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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1983)
P*0* 4 Portlend Observer, April 20,1983 EDITORIAL/OPINION Where were you the day they sabotaged MHRC? Citizen involvement can move City Hall. This was evidenced this week by the restoration o f the O ffice o f Neighborhood Association’s budget. Once City Hall was hit by an organized mass of citizens, the Council realized a mistake had been made in the calculations and the O N A budget was restored. N ot so with the M etropolitan Hum an Rela tions C om m ission’s budget. W hat could be more important in this time of rising bigotry and financial stress? Yet, M H R C was gutted— and by its own liaison Commissioner. Seldom do we see a Commissioner destroy her own bureau, yet those who did find their way to City H all Tues day heard Com m issioner M arg aret Strachan justify the destruction o f M H R C — the elimina tion o f its programs and most o f its staff— in or der to make it stronger. N o rationale appeared for this amazing dis play o f w ill— no reason, no evaluation, no charge o f ineffectiveness, nothing. I f the public had bothered to go to City Hall they would have seen a phenomenon new to the annals o f C ity history. But they did not. So M H R C went down to defeat—doomed to a slow death; minority and poor residents of the Coun ty left to the whims o f bigotry or apathy. As one citizen said, to dismantle M H R C with out public discussion and debate is unconsion- able and obscene. W e must wonder where all o f the organiza tions that benefit from M H R C ’s expertise and who have been happy for M H R C ’s support and help over the years were Tuesday. The Black U nited F ro n t, the U rb an League and A C L U were there but where were the other minority or ganizations— the N A A C P , the Hispanic organ izations, the American Jewish Federation, the Japanese American League, the Albina M inis terial Alliance? Where were the so-called liberals— Schools for the City, the Alliance for Social Change, the Democratic Party, N ational Organization for W om en, W om en’s Political Caucus, Y W C A , National Council o f Christians and Jews, Ecu menical Ministries, the church organizations? W here were the “ not-so-liberals” — the C ity Club, the Chamber o f Commerce? Where were the citizens? I f those organizations that supposedly stand for racial justice had been present and heard, perhaps one vote could have been changed. When racial incidents occur, when swastickas appear, when the city’s image, so important to the business com m unity, is further tarnished, they will be looking for M H R C . Legal lynchings: law and racism by Manning M arable "From The Grassroots'" The cutting edge o f Reaganism it white racism. Part o f this statement can be am ply illustrated by the unprecedented levels o f barbarism and enforced au sterity which the present administra tion projects in its recent budgetary proposals. But a m ore d yn am ic method o f relating the recent histor ic rise o f w hite supremacy and the retreat fro m the "S eco nd Recon stru c tio n " in the past decade w ith the presentations o f the Reagan A d m inistration is through a b rief cri tique o f the utility o f the law itself as a w eapon against b la ck , b ro w n , poor and progressive peoples' movements. In some instances, civil rights law yers themselves have been (he vic tims o f attacks. Several months ago. fo r exam ple, the U .S . Suprem e Court ruled against Lennox Hinds, former head o f the National Coun cil o f Black Lawyers (N C B L ) in his efforts to hall disciplinary proceed ings by the New jers ey B ar. Six years ago, during (he trial o f Assata Shakur (Joanne Chesimard), Hinds accused the crim inal justice system o f conducting " a legalized lynch ing" against Shakur. The Middlesex C o u n ty Ethics C o m m itte e o f the New Jersdy bar sued Hinds for his spontaneous rem arks. By an 8-0 vo te, delivered by C h ie f Justice W a rre n B u rg er, the C o u rt sided with the New Jersey Bar This deci sion, along with other rulings, can be construed to be a warning to all activist-oriented attorneys who take a prom inent and public role in de fen d in g progressive and p o litic a l prisoners. Inside the U .S . penitentiary sys tem, civil rights advocates and law yers are Finding it increasingly d iffi cult to have access to their clients. O fficials at the Illinois Department o f C orrections, for exam ple, have blocked legal workers from consult ing w ith political prisoners held in maximum security. Federal authori ties have consistently interfered with attorneys o f the M a rio n Prisoners » in .■ Rights P ro je c t in e ffo rts to w o rk w ith prisoners held at the M a rio n , Illinois federal penitentiary. In Con gress, a c o m p lim e n ta ry atta c k against black and poor peoples' ac cess to counsel took shape late last year, when Congress voted to re strict the Legal Services C o rp o ra tion’s activities. In passing a contin uing a p p ro p ria tio n s re s o lu tio n . Congress ordered Legal Service* to halt funding programs to represent clients in class actions, participation in lobbying efforts, and legal aid to undocumented workers. Tw o key pieces o f civil rights leg islation are now becoming more vul nerable as to th eir en fo rce m e n t. T itle V I I o f the 1964 C iv il Rights Act and the Equal Employment Act o f 1972 outlawed discrimination by businesses w hich em ployed m ore than 100 workers. The Equal E m ployment Opportunity Commission (E E O C ) was given the power to re view w o rk e rs ’ grivances against management and to sue racist cor p o ratio n s. T h e E E O C ’ s m andate was re in fo rce d w ith (he 1971 Su prem e C o u rt decisio n, G riggs v. D u ke P o w e r C o m p an y, w hich de clared that any em ploym ent p rac tices w hich " in a d v e r t e n t ly " ex cluded minorities and women from jobs was a v io la tio n o f T itle V I I . U nder N ixo n and F o rd , how ever, the agency was only at best partially effective as a means to guarantee equal o p p o rtu n ity fo r blacks and Latinos in the labor force. U n d er President C a rte r , the E E O C became m ore e ffe c tiv e in promoting civil rights, to an extent. In 1978 Carter signed Executive O r der 12067 which transferred all au thority to coordinate equal em ploy ment opportunity laws, regulations and policies in Federal departments and agencies to the E E O C , thereby strengthening its mandate. But the Supreme Court escalated the conser vative reaction during the mid- and late-1970s. In the 1976 Washington v. Davis decision, the high court de clared that "discriminatory purpose" had to be established by litigants in order to prove racial discrimination under the equal protection clause o f the fourteenth amendment. T h e B urger c o u rt fo u n d th a t showing a disproportionate impact is not sufficient to establish systemic racism. The next year, the In te rn a tional Brotherhood o f Teamsters v. U.S. ruled law ful a seniority system that was negotiated which actually perpetuate* pre-Title V II discrimin ato ry hirin g and p ro m o tio n p rac tices. These decisions, w hich p re dated the noto rio us B a kk e v. R e gents o f U n iv e rs ity o f C a lifo rn ia , set the legal stage fo r Reaganism after 1980 Since Reagan's first weeks in o f fice, the E E O C has been v irtu a lly hamstrung. Budget D irector David Stockm an quickly ordered s ta ff re ductio n s in 1981, and fiscal cuts have dim inished the E E O C ’ s real budget 8 percent below 1980 levels. Last year. Reaganites in both parties actually slashed the E E O C ’s budget by tw o m illio n d o lla rs m ore than what the president had originally re quested. Edward W atkins, president o f the N a tio n a l C o u ncil o f E E O C Locals #216, A F L - C IO , and s ta ff member M ark Solof have written re cently that "th ro ug h a combination o f budget cuts, s ta ff redu ctio ns, p rocedural changes and em ployee downgradings, the A dm inistration has created a situation at the agency in which many employees have been unable to adequately take action on in d iv id u a l charges and larger p a t terns o f discrimination in the w ork p lace.” The num ber o f cases filed by E E O C declined 70 percent be tw een fiscal 1981 and 1982. T h e length o f time for E E O C to process a charge has alm ost doubled since 1980, from 5.5 months to 9 months. " I n many instances,” W atkins and Solof add, "charges have been dis missed or 'n o caused' because they w ould prove too d iffic u lt or tim e- consum ing to process. O v e ra ll, there has been a 6 percent rise in the num ber o f charges dismissed since 1980, to 35 percent." ; Salem Scene by State Senator Ruth M cFarland M ie rn t N e w s Letters to the Editor Washington has tough task ahead To the editor: M r . W ashington's victory in the Chicago M ayor's race was outstand ing and has set the tone fo r even more accomplishments for all races. H e worked very well under adversi ty. N o one w ill ever know just how much harm or good the media did during a seemingly bitter campaign on all fronts. W hen it was said by Washington that we (Americans) w e supposed to be like partisans with each other as a " m e ltin g p o t . " T h e m e ltin g pot story really does not do a good job o f d escribing the experience o f blacks in the 20th century. First of all blacks did not migrate to indus tria l centers from Eastern Europe, n o r as fo reig n ers seeking a host co u n try . T h e y came as citizens o f the host country fleeing its oppres sion. Therein lies a big difference M ayor Washington has an incred Ml MOt * ible task ahead o f h im , not o nly m anaging the c ity 's business but carrying people forw ard to a better understanding. H opefully the well- entrenched patronage system w ill die a peaceful death. It is m ore im p o rta n t than ever that blacks take c o n tro l o f th eir ideals and not hesitate to m ake judgem ent on issues which affe ct their communities. It is also impera tive to be w ary o f " p o litic a l friends" who w ill often w affle and go which ever way the wind is blow ing. M r . W ashington had a lot o f that in his primary campaign. I wish him well and feel confident he will do a good job. H e may have appeared lik e a to u g h , w ell-sea soned man— he is that— but there is a great deal o f compassion written between the lines. Fran Ariniello Thanks for support To the editor: W e wish to express our apprecia tion and thanks to those who joined us in speaking out against the racist b eh av io r ex h ib ite d in C h icag o around the mayoral race involving Congressman Harold Washington. Yes, it is unusual fo r citizens in one state to become involved in a lo cal campaign in another stale. H o w ever. many o f us were so angered by the accounts o f the activities report - ed in the media we felt moved to re spond in a positive way. Thus, our co n trib u tio n s to the W ashington campaign. O u r hopes were realized and we rejo ice w ith our D e m o cratic c o l league on his victory. W e know we speak fo r all who participated, in wishing Mayor-elect Washington well. Gladys McCoy Portland Observer »' -- -, The P o rtla n d O b w rite r (U S P S 959 6 * 0 1 i* published every Thursday by f «ie Pubhshmq Company. Inc . 2201 North Killing, worth. Portland. Oregon 97217 Post Office Bos 3137. Portland. Oregon 9720B Second class postage paid at Portland Oregon The Portland O b arn e r was aatabhahad In 1970 M L M 8M Subscriptions *1 0 00 par year m the Tri County area P ost m a s te r Sand address changes to the P o rtla n d O b terrer. P O Dos 3137 Portland Oregon 97208 A lfre d L. Henderson, Editor/Publisher A ! Williams. Advertising Manager 283 2488 N atio n a l A dvertising R ep reeentatlve A m a lg am a te d Publishers Inc N ew York One hundred thousand w orking men and women die every year from w o rk -re la te d illnesses. A lm o st 400,000 more men and women con tract new job-related diseases every year. One half a million workers get ill or die each year because o f their jobs. The N a tio n al Institute o f Safety and H ealth (N IO S H ) says we have 16,540 toxic substances in commer cial use today. Between 1,500 and 2,000 o f those substances are known carcinogens, cancer causing agents. A n A F L - C IO re p o rt say* over 34,000 substances currently in use in the workplace are toxic, 2,3000 can cer causing. The E P A reports even higher num bers o f chem ical sub stances in the workplace—44,000— and no one has an accurate account ing o f how many o f (hose sub stances affect human beings. There’s a confusing and frighten ing u n c e rta in ty about toxic sub stances in the workplace. The situa tion is, in fact, extraordinarily dan gerous for American workers. T h a t ’ s why we acted in the Oregon State Senate on A p ril 11 to pass Senate Bill 294, the "R ig h t to K n o w " bill which compels labelling o f to xic substances in the w o rk place. Following are some excerpts from testimony we heard which led us to pass the toxic substances disclosure act: "Som e ten months ago a number o f our members were faced with the resu lt* o f an exposure to a toxic ch em ical. T his incid en t occurred when the workers were instructed to use a 'carb ureto r cleaner' as a de greaser. They were not informed o f any possible hazard, nor were they instru cted to use any p ro tective equipment. The results: six workers passed out and one went to the hospital. Those were the immediate results. The long term results we still do not kn o w ." (D ic k E d g in g to n , S afe ty and H e a lth D ire c to r, In te rn a tio n a l Chemical Workers, Local 109, Port land.) " W e have cared fo r nine indus tria l painters who have evidenced 'to x ic encephalopathy,' a fo rm o f brain damage, from exposure to sol vents. In m any instances these w orkers had been p ro vided w ith fa u lty or in ad eq u ate p ro tective equipm ent or no protecton at a ll. The painters were generally u n in formed about what they were being exposed to, and therefore could not properly protect themselves. M any times this type o f brain in jury is permamnent. Fifty percent of the workers we have seen are c u r rently unemployed and not retrain able at this point. A ll of the workers have been physically, socially and fi n an cially dam aged by the ex p e r ience. M ore than likely all o f these problems could have been avoided had the workers known what they were being exposed to , and been able to demand appropriate protect ive equipment." (P a tric ia de G a rm o . A N P ; W il liam M o rto r, M D ; Douglas L in z , M D , O ccup ation al H e a lth C lin ic , U . o f O. Health Sciences University, Portland.) " W e are c u rre n tly seeing a 39- year-old woman with three children, who was exposed to a variety o f tox ic substances without protecton dur ing her o n e -a n d -a -h a lf years e m p loym ent three years ago. T his woman will die some time within the next two weeks to two months from occupational lung disease. In itia lly this woman thought she had a cold and her d o c to r c o n curred, unaware o f her occupational exposures. She continued to w ork and her cold turned in to what was thought to be b ro n ch itis. F in a lly , when her b rea th in g became q u ite difficult, an x-ray was obtained and the diagnosis o f occupational lung disease made. It was still some time before the woman was able to iden tify the specific substances to which she had been exposed, and in part because o f that delay she was denied workers’ compensation." (The source is the same as above.) I have included only a few o f the tragic stories we heard during testi mony on this bill. T o allow such hu m an tragedy to continue when we have the means to stop it w ou ld been unconscionable. Put sim ply, the b ill provides fo r an e d u c a tio n a l p ro gram fo r e m ployees handling toxic substances, makes inform ation available to em ployees who request it and provides a personnel record fo rm fo r em ployees on te rm in a tio n so they have a p erm an en t record o f th eir exposure. There has been strong employer opposition to this bill in my district, especially by farm ers. I believe the amended form o f the bill takes care o f many o f the objections farmers had. But for those who still oppose the b ill and disapprove o f my vote fo r it , I have to say that I could simply vote no other way. This bill is vital to the health and security o f our workers. It needed to be passed. Receive your Observer by m ail— Subscribe todayl Only $10°® per year. Mail to Portland Obaarvar Box 3137 Portland. 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