Page 4 Portlend Obeerver, February 2, 1983
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Salem watch
uild alternatives for youth
Oregon has the third highest commitment rate
of juveniles in the country and a disproportion­
ate number o f those young people are m inori­
ties.
According to Children’s Services Division o f­
ficials, the training schools have been "residen­
tial child care” programs filled with young peo­
ple who could be better served elsewhere.
Among the gilrs incarcerated, 48 percent are
guilty o f misdemeanors. M ore than 71 percent
o f the girls are diagnosed as having learning
handicaps and 24.4 percent are being mentally
limited or emotionally disturbed.
T h irty-n in e percent o f the young men were
convicted o f Class C felonies; 52.5 percent are
diagnosed as having learning handicaps. Parole
violations make up 40 percent of all admissions.
Drugs and alcohol are a serious cause of com­
mitment, with 40-60 percent o f the youngsters
having a serious problem. M any o f the young
people committed to training schools are there
because no other facilities or programs exist for
them. T h irty -fiv e percent o f parole violations
are either technical violations o f parole agree­
ments or lack o f placement resources outside the
institution.
Pow er— it it an ongoing concern
o f the p o litic a l process: personal
p o w er, p artisa n p o w er, pub lic
power. Elected o fficials, however,
find it difficult to acknowledge their
pow er and to accept responsiblity
for th eir p o litic al choices. In p art,
this is responsible fo r O reg o n *'s
"c le a n " political image. Politics in
Oregon cannot be characterized by
s m o k e-fille d rooms and other ac­
coutrements o f power-mongering.
A different way to view this clean­
liness is that elected officials faced
w ith d im in ish in g p ublic resources
cann o t exercise p o litic a l choice
without offending some significant
special interest group. Instead, po­
litic a l su rv ival dictates th at the
pow er to decide be passed on to
others, usually specialists and tech­
nicians. who are removed from the
daily pressures o f public scrutiny.
W hile many o f our public policy
choices are complex and technical,
they still require political choices to
be made. One consequence o f shift­
ing political choice to technicians is
that many critical social decisions
are now made by the public u tility
commissioner, state land-use plan­
ners, and econom ists. W h a t we
seem to forget is that regardless o f
who makes a choice be it civil ser­
vant o r p o litic a l ap p o in te e , the
choice is still p o litic a l, one where
some groups gain at the expense o f
others.
Some p o litic al choices are d if f i­
cult or distasteful to make. One ex­
am ple this session is the sales tax.
Every o ffic ia l in Salem has been
forced to th in k ab o ut the S tate's
need for additional revenue, yet few
want to take the responsibility for
in itia tin g such an u n p o p u la r tax.
So, the measure w ill, in all lik e li­
hood, be referred to the people. In
this case, o ur representatives are
sharing the onus o f political power
w ith us as voters. But no m a tter
who decides the sales tax issue, the
decision itself w ill be an exercise in
political choice.
Oregon's energy decision-making
is another exam ple o f the abroga­
tio n o f p u b lic choice, and hence,
public political power. O ur energy
generation and allocation decisions
are difficult and complex. Technical
data contribute inform ation useful
in m aking political decisions which
w ill allocate econom ic resources,
but the technologies themselves do
The Children’s Services Division proposes to
reduce the training school population by 25 per­
cent and to develop additional community re­
sources based on the care and treatm ent the
youngsters need.
Oregon has never adequately provided the
preventive and treatment programs its children
need. Although child care workers, teachers and
often parents can be aware of a child’s problems
at an early age these problems are usually ig­
nored until the child is in serious trouble. Diag­
nostic and treatment programs— even for the
more seriously disturbed— are in short supply,
especially for m inority youth. Programs and
professionals that understand the cultural back­
ground and the day to day experiences o f m i­
nority youth are almost non-existent.
The C h ild ren ’s Services Division is seeking
recommendations for community alternatives.
Any programs designed specifically to deal with
the disp ro p o rtio n ate incarceration o f black
youth and black adults will have to come from
the black community.
A public meeting to discuss alternatives will
be held at King Neighborhood Facility, Feb­
ruary IOth, at 7:30 p.m.
Reagan's bullets replace bread
The Reagan A dm inistration is charging full
speed ahead with its m ilitary budg'd— buying
missiles, bombers, fighter planes and ships by
the thousands. The Reagan budget— though
trimmed down some because o f Congressional
opposition— gives the military a larger share of
the n a tio n ’s gross national product than any
time since 1970, a high point in the Vietnam
war.
This military hardware is a complete waste of
resources because it can never be used. The
greatest increase in the buildup is in nuclear
weapons which, if used, wili mean the end of life
on earth. The conventional hardware will end up
in places like El Salvador, Guatemala, Lebanon
or Angola where it will be used against helpless,
unarmed people.
The m anufacture o f m ilitary hardware in ­
creases unem ploym ent. Far fewer hands are
needed for their manufacture and they use ma­
terial, funds, and research that could otherwise
go into the private sector.
Reagan has shown that he has a one-track
mind— m ilitary dominance. I f the nation is to
survive, Congress must deny this huge military
buildup.
Write, wire, call your Senators and Represen­
tatives in Washington today. You may be living
in the streets tomorrow.
Letters to the Editor
Newspapers ignore neighborhood pleas
To the editor:
T h e fo llo w in g statem ent was
adopted at the Ja n u a ry 18, 1981,
meeting o f the board o f the N o rth ­
east Coalition o f Neighborhoods:
W e are concerend about the lack
o f public enlightenm ent o f the re­
cent news conference called by the
Black U n ite d F ro nt regarding the
circum stances, the re p o rtin g and
the actions o f the police in the death
o f T rina Hunter. Certainly the com ­
m u n ity had le g itim a te questions
about the affa ir.
W ith the exception o f the Skanner
and the Observer, the news co n fer­
ence and the concerns o f the commu
nity were ignored by the media. I f
this were an iso lated instan ce, it
could perhaps be explained aw ay.
However, it seems to be the general
attitude o f (hose whose responsibil­
ity it is to inform the public and who
have the power to influence, if not
set, the attitudes o f the large m ajor­
ity o f the people in the greater Port­
land area.
It seems the m edia, generally, is
pleased to report anything negative
about our community. Any happen
ing that might shed a favorable light
on the area is either ignored, distort­
ed or ridiculed. A ll this reinforces
and justifies in the minds o f many,
the put-down o f those who are the
minority.
T he M etro p o lican H u m an R e la­
tions C o m m issio n w ou ld lik e to
com m end the P o rtla n d P u blic
School Board for their leadership in
the comm em oration o f the late Dr.
M artin Luther King, Jr.
Three years ago, in recognition o f
D r . K in g 's p rincip les o f peace,
equality and justice. School Board
members voted to make January 1$
a legal holiday for Portland Public
Schools. O n that day, students and
teachers have the o p p o rtu n ity to
honor peace and human progress.
9IMH
Bob Nelson, Chairman
Northeast Coalition of
Neighborhoods
It is unfair, shows a lack o f ethi­
cal behavior, and lessens the chance
School District honors King
To the editor:
■ or people o f differing backgrounds
and cultures to ever live in the true
democratic spirit.
When we raise a problem, we also
like to suggest an answer. The ans­
wer is a better understanding not of
those who are different, but o f our­
selves, individually and corporately,
on how we relate to those who are
different.
W e would like to develop a study
of what causes the problem, how it
becomes institutionalized, and what
is needed to start the healing p ro ­
cess. The logical start would be with
media people. Let's talk about it.
The M e tro p o lita n Hum an Rela
lions Commission supports (he lead­
ership o f Portland Public Schools,
and we encourage others to follow
their lead in providing an opportun­
ity for people in this community to
re fle ct on and discuss D r. K in g's
principles fo r peace, eq u ality, and
justice.
W e support a n a tio n a l or state
holiday in com m em oration o f Dr
M a r tin L u th er K in g ’ s b irthd ay to
honor peace, n o n -vio le n c e, and
multiethnic understanding.
— Arm ando R. Laguardia
Chairman,
Metropolitan Human
Relations Commission
T ribute
To the editor:
The tribute to M artin Luther King
is a treasure and everyone who has a
copy should be sure to save it, espe­
cia lly those who ca n 't or perhaps
w on’ t take the time to read all that
was written by King and about him.
W e should not wait for Congress
to declare a "n ation al holiday” for
this great man. W hat must be done
is th at all o f us m ake a personal
committment to carry on his endea­
vors and have each and every day be
a remembrance.
The Portland O b irrvar was established in 1970 by A Lee Hen
dereon, founder end President
MEMBER
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Question: During his Slate o f the
Union message last week, President
Reagan talked about the need f o r a
new bipartisan e ffo rt to get A m e r­
icans back to work and the economy
moving forw ard. Yesterday, he pre­
sented his ¡984 budget to Congress.
D id that budget live up to the pro m ­
ises o f the S tale o f the U n ion a d ­
dress?
Ron Wyden answers: U n fo rtu n ­
ately, it did not. Instead o f offering
som ething new, this budget sings
out "slay the course.” Once again,
the burdens o f cuts are placed on the
poor, the elderly and the disadvan­
taged Once again, the Defense D e­
partment is allowed to go on its mer­
ry spending way. And once again,
millions o f unemployed Americans
are left to fend for themselves— with
little prospect o f help from the fed­
eral government.
The breakdown o f the President’s
1984 budget proposal has an all-too-
fam iliar ring.
Despite Reagan's avowed intent
to " f r e e z e " dom estic spending,
programs for the poor would actual­
ly be cut by more than 14 percent
before inflatio n. 19 percent if in fla ­
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New York
tion is factored in. Education spend­
ing would drop from S I4 .4 billion to
SI 3.5 b illio n . L o w -in c o m e energy
assistance w ou ld be reduced by
nearly one-third, down from $2 b il­
lion to S I.4 billion. And Legal Ser­
vices w o u ld be e lim in a te d a ll to ­
gether.
By c o n tra s t, the "s acred c o w "
programs o f the past two years are
still slated to receive special tre a t­
ment. Defense spending is scheduled
to increase by S3O.5 billion. Spend­
ing for the W hite House and related
a c tiv itie s w ou ld go up to SI 12
million.
A n d th a t ’ s not a ll. T h o u g h he
m ade much in the State o f the
U n io n address o f his com passion
for the millions of unemployed A m ­
ericans, the President's budget pro­
posal would do little to help them.
And Congressional leaders who met
w ith him this week to discuss the
jobs issue report little success in pur­
suing their case.
The government has to put its fis­
cal house in o rd er— but fairly . The
President's 1984 budget proposal is
not fa ir , and Congress cannot ac­
cept it w ithout significant changes.
Am ong those changes are increased
a c c o u n ta b ility fo r the D efense
D ep a rtm e n t, and consideration o f
responsible jobs programs that will
put Americans back to work on pro­
jects that w ill shore up our sagging
in fra s tru c tu re and c o n trib u te to
solid economic growth.
CSD hearing
R epresentatives fro m the C h il­
d ren ’s Services Division (C S D ) w ill
be present at a C o m m un ity Speak-
Out concerning proposed changes in
O reg o n ’ s Juvenile Justice System.
The S p eak-O u t w ill take place on
T h u rs d a y, F eb ru ary 10th, at 7:30
p.m . at the King Neighborhood Fa­
cility, N .E . 7th and Alberta.
The C S D representatives w ill be
there to talk about and take public
testim ony on w hat C S D should be
addressing in the New D ire ctio n s
Plan for CSD .
Co-sponsors o f the event are the
A lb in a M in is te ria l A llia n c e , the
Black United Front, and the Urban
Leauge N o rth ea st Y o u th Service
Center.
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by N o rth west Legislative Services
by Congressman Ron Wyden
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The P o rtla n d O b w r v t r IU S P S 959 6801 i t pu blished every
Thurtdey by Ea»e Publishing Company. Inc 2201 North Killings
worth Portland Oregon 97212 Post Office B or 3137 Portland
Oregon 9 /2 0 8 Second class postage paid at Portland Oregon
patented; by 1910 over 4,0 0 0 solar
water heating systems had been in ­
stalled in the U .S .; and by 1941 over
60,000 solar water heaters had been
in s talle d in the state o f F lo rid a
alone. Decentralized energy systems
such as these cam e u nd er atta c k
d u rin g the p o s t-w a r era as large
u tility corporations sought to p ro ­
tect th eir p ro fita b ility by concen­
trating control o f the source o f sup­
ply. W hile centralizing the sources
o f energy supply, these corporate gi­
ants were able to down-grade those
sources o f supply they co u ld not
co n tro l by labeling solar, geother­
m al, and w ind power as " e x o t ic "
technologies. The highly expensive
form s o f energy p ro d u c tio n that
could be centrally co n tro lle d —-h y ­
d ro , th e rm a l, and n u c le a r— were
given respectability as "tra d itio n a l"
power sources, and energy genera­
tion became big business.
W hat we have here is not the pre­
dominance o f the energy technology
best suited to A m erican life , but a
political decision based on the self-
interest o f the decision-m aker. A t
no tim e d id this decision m akin g
process constitute a technological
feasibility question.
T h is reliance on the m yth o f
"technology” continues. Senate Bill
211 w o u ld enable O re g o n ’ s sm all
scale energy loan program to fund
feasibility studies and would delete
the word “ sm all” from the d e fin i­
tion o f eligible businesses under the
program. These bills always look in­
nocuous on the surface, but under­
neath the "n eu tral” language o f the
b i l l lurks the image o f another poli­
tical choice. Years from now, some­
one may write that in 1983 the polit­
ical decision-m akers attem pted to
correct a frozen power relationship,
but that such a correction was found
to be "infeasible.”
It might be easier to comprehend
these p o litic a l m achinations i f we
view energy and pow er in a m ore
physical sense. As every high school
physics student learns, energy a b ­
hors a vacuum and is neither created
nor destroyed; power merely shifts
to fill a void. The price o f Oregon’s
" c le a n " p olitical image may mean
that political power is simply shifted
to those more w illing to accept the
responsibility o f their actions while
being less accountable to the voters.
Washington Hot Line
Fran Ariniello
Portland Observer
not determ ine the deciaioiu. In o r­
der to avoid the unadorned recogni­
tion that such energy choice* are ul­
timately political, we tend to believe
that “ objective” facts and "tech ni­
c a l” fea sib ility are the key factors
behind every energy decision.
Public agencies w ho have relied
on "scientific objectivity” to justify
the m aking o f p o litic al choices in ­
clude the O reg o n D e p a rtm e n t o f
Energy (O D O E ) , the W ashington
P u b lic P o w er S u pp ly System
(W P P S S ) planners, and the Bonne­
ville Power A d m in is tratio n (B P A )
bureaucrats. O D O E an n ually esti­
mates energy d em ands, the re ­
sources a v a ila b le to meet the d e­
m ands, the im pact o f consrvation
and new tec h n o lo g y, and the in ­
creased efficiency o f present energy
facilities. W PPSS and BPA compile
sim ilar forecasts. The im portance
we place on these " o b je c t iv e ”
studies has vast political impact. En­
ergy forecasts play a m a jo r role in
non-energy related state and local
d e c is io n -m a k in g . L o c al land use
plans, u rb an g ro w th b o u n daries,
capital construction projects, state
and regio nal decisions on h y d ro ,
th erm al and nuclear energy c o n ­
struction are all decisions which rely
heavily on energy forecasts.
By deleg ating the decisions o f
O reg o n's energy fu tu re to techn i­
cians and forecasters, the state legis­
lature has created a strong force for
m ain tain in g the status-quo. F ore­
casts design and predict the fu ture
by p ro jectin g past trends in to the
present. Thus, when political deci­
sions are used to p ro je c t fu tu re
trends, the political power relation­
ships o f the present are frozen.
Past power relationships are fro ­
zen by removing them from the po­
litica l arena: in essence, the issues
are d e-politicized D e -p o liticizin g
past energy choices was achieved by
redefining "re a lity ” to be limited to
a fu tu re based on existing energy
generation methods. This provides
investors w ith s ta b ility since the
" n e u tra l" energy forecast guaran­
tees that our energy fu tu re w ill be
b uilt on our energy past. The cod­
ifyin g o f such power relationships
here in the Northwest has resulted in
a very d iffe re n t kin d o f nuclear
"freeze.”
Solar energy provides an h istor­
ical example. In 1981 the technology
for present solar energy systems was
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