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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1986)
Page 2. Portland Observer, April 2, 1986 Letters^ to tjw Editor^ EDITORIAL/OPINION Mayor Using Press as Scapegoat Last week Mayot Dud t lark. accused Ihe press o l unfait criticism of Chief Pennv I If.u i melon. Im abolishing the Ding .mil Vice Division ( I. iik s stalenx-nt all.xkiug tlx- press is pisi an excuse lot his adnuni-tratious I ail me in hall the city increasing drug and prostitution problems I he piess is sometimes guilty ol creating news when there is none. Io report and locus on incidents that aren't news worthy However, politic ians are otlen guilty ol blaming the pies, lor reporting on issues they would like to lorget I his is tlie case with Mayor Clark Criticism ol Harrington's reorganization ol the Depart mem's Drug and A ice Division has come from members ol the Police Bureau and Irom the public. not Irom tlx- piess as alleged by Clark Stan Peters. President ol Ihe Portland Police Assix'talion. has tcpcalcdly allocked Harrington s administrative policx-s He once told Ihe Piedmont Neighhoihmxl Assixialion that Harrington's "administrative policies have been disastrous, and her decisions have increased Ihe rale " I dune hi Port land Peters said the reason whv Portland ranks high in the nation in crime, and the reason why prostitutes and drug dealers have taken over city streets is Ihe direct result of Hartington disbanding the drug and vice division Also, the C hiefs decision to reorganize the two units has hecn crili c tsed on several occasions in the Police Union newspaper the "Rap Sheet Portlanders have criticized the C h ie f s policies regarding the- bureau's drug and vice units I specially residents living ill the Northeast Neighborhood associations have held pic kets along I nion and Alberta Ave . protesting Ihe presence ol drugs and prostitutes in their community At community forums, citizens have complained to the ( hiel by what they perceive as the Bureau's lack o f concern in redtic mg Ihe drug and vice problem in their area Describ- ing how they have called the police informing them o f illegal drug and v ice activities, only Io he told that due Io the lack of tail space and personnel, prevent the police from doing any thing I he job of the press is to report news and to ask questions Il citizens and city employees are unhappy with the policies ol city officials, the press have the obligation to report it Ihis. Nfi Mayor.is news, not unlair crtlKtsm Strachan Reports Dramatic Decline in SROs Commissioner M argaret!) Strachan recently released a ill all re|x>rt on single- room occupancy tSROi housing in downtown Portland II points to an alarming 5*)% decline in the number ol SRt) tooms ovei Ihe last lb years In 1970 the SRt) inventory was 4.I2K rooms By the end of I9K6. the invert tors ise slim a le d .il I . "’02 Reasons cited lor Ihe loss include lire, delerioi.ilion, poor management. pressure lor conversion io more intense uses, and lack ol funding l>*r rchabilila lion and operation In transmitting Ihe report to the City Council. Strachan's Housing Advisory Committee urged the Council to make SR() housing a piionly in tlx- u|x timing budget debates In addition, the com millee asked that Bureau ol Planning stall examine all existing tools and explore new slralegx-s to preserve anil develop the City 's SRt) housing I he S R t) hotels aie a cruc lal coin poncnl ol the C ity's housing stixk. deciies Strachan. Com m issioixi re eral government is culling back on the dollars available for housing assiv- tance Compounding this problem is the restructuring of our shrinking HCD funds in the City 19Kb 19X7 budget It is proposed that a smaller percentage ol HCD funds w ill go lor housing than in Ihe past Drall HCD budget dtxumenls show the C ity's allixation w ill go from 13 9 m illion in K5 Kb to I I I m illion in 86 I In 1983 M , J 1% ol I,Hal ( itv HCD dollars were alhxaled to housing, while in Kb K7. that percentage w ill de cline to 46% The highly successful Investor Rehabilitation l oan program may be reduced Irom $1.795. (MM) to $1,025,000. a drop ol 42% "T h e IRI. loan program is one ol the lew tools available Io stem the loss ol low inconx- rental housing in general, and SRO housing in purtxular," points out Strachan IRI. loans have been saved Hbb SRt) units in 14 building over the past K years Without Ihe prog ram. many other units would have been taken out ol the inventory We just ic<aiM>iartoiiHtHoseijin ^ ih u e jin ii l ^ sponsible loi the Planning Bureau, and long an advixalc lor preservation of low mettme housing " Ih e y provide housing opportunities lor low income persons, many of whom have special needs \A ithoul an adequate supply of S R t) looms, people w ill have to live on tlx- stieets. under the bridges, or in enx-igency night shelters I he dec line in SRt) looms was viv idly demonstrated this past winter Hotel closuies such as ihe Shoreline and tlx- Cornelius forced low income persons into emergency shelters I sti mates show that at least halt the people <kc upv inc night six-Iters have sut lie lent lesouices to live in SRt )s. it they were available I lie Portland Development Commis sum calculates dial 1,1*00 c losed SRt) units ,ue potentially usable, it financial assistance tor rehabilitation can he ob lamed ( 'onuik-nls Siractian. " I t ’ stragic that oui SRt > housing has continued Io de cline so diamalic ally just wlxm tlx- led AFL-ClO News Brollieis and sisters Once again we are gathering in a day ol solidarity But this mix- we are not demonstrating the solidarity within oui own ranks We are demonstrating our solidimty w uh our blac k brothers and sisters ol the South Alric an trade muon movenx-nt. and with all the victims ol the racist .qiai llieid system And we .lie not alone today, in seven cities across the nation, trade unionists arc- assembling in rallies like this one At each rally we w ill hear Irom a leader ol the South African labor moveiix-nt about their struggle against apar llx-id and tlx- economic exploitation on which it is based I hese brave men ami women are on Ihe front line ol a battle which they wage under the most d ifficu lt and ilangei oils conditions We want them Io know that they .lie hot alone, that we stand at their side We waul III.il message Io lx- he.ml. loud and de a l, bv the government that represses them And by the employers who exploit llk-ii labor oi w ho passively acquiesce m the apartheid system When Ihe A ll CIO Executive Council last month called lot lixla y’s rallies, it was responding to a call Irom the lnierualion.il Confederation ol I iee lia ile I limns which m turn was ies|xindmg to an ap|x-al from oui South African brothers and sisters fix- Al l CIO is reponding Io these appeals |usl as we respond to the appcalsol embattled trade unionists in Poland, the Philippines. Chile. I I Salvador. Haiti wherever work ers are snuggling Io build effective denux ta lk unions ami seek our help W e tesjxmd lust ol all bee ause their cause is right ami just We also respond because we know that we cannot make it alone in this woild We live hi a global economy lixlay Ihe exploitation ol foreign workers threatens tlx- Amcrxan stand. ml ol living no less than Ilk- siibstaml.ml wages and working conditions that prevail in tix> many areas ol our own country II we live in a global economy, then labor's mission must lx- global Ihat is why we are here lixlay Whv tins day ’ Because 2b ve.us ago yestetday. there ikcurred one ot the most brutal ami sluxking inamlestafioiis ol apartheid the Shai|x-ville massacte () n M .iic h 2 l. I960, I A.( RM» bl.ick South Aliicans men, women and children gathered in liont ol tlx- Shurpcvtllc police station I his was part ol a national campaign against the so c ailed Pass I aw s. w hu li tighllv regulated Ihe phy sic al movements ol the black jxipulation In Sharpeville, Ihe police had been notified ol the de I I PORTLAND OBSERVER M» monstration llx-v were assured that it would he nonviolent ami orderly I lx- organizers had pul together a system of patrols ami monitors to ensure that the demonstration would lx- peaceful and digmlied But w Ix-n the deimmstralors gathered, they were met by British m.kle sar.icc-n tanks fix-children in the crowd and there vveie many had never seen such machines before, and llk-y moved loiw.ud to gel a closer look at them * I he p olxc did mil even w Jit long enough Io tell Ihe crowd to disperse I hey simply opened lire W hen the- smoke cleared. K9 nx-u, women and children lay dead, many ol Ihem shot hi the bac k as they were lleeing Another '(Ml were wounded, shot or trampled as the- demonstrators ran Irom Ihe lux- ot lire Ihe world was shtxked II finally undc-rstixxl what apar theid w as about I lx- I inled Nations prix lainx'd March 2 1 as an Intel national Day lor tlx- I liimnaliou ol Racial Disc rum nation I his is a day ol solidarity and remembrance II is a day ol solidarity ami resolve that we w ill not rest until Ihe odious system that prixluccd such brutality. and so many more subtle hums ol violence, is undone It is haul Io think up more words (o condemn apartheid It is umveisally despised Even those in our own countrv who stixxl on tlx- sidelines dining our own struggle lor civil rights ami iac lal justice, or w Ixi resisted it. scent Io have recognized that ajvurthcid is an evil that cannot endure A el. it has endured, despite the denunciation ol world opinion Ihat is because world opinion is nut enough When apartheid tails, it w ill be- bioughl down tmm within I have no doubt that the system w ill be brought down The big question is whether that can be accomplished without massive blixxlslx'd and under conditions that are favorable Io tlx- development ol true dem ixr.uy in that tragic land I lx- best hojx- lor a peaceful dismantling ol ajvartheid lies m tlx- emergence ol the bias k trade union movement I hat 's whv we have a special responsibility We have been assisting that movements lor sonx- years We ate not johnny come latc-lx-s in their struggle even if ollters gel the headlines But we are not interested in headlines We’ re interested in tlx- lim it lux- where Ihe real battle is taking place We're mierested in the people who are on Ihe tiring line I hey need all tlx- moral and material su|vpon we can give llx-iti We are here lixlay to let Ihem and Ihe world know ihat they w ill have that supjxirt Thank you $15 Io« on« year $?*» for two Ht» 113/ Portia- <1 0« 4 ^ * -< Z O Portland. OR 97207 / I I ill! I l l l l l ’l On hx-ball ol out cutuc companv . I would like Io thank you lor tlx- Irom page coverage you gave to Ben Holt in two successive editions ol I In Uh vein 1 It was quite a del 1 gbt1111 sut prise Ben is a late 11xl1v1du.il and il was wonderful to have bun hcic We were pleased Io he able Io shaic bun with some scgitx-nts ol the community AAc llad sonx- sjx-ci.il tlkUIX'iils when he nx'snx'ri/cd the children liom the Black l.ilu c a tio n a l C enter, and charnx-tl everyone at tlx- I inks recep lion Wc arc hoping to bring in a louiing ,>nxluction ol I'm ci mid H iw in A,ml. I9K7 a collahotalum with the- Hous Ion Grand Ojx-ra arxl 14 otlict com panics aioiuxl tlx- I lilted Slates Wc w ill keep you apprised ol develop nx-nls / ’rtig i m i,l II, n is my all mix- favorite musical woik. so I'm quite ex cited My one ic-grvt is that Ben Holt won’t he in it' I,, ill, I,In,n I hank you lor your recent courtesy article regarding out 2nd Annual Musi cal lor Sickle Cell Anemia, however, there was a mistake as Io who Ihe dtrec for is Raiixina is a peer counselor and I am tlx- I xeculivc Director Ihe last ar tid e had our phone- number incorrect Ihe corrected phone number tv 249 I Ib6 ,’lease make ihe corrections when appropriate Again, many, many thanks Sincerely. Marcia I ay lor Executive Director Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation. Inc 1X02 N I Cniun Ave #2 06 Portland. OR 97202 (5031 249 I 466 In ihe editor: Black pexiplc represent a dtsprojxir Initiate number ot the prison ,x,pulalion because tlx-v have fx-en systemaixally denied tlx- lu ll value ot llx-u labor I bis exploitation of Black laboi tumid initial expression 111 the Atrikan slave trade and continued through Ihe practice ot peonage and sharecropping In this sense Black people ate exploited in the same way and by the same group ot people who exploile |xxir caucasoid workets However, an economic analysis ol crime does not explain why Bl.xk |x-o,ile are incarcerated in I jr gteatei numbers than |xxir Caucasians Racism, therelore. becuiiics crucial in understanding capitalist exploitation ol Blac k people In a homogeneous six x-tv. i.icisiit would not lx- a (actor, but ill Ailicrika when- the Black jx'lson al tux- |xunt in history was considered non human, it becomes iixlisjx-nsahlc Racisin and Ihe Black fierson's economic status in sixiety makes it al most uii|xissiblc lor him to get a tair Inal in this country I lie ,udiciary sy s tem is composed entirely ol caucasoid middle* and upper class individuals w Im have a vested interest in protecting their property tights Irom Black mem fx-ts ot tlx- oppressed group I he criim nal itisttce system becomes, therefore, the means by winch those- who own and control capital siphon o il those indi viduals who place then right Io live above c i11111u.il law A B l.xk man before tlx- court system is m ixh more- likely than a caucasoid man to get .1 ptison sentence-, a sentence w Inch is usually w ay out ol line w till the cruix-commuted I ot exam,vie. ( icorge Jackson was sentenced to one year Io hie loi Ix-ing an accessory Io a $70 tobbety ami s,x-nt ten years in prison, while .aitcasoxl iix-it such as thc W atergate defendants get token sen fences in country-club prisons for committing high crimes th jt involve fundaitx-nlal issues of publx trust As the economic conditions become more oppressive, political conscious ix-cs among the oppressed increase, which results in the o,’pressor group calling lor law and order as the nation move* toward .1 police state Therelore. criminal repression assumes its true character as a jxiluically repressive agent ol the state I he system is designed to protect the interest of the propertied class and to eliminate Irom sixiety those who threaten the status quo Although the economic cost of white collar enme such as embezzlement, tax fraud and Watergate is much higher to the soei ety. very lew ol these fx-oplc are jailed because tor the most part they are Caucasian and Irom the so-called upper classes Blacks, on the other hand, be cause ol tfx-ir color and poverty, are jailed tor ihe slightest offense Since the econonnc system is not de signed to survive on full employment, there w ill always he a class o f people who are jx-rx-nnially excluded from the benelits ol sixiety Racism determines llial that group be Black. Brown. Ycl low . Native Anx-nkan or in some other fashion, not Caucasian As long as Black jx-oplc suffer economic exploitation and racial dis c nnnnation, gentxide becomes more of a |xissibihly. particularly when the Blac k population is increasing al such a great rale Amerika has historically dealt severely with its unwanted and obsolete population Ihe exjierince ol the so-called Anierikun Indian (Native Amerikanl provides a precedent for ra cial gentxide Around this nation, even those who know nothing o f world politics, con Hiding ideologies, international trade and cnmnx-rce market, spheres o f in lluences, artels, secret agreements or jxiwer blixs stand terrified eyes the si lent question Just when are we sup |xised Io die and why? lixla y. the process o f genocide.is underway as Amcrika's prison system expands to accommodate Blacks w hose only crime is that they desire to live free and with human dignity Prisons are nothing more than concentration camps lot Black jx-ople Therefore. Blacks w ill continue to be incarcerated in these concentration camps as long as capitalism and racism remain the prim ary forces that determine social status and human worth Dr Jamil Chenivee Conversational Spanish for travelers is a spring quarter ottering ol Portland Community College Ihe non-credii course w ill exlend over an eight week jx-riixl starting Tuesday. April I . Irom 7 to K;30 p nt . in Rixmi 135 ot I incoln High Schixil. ,600 S \ a Salmon Si Instruclor lor the class w ill be David Hunt, who has taught previously for PCC Cost o f ihe class w ill be $ 15.50 More information about Spanish tor travelers is available IromComnnimty Services. 240-5303 Be a part of history H ands A cross A merica ; X3 p» > T X 3) > -f CITlBAhKO * 6 STATI •At Mm I Mohaillad l> () Box 1262 I have also enjoyed working with Richard Blown He is j wonderful photograjvbet and a wonderful "gent leman Sincerely yours. Jane Blume Public Relations/ Marketing C ixirdinjtor eia? Apt Cl TV In the h lilu i Prior to Qhaddaly's triumph to power on Sept I. 1969. Libya was a monarchy The reigning monarch, kin g Idris, wav a great trx-nd Io the U S When king Idriv wjs .-one so were the U S military bases in 1 tbya When Qhaddaty came to power in 1969, average yearly per capita income in Libya at the tmx- was around $50 Eight out of every 10 people were 1II11 eralc Diseases ran rampant hut nx-dxal services were non existent, except in the two major elites and even there they were limited the rate o f jxipulation growth, under I percent, rellected Libya's high infant mortality, mat nourishment and short life expectancy Since 1969. average yearly per capita income has soared to well over $6.(MM) lix la y in Libya education and medical care are tree About 7(1 percent o f the jxipulation is literate Both urban and rural areas have gixxl medical facilities According Io the World Bank. Libya has become one of ihe world's best led countries Most basic lixxfs 1 including baby food*) arc available at low government subsidized prices Unemployment offx-ially was above K jvercent in the 1960's Today un employment is eliminated and .1 labor shortage exists I and was given to land less peasants and lann laborers, and the gap between rural and urban inconx-s has steadily narrowed By law. no one in Libya can own more than one house Thus landlords were eliminated I lx- government has resold houses and apartnx-nts to tenants at low . subsidized prxes I his is indeed a revolution fix- 1969 I ibvan levolntion ixcured in a mainly pre capitalist sixiety I he revolution was a national denux ratic one that chose- a non capitalist ,1.11b ol dcvclopnx-nt aixl an anti imperialist foreign jxilicy IN ASSOCIATION WITH CfTTCOrtPO Portland Observer A PROJECT OF IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE COCA COIA CO o»»- 81 »1, Thx ZSxrlaiMZ re u e rv rr lU b t'S 9BB «BOI • puMabad m u Tbixsrtxv by t i w Puhhxbuq) Company. Inc . 1MB3 N f Kthnqa worth Portland O a g o n 9 7 J II P o « OtKca Boa 3137. Portland. O a g o n 9)JI»I Sacond (lass 1«.stage i-arl at Portland Oregon To make a pledge and join the line, call The /XviluraZ n b ir r x s *-as astahaabad »1 1970 uaa» «>«■>■» ( M rcMW«(V lw MEMBER Aatociabort - foundad IMS Suhar i f i t n m »15 OP i w rt«a< m lha Tn County area Post m a s t « Send adrt»asa c hangas tn the PrwHand fNMrrvsr. P O 288-0033 Bow 3137 Portland Oregon 977OB Alfred I Hendrrsor., Editor/Publisher A! Williams, General Manager N a tio n a l A d v e rtis in g R sp rs s s n ts tlv s A m s lg s m s ts d Publishers, Inc N e w York 1-800-USA-9000 Won't you lend a hand?
