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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 27, 1983)
Portland Observar, April 27, 1983 Section I Page 5 Washington Hot Line by Congressman Ron Hyden O re g o n ia n * to day face the most revolutionary changes in telephone service since Alexander Graham Bell inven ted the in c re d ib le gadget in im T h e phone co m p an y as w e've known it in the past has been broken up. Long distance charges and local rates are being calculated in a d iffe r ent manner — with potentially far- reaching economic implication*. Phone rates, according to some experts, m ay rise as much as 400 percent, devastating residential and small business user*. Others predict that big industrial users may consider setting up their own private phone networks, leaving fewer subscribers to share the costs o f the public net work. The Northwest is going to be hit particularly hard by the deregulation scheme because local rates in the region historically have been subsi dized by long distance rates. T o av o id possible d is as ter, we must act now — before phone rates shoot up out o f sight, and a crisis occurs T o begin the discussion process, last week in P o rtlan d I announced the form ation o f a broad-based citi zens committee to study phone issues in Oregon and to make recom m en dations on how to keep rates under control. M em bers o f the co m m itte e w ill include representatives o f the major Oregon phone companies, the Port land C h am ber o f C om m erce, co n sumer groups, the O regon Legisla ture and the Communications W o rk ers Union. Oregon Public Utility Commission er John Lobdell and U .S . House of Representatives Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairm an T im W irth (D -C o lo .) have also pledged to co operate with the group. In fact, C hairm an W irth told me he is eager to see the co m m itte e's finished p ro d u ct, p a rtic u la rly any proposals fo r p ro vidin g rate re lie f for seniors that could be implemented nationally. C ongressm an W ir th shares my concern about what the deregulated environm ent may mean fo r senior citizens and other vulnerable A m e r icans, and he w ants to m ake sure their needs are met. I did not organize this com m ittee because I believe there are easy solu tions to our phone rate and access problems. We're not going to be able to pull a rabbit out o f our hats and say ‘ ‘ a h ah , now we have to w er phone rates." 1 o rg an ized the c o m m itte e b e cause I believe we must tackle this issue now before it gets out o f hand — before senior citizens and shut-ins find themselves w ith no link to the outside world and our small business users and others fin d them selves caught in the pinch. Nationwide strike threatens GM N o t long ago, G en eral M o to rs and Toyota announced that G . M . ’s F re m o n t, C a lifo rn ia p la n t, which once employed 6,200 persons, would reopen under jo in t operation o f the two companies and would produce a new subcom pact ca r. T h e g rea tly heralded news soon tu rn ed sour when former employees learned the reopening would not necessarily re turn their jobs. The company has said it w ill not g uaran tee th at the U n ite d A u to Workers’ union people will be rehired and that it w ill not honor seniority in h irin g . G .M . and T o y o ta are waiting until A p ril, 1985, to reopen because by then the U .A .W . contract w ill have expired. Toyota estimates that only 3,000 persons will be hired. O f the 6,200 persons who worked at the Fremont plant, 4,000 have ex hausted their unemploym ent bene fits. Eight suicides have been report ed. Local union leaders expect Toyota- G .M . to open the p lant w ith n o n union workers from o f f the street. R um ors are c irc u la tin g th at when the plant reopens in 1985, wages will be $3 per hour less than union scale. With no union contract, no seniority, no voice in setting p ro d u c tio n standards, no greivance procedure, no pensions, all benefits fought for over the years will be gone. T o y o ta w ill design and engineer the car, a front-wheel drive version o f the Toyota Corolla. Much o f the car w ill be m ade in Japan — the mechanical parts, m otors, pumps, carburetors and brakes. M ade in the U .S. will be the bulky parts that are more expensive to ship — springs, seats, glass, batteries, body panels and trim. Assembly will be done in Fremont, highly u tilizin g ro b o t* to decrease man-hours. Nissan M o to r C a r C o. has set a precedent, planning to open a new p la n t in Tennessee in June to assemble trucks. T h e company has informed the U .A .W . that it will not sign a union agreement. A dram atic appeal by Frem ont's U .A .W . workers, who say they w ill place th e ir bodies in fro n t o f the plant gates to fight for their jo b s, has brought response. The Alam eda County Central Labor Council, with 160,000 members, voted its support and is urging sim ilar action by all A F L -C IO locals. W ith b u ild in g su p po rt fo r the fo rm e r G M . w o rk e rs , G . M . ’ s efforts to increase projects through the jo in t v e n tu re w ith T o y o ta is expected to set o ff an extended con fro n ta tio n and lead to unity in the union movement. Democrat 18 Viewpoint The C ity C ouncil made a serious error in last week's actions concern ing the M etrop o litan Hum an R ela tions C o m m issio n ( M H R C ) . T h e decisions o f the C ity C o u ncil sub stantially revise the C ity ’ s approach to human rights by diminishing bud getary support and transferring pre viously independent M H R C fu n c tions to administration by city bureau chiefs. tions goals. Fortun ately, there is yet tim e for the Council to realize and reverse its error. A reversal o f last week's action would be a credit to the council — raising the level o f the C ity's atten tio n to its hum an rights c o m m it m ents But fa ilu r e to co rrect last week’s error will be ironically viewed as a colossal blunder in human rela tgions — and n o th in g w ill speak louder to prove the need for M H R C as an independent voice o f research, advocacy, and program development in human rights. W hile arguments for restructuring M H R C deserve (indeed R E Q U IR E ) ample hearing and study, an impartial observer w o u ld in the m ean w hile remain impressed by the wisdom of previous C ity and C o u n ty govern m ent* which saw fit to support the evolution o f M H R C ’s role as a rela tively independent human relations body. G iv e n the s trik in g h isto ry o f M H R C ’ s accomplishments, it would not be surprising if project develop ment by M H R C sometimes led to the transfer o f substantive operations into the bureau structure o f city ad m inistration. But even such ostensi bly straightforw ard matters should now be placed on hold u n til the overall policy deliberations have re turned to firm er ground. This m ajor policy shift was taken as if it were a mere budgetary matter, w ith insufficien t supporting data, analysis, or public discussion. This action suggests that the proponents of the changes, whatever their merit, failed to understand the importance o f the very p o lic y area being a d dressed. This fa ilu re is devisive in times w hich in c re asin g ly call fo r unified comm itm ent to human rela M'Aen signed the o p in io n s are those o f I he author. H hen unsigned, this column represents the viewpoint o f the officers o f District 18 D em o crats. Address com m ents to Ross Danielson, D is tric t 18 D em o cratic Leader, c /o the Observer, P. O. Box H 37, Portland O R 97208. Bring this advertisement for 55% off One Inch Aluminum Blinds Hldel mar Mini Blinds m ini Dknds 55% OFF with thia ad Softlight Shades 40% OFF Woven Woods (Selected Patterns) 50% OFF Vertical Shades 40% OFFl ILM. DIETZ COMPANY 33* T? —i 1010 SE POWELL PORTLAND 97202 239-9014 lo t i'— I too t U «SJJ Mon-Thura 9-6:30 »'8 OvlMMO I «X* M ' '»« S a t. 12 5 Daughtry: Critical times ahead {Continued fro m page I column 6} because the n ation always goes to the movies when it is in trouble. We have a president w ho can never remember there being any racism at all. I f Ronald Reagan believes there was a time when this country did n 't have any racism, he’s hopeless, in corrigible and beyond any redemp tion at all. How can a president talk about a holocaust and at the same time support a regime that is reeking holocaust upon our people everyday in South A fric a .” The second fac to r, according to D a u g h try, is the economic depres sion o f the '80s. " Y o u rem em ber R o n ald Reagan was supposed to balance the budget and lead America to new heights. W ell, what we have experienced is a budget that gives meat to the rich and bones to the poor. D a vid Sto ckm an , Reagan’ s own m an. a d m itte d that the rich takes all. What we have seen is a shift in the budget away from social pro gram to the m ilitary machine. W hat is important to note is that everyone is hurt by the budget, except a few here and there. And if the m ajority does not promote the interest o f the m in o rity , they w ill eventually be in the same boat. Surely, these are not good days for anybody. In addition to the econom ic and social shock waves, there are assaults on legal rights and hum an rig h ts. T his economic crisis brings out the worst in human beings. As the have-a-little experience a threat to their security they tu rn on the have-nots. But if only the have-a-little re-direct their a tte n tio n to a h a v e -a -p le n ty and dem and econ o m ic ju s tic e fo r a ll, perhaps we could resolve this crisis.” T h e th ird develop m ent w hich makes these times critical for people o f A fric a n descent is conservative re lig io n . " O r a l R o b erts, Je rry F a lw e ll and o th e r ele ctro n ic h oly superstars have never taken a stand against racism, sexism or supported DOUBLE YOUR TALK TO NEW YORK, NEW YORK. $4.14 When \ u i Gill long dist.incv between Frkfciy at ll|wn and Sunday at Spin, yt m il save a whopping Bi)".. Which means y » i can talk mote than twice as long for ytgir money. So re: n il out this weekend. Aixl give a big hello to the liig Apple. Pacific Northwest Bell any causes against economic exploi ta tio n . T hey m a jo r in m in o r sin. W h e re were they d u rin g the c iv il rights days? They were where they are now . O ne the side o f the rich and pow erful.” Yet, in spite o f all these discour aging signs. Reverend Daughtry and N B U F see hope. " I see hope in the eyes o f my people. I believe there is a dimension to our struggle. I believe there is a God who will put a wrinkle in history. I ’ m reminded of Marcus Garvey who came to this country in the 1920s and fo u n d c o n d itio n s p re tty much the same as they are today. He knew our history beyond slavery. K n o w in g th is, M arcu s G a rv e y u ttered these w ords, 'U p you mighty race. U p out o f despair, up out o f the gutter, and up out o f despondency. N o one can (urn you around or turn you aside. U p you m ighty race. You can accom plish what you w ill!” In an in te rv ie w fo llo w in g his address D a u g h try was asked by Grassroot News if there was a corre lation between (he Reagan adm inis tra tio n ’ s paranoia about G ren ada and the interest in the c o u n te r revolutionaries fighting to overthrow the S an d in ista g o vern m en t in Nicaragua. " W e should remember when Somoza was in Nicaragua ex ploiting the people; N icaragua en joyed a most positive relationship with the United States government. When Grenada was being used as an American puppet, it also enjoyed a friendly relationship with the U .S . The same is true fo r C u b a. W hen Cuba was a playpen for A m erican gangsters, Cuba was alright with the American government. But since the Sandinistas drove Somoza out and set up a system so its people can have a b etter life ; since M a u ric e Bishop came to p ow er and put in place some k in d o f system so his people can enjoy a better life ; and since Castro cleaned up Cuba, all o f a sudden these countries have b e come enemies o f the United States.” D a u g h try believes the U n ite d States is concerned about the threat posed by these co u n trie s because they are presenting a new economic o rd e r. " T h e peo ple o f G re n a d a . Cuba and Nicaragua are not enemies o f the A m erican people. They just present a different economic system which the American economic inter est does not like. Thus, this creates the tension we are experiencing ” Street Beat by Lanita Duke and Richard Brown f/ The death penalty once again made headlines and the Street Beat team wondered, "H ow do you feel about the death penalty?" S-..X, Regina Jackaon Unemployed Anthony Tyler Cook " I don't agree with the death 'p e n a lty . It's an eye for an eye sort o f thing. A person serving time is like a death sentence." " I d o n 't feel it should be d o n e. I ’ m a relig io u s person. O nly God should judge and not m a n ." S o n d re S m ith Cook E T illm a n C le rk " I ’ m against it. It is not right. I f they killed (he wrong person it would be hard to change the mistake after they killed h im ." " I th in k it is necessary. I f people had th at much to lose they might think tw ice." Jerry Olli Unemployed " I 'm not sure. It depends on the crim e. M ay b e first degree m urder and rape is real d eb at ab le. T h e person to be kille d ought to decide the way (shoot ing , ele ctric c h a ir, in je c tio n ) they want to g o.” Simon Vatlma Accountant " T h e trouble w ith the death p en alty is th at o n ly the poor who cann o t a ffo r d the best lawyers receive the death penalty. I f you are poor, you are going to the chair. I f you are rich, you will gel probation."
