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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1983)
Au« K rs F r: L U n tre r: OSU on the Happy Birthday Charles Jordan 3 Page 12 Exploitation of Black music Page 8 ÎPORTWND OBSERVER U^PS 9 5 9-6 0-85 5 « £j,w PuNuUmi C«.. htr. fiCn Volume XIII, Number 49 September 21, 1983 25C Per Copy IMU Jordan fights for MBE Com m in i oner Charles Jordan pushed an amendment through City Council last Wednesday to insure that the C ity ’s regulation on m inori ty contracting is complied with, and followed it this week with an emer gency ordinance that will allow him to negotiate the International Race way contract. The Todd Building Company o f Roseburg was low bidder on a $7,340,000 contract to renovate the Paramount Theater, which will be reopened as the Arlene Schnitzer Concert H all. Todd had identified only 4.6 percent for minority sub contractors, while the C ity's o rd i nance, passed in 1979, requires 10 percent. Jordan's refusal to vote for the contract would have denied emer gency status and caused a 37 day delay in beginning the project, which is to be completed by the 1984 fall symphony season. In exchange for his vote, Jordan insisted on passage of an amendment that will fine Todd $7,300 for each percent age point that he falls below ten per cent on minority participation. “ Todd told me he thought he could make 10 percent but could only guarantee 4 6 percent," Jordan said. " I told him I would be reason able, but I would not support his bid unless he could convince me there was no way to meet the goal. But when purchasing agent Howard Vaughn provided a list of M B E 's, he agreed to the am endm ent." Commissioner M ildred Schwab was angry that Jordan brought the set-aside up at the last minute. "She said I brought it in without her knowing about it, but it was a simple amendment and didn't need prior notification. It was a simple matter; I just want to insure that minority goals are m et.” Jordan proposed three ordinances Wednesday, September 21st, to expidite development o f the Port land International Raceway. The Rote Festival Association will spon sor Championship A uto Racing Track (C A R T ) racing in Portland if the raceway is upgraded. One ordi nance establishes a $230,000 fund io begin work. $700.000 worth of bonds will be sold, including the $230,000. Another ordinance gives Vaughn the authority to negotiate a bid for the excavation and drainage Commissioner Strachan sought to delay the work until concerns o f the North area neighbors over noise can be allayed, but M ayor Ivancie pushed for the work to begin imme diately. The track must be ready by M ay, and if the rains come early it could raise the cost by $82,000. Jordan assured that the 10 per cent minority goal will be met. Commissioner Schwab expressed her opinion that ihe financial penal ty on contractors who do not meet the requirement is to be applied to all construction contracts. udget ax wounds poor City Commisaionsra Margaret Strachan and Charlee Jordan congratulata Marla Smith during ceremony naming the Marla Smith Conference Room at King Neighborhood Facility. A long-time Portland activist, Mrs. Smith Is a resident of the King neighborhood. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) Cuts in lederal social and wellare piomaids under Ihe Reagan adnun- ■siraiion have the greatest impact on households with incomes less than t lll.in i) . a comprehensive study by the« ongressional Budget O ffice de- icttm nrd. A non-partisan arm of ( impress, ihe C B O reached this conclusion after an analysis o f fed eral funding in 26 human resource ureas between liscal 1982 and fiscal 1985 In 1985, the average reduction o f benefits as a result of budget cuts will be $47(1 for households with less than $10,000 income, as compared to $2X0 in all households. People in households o f less than $20,000 income will have suffered benefit cuts more than twice as severe as families earning more — $41$ compared to $175. Seventy percent o f all Reagan cuts have been directed at households earning less than $20,000 Expenditures for the 26 programs will be $110 billion less for 1982- 1983; m ilitary outlays w ill increase by $90 billion more. grams, mostly medicare. • Overall, the cuts averaged 7 per cent, but some programs were cut more. Employment and training programs were reduced 60 percent Training ft r -lisiwtvaniaged, includ ing youth, was cut 35 percent. Pro grams that would have created 60,000 public service jobs were elim inated. • O f the $110 billion in cuts, $26 billion was in retirement programs including social security, veterans benefits and civil service retirement. • $27 billion came from cuts in • M ore than 325,000 families lost Aid to Families with Dependent Children (A F D C ) and from 325,000 to 350,000 had benefits reduced income security programs such as food stamps, unemployment insur ance, housing assistance, and AFDC. • $18.5 came from health pro • About a million people lost eli gibility for food stamps. School lunch participation was cut by 3 m il lion. Some 700,000 fewer students received guaranteed student loans Miss America 1983: ‘Don ’t look fo r a jo b — make one * Not just a pretty face x»X*X«x*x»S Vanessa W illiam s, the First Black Miss America, has some other d if ferences from most o f the previous Miss Americas — she is speaking out on issues. Being Miss America was not Miss Williams* dream — she came by it accidentally. She entered the contest after a local pageant official saw her perform and after a professional theater production she was to ap pear in was cancelled. H er real goal is to be a Broadway star. Miss W illiams, 20, a junior at Syracuse University, has studied dancing since elementary school. Her parents, who are school music teachers, taught her piano, French horn and singing. Her fam ily rule was that the children study music at least until they were 18 years old. A registered Independent, the favors a M artin Luther King H o li day, the Equal Rights Amendment and the right to abortion. Miss W illiams does not feel race was a factor in her selection. " I was chosen because I was qualified for the position. The fact that I was Black was not a factor. I've always had to try harder in my life to achieve things, so this is regular. . . " I t shows that all things are pos sible. T o make it for any minority or any person, you've got to have a good education. I want people to re spect me and think I ’m better. I ’ m ambitious, I have a lot o f drive, and I work hard to get somewhere." She added. " A t times I get annoyed because people and the press aren’t focusing on me as a person and are focusing on me being Black. Just because I'm Black doesn't mean I'm going to support every Black posi tion. I'm my own person with my own opinions." Miss W illiams will receive a $23,000 scholarship and can make up to $100,000 through public ap pearances. She hopes her title will help her achieve a career in show business. First runner-up was Miss New Jersey, Suzettc Charles, 20, who also is Black. The Miss America contest, now 62 years old, banned Blacks from participation until the late 1950s. The first Black woman, Cheryl Brown o f Iow a, entered the contest in 1970. Benjamin Hooks, executive direc tor o f the N A A C P , compare«' the selection with Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in profes sional baseball. VANESSA EILLIAMS G R A SSR O O TS N E W S . N. W. — A nationwide trend o f Black busi nesses being sold to Orientals was slowed this month in Portland by the political and business philosophy o f Arthur Palmer. Palmer is no or dinary Black businessman. He is the foremost authority in the Northwest on Hantuism and has incorporated his belief as a Bantu into his busi ness practices. Palmer (old the story like (his. " I was approached three times by a group of O riental gentlemen who said they would give me a good figure for my business. I asked them if they would give my grandchildren a good figure or i f they would give my people a good figure. They said they did not understand. 1 showed them our Bantu sign that meant the business belongs to the people. U ntil they understood that they would have to give my people a good figure there was no reason for (hem to try and buy the Bantu L au n d ry /D ry Cleaners." * Palmer's laundromat is located on 19th and Dekum. H e said he be came upset when he read an article which stated that Black businessmen all over the country were selling their businesses (stores, laundro mats, etc.) to Southeast Asians who are ready to buy. " I think that is a shame W e are selling our birthright. The businesses are being sold and are not getting handed down to other generations. It would make more sense if we, the Black businessmen, would use our energy to bring the young in and teach them to take over our busi nesses. I f we permit our basic busi nesses to be taken over by any group, other than our own, we are undercutting everything we stood for and fought so long to g et." Palmer also owns New Rose City Cab. He stated, "Years ago when we started fighting for the cab com pany, a Black man could not^drive a cab in Portland. I have had the company for 12 years and I bought it for the purpose o f providing jobs. W e don't look at our business by how much wc make, but we look at it as making a living for ourselves — surviving." A rthur Palmer lives and operates his businesses under the four pillars o f Bantuism; " T h e fist law is that you must always seek knowledge. " T h e second law is that you must have love and compassion to sepa rate us from the lower animals. "T h e third pillar is that you must always stand for the truth. "T h e fourth pillar is to have the courage to stand up for the above three law s." "P a lm er continues, " I f you seek knowledge, you will become a pro ducer." He said he was made aware o f the heroes in Black history by his par ents and grandparents. " I knew there was a Marcus Garvey before I knew there was President o f the United States. M y thoughts have always been to A frica and my works have always been trying to create in comes for my people." Palmer said he wants his people to spend less time looking for a job and more time trying to create one. H e stated, " In America, you have w noua -» u rtv iv t, I C lk lC D C Arthur Palmer founder of the New Job - creete one." x ‘x»x‘x*x»> of the Bantu Laundry/Dry Cleenera and City Cab Co., tells Bleaks "Don't look for s (Photo: Richard Brown) an opportunity to create and makc are limited to your own ability. M y your own job. Business is the way. advice to the Black man in America I f you would create your job you * is don't look for a job as hard as have a better chance for advance you work to try to get a license to ment without others coming in and compete in business That is the limiting your ability, The one thing American way and we should take about being in business is that you advantage o f i t ." » -b- *»• i \
