand for
those little adhesive strips will fall
o ff. and the Oregon economy will
be back to where it was in 1983—de
pressed.
W ith or without a band-aid-in
duced recession, Oregon has plenty
of other economic problems. One of
the over-riding setbacks is the na
tional depression that is draining
revenues from income tax-depen
dent governments such as Oregon's.
In addition, voter rejection of local
tax bases, coupled with industrial
flight and other private sector trends
may mean revenue shortfalls and
curtailed public services will become
a permanent part of life in Oregon.
If this occurs, our quality of life will
flee south along with some of our
larger corporations.
Voter anger is easy enough to un
derstand: folks are being hit hardest
just when they need state and local
services the most, but are least able
M l M ill
ill
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N a tio n a l A d v e r tis in g R e p r e s e n ta tiv e
A m a lg a m a t e d P u b lis h e r » In c
N e w V orti
finance sectors, coupled with a
gradual decline of good-paying jobs
in heavy industry means that wage
levels and state revenues w ill not
grow. They may even decline.
The dilemma this creates is easy
to diagnose but d iffic u lt to cure.
Slower growing revenues are accom
panied by increasing demand for
state services. In addition to the ex
isting unmet demand for adequate
transportation, sewers, water, solid
waste disposal, and a healthy and
safe environment, new burdens are
created by larger populations o f
poorer residents, increased urban
density, and corporate demands for
bail-outs. A pparently, the only
m ajor need being met at the mo
ment is for more band-aids.
Recent responses by state and lo
cal elected officials have only exa
cerbated the problemss. By laying
o ff over 7,200 public employees
during the past year, the govern
ment has actually increased its long
term burden and placed adidtional
strains on community life. By in
creasing tuition at state-supported
colleges and universities by 19 per
cent while cutting back on allocated
revenues, Oregon is cutting into its
own recuperative capabilities. By re
defining the standards of poverty in
Oregon, the governor has knocked
30,000 needy people from the public
assistance rolls. In this economy, we
can be certain that very few of these
Oregonians have become productive
taxpayers. In effect, Oregon govern
ments have reached the point where
actions taken to help themselves will
only increase the risks for those they
are supposed to serve.
Unfortunately, any effort to raise
revenues will only anger significant
groups of individuals. I f the tax bur
den is increased for the well-to-do,
be they individuals or corporations,
cries o f "bad business climate” or
"disinvestment” will fill the air. I f
the burden is shifted to the dissolv
ing " m id d le ” class, as has been
done by both Democrats and Re
publicans, a new skirmish in the tax
“ revo lt" w ill be inevitable. I f the
burden is shifted to the unemployed
and the bankrupt.. well, they can’t
pay taxes, anyhow.
As the legislative session proceeds
and more band-aids are applied, be
fore you scream, ask yourself this
question: " In whose interest is this
new tax?” W ith some careful
thought, you could recognize that it
might be your own.
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
So, here we go again. Starting the
discussion of the whys too late.
Why have we lost another beauti
ful black girl to death so young? To
those who yell prostitute, how do
you decide what a prostitute is? Is it
a person coerced into doing what
they do or a person who willingly
becomes what the label implies. To
those who say so what! funny how
so many of you openly want prosti
tutes' bodies for sale on our streets,
in the clubs, etc, because a woman
has a right to do with their person
what they see fit, especially if it ben
efits you! Just let a person decide
they no longer want that style of life
and there are not the screams o f in
justice when bodies are found and
killers are free.
Color should not have mattered
but it did. People were helping her
for a long time. The police were in
formed o f her plight many times.
They were informed of the house in
which she was held captive but (hey
did not search the attic, which is
where she was hidden. Malicious ne
glect and disrespect for human life is
appalling.
Something has been taken from
the human race that can never be
gotten back. A life — will anybody
ever give a damn?
r
[Oregon
Newspaper
i Publishers
Asso« ration
to pay. Assessed valuation, especial
ly in rural areas, it increasing at a
time when wages— for those lucky
enough to be employed—are needed
for basic necessities. In Curry Coun
ty, assessed valuation increased by
4 4 . 1 percent during the past year,
and in Lincoln County it grew by
20.5 percent, although both coun
ties have tax rates considerably be
low the state's average. When elect
ed officials cut state programs to
compensate for revenue shortfalls,
the quality of life for all Oregonians
is adversely affected. Much of this
voter frustration, however, is self-
induced. M any, many Oregonians
still believe their tax dollars are sup
porting programs which serve no
one and which no one would miss.
The harsh reality is that one per
son's “ waste” is another's liveli
hood. The residents of the Stayton/
Silverton area know this: curtailed
services at Detroit Lake and Silver
Falls State Parks will mean fewer
tourist dollars and fewer jobs this
summer. Contrary to much public
opinion, state and local programs
serve the very real needs o f quite a
few interest groups— groups that
can be expected to mobilize people
and resources to protect their own
livelihoods.
These various special interest
groups are one reason legislators re
sort to the adhesive plastic strips.
The "b and -aid " approach seeks to
reduce political conflict by either
placing the additional tax burden on
the smallest group possible, or by
placing the smallest tax burden pos
sible on the largest group. This in
cremental approach is teaching its
limits for several reasons: I) It tends
to maximize frustration for all; and
2) given Oregon's dependence on
personal income tax for revenues, a
poorer population generally means
a poorer state government.
Sadly enough, Oregon's problems
are more the rule than the excep
tion . M any states are sim ilarly
strapped as their trad itio n al eco
nomic sectors decline in profitabil
ity, their new growing sectors tend
to create only low er-paying jobs,
and this trend receives encourage
ment through federal tax policy. A l
though high technology firms are
producing a few relatively high wage
jobs in Oregon (mostly located in
growing urban areas and taken by
more experienced immigrants), the
majority of new jobs ciealed in Ore
gon are low paying. Rapid expan
sion of the service, retail trade, and
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To the com m unity: Here was a
girl on the campus of PCC. She was
accosted and visibly beaten as she
was taken from the PCC grounds.
What kind o f people saw what was
happening to her and stood by to
watch. Yes, watch! Folks get upset
when a dog is kicked, when a cat
uses one of its fictitious nine lives.
But when a black girl is beaten by
two to three men, strange how unin
volved, uninterested, unconcerned,
unfeeling, uncaring, one can get.
What made it alright, who made it
O .K ., why?
There are no words to help ease
the pain o f her m other, her
aunt— who lost her eldest son in a
fire less than a year ago— to sisters
and brothers— to cousins who hurt
and will for time to come. But there
is something the community can do.
We can become closer and use our
own methods to rid our community
of those who would harm our chil
dren. We must watch over them one
and all to ensure that a person can
not decide to take anyone's life or
harass them into a lifestyle that only
leads to drugs, prostitution, their
deaths or the deaths of others. The
people o f the com m unity should
learn to communicate physically
with those who would do the same
with us. There would be less of what
happened to Trina Hunter if we all
decided to put ourselves on the line.
Criminals would know they would
not survive, if beatings, rapes, kill
ings and the like were perpetrated
upon us. It's time we used their wea
pons to put the fear o f dying into
them.
I understand S I50 is about all it
takes. Yes, it’s horrible. Like I said
the whys always come late, the pain
lasts too long, the lost life of a beau
tifu l black girl forever. The police
care more about her arrest for pros
titu tio n than really exploring her
death. They have said they must
wait until the end o f th ewek to
know if she died accidentally or was
killed. Strange how the community
knows but the police don't. O r, as
stated before— does anybody give a
damn?
Sheirian E. Haggar Warren
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