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.
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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."