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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 12, 1986)
MUM* UkXtttthb. March 12, 1986. Portland Observer. Page 3 Young and Laffer Debate Reaganomics b\ Hi’b h ih u in A debate between Reagan economic- adviser Arthur Laffer and Atlanta mayor Andre» Young promised some fireworks in Forest Grove Thursday night, hut it produced only a few firec rackers L a ffe r and Young debated "R e a g a n 's S tew ardship o f the Economy" for the annual Tom McCall Politics and Law Forum al Pacific U ni versity Laffer, one of the architects o f "su p ply side econom ics", olherw ise known as Reaganomics, beamingly described what he termed unprecedented prosper ity brought to the country through the "Reagan revolution By cutting taxes, the Reagan ad ministration has provided an incentive to business on the "supply side" that has fueled an economic recovery, ac cording to Laffer. that reduced inflation to 5 percent, cut unemployment from 10 7 percent to b 7 percent and created 9 6 m illion new jobs, "m ore than the entire free world combined ” Even SAT scores tor high school students have increased, said la tte r That statement drew snickers from the audi ence "T he results o f the revolution. Reagan's stewardship of the economy, is nothing short o f spectacular," Laffer said "There have been enormous changes in America and the changes have all been straight up " Young agreed that from his perspec live in Atlanta, the economy is boom ing Over $.50 billion in new invest ment. mainly from Japan and other foreign countries, has come into the city in the last four years, he said "M aybe it's going tixi well, it scares me.” said Young, former U S rep resentative to the United Nations and protege o f Martin Luther King " I don't sec that it's generating new jobs Even with all the prosperity, said Young. Atlanta still has 4,000-5,000 homeless every night that the city can t take care of. and 50-451 percent of the city's population, which is 65 percent black, lives below the poverty line " I t become a drag on the social order the likes of which we find hard Io face," he said Young said the federal govern ment has a responsibility to provide "m in im u m security" lor the disadvan taged Young worried that with massive foreign investment, Atlantans might become "sharecroppers in our own land 55e 'll be doing the work but the profits w ill be drained o ff " He called tor international trade ag reements to help reduce the nation's trade deficit, which he said was a ma|or problem with the economy under Reagan Seattle reporter Mindy Cameron, one o f several panelists, asked Laffer whether there was a place in the "Reagan revolution" for the homeless, unemployed and wellare mothers Laffer answered by returning to his premise that fueling investment on the supply side by tutting laves and stxial programs is the best way to eliminate poverty " I don't know any way of solving that problem by putting everyone on one tier at the bottom ." he said On military spending. Latter re peated the Reagan line — peace through strength Hut, " I tear we've been locked intoa military economy." said Young He suggested that |obs could he created by having huge defense contractors con vert to mass transit or housing instead o f weapons "O u r economy, our culture and re ligtous values can also serve Io make us strong and that should not be neg lected." Young said <• J Atlanta. ( , «-orgia M .ivor Andrew A nting addresses statements by economist A rthur I ufTer d u rin g th e ir deli.de at Pacific I nivel sits Photo liv Richard J. Brown <• 1 You've g o t w hat i t takes. Child Abuse Up Again On the heels o f the alleged beating death o f a three-year-old Jackson County g irl, state Children s Services Division officials today reported high lights o f the 19X5 child abuse statistics showing that incidents of child abuse and neglect ate skyrocketing in Ore gon And while the death February 22 of Sue Ann Joy ot Talent. Oregon isn't reflected in last year's figures, the deaths o f six other Oregon children are According to Children's Services Division, last year there were 14,61b confirmed incidents ot physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and neglect, in Oregon That compares w uh II ,474 incidents ot harm in 1984 Jewel Goddard, administrator ot CSD, termed the upward spiral "s e ri o u s," and called on Oregonians to re spond by supporting programs that work to prevent abuse before it occurs O f the total number of 1485 inci dents, 8.650 were girls and 5.98b were boy s Their ages ranged from infancy to IK years Neglect posed the most common threat to children in 1985 A total o f 5,285 incidents o f neglect were con firmed — 2,749 boys and 2,554 girls These figures rose from 1484, when 2.466 boys and 2.260 girls suttered from neglect Sexually abused youngsters ac counted tor another significant portion of the overall figures Last year. 5 ,1b2 sexual abuse incidents were verified by CSD The vast majority involved girls 4,020 compared with 1,142 boys Statistics for 1484 showed that 5,551 incidents ol sexual abuse took place, with 2.800against girls and 751 against boys Physical abuse cases, including head and internal injuries, burns, broken bones, bruises, and abrasions, rep resented 5.229 of the total abuse and neglect incidents in 1485 More inci- dentsot physical abuse against bxiys are revealed. I.b b l cases involve boys and 1,568 involve girls In 1484. a total ol 2,468 physical abuse cases were confirmed (X them, 1.525 were boys and 1,145 were girls Smaller, but still significant, num bers show up in the category ol emo tional abuse of children Ot the 45b cases in 1485, 504 were lound to he girls, and 452 were boys In 1484. 581 cases involving girls took place, anti 545 involving hoys The total figure of emotional abuse in cidents that year was 72b Emotional abuse includes incidents o f children who are. for example, habitually scapegoated or threatened, or are otherwise deprived o f the minimum emotional support necessary for normal growth and development Finally, in 1485, six Oregon children died as a result o f abuse or neglect Four were females and two were males Their ages ranged from infancy to 15 years Three girls died of abuse or neglect in 1984, but no boys CSD's Child Protective Services Manager, Diana Roberts, said her 1 A ».*• agency is especially alarmed by the in creases in the areas ot sexual and phy si cal abuse " In every month ol 1485. sexual abuse was higher than in the single highest month ol 1484." she pointed out Roberts said the physical abuse numbers concerned her because in t )re gon they continue to rise, while na tional statistics lor serious physical abuse are leveling o il "T he rise in serious physx. al abuse is most likely tied to increased stress in families, coupled with a scarcity ol so cial and mental heal h services." Roberts concluded Oregon's overall abuse- and neglect figures have risen each year since 1480 " The continued rise in reports calls for immediate action. Roberts said "Oregon must begin to identity and develop progiams and initiatives which w ill effectively reverse these rising trends " A detailed annual report analysing the 1485 figures, dtawing conclusions about them and noting statewide de velopments, w ill be published by CSD in May f.5 „A r r r tk '4 Energy Assistance Dollars Available Additional utility assistance funds are now available tor low income resi dents o f Portland The Community Action Agency o f Portland (C A A P l has awarded $56,422 50 in f ederal Emergency Management Administration (FI M A ) funds to six neighborhood based agen cies These monies are intended for use by C AAP service area low income households to help pay utility costs Other energy assistance dollars availa ble inc lude Emergency f uel Assistance Fund (E l AFl and laiw Income Energy Assistance Program (I.IF.AP) The funding cycles and e lig ib ility require ments o f these programs are designed Io have monies available for clients throughout the year The CAAP. which functions as a planning and contracting body, has awarded energy funds to the following agencies Urban league (Northeast Portland). North Community Action Council (North Portland). Northwest Service Center (Northwest Portland), NeighhorhxxxJ House (Southwest Port land), PACI' (Southeast Portland), and Burnside Project* (Downtown Port land) Persons wishing information on these services should call their respec live neighborhood agency 1 Prime Rate Reduced PORTLAND — First Interstate Bank o f Oregon today changed its prime rate from 4 5 percent to 4 () per cent First Interstate Bank o f Oregon's prime rate refers Io the bank's publicly announced prime rate which is a base- rale used to price some loans It may not be the lowest rate at which the bank makes any loan I •W l
