Portland Observer, April 6, 1983 Page 5
Washington Hot Line
by Congressman Ron Wyden
Fifteen year» ago this week. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., was struck
down by an assassin's bullet.
For fifteen years we have lived
without his inspired leadership, his
consoling voice and his unique abil
ity to motivate citizens from all
walks o f life. An assassin’ s bullet
took from us the characteristics that
helped mobilize and change our na
tion.
Yet, that bullet did not take away
all of M artin Luther King, Jr. T o
day, as we make our way through
the 1980s, we still have his dream,
his pride, his vision o f the future,
and his fidelity to principle. And we
will need to hold on to these as we
face the new challenges that con
front us.
America has changed, and peo
ple’s minds have changed. Much of
what was considered ’ ’ normal” by
many Americans during the 1960s
now seems beyond the realm of de
cency. Americans no longer accept
separate entrances at restaurants for
blacks; they no longer accept
"W h ite O n ly" drinking fountains,
and they no longer accept blacks
riding the back of the public bus.
Nevertheless, we all realize that
our quest for social and economic
justice is far from over. We now
face an Administration that— after
promising to balance the federal
budget in four years— has created
the largest deficit in our nation's
history; an Administration that has
drastically cut the programs that
helped bring the disadvantaged and
oppressed of our nation closer to the
mainstream of American life.
President Reagan’ s proposed
1984 budget actually cuts S3.5 b il
lion from 20 domestic programs, in
cluding Aid to Families with Depen
dent C hild ren , M edicaid, food
stamps, child n u tritio n , handi
capped education, child abuse and
legal services. At the same time, he
proposes to increase military spend
ing by $39.1 billion, with total mili
tary spending for 1984 of $245.3 bil
lion.
We need to fight a battle here, but
not with the weapons the Presi
dent's increased m ilitary spending
w ill buy. We need to continue to
fight the battle begun by Dr. King
over 25 years ago— the battle for
freedom, opportunity and justice
for all Americans.
There is a growing co alitio n in
America taking up this battle. De
cency and fairness are its common
denominators.
This is a coalition o f black and
white, rich and poor, old and
young, rural and urban Americans.
They have stood up and realized
that Dr. King’s dream of a better so
ciety did not die when he was laid to
rest; that not only do we have a need
to carry on this legacy, we also have
an obligation to carry it on.
It is a battle that won't be won in
days, weeks, or even months. But it
is a battle that must be fought and
can be won. Dr. King saw it in his
dream, and we can see it in our life
time if we hold on to his vision of a
better America and a better world.
From The Boardroom
by County Commissioner Gladys McCoy
To tax or not to tax in M u ltn o
mah County, that is the issue. I say,
" N o new taxes in M ultnom ah
County in 1983.”
On March 17, 1983, Com m is
sioner Caroline M iller proposed a
one-half of one percent income tax
on Multnomah County residents as
an emergency to tide the County
over for one year. There were a
number of Blue Ribbon folks who
turned out in support. How ever,
by a vote o f three to two o f the
Board, the ordinance was defeated.
I was one o f the opposers and
would like to share my reasons why
I will not support any new taxes this
year.
First, my perception of the mean
ing of Multnomah County's decisive
support to Ballot Measure 3 ( I
percent limitation) was (he citizens
telling us in government to reduce
government and live within our
means. Had the measure passed
statewide, M ultnom ah County
would have been reduced by one
third. Based on my perception, sup
porting any additional tax would be
to fly in the face of that mandate.
Second, some o f us have been
meeting for several months in what
has been called F L G G , the Future
of Local Governments Group, made
up of elected officials from the City,
County, Metro and Gresham. The
group signed a resolution agreeing
to work together to solve the prob
lems of sewers, economic develop
ment and the urban subsidy.
Further, the approved solution(s)
would be put to a vote of the people.
At that time, four new positions
were approved, a requirement that
elected officials* salaries would be
approved by popular vote; a limit to
the term of office to be served; elim
ination of a county lobbyist; and,
one filing for another office at mid
term would mean automatic resig
nation. That is not the way to run a
County government.
The FLGG group will identify the
issues, provide a process for public
input, provide an educational cam
paign and allow a vote o f the peo
ple. That process w ill be coordin
ated with the Charter Review Com
mission which w ill surely recom
mend changes in local government.
Those changes are likely to reduce
the size o f County government.
Third, it is my considered opinion
the Legislature will require some ad
ditional revenue, to date, it is un
clear what form it will take. While
any new Stale revenue will not have
an impact on County services, I do
not with to impose additional tax on
the citizens of Multnomah County.
O f course, the thrust of the income
tax was to allow people the oppor
tunity to vote, but that would cost
upward of $130,000. I would prefer
to use those dollars for services to
people rather than risk an election
that I perceive would fail.
I am unwilling to support any new
tax. I could be in error in my percep
tions; if (hat is the case, 1 would
surely respond objectively to a
groundswell from M ultnom ah
County citizens saying, " I want to
pay more in order to maintain or in
crease the level of County services."
Am I wrong in my perceptions?
You’re
appoi
a "Citizen Consultant" on electric power rates.
We are the Bonneville Power Administration
a nd we re listening to you We w ant to hear
the comm ents a nd suggestions of all North
west citizens on our proposed new electric
power rates We d like to hear from you either
orally a t a public hearing, or in writing
One hundred forty gallons per
minute of radiotoxic water has been
draining into a sand trench at Han
ford. Washington for the last four
years— or the last ten years— de
pending on which H anford U N C
Nuclear Industires spokesperson
you believe.
That leak was repaired last Febru
ary—or will be this coming April or
M ay— again, depending on which
Hanford official you choose to be
lieve.
The lethal water "m ay be going
into the ground, but we are not
sure," one spokesperson said.
Another said the repair work they
did last February allowed them to
confirm none o f the water had
leaked into the ground.
One of the officials said, "N o un
controllable radioactive water
reaches the nearby Colum bia
River.”
I wonder what Hanford officials
believe "uncontrollable radioactive
water” is? I also wonder how such a
leak could go on for four years
while Hanford officials were doing
no more than "keeping an eye on
it,” according to U N C Nuclear In
dustries spokesperson Karen Scott.
UNC Nuclear Industries contracts
to run the N-Reactor at H anford.
The N-Reactor can produce either
electricity or weapons-grade pluton
ium, the most lethal element known
to human beings and one (hat takes
hundreds of centuries before it is no
longer deadly.
Spent fuel rods from the N-Reac-
tor are now stored in a storage basin
composed of a number of huge con
crete tanks. The N-Reactor’s stor
age tank is the one that leaked some
where between 250 to 300 million
gallons of radiotoxic water over the
past four years.
This is the same N-Reactor that is
now being readied for renewed plu
tonium production at Hanford. The
renewed plutonium production re
sults from the defense posture of the
current federal adm inistration
which calls for a large build-up of
nuclear weapons.
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We will consider all comments we receive
before the close of out hearings
The Bonneville Power Administration sells
electric power a t wholesale rates in
Washington. Oregon. Idaho. Western
M ontana a nd parts of California. Nevada.
Utah and Wyoming
Hearing Schedule
Registration 7 p m
hearing Z 30 p m
Portland. O regon M onday April 11
BPA Auditorium 1002 ME Holladay Street
We don t set the final rates that you. the con
sumer pay for electricity But the rates we
charge your local utility for wholesale power
a nd transmission services are reflected in
the rates you pay The law requires that all
our costs be recovered by our rates Because
our current rates don t meet our expenses
we have determ ined that we need to
increase our rates effective November 1
We d like to hear from you before our findl
rates are decided
Eugene. O regon - Tuesday April 12
Eugene Hilton Heilm an Room - 66 E Sixth Avenue
lo c o m a Washington W ednesday Apr! 13
Bicentennial Pavilion. Rotunda 1313 M arket St
Lynnwood Washington
Landmark Best Western
Thursday April 14
4200 200th SW
Burley. Id a h o M onday April 18
Burley inn 800 N O verland Avenue
Missoula. M o n ta n a Tuesday April 19
Village Red Lion Blackfoot Room 100 Madison
Our rates ultimately affect you As a citizen,
you ca n play an active part in the process
that determines our final rates We
encourage you to give us any constructive
comm ents or suggestions you may have on
this important energy issue
Spokane. Washington W ednesday April 20
R a m a d a Inn International Airport
Richland. Washington Thursday April 21
fed eral Building Auditorium 825 Jadwin
We are the Bonneville Power Administration,
a nd we d like you to consult with us We re
listening
Please submit any oral or written comments
you m ay have a t our public hearing to be
held nearest you (soe schedule)
Remember What you say counts
If you can't attend a hearing and w ant us to
provide you with information so you can
send written comm ents to us. call our Public
Involvement Office on our toll-free lines In
Oregon call 1 «00452 «429 m other
Northwest states call 1 -800-547-604«
Street Beat
by Lanita Duke and Richard Brown
Hanford radioactive leak revealed
bv Rutb McFarland
Please send your written comm ents on our
proposed electric power rates to our Public
Involvement Office P O Box 12999. Portland
Oregon 97212
Bonneville
Power
Mmmmration
I he Legislature is currently debating
whether to place restrictions on Bingo.
I he Street Beat team wondered what
the public felt about this issue, and
asked, ‘Should they abolish or restrict
organizations who use Bingo as a means
■ for raising funds?”
And H anford is one o f the two
sites considered the most likely to be
tabbed as permanent nuclear waste
disposal sites in the United Stales.
The whole nuclear business at
H anford sends chills down my
spine.
T hai's why I ’ m a cosponsor o f
Senate Bill 720 which will establish a
committee of Oregon legislators and
private citizens to study the impact
of renewed plutonium production at
Hanford.
I intend to use the senate hearings
on that bill to begin a public review
o f the safety standards applied at
Hanford and the health and envi
ronmental dangers imminent in that
renewed production.
Before I completed my doctorate
in genetics at the University of Ore
gon, I took graduate work at the
University of Washington on the ef
fects of radioactivity on biological
systems. Part of that study involved
direct research at Hanford.
Raymond Prlca
Bus Driver
I don't think Bingo should be
played in churches. Il doesn't
look right in churches. The
church is a place of worship. I
can understand the church want
ing to raise money but the cor
ruption by a few casts a dark
light on all the churches.
C.O. Lugviel
Retired
They can have Bingo wide
open as far as I'm concerned. I
think we need more things like
that in Portland. I love it.
Adrienne Mitchell
Unemployed
It should have certain restric
tions on it as long as it is reason
able.
The more I come to know about
lethal radioactivity the more con
cerned I become for the survival of
human civilization as we know it
today.
Everything in my political back
ground convinces me there’s some
thing wrong with the way Hanford
responded to public questioning
about the leak— and there’ s some
thing wrong with the fact that infor
mation about the leak had to be ob
tained by resorting to the Freedom
of Information Act.
Everything in my scientific back
ground alerts me to the dangers of
plutonium production or nuclear
waste storage so near the Columbia
River.
The Columbia is the greatest life-
giving body o f water west o f the
Rocky Mountains. It must not be
come a potential ambassador o f
death.
Debra Harris
Bus Driver
Rodney Smith
Salesman
They should have certain re
strictions on the game. The
game is a good way to help
churches and nonprofit groups
generate money.
People w ill always want to
gamble but I think they should
abolish it. I don’t like Bingo. I
never win.
Don Abelein
Unemployed
Yes, I think they should out
law Bingo. It is too hard to con
trol. It doesn't make sense for
nonprofit groups to raise money
and no one else.