Page 10, Portland Observer, September 11, 1906
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor,
Once again the people are insulted
by an in sin u a tio n that they are but
inilkblc morons who have not a thought
in the p rin c ip a l that sits atop their
shoulders. Jerry Falwell expressed his
concern fo r " a ll the c h ild re n , and
especially the Black children o f South
A frica ."
Ihe words reck o f irony when, with
calculated deliberateness he spends a
million dollars . . . not to do anything
f o r those children for whom he p ro
fesses to be so concerned — but in
stead, to attempt to change the way the
moral people o f the world view and ac
cept apartheid as a way and means o f
life. If, as lie claims and masquerades,
Jerry l alw cll is tru ly a man o f God
who believes in God’s word and God’s
legacy (the Bible), it is hoped that he
lives by, patterns his life to, and
teaches from that legacy. It he is truly
a minister o f God, and God has pro
sided him with a surplus o f $1 m illio n ,
I believe God's way would be to use it
fo r those Black children in South A fri
ca fo r which he is "c o n c e rn e d ", or
better yet, at home, here in America,
where millions are starving and out on
the streets with no place to go. What is
South A frica to him. anyway? What's
it to him to squander a million dollars
to p rom ote a system w hich anyone
with morals and integrity and a feeling
o f what it means to be a human being
who // mkv
Arrows is unfair, and un
just? W hat's it to him to waste any
amount o f money to promote any way
o f life cross co u n try when so many
people genuinely need it for construc
tive purposes . . . even lo i their very
survival? Somewhere, hi America, is a
child who is dying because his parent
does not have the money fo r a life
saving operation for him. Somewhere
in America now is a Black child who is
dying slowly because he sees no open
mg through which to dream. Today,
in America, whole fam ilies o f children
are going to bed hungry because their
parents are unemployed or poverty-
stricken. Somewhere in America now
are families who spread their pallets
underneath the bridges at night be
cause they have no home I could go
on and on. And he uses a million dol
lars to sell a wrong . . . and he passes
him self o f f as a M in iste r o f G od's
Ideals
It is obvious to me that Jerry Fal
well is one who has the arrogant con
fidence to view himscll (along with his
(g ift o f gab) as supreme enough to
m anipulate the thoughts o f his
counterparts who have each been given
identical tixils
a mind and a heart
with which to think, Io rationalize, to
analyze, and to make decisions and
commitments concerning life and liv
ing. It is obvious to me, also, that he
has been provided funds and spoil
sored in money Io buy “ air tim e " in
tlx- mega media to promote something
w hich has absolutely n othing to do
with his mission as a minister o f God's
word and God's way His attitude and
e ffo rts are to ta lly co n tra ry to that
which he claims to represent (the Bible
speaks o f such . .). According to (he
Word, such tongues do not wag to die
acknowledgement o f H im , and w ill
not wag in His kingdom. It is o f the es
sence that M r. F alw ell continue to
pray . .
J C O U R TN EY G O RDO N
P.S., For the record, I am not a re
ligious person, but I do try to live by
(therefore believe in) The Ten C om
mandments and in the age-old (but still
guaranteed to w ork) " D o U nto O th
ers. . . " , and I do try to be respectful
and fair o f my fellow-man. . . if only
just because he or she was (obviously)
identically worthy to be put here. Mr.
Falwell would do well to drop the title
(at least for the time being) and do as
much I am simply a conscientious,
observing, and concerned woman who
happens to be in h a b itin g this earth
(God's earth), during these particular
times, and I just think it's too bad that
many, many who pass through, pass
on.
w ithout ever having gotten an
opportunity to Zrve (according to the
standards o f his time), aixl to he
all
because there an- those of us who instt
gate hard times fo r others because o f
personal greed, selfishness, and arro
gance (likely due to self doubt) What
a waste o f something very special
life and living
To the Editor,
Billiot Measure No I, or the Sales
and Use l ax (correct name), not ( )rc
gon's balanced tax plan as quoted in
the comic b»x>k put out by the group
wanting us to fool our own property
tax relief with a sales tax.
Why would a new business come to
Oregon with a sales tax? They know
properly tax can still go up — city and
counties still get a 6 percent lax base.
Schools get 6 and 12 percent tax base
the firs t tw o years i f the sales lax
passes.
M ore jobs hi Oregon because of
sales tax? I hat's a laugh' We d o n 't
have a sales tax now and companies
are not hiring.
They talk o f tourist money lor Ore
gon — do you know we w ould lose
more in revenue from our neighboring
stales such as Washington, Idaho, Ne
vada, and ( ah to rn iu ’ I hese people
come here to buy big items because we
liave no sales lax.
It the sales tax passes we w ill have
an extra tax burden ot $ 10H 6 m illion
a year on our shoulders I he yearly
cost of collecting this new tax would be
$J0 .5 m illion, that is more than lour
ists w ould bring in plus we lose the
out-of-state busiix-ss.
They sav vou get 35 percent tax re
lie f. an example to lilt- co n tra ry
your income is $25,000, home value
$50, («to. properly relief $3X5, income
tax relief $142, break even purchases
$10,500 Five percent (5^»| of $IO,'<»>
$525 (»1(110 relief)
5f \R (, \R I I B // SG.V
( hairman I ane ( ounty
Consumers Opposing Sales law s
I ugene. OR V740I
The Royal Esquire Club's
Community Service Statement
by A.D.S.
Volume VII
C o m m u n ity Service Benefit C om ing Up Soon!
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should.
The A.D.S. Phoenix Club is the only club that gives its mem
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Here is how to become a member o f the A.D.S. Phoenix Club:
Mail $24,00 in check or money order to A.D.S. Phoenix Club,
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To the Editor,
Theodore Johnson, a Black youth,
wfule incarcerated and under the juris
diction o f M aclaren School fo r Boys,
was indicted for three charges o f sod
omy. One o f these cases has already
been tried with a "N o t G uilty” verdict
returned by the ju ry , and another
case has been dropped.
I hese charges have been very detri
mental to Theodore's progress and
rehabilitation. First o f all, he has been
held at the M a rio n C o u n ty C o u rt
house for over I our months. Secondly,
these charges are w ithout factual evi
dence, but impose a heavy psychologi
cal burden fix a young person who has
worked and achieved great steps d u r
ing his personal rehabilitation Thirdly,
it is clear to observers at Theodore's
trial, that staff members at M aclaren
hold enorm ous anim osity tow ards
Theodore. It is questionable whether
Theodore w ill receive fair and eq u it
able treatm ent upon his re tu rn to
M a d aren, once he is cleared o f the
remaining charge Why is I hcodixc I..
Johnson faced w ith continued perse
cution by the state o f Oregon? We, as
well as you, are concerned that our
young people who are incarcerated are
treated fairly, and given positive role
models to assist them in their rehabili
tation.
Enough is Enough. . . The C h il
dren's I egal Defense Fund for Theo
dore I Johnson's C om m ittee has
found it necessary to w rite this open
letter to call for Community support.
I heodore'x attorney has tried to work
w ith the d istrict attorney's o ffic e in
Marion County to no avail, the district
attorney is still continuing to pursue
the case against I heodorc, with more
costs to the state fo r no reason. The
trial is scheduled to begin September
16, 19K« at X JO a m in the M a rio n
County Courthouse People interested
in car p o oling to salem, or needing
transportation should call 2X7-7756
I Q l A l JUSTK I IO R A l I
< HU OH! V S / / G 1/ H U I \ S /
I I M O O R IH C O D O R I I JOHNS
i H ll D REN S I EC A l
D E I ENSI CUNDEOR
IH C O D O R I / JOHNSON
A s w e all know, th e b re a k u p of th e old Bell
S y stem created c h iin g es in phone serv ic es an d prices.
A nd tlie c h a n g e s will c<intinue f<>r s<une tim e t<) c< >me.
We at Pacific N orthw est Bell’s L e ts T alk B ureau
have th e jo b of k e e p in g u p w ith th e s e c h a n g e s a n d
a n sw e rin g your q u e stio n s ab o u t th em .
It’s o u r jo b at L e t’s T alk to k e e p you inform ed.
For ex a m p le, so m e ra te s for local se rv ic e s a re
in creasing, to m eet th e actu al co sts of su p p ly in g th e
serv ices. A t th e siim e tim e som e long d ista n c e ra te s
a re g o in g dow n.
We will be p ublishing m e ssa g e s about th e se ;ind
o th e r c h a n g e s in th e w ee k s ah e ad , a n d w e a re alw ays
available to sp e a k w ith you a b o u t an y phone-related
m atter.
G ill us toll-free at 1-800-5x55-5000 an y tim e.
A nd L e ts Talk.
Pacific Northwest Bell
< Ph"* Pacific Northwcsi Hell
Io the Editor,
As part ol their m illion dollar plus
campaign to sell the sales tax, the so-
called "People to i a Better O regon"
subm itted no less than 12 of the 15
" Arguments in I a v o i" ol Measure I
in the official Special I lection Voters'
Pamphlet.
One of these bought and paid for
"statements," under the name o f one
Jack R Baines, listed as " ( hairman
ol I egislalive C om m ., Oregon State
C ouncil ol Senior C itiz e n s ," asserts
that "O regon Seniors Back Balanced
I axes" and that " O n Sept 17 We
W ill Vole lot Measure I
I hat is an outrageous and to ta lly
lalse m isreprcntation ot the Oregon
Slate C ouncil to r Senior C itize n s’
stand on the sales tax Neither M r.
Baines or "P eople tor a Belter Ore
gon" had any authorization whatso
ever to speak tor the Oregon Council
on this issue. In tact, the only position
taken to date by our (o u n c il on Mea
sure I occurred al our August 23rd
joint membership Board o f Directors
quarterly meeting, when those present
voted to recommend opposition to the
sales tax at the September l?th Spe
cial Flection.
Along with other low and middle in
come families
seniors would be hit
hardest by a sales lax — inasmuch as
they must sjx-nd a greater percentage
ot their fixed incomes on sales taxable
purchases than would wealthier per
sons
who stand to gam most o f the
so-called "property tax relief." What’s
more seniors ate heavy users o f over-
the-counter medications which would
be taxed As for food, seniors would
fin d their restaurant meals costing
more. And like everyone else, close to
hall ol most seniors' grocery carts are
made up o f non-food items subject to
the sales tax.
No — no amount o f misrepresenta
tions spread by the well-heeled "P e o
ple for a Better Oregon" — whether in
cartoon booklets or statements in the
Voters' Pam, ilet — can disguise the
fact that a sales tax would be bad news
fix most Oregonians, especiallv seniors
and others on fixed incomes. The Ore
gon State ( ouncil for Senior Citizens
recommends a " N O " vote against
Measure I on September l?th
N A T IO N A I C O U NC IL
O f SENIOR CITIZENS
Raymond F. Fisher, President
Nate Davis, Vice-President
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