Page 4, Portland Observer, May 8. 1986
EDITORIAL/OPINION
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Don't defer opportunity!
Vote 'Yes' on Measure 26-4
The opportunity to obtain a college education
will be limited if we fail to pass a three-year
serial levy for Portland Community College on
May 21.
Unfortunately, this levy has been poorly pro
moted and voting day can come and go without
anyone ever noticing. Also, this levy couldn't
have come a, a worse time for homeowners who
arc being squeezed from the top, bottom and
both sides.
But the price PCC is asking for is small in
comparison to untapped talent, unrealized aspi
rations and unfulfilled dreams. A ll stages o f ed
ucation play a part in discovering one’s talent
and translating aspirations into accomplish
ment. The community college is structured to
accommodate the schedule o f employment,
family and self.
Voters will answer the question, "Should the
opportunity for higher education remain open
to all Americans or jus, a selected few?" A re-
duction in the present level o f community col
lege services reduces and dilutes opportunity.
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A financial transfusion from the state is no,
forthcoming because PCC is penalized for being
an urban institution in a high population area.
Thus, when finite educational dollars are dis
tributed statewide, the inner city must compete
against rural locals.
This three-year levy will add 71 cents per
thousand dollars* o f accessed value. This finan
cial infusion is targeted for major facilities re
pairs, the continuation o f night and weekend
classes, job training and vocational classes.
Nationally, a crisis in educational opportunity
exists and we must do everything in our power to
maintain or expand opportunities in our own
backyard. I f Multnomah County residents re
fuse to add a few extra cents to their property
taxes the criminal justice system will pass on the
costs of unfulfilled dreams that explode in a
nightmare o f frustration turned inwardly.
Remember what happens to a dream de
ferred. Support opportunity and vote “ Yes,"
May 21 on Measure 26-4.
1
Thanks from Mumford family
The fam ily o f the late Rev. Ira D. Mumford wishes lo thank their friends
fo r their prayers and many acts o f kindness shown during their hour o f
bereavement.
Your sincere expressions o f friendship and love have been a source o f com
fort to us. May G od bless each o f you,
MRS L YD!A MUMFORD AN D FAM 11 Y
V SOUTH AFRICA
American workers are losing their
jobs because muhinanonal corpora
tions are pulling people oui o f work,
closing plains, and gulling our com
munities. They are fleeing ihe U.S. in
order lo cut union wages, avoid pay
ing laves (corporations which invest in
South A frica pay taxes to the while
m inority government which can be
deducted from their U.S. taxes), and
escape requirements for safe working
conditions. These U.S. companies
are instead investing in countries
like South A frica where conditions o f
virtual slave labor exist. The U.S. also
imports many products such as coal
and steel from South A frica instead
of
buying
American-produced
products.
Yet. removing public funds from
companies invested in South A frica
allows these same funds to be rein
vested in job-creating enterprises in
out own communities. Many o f ihe
hills currently being considered across
ihe country make local reinvestment
ihe first p rio rity for funds freed
through divestment. By doing this,
divestment can help the people o f
our own communities as well as ihe
Blacks struggling for freedom in
South Africa.
Since 1982, there has been a grow
ing surge o f divestment measures
passed across ihe country:
• By the end o f 1984 Slate and
Municipal action across the U.S.
had mandated the withdrawal o f
over 1.1 billion dollars in public funds
from businesses in South Africa.
• Seventeen cities have divestment
policies, including Boston, M A ; New
York. N Y; Philadelphia. PA; W il
mington, DE; Grand Rapids, M l,
and our nation's capiiol, Washing
ton. D C .
• In 1983 the U.S. Congress re
viewed the D C divestment bill, and
in a bipartisan 10-2 vote, the House
District o f C olumbia C ommittee vot
ed io support the D.C. bill.
• Five stales: Connecticut. M ich i
gan, Maryland, Massachusetts and
Nebraska have passed divestment leg
islaiion
A fundamental question about
divestment must always be raised:
"W h a t will be ihe financial impact on
the portfo lio ? ” An answer to that
question is developing from the ex
perience o f slates and cities that have
divested In Connecticut the State
Treasurer’ s office reported that as o f
July 30, 1981 it has sold pension s lw k
valued at $19.025 m illion dollars
as a result o f divestment legislation
passed in 1982 and made a profit o f
over $5.7 m illion dollars, a figure
that convincingly rebuiis the argu
ment that divestment w ill cost tax
payers.
Robert Schwartz, an investment
advisor to union pension funds and
institutional investors has more than
10 years experience in the area o f
socially responsible invest mem, creat
ing criteria for disinvestment and in
vestment alternatives. Testifying in
relation to ihe divestment bill passed
in the District o f Columbia, he made
the following statement: “ The poten
tial returns from any investment de
pend, in addition to market condi
tions, in large part on the quality o f
the investment manager. While no
investment manager can "guarantee”
a given level o f investment earnings —
a competent money manager can de
velop a profitable investment pro
gram while avoiding the securities o f
firms which are involved with the
Republic o f South A fric a .”
An investment p o rtfo lio without
companies investing in South A frica
can be profitable because o f the large
numnber o f alternative investments.
As Joan Bavaria, a financial expert,
and the President o f f ranklin Re
search & lievelopment Corporation,
slated in testifying on the D.C. bill,
"There arc about 6,350 companies
listed on the major exchanges in this
country. O f that number, less than
400 do business with South Africa. . .
There is no material investment dis
advantage created by excluding less
than one percent o f the listed com
panies from an investment approved
list. Companies like Waste Manage
ment, Polaroid, Wang Labs, Signal,
Ralston Purina, Quaker Oats, and
Digital Equipment come to mind as
alternatives. There are many m ore."
—C AISA (Campaign Against
Investment in South A frica)
Portlanders Organized f o r Southern
A fric a n Freedom (PO SAF), a local
m u lti-ra c ia l citizens a c tio n g ro u p
that supports Black m a jo rity rule in
Southern A fric a and an end to U.S.
support f o r apartheid. F o r m ore in
fo rm a tio n call 230-9427.
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A lfre d L. Henderson, E d ito r/P u b lish e r
A l W illiams, General Manager
National Advertising Representative
A m algam ated Publisher«, Inc
N ew York
This letter comes regarding the
A p ril 16th article in the Oregonian
titled "Desegregation: How Much
Progress? Morale woes blight hopes
at 'm odel' middle school.”
I am Valerie Peterson, Student
Body President at Harriet Tubman
Middle School and I have some major
complaints regarding the article. I feel
that my concerns should be heard and
respected
Kat hie Durbin came to our school
(I don’ t remember the specific date)
and asked some other students and
myself negative things about our
school as well as about our principal
(as a matter o f fact she came to my
classroom). M any times reporters,
editors, photo editors, etc., report,
but they should get the whole story
and not just the negative things There
are two sides to each and every prob
lem in life. W hen Ms. Durbin came to
the classroom she talked about the
school's environment. I remember
saying that "T ubm an has a real good
learning environm ent," but I never
saw her write down anything and she
went on lo another section o f the
classrixmi until someone came up
with a lot ol negative responses about
our principal. She then wrote these
statements down.
It also says tn the article when two
different teachers (o f different races)
had a statement we noticed that she
said, "W ilh e lm i who is white and
Fisher who is Black . .” Staling their
color was unnecessary, as it lixiks as
if she were making this into a racial
issue.
I also read the tw o or three para
graphs about the m ajority o f the
remedial classes being Black and I
personally became offended by that
statement. To me it sounds as if she
were saying Blacks are "illite ra te ."
V A L E R IE PE TERSON
Student Body fhvsidenl
at several meetings and press con
ferences and participated in the peace
ful demonstration downtown that
demanded justice be done.
In every instance, it ws the cool,
compassionate, yes, loving spirit o f
Ron Herndon that let people express
their hurt and help them find non
violent ways to seek resolution. It was
a d ifficu lt time for Ron, but he was
equal to the challenge. Others helped,
to be sure, but it was to Ron that the
community turned for leadership
and guidance.
Our community, the C ity o f P ort
land, all who care about people, owe
Ron Herndon a debt o f gratitude
He is a good friend, an outstanding
person, and I say, Praise the Lord.
We arc indeed blessed by his pres
ence and his unselfish commitment to
the well-being o f all o f us.
BOB NELSON
Herndon praised
T-shirts deplored
To the Editor,
During the past couple o f weeks,
our community has been torn by con
flict and unhappy events that could
well have led to wholesale violence
and destructive confrontation. The
death o f Tony Stevenson at the hands
o f the police, for whatever reason,
and the callous insult to the commun
ity by the T-shirt a ffa ir, created an
anger that was close to eruption.
We can basically thank one person
for dealing with the despair and anger
in such an outstanding manner to
keep people from taking to the street
ina full-blow n riot. I was present
To the Editor,
I have always been proud to be a
citizen o f Portland.
However, after reading o f the o ff i
cer with the offensive T-shirts, I am
ashamed o f our city.
I truly hope this officer w ill be
discharged . No possible explanation
could be claimed for this unspeakable
behavior, which was a, best deliberate
and insensitive, t an this man be trust
ed to make wise judgment calls under
stress?
ROSALIE FULTON
A Middle Aged WASP