Portland Observer, June 6, 1984 Section I Page 3
Hatch faces M.B .E. counter suit
by L a m ta D u k e
G R A SSR O O T N EW S. N. W —
A n o th e r chapter has been added to
the c o n tro v e rs y s u rro u n d in g R .A .
H a tc h C o m p a n y vs. some M in o rity
Business Enterprises (M B E *s ).
N a t h a n J. P r o b y , P re s id e n t o f
U n ite d M in o rity W o rk e rs , a n n o u n
ced F rid a y , June I , th a t he w ill c ir
culate a petition dem anding an audit
o f th e S u rfa c e T r a n s p o r t a t io n
A ssistan ce A c t ( S T A A ) m o n ies in
O regon.
" B y July 1st, we w ill have a suit
in F e d e ra l C o u r t to get an i n j u n
c tio n to g iv e us tim e to get an a c
c o u n t o f a ll th e m o n e y . W e a re
fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t said H o p s in g
C o n s t r u c t io n d id n o t m a in ta in
enough c o n tro l over its business a f
fa ir s to be c e r t ifie d as an M B E .
lo o k in g at 2 0 0 m illio n d o lla rs and
the question is where is our piece o f
the a c tio n ? W e are g o in g to get it
g o in g a n d h o ld e v e ry o n e re s p o n
s ib le ."
P ro b y said he w ill also q u e s tio n
w h e th e r H o p s in g C o n s t r u c t io n
s h o u ld be a llo w e d to c o n tin u e
w o r k in g . In O c to b e r , 1 9 8 3 , the
" T h e y should not be able to use any
o f that m o n e y ," Prob y added.
H o w e v e r , w h e n H o p s in g was
decertified as an M B E . there was no
m ention o f the d ecertification being
r e tro a c tiv e n o r w as a n y o n e fo u n d
Religious freedom
in Nicaragua
by C a th e riM Siegner
In the last o f o u r series o f in te r
view s w ith C e n t r a l A m e r ic a n I n
fo r m a tio n Week spokespersons, the
O b s e r v e r h ea rs f r o m th e R e v .
Tomas Tellez, executive secretary o f
th e
b a p t is t
C o n v e n tio n
of
N icaragua.
Rev. Tellez was in P o rtla n d , M a y
I I . as p a r t o f a m o n th -lo n g
s p e a k in g to u r o f th e western U .S .
s p o n s o re d b y th e In t e r r e lig io u s
F o u n d a t io n
fo r
C o m m u n ity
O r g a n iz a t io n o f N e w Y o rk a n d
E cum enical M inistries o f Oregon.
T o m a a T a lle r
R e v . T o m a s T e lle z is e x e c u tiv e
secretary o f the B aptist C o n v e n tio n
o f N ic a r a g u a . H e is a n a tiv e
N ic a ra g u a n a n d liv e s in M a s a ja ,
a b o u t 'A h o u r fr o m the c a p ita l o f
M an agu a.
T e lle z is on a o n e -m o n th to u r o f
the U .S ., speaking abo ut conditions
in N ic a r a g u a a n d p le a d in g w ith
N o r t h A m e r ic a n s to p re s s u re the
U .S . governm ent to stop aidin g the
c o n tra s . H e was in P o r tla n d a fte r
a d d re s s in g a u d ie n c e s in s e v era l
W a s h in g to n
c itie s ,
w h e re
he
received “ a very positive response."
H e said the c o n tra a tta c k s have
k ille d at least 1 ,0 0 0 p eo p le so fa r .
" T h e a tta c k s o n th e b o r d e r w ith
C o s ta R ic a a n d H o n d u r a s h av e
killed tiny children; they have raped
hundreds o f w om en; burned schools
a n d m e d ic a l f a c ilit ie s . T h e y h av e
m urdered physicians, including one
French and one G e rm a n physician
It is c a u s in g tre m e n d o u s fe a r and
panic in the c o u n try .”
T e lle z said the N ic a ra g u a n s fea r
the U . S . w ill in v a d e " l i k e the
M arines in G ren ada. It has been im
p o s s ib le , to d a te , f o r th e c o n tra s
because they have no support fro m
the people o f N icarag ua.
" I f Reagan is re -e le c te d , p eo ple
feel the firs t th in g he w ill do is in
vade. H e w ill erase N ic a ra g u a fro m
C e n t r a l A m e r ic a . T h e p e o p le o f
Nicaragua are prepared to d ie ."
W h e n as k ed w h y N ic a r a g u a 's
fo r m o f g o v e rn m e n t seems to be
such a priority item to the U.S. govern
m e n t, T e lle z r e p lie d . " I t m ean s
fo r R onald Reagan a loss o f pow er,
c o n tro l and w e a lth . N ic a ra g u a is a
‘ bad e x a m p le ' to other countries. It
m eans it is p ossible to c h a n g e the
le g a c y o f p o v e rty a n d m a ln u
t r i t i o n — to h o p e fo r a d ec e n t
life out o f c o n tro l o f W a s h in g to n ,
negligent.
Prob y indicted Bob H a tch fo r not
keeping his w ord when he agreed to
h ire iro n w o rk e rs re fe rre d by h im .
" I sent three to his w ork site and his
son h ire d th e m . B ut his f o r e m a n ,
w h o was B la c k , said they w ere not
q u a lifie d . I to ld O .B . H ill ab o u t it,
a n d he s ta rte d d e a lin g w ith it and
ended up w ith a j o b . "
H i l l was also accused o f d is ru p
tin g P r o b y 's m e e tin g F r id a y , b u t
H ill denied the allegatio n.
" I d id not say a n y th in g a n d the
p ro b le m was th a t the m eetin g was
n ot w ell a tte n d e d . I observed w hat
was going on and it basically was a
bunch o f c o n fu s io n ."
H ill,
p re s id e n t
of
CSS
and
' »
H and C ra fte d
W ood Stoves In c.
A ssociates, runs a co u n s e lin g firm
that is the go between for R .A . H a t
ch an d M B E 's in h ir in g a n d in
v e s tig a tin g c o m p la in ts { P o r t la n d
Observer, M a y 31st).
26
Year
H i l l said he has n o th in g b ut
respect fo r P r o b y because P r o b y ,
" m a d e it possible fo r me to d o the
lit t le b it I 'm d o in g f o r M B E 's . "
A n d he added that if his com p la in t
had v a lid ity , " I w ill m ake a recom
m e n d a tio n to h av e th a t s itu a tio n
reconciled But, he has yet to ask me
to look into the charges."
H i l l said som e o f P r o b y 's asser
tion had m erit. " T h e r e are all types
o f c o n tra c to rs n o t in c o m p lia n c e
w ith th e S T A A a n d E q u a l E m
p lo y m e n t O p p o r tu n ity ( E E O ) . T h e
p rim e c o n tra c to rs d o n o t k n o w
w h e re to lo o k
f o r q u a lifie d
m in orities to d o the jo b . Instead o f
feeding on a frenzy over som ething
th a t has a lre a d y been d e c id e d ,
P ro b y sh o u ld a p p ro a c h these c o n
tractors to help them get their shop
in o rd e r."
T h e controversy continues
keep you posted.
W e 'll
O R LE Y’S H AND CRAFTED
WOOD STOVES SAYS...
P rep a re fo r W in ter Now!
B u y an Orley Stove Today...
Take Advantage of
No Payments until September
No Interest on 12 or 18 months financing
O. A.C. or Big Discounts for Cash.
UMITID TIMI OHtv O F H * ÛOOP THROUGH AIM <5 f9(U
D C ."
H e said the changes in N icarag ua
since th e r e v o lu tio n in 1 979 a re
" d r a m a t i c . " A m o n g th e a c h ie v e
m e n ts h av e been th e e l i m i n
a tio n o f p o lio a n d o th e r c h ild
h o o d d iseases; d ec re as e in the
O u ito. th e capital ol Equador. sits alm ost directly on top
ol th e eq u ato r Because it is 9 300 feet above sea lev
el. it enioys a spring like clim a te th ro u g h o u t th e year
in fa n t m o r ta lity ra te fro m 25V« to
I 2 W ; la n d r e fo r m p ro g ra m s th a t
have b e n e fite d 4 0 ,0 0 0 fam ilies, and
a c o n t in u a l d ecrease in m a ln u
t r i t i o n , w h ic h he s a id re a c h e d
60V» d u rin g the S o m o za d ic t a t o r
ship
T e lle z said his o rg a n iz a tio n has
not been harassed by the Sandim sta
G o v e r n m e n t , even th o u g h N i
c a ra g u a is at least 80V» C a t h o lic .
" W e h av e m o re fr e e d o m n o w .
( D u r in g S o m o z a ) it w as v e ry
dangerous to help p eo ple. It w o u ld
be im m e d ia te ly p o in te d o u t as
‘ C o m m u n is m .’ N o w we feel free to
do this kind o f w o r k ."
H e was asked w hether the Reagan
A d m in is t r a t io n c h a rg e th e S a n -
dinista G overnm ent is C o m m un ist is
tru e. " I t depends on w h at you call
C o m m u n is m ,” he replied. “ 60V» o f
o u r in d u s try is p riv a te business. I f
this is C om m unism , then the govern
ment is C o m m u n is t."
T elle z said m any A m e ric a n firm s
a re d o in g business in N ic a ra g u a
n o w , a n d " 1 ,0 0 0 U .S . c itize n s are
w o r k in g in N ic a ra g u a h e lp in g the
g o v e rn m e n t. H u n d re d s o f y o u n g
p eo ple are h elp ing w ith the c o tto n
and coffee harvests.”
H e s u m m e d up h ow he sees the
fu tu re o f his c o u n try . " U n le s s the
A m e ric a n p eo ple d o s o m e th in g Jo
s to p t h e ir o w n p re s id e n t fro m
causing b lo od shed in N ic a ra g u a , I
think Nicaragua w ill become a large
c e m e te ry . O n ly c h ild r e n a n d o ld
people w ill re m a in ."
MRS. C’S
WIGS
$4”
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