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Happy Birthday
Charles Jordan
3
Page 12
Exploitation
of Black music
Page 8
ÎPORTWND OBSERVER
U^PS 9 5 9-6 0-85 5
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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 ."
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