Page 4 Portland Observer, March 9, 1963 EDITORIAL/OPINION Oregon needs plan for poor More than 300,000 Oregonians are medically indigent. I hey do not have health insurance and are not eligible for medical aid and other assist­ ance programs. They cannot pay fo r medical care. Every one percent increase in unemployment adds 8,000 persons who lose their job-related health insurance. Some people receive ch a rity: last year over $150 m illion in charity health care was provided by doctors and hospitals. This "ch a rity” was. o f course, borne by paying patients, adding $226 to the cost o f each hospital stay last year. This brings increases in costs o f health care and o f in­ surance. Other persons do not receive the medical care they need or put o f f health care until the condi­ tion is much more serious and costly. Lack o f medical care is not only life-threatening, but can have a detrimental effect for the rest o f the per­ son’s life. Lack o f prenatal care can adversely a ffe ct not o n ly the c h ild but generations to come. House B ill 2805 w ould require the State o f Oregon to adopt the optional part o f the M edi­ caid Medically Needy Program, funded jo in tly by federal and state funds, with the federal gov­ ernment paying over half. Oregon is one o f only 15 states tha, do not participate. The Medically Needy Program would provide health care fo r approxim ately 65.000 lo w -in ­ come people— b lind, disabled, aged, pregnant women, and children. Support HB 2805. The first prerequisite to a productive society is a reasonable standard o f health. Child care continuing problem I he killin g o f a six-year-old child by a C ali­ fornia policeman demonstrates once again the need lor day care all over the country. The gov­ ernment continuously attempts to push mothers o ff o f welfare and onto jobs, but has no com­ mitment to child care services. 1 he need fo r ch ild care has been a serious problem for years and one that is repeatedly dis­ cussed and studied. Federally funded child care programs have come and gone. In Portland, the War on Poverty programs once provided child care in centers and day-care homes in addition to the Headstart Program. These programs were lor low income families only, and only a skele­ ton remains. The Reagan adm inistration con­ tinues to push for further restrictions on Head­ start programs, the goal being to remove the child care aspects o f the program, leaving only short hour educational programs. C hild care and supportive services were pro­ vided fo r the children o f C o n c e n tra te d E m ­ ployment Program (CEP) trainees. But all that is gone. C'E LA trainees and employees must fend for themselves. Model Cities once guaranteed free child care for all families whose parents were working, in school or in training, l ater fees were collected from m iddle and upper income fam ilies on a sliding scale. Care was provided in over 100 day care homes, several child care centers, and an emergency center. O nly one o f the centers re­ mains, and it pre dated the Model Cities era. The State commitment to child care for w ork­ ing welfare fam ilies is n il. The legislature—a l­ though expressing concern — has repeatedly tailed to provide funds. When the federal money was gone the programs closed. A ll over the state young ch ild re n are le ft alone, w ith older siblings or w ith inadequate baby sitters. Lack o f child care causes loss o f work and lack o f production due to the mothers’ fears for their children’s safety. Kaiser was one o f the early providers o f child care— p ro viding care fo r children while their parents worked in the shipyards during W orld War II. The Kaiser program was a model and proved that good child care improves productiv­ ity. Unfortunately, no m ajor corporation chose to follow suit. The federal governm ent, the state govern­ ment, the employers and the unions all have a responsibility to the workers and their children. I he Kaiser and H eadstart program s proved safe, educationally-oriented child care is benefi- t cial to the family and child, and therefore to the employers and the government. # Surely a solution can be found to one o f the nation’ s most serious problems if a solution is really sought. The lack o f com m itm ent is evi­ dence o f a lack o f concern fo r the n a tio n ’ s children. Letters to the Editor________ To the editor: Salem Watch by Denny Scott. economist. International Woodworkers o f America industry in transition. 1983 should west will see a timber harvest decline be an improved year, most observ­ as the volumes available fro m cor­ ers are p re dictin g, w ith housing porate forest lands fa ll. This prob­ starts from 30 percent to 40 percent lem is tem porary, however, since in A fte r tu rn in g the th um b screws above the 1982 low o f 1.06 m illion 20 to 30 years these same lands will on the wood products industry for units. be full o f marketable second growth tw o years. President Reagan, with This modest, perhaps wobbly, re­ timber. his b r ie f visit to K la m a th Falls, covery w ill be dependent upon the hopes some o f the optim ism over a economic impact o f decisions made A th ird factor w ith less obvious predicted housing recovery will rub thousands o f miles from Klamath influences on employment levels has o ff in his direction. Reagan’s o p ti­ falls. As long as the federal Reserve been the shift in investment capital. mism may be misplaced. Hoard maintains its course o f ex­ For the past several years, capital Highly dependent on the national pansionary monetary policies begun expenditure surveys conducted by housing market for their livelihood, last summer, the wood products in ­ Forest Industries magazine have re­ members o f the Oregon w-sod pro­ dustry should thrive along with the flected the strong preference o f ducts industry would not have to construction industry But i f in fla ­ Northwest forest products giants for search their memories long to recall tion starts to rise along with the fed­ locating new plants in southern this was the same President who ap­ eral budget deficit. Fed could very states and in Canada A t the same plauded the strangulating money well lighten monetary policies and time, many o f the firms expanding policies that drove housing con­ force interest rates upwards again. in the South are closing mills in the struction to a 36-year low; the same In such a case, the anticipated hous­ Northwest. Such trends can only be President who vetoed the I ugar-Au- ing recovery would evaporate interpreted as a systematic regional Coin housing stimulous bill in 1982 W hile the Fed seems momentarily disinvestment strategy Oregon's that would have generated an esti­ com m itted to lower interest rales weakened employment outlook ben­ mated 200,000 new homes and given and economic recovery, just a few efits little from the revelation o f a pulse beat to the sinking industry; months ago it was equally com m it­ such a trend. the same President who, had it not ted to high interest rates People been fo r strong resistance in C on­ close to the wood products industry After underscoring these econom­ gress. would have severely cut pub will be closely watching the Federal ic restraints and the problems in ­ lie housing programs last year Reserve Board in the months ahead. volved in creating large numbers of W hat would a national surge o f new wood products jobs in the years I f President Reagan s past p o l­ 1.3-1.4 m illion housing starts mean icies were not enough to chill his re­ ahead, it should be noted that the to the Oregon wood products indus­ wood products industry is not one ception from the wood products in­ try? W hile it ce rta inly would not o f those sunset industries doomed to dustry, the President's current pol­ mean fu ll employm ent, some pre­ icies w ill surely lose him some more fade out as the high tech industries dictions can be made based on the Oregon friends. The Reagan Ad bloom Oregon’ s tiinberlands—es­ 1.31 m illion units built in 1980 In pecially the public ones— w ill con­ ministration is currently opposing a that year, an average o f 69.500 per tinue to be a source o f wealth and umber c o n tra il relief b ill which would permit some Oregon mills to sons worked fu ll lime in Oregon's employment w ithin our own state. logging, lumber and plywood Indus How much wealth and how many resume operations with less costly tty ; presently that figure is just jobs will be determined as much by public limber. More economical raw 56.100. | he state, then, can look materials translates into more jobs political decisions as by economic for Oregon wood products workers. forw ard to adding around 15,000 ones. The political process w ill play jobs it the 1.3-1.4 m illion houses are a crucial role in providing the alter­ Despite his quick walk through one mil! and an upbeat speech on re­ actually b u ilt. S till, this would be nate sources o f investment capital some 11,500 jobs/ew er than the in ­ covery, the President w ilt have needed to develop better manufac­ found few friends among wood pro­ dustry generated in 1979 when 1.7 turing processes, to promote new million houses were started. ducts workers in Klamath fa lls or markets, to develop innovative pro­ Regardless o f any upswing in the anywhere else in Oregon. The Presi­ ducts, and to find methods to utilize dent simply cannot smile away the housing market, Oregon's lumber and stretch this limited resource. economy w ill never be the same memories o f all those policies that So, as unemployed workers in again. I he industry is undergoing have worked so consistently against Klamath Falls say good-bye to a lumber and plyw ood workers for m ajor changes—change that tends President they never had a chance to the last two years. to reduce employm ent over time. see. Oregonians should all note that On one hand, the new automated the recovery- when it does come— Moving on to the next slop on his small log mills currently being con­ will not resemble the boom days ol West Coast n in e ty, the President structed w ill require less labor for 1977 79. Oregon's solid wood in ­ left behind in Kiamath fa lls an in ­ each thousnad board feet of lumber dustry w ill probably never again dustry still struggling to recover, an produced On the other, the North- reach so grand a scale. How Washington won Il would be inaccurate to suggest that Harold Washington's election W'e inmates at the Oregon Slate was due solely Io the powerful man Penitentiary (OSP) have formed an date o f the Chicago black commu­ Inmates I egislative Committee to n ity. Members o f the Democratic Ira» k and propose bills deuling with Socialists o f America, a predomin­ corrections I his year we have pro­ antly white fo rm a tio n , worked posed nine bills and would like openly in the campaign. Communist Marvin Johnson people to be aware ol our responsi­ Party members also supported Chairman, ble involvement Washington, as did hundreds o f in­ Inmates I egislative Committee Since Judge Burns decided that dependent w hile leftists and com Oregon Slate Penitentiary m unity organizers. W hite C ity Council member 1 arry Bloom en­ onial power for the first time at the held in 1979. seven Latin American dorsed W ashington, as did many 4th Summit Conference, referring countries belonged to the M ove­ (( onnnued from page I column 7) while radical feminists and progres­ Io the status o f Puerto Rico. The ment: A rgentina, Cuba. Guyana, sive trade union activists. I onverse- reaction to the organization has Summit demanded that “ m ilita ry Jamaica, Panama, Peru, and T rin i­ ly, many black elected officials dis changed In 1961 the organization bases o f the U.S. in Cuba. Panama, dad and Tobago. Bolivia, Grenada, tanced themselves from the black was largely ignored as an A fro - and Puerto Rico be returned to the Nicaragua and Surinam joined dur­ Asian organization w ith only one Congressman Black Democratic countries that are their rightful own­ ing the conference. Thirteen addi­ member from the Americas, Cuba. committeemen and aldermen as a ers," supported the governments o f tional I a lin Am erican nations a t­ I his I ebruary, when the Coordinat­ group demonstrated once again President Salvador Allende in Chile tended as observers. ing Bureau met in Managua to de­ greater loyally to the machine than and General Juan Velasco Alvarado termine the 7th Summit's agenda, to their own constituents. Neverthe­ Since 1979 the Movement has tak­ in Peru, the efforts o f Panama to re­ the I ' S went so far as to distribute less, the success o f W ashington's en a harsher stand against the U.S., gain the canal. a secret document to allies with in ­ campaign was from begining to end p a rtic u la rly condemning U.S. The 5th Summit Conference reit­ structions on how to protect U .S . a result o f the forging of an inde­ aggression in Central America and erated its stand on Puerto Rico. interests at the meeting. pendent black united fro n t—minis­ the Caribbean and U.S. support of Cuba and Panama; expressed sup During the Second Summit, held ters and M uslims, trade unionists South A frica and that nation's ag­ port o f Guyana. Jamaica and Bar­ in 1964 in C airo, colonialism and and professionals, entrepreneurs gression against Angola, Mozam bados, all faced with U.S.-inspired neocolonialism in L atin America and the unemployed Of the roughly bique and other black A frican na destabiliztion; supported Belize's were condemned; Britain was asked tions. 165,(XX) blacks who cast votes in the right to independence and Argen­ to grant independence to Guyana; Democratic prim ary, over 100,(MX, With the increasing move by La­ tina's claim to the Malvinas (Falk­ the Li S blockade of Cuba was con­ voted for W ashington—at least 75 tin American and A frican nations lands), supported the attempts o f demned; and it was lamented that percent o f his total electoral sup­ away from the U.S. sphere o f influ­ C olum bia, Ecuador, Guyana, Ja­ several t anbbean nations were not p ort. When the black vote is fa c­ ence, membership has grown to 100. maica. Mexico. Panama, Peru and yet free. tored out, Washington received at and the Movement o f Non-Aligned Venezuela to regain control o f their I he summit asked for an examin­ best token support from the non- Nations provides a strong voice for natural resources from foreign cor­ ation of Puerto Rico's status by the black electorate. It is clear, as in the T hird W o rld Nations. Indira porations. approved Cuba's aid to I nited Nations ( ommittce on De­ many other recent examples nation­ Gandhi, taking the helm from Fidel Angola. colonization. ally, that race was the pivotal factor Castro, will attempt to steer a more I he U.S. was referred to as a col­ in the Chicago Democratic primary. By the time the 6th Summit was moderate course. What does W ashington's stunning victory mean for progres­ •• MMI sives? It seems hardly necessary to »• ‘" « I . . add that he must first defeat moder­ The Portland Observer (U S P S 959 680 I i t published every ate Republican Bernard Epton in Thuredev by fa ie Publishing Company. Inc 2201 North Killings the A p ril 12 general election. worth. Portland. Oregon 97217 Post O ftu e B ob 3137 Portland Already there are indications that a Oregon 972(18 Second class iiostagv paid at Portland Oregon reactionary "w h ite united fro n t" is th e Portland Observer was estabhehed m ,970 by A le e Men let son. rounder end President form ing tt close ranks behind Ep­ Subscriptions 110 00 per year in the Tri County area P ost ton. The day after his election, U.S. 283 2486 ME m BIR m a s te r Send address changes to the Portland Observer P O Representative Gus Savage, another B ob 3 ,3 7 Portland Oregon 97708 black South Side Democrat, told a A l WcGilberry, Fditor/Publisher New York Times reporter that N atio n a l A d v ertis in g R ep reeentetive "w h ite people may see (Washing A m a lg a m a te d Publishers Inc issocithon - founded 1905 A ! Williams, Advertising Manager N e w VorV to n | as some sort o f Black Panther.” Liberal white Alderman M artin J. Oberman raised doubts OSP is not overcrowded, we are ex­ periencing increased tension in the prison; many inmates have viewed the Burns decision to mean that vio­ lence would bring intervention by the court system and thus they see violence as a way o f bringing relief to the overcrowding problem We have a real concern in this area. Our purpose is to let both the out­ side and the inmates know what Non-aligned Portland Observer things arc being done and to demon­ strate that people in and out o f the prison are concerned with problems facing the prison system Violence begets violence and it would undo much work done by many people. by Dr. Wanning Warable "From The Grassroots” about Washington's ability to com promise w ith the machine-con trolled City Council, declaring that “ i t ’ s going to take years to accom­ plish even part o f (his) goals." Even if he is elected, Washington will have only months—not “ years" in solidifying his base and devel­ oping an appropriate strategy to carry out his lib e ra l/lc ft program. Washington has already promised to dismantle the corrupt patronage system, and not to require the 45,