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
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the A p ril 12 general election.
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Already there are indications that a
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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
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The day after his election, U.S.
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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
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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,<XX) or so public employees under
the mayor's power to support his
politics. He has advocated a slate
tax hike fo r the nearly bankrupt
school system, which contains a
two thirds black enrollment. Wash
ington has promised to revitalize
black and I anno urban neighbor
hoods, expand public health care,
and to reorganize the racist police
force Any attempt to carry out any
significant part of this program will
generate the intense opposition o f
many white ethnics, the corporations
and banks, leaders in both the
DemiKratic and Republican parties,
and a significant share o f black and
I anno sycophants who have been
"bought out” by fhc machine.
U nlike other black liberal
mayors, he cannot look to a sizeable
black electoral m ajority to put him
a utom atically back in to o ffic e in
1987. His clearly social-democratic
and antiracist program places him
slightly to the left o f almost every
mayor o f any American city with
the exception ol Berkeley's Gus
Newport. Washington can expect a
series o f attacks from the Right; po
lice slowdowns and strikes, harass
ment from the banks, corporate
flight, political opposition from the
slate legislature and the Democratic
machine, etc. All Harold Washing
ton has actually accomplished to
dale is the forging o f a black “ elec
toral fr o n t," combined with while
and I alino leftists and a smattering
o f liberals. The key here is for pro
gressives to continue the mobiliza
lio n o f w orking class, national
m inority and poor constituents, in
the streets as well as beyond the next
election. The progressive momen
tum which carried Washington to
victory, although occurring inside
the Democratic primary, was in es
vence against the racist and pro-cap
italist hegemony o f both major par
ties over the lives ol black people If
this popular m obilization falters in
any way, or if Washington’s key ad
visors attempt to move the adminis
tration to the right to accommodate
the interests o f the corporate status
quo or the machine, then the cam
paign for radical reform and social
justice will fail. This is the challenge
and the promise o f H arold W ash
ington's recent victory.
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