Page 2, Portland Observer, October 1, 1986
Jasper A m bers, A tto rn e y at Law operates ow n law office.
Photo by Richard J. Brow n
Jasper L Ambers
A tto rn e y at Law
Jasper L. Ambers is one of only a handful of African American attorneys
in private practice in Portland Ambers has been in private practice since
1978, and his office is located at 716 North Alberta. Ambers said 65 percent
of the cases he handles are criminal and 35 percent are civil cases
Prior to going into private practice. Ambers worked three years as a
Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney. Ambers said of the two pro
fessions, he prefers being in private practice the most
"I enjoy my private practice the most As an attorney in private practice.
I can be more diverse. As a DA one is restricted only to criminal law."
Ambers said some time in the near future, he would like to start a law
firm with other Black attorneys in the Portland area.
Ambers is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and a graduate o, Fisk
University in Nashville, Tennessee He earned his law degree from Cleve
land State University, Cleveland, Ohio. He is a member of the Association
of Oregon Black Lawyers.
Speaking of Small Business
"Ruling” Out Small Business
If you are one of the thousands of small firms doing business with the
federal government, you are about to get sandbagged by the OFPP
You've never heard of OFPP? It’s the Office of Federal Procurement
^odatevouri,
EDW ARD E. WARD. DMD
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Policy, a low-profile, highly influential part of the bureaucracy that sets the
rules by which the government contracting game is played.
The OFPP is part of the Office of Management and Budget and rt wants
to repeal the "rule of tw o". Getting rid of government regulations normally
is a sound idea In this instance, however, it's one of the worst ideas the
bureaucracy has come up with. It ranks with the "contemporaneous"
recordkeeping rule IRS issued last year on the use of business vehicles
The "rule of two" says that when there are at least two responsible small
firms bidding on a contract and the government can expect to pay a reason
able price, the contract m u st be "set aside" for bidding by small firms only
It does not mean that bidding is limited to two small firms. It does mean
that big business cannot bid.
The rule has been in use by some agencies since 1964 and by all federal
agencies since 1984
Why is it so important? It insures that a small business is going to get
the contract and the taxpayers are going to pay a reasonable price If the
figures the bureaucracy gives us are correct, small business gets about $30
billion a year in federal prime contracts Nearly half of that. $15 6 billion,
came as the result of the "set aside" program in FY 1984
If the rule is repealed, it could cut small business' already meager take of
the gederal procurement dollar in halfl Big business which represents only
one percent of all businesses in the nation, already get 80% of the contract
dollars. They stand to get even more if the "rule of two" is repealed
The OFPP says it is complying with a provision of the Competition in
Contracting Act of 1984 That section directs agencies to "increase the use
of full and open competition..." by adopting policies, procedures and prac
tices that assure the agency receives a su ffic ie n t num ber (emphasis
supplied) of sealed bids.
The manner in which the OFPP has interpreted the Act, in effect, directs
contracting officers to justify in writing, setting aside contracts for bidding
by small firms only More important, it in effect offers big buiness which
already have complained that competition from small firms is "eroding"
their sale of spare parts, a chance to have a "set aside" rejected merely by
indicating they might bid.
Getting the best price has not necessarily been contracting officers'
prime consideration. Remember $400 hammers and $640 toilet seats?
Their main objective is to get the item delivered according to specifications
and on time. It is not reasonable to expect them to jeopardize that objective
by making detailed surveys and written determinations prescribed in the
proposed rule change.
The OFPP says its proposal complies with the law Congress says OFPP
is misinterpreting the law
If all this has a familiar ring to it. it should.
Congress last year directed IRS to change the rules on justifying the use of
business vehicles for tax purposes IRS did However, what they issued
hardly overcame what Congress objected to in the first place and Congress
is again taking IRS to task
It is no secret that the person originally designated to draft proposed
legislation sent to Congress, often is the one who gets it back for interpre
tation once Congress passes the law It's an easy way for the Executive
Branch to circumvent Congressional directives it doesn't completely agree
with.
Repealing the "rule of two" is a bad idea. It will rule thousands of small
businesses out of the federal marketplace. It will destroy the "set aside"
program that provides nearly half of all the contracting dollars small firms
get from the government It will likely impair to a serious degree the capital
base of thousands of small businesses and worse, it will jeopardize even
further the competitive position of small business and increase the concern
tration of federal contracting in big corporations
If you are affected by and concerned with this proposal, be on the look
out for an announcement of its being published for public comment Send
your comments to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
You should also let your Senators and Congressman know how you feel If
pian
Educational literature dealing with
issues of pet ownership, breeding
control, hunting, trapping, and al
ternatives
to
animal
research
is available through Friends of Ani­
mals, Inc., the national non profit
animal protection organization.
Flyers, brochures and short pam­
phlets are sold at cost through the
organization's administrative office
in Neptune, New Jersey.
Friends of Animals, a twenty
nine year old organization, provides
a National Low Cost Breeding Con
trol Program for dogs and cats. For
information on the low-cost "Spay
Clinic" nearest you, or to receive a
literature order form, call toll free,
1 800 631 2212.
you write to us. w e’ll make certain your comments are passed on to the
appropriate Congressional Committees for their action.
The "rule of tw o" was and continues to be a good rule for small business
The National Small Business Association, is a bi partisan, non-profit
organization of small business owners, 1,56 15th Street, NW . Suite 710,
Washington, DC 20005
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Dr Edw ard T W ard. D M D
Photo by Richard J. Brown
Dr. Edward T. Ward, DMD
G eneral D entistry
Dr Edward T Ward, DM D, operates his dentistry business in downtown
Portland at 610 S W . Alder, Suite 1008 Dr. Ward has operated from this
location for the past eight years. Prior to opening his dentistry office, Dr
Ward worked for the University of Oregon Dental School as an instructor in
the public health division.
Dr Ward said he enjoys having his own dental practice and would like to
expand in the fdture. "By providing my clients with quality service at rea
sonable rates, I hope to increase the number of patients I serve."
Realizing that one must be knowledgable of how to run a successful
business, Dr. Ward has taken courses in Small Business Management.
Ward said the courses have helped him tremendously in the operation of
his business
Dr Ward is a Texas native and a graduate of the University of Oregon
Dental School. He also has a degree in Medical Technology from North
Texas State University.
PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Take Charge
Of
Your Business Future
at PCC’S CASCADE CAMPUS
705 N. Killingsworth St.
SERVICES AVAILABLE to owners of small businesses at
PCC C A SC A D E ...
90-day
guarantee
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER tor
‘ O n e -to -o n e counseling free o, charge -
•Course work on starting a small business -
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‘ Special seminars-Market research-Loan
development and MUCH MORE!!!
THE CASCADE BUSINESS INCUBATOR helps
small businesses get established by
furnishing OFFICE AND LIGHT MANUFACTURING
SPACE AT BELOW-MARKET RENT'!
Classes, seminars, consulting services
are included
SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM -A range
of classes and services for established
Small Business owners and operators
Offered a, PCC Southeast Center and Rock
Creek Campus
CHECK US OUT TO DAY.
CALL THE CASCADE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
CENTER 283-2541 Ex, 5237
Sam Brocks...
Consulting director of the Smail Business Incubator protect at Cascade
Campus. Sam recently was named to the prestigious National Advisory Board
of Small Business Development Centers As a board member, he will help
advise the U S Small Business Administration on policies affecting the
SBDC program nationwide
Oregon has a tough law against drinking drivers It's a
simple, straight-,orward guarantee If you fail the breath
test, you lose your license for at least 90 days I, you
refuse the test, you lose your license tor one year That's
what happens the firs, time you re caught You don't even
wan, to know what happens the second time
twwe/
If you drink too much and drive, the least you'll lose is your license.
L
k,
Oregon Traffic Safety Com m ission
1-800-822-2022
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