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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1987)
,1.. » h»» >X*- j November 18, 1987. Portland Observer, Paqe ODOT Goals Surpassed by Nyewusi Askari Although Title VI is regarded as one of the most comprehensive docu ments on record, its provisions have been largely ignored by most states. The provisions of the document require contractors to recruit and train mino rities and women as workers in the highway construction crafts. Refusal by states to comply with Title VI has created much controversy and consternation. Minority contractors have contended that states are ignoring Affirmative Action Programs and government sponsored programs that are designed to increase the number of minorities and women workers in the highway construction industry. However, in 1987, the Oregon Department of Transportation, with the support of the Federal Highway Administration, has taken a giant step to ward erasing its dismal record of placing significant numbers of minorities and women on Federal Aid Projects. Through a competitive process, ODOT contracts with a private firm to do outreach, placement and supportive ser vices. In 1986, the supportive services contractor placed 8 minorities and women on Federal Aid Projects. In contrast, in 1987, placements have exceeded the original goal of 68 set by this year's supportive service contractor Professional Training Sys tems. Project Manager, James Posey, attributes much of this year's success to improved compliance and enforcement from ODOT's compliance officers. Because of improved compliance and enforcement, placement goals have been revised to 80 plus. This success establishes Oregon as having one of the highest placement rates in the nation. Mr. Skip Collier, an executive at Professional Training System, believes that much of the impetus for the upsurge in enforcement is related to Gover nor Goldschmidt's mandate to state officials to aggressively increase their Affirmative Action efforts. "Bob Bothman, the Director of the Oregon Department of Trans portation, a Goldschmidt appointee, has worked hard to open up lines of communication and enforce the mandate of the Governor, Mr. Collier said. Holidays Demand Increased Fire Safety Action With Christmas and New Year's coming, people will celebrate, social ize and relax. Unfortunately the merriment of the holiday season is often ruined by the tragedy of fire. There are certain fire hazards peculiar to the holiday season. That means people must be especially aware of the right things to do to help prevent fire from starting. The National Fire Prevention Association and the Portland Fire Bureau remind you to follow these tips: • NFPA recom m ends a rtific ia l Christm as trees that are flame re tardant and labeled by a testing laboratory. If you use a real tree, be careful in choosing it. Check the branches. Do the needles fall off when it's touched? Are they turning brown? If the answer to either question is yes, look for another tree. This one is too dry and might catch fire easily. • When you fin d the tree th a t's "just rig h t", place it in your house so that it isn't blocking any exits. Cut off an inch or so from the bottom of the tree, stand it in water, and check the water level every day. A Christ mas tree can get thirsty; without water it could quickly dry out. • Before p u ttin g electric lig h ts on the tree — never use candles! — check the wires carefully. If they are frayed or if the connections are loose, discard that strand and buy new ones. Test the lights before put ting them on the tree to make sure they are in proper working order. • Christm as decorations are p re tty, especially electric lights on the tree and in the windows. When you leave the house or go to bed, however, unplug all electric decorations. • W rapping paper piles up, especially on Christmas day. The temp tation is to toss it into the fireplace and burn it up. Don't. A chimney fire could result. Instead, take the time to gather wrapping paper and ribbons together and put it out with the trash. • Holiday tim e is party tim e . Families, friends, and neighbors gather to celebrate and socialize. That means smokers. Provide deep, sturdy ashtrays for the smokers to use. Dispose of ashes in a special can — never in paper or plastic containers. When guests have left, check under the sofa and chair cushions for cigarettes that may have accidentally slip ped down underneath. A still burning cigarette could smolder for hours before igniting the furniture while you and your family are asleep. • M ake sure th a t sm oke detectors have been installed on each level of your home and that your family has practiced their escape plans. • Enjoy the holiday season. Make it an especially enjoyable time by practicing fire safety at the same time. Learn not to burn. Road Condition Hotline The Oregon State Police-State Highway Division wintertime Road Condition Report telephone hotline is now operating. The Portland hotline number, 238-8400, tells travelers about win ter road conditions statewide. Callers may select road condition reports for any of eight state regions when using a Touchtone phone. Callers using dial phones must listen to the message play in regional or der. Hotline calls are toll-free in the Portland area. Outside of Portland, callers pay at regular long distance rates, which usually totals less than 75 cents per call, according tc, divi sion officials. The hotline operates around the clock and has the most current tra vel conditions on state highways to help drivers plan ahead for winter trips. The Highway Division and the State Police reminded motorists to carry tire chains or other traction devices when driving over moun tain passes and to allow plenty of extra time when traveling in bad weather. NOW OPEN The Neighborhood Toy & Gift Shoppe Black United Fund Campaign Underway by Nyewusi Askari In March 1987, Dr. Emmet D. Carson published a document titled: "Survey Dispels Myth That Blacks Receive But Do Not Give To Charity." The document stated that "Organized charitable giving and voluntarism have existed in the Black community for over two hundred years, but, despite its importance in the development of the first Black banks and Black insurance companies, very little is known about the contemporary charitable giving and volunteer behavior of Black Americans." (Focus, March 1987) The study, conducted by the Gallup Organization, revealed the fol lowing: .. . . • Over two-thirds (68 percent) of all dollars that are contributed by Blacks to charity go to the church; • Blacks with incomes under $20,000 and Blacks with incomes between $30,000 and $34,999 give more on the average to educational organizations than whites with similar incomes; • Blacks with incomes under $20,000 also give greater amounts to inter national aid organizations than whites at the same level; and • White with incomes under $20,000 give more to the church, political organizations, and social welfare groups than Blacks with the same income. The study also revealed that "Black and white respondents shared very similar opinions on the question of whether the middle class did enough for the poor: more than 60 percent of all Blacks and whites said they thought the middle class did not do enough to help the poor. " In 1982, a study issued by the Portland Committee for Responsive Phil anthropy stated that only a mere 1% of 7 million dollars disbursed by 35 general-purpose foundations in 1978-79 went to programs that assisted racial minorities. It was truths like these that inspired Walter Bremond to create the Black United Fund in 1972. Prior to its birth, fundraising in the Black community had been limited to one-time events: socials, shows, bazaars and the like. Many Black organizations depended on a paying membership, yet none of these activities allowed them to raise enough capital to finance an economic base outside of their own organization's program. When Mr. Bremond esta blished the Black United Fund, the organization went after payroll deduc tions. Mr. Bremond's decision to go forth with the Fund came after many fund-seeking Black organizations alleged that: • Most white charitable organizations were dominated by white males whose decisions reflected their corporate needs and values as opposed to the needs of the Black community; • The focus of charitable giving was toward persons or groups of higher incomes who could better afford to purchase the services they needed; • While lower income groups tended to give proportionately more to charitable causes, public charity services were diverted from lower income groups; • African-Americans were excluded from the major management posi tions in charitable organizations, even in areas with high Black popula tions; and • Sizable charitable funds were rarely deposited in African-American banks. Reaction from the mainstream was swift in coming. The Black United Fund found itself locked in a fierce battle with United Way. The battle cen tered around the Black United Fund's attempt to gain equal access with United Way in fundraising drive« JJftied at large corporations and govern ment agencies. The Black United Fund's strategy was to offer Black employees a chance to select the organization they gave funds to. When Bell Laboratories gave its Black employees the chance to give to the Black United Fund of New Jersey, Black receipts rose 24 percent. A year later, the receipts rose by 14.5 percent. Black contributions to United Way also increased. This reaction by Black employees was nothing new. It is esti mated that in 1980 alone, Blacks gave in excess of $2 billion to charity. The concept of self-help has been present in the Black community for well over 200 years. It has resulted in the formation of Black banks, Black insurance companies, the building of Black colleges and universities, and in some cases, the building of entire towns and neighborhoods. The concept is designed to decrease Black dependency on white support. Today, this movement is as strong as ever as evidenced in the "Buy Black Campaign." Recent government statistics places the spending power of African-Americans at well-over 200 billion dollars. When compared to the spending power of other nations, African-Americans rank ninth. More than 180 billion of these dollars are spent by African-American women. Mr. John Amamoo, in an article for Focus Magazine, 1984, wrote: "Harnessing Black financial resources to improve the quality of life in the Black community is a concept that goes back to the teachings of Prince Hall's Masons, the teaching of Marcus Garvey, the teachings of Fredrick Douglas, and W.E.B. DuBois - all people whose concern was helping their people grow so they could fully participate in American Society." For the Black United Fund, the concept is working well. According to documents, in 1983, New York Telephone employees gave the Black United Fund $201,572; AT&T contributed $63,717; Bell Telephone employees con tributed $70,000; and I.B.M. employees gave $61,000. According to Mr. Amamoo, most of this money went to 3,000 community groups that had not received monies from traditional funding sources. Some of the organizations that have received grants from the BUF are. The Negro Ensemble Company, The Dance Theatre of Harlem, The National Conference of Black Lawyers, the ABSW Child Adoption Counseling & Re ferral Services, The Amistad World Theatre Group and the Black Spectrum Theatre. , Last week, Mr. William Merritt, President, National Black United Fund of New York, was honored in Portland by more than 100 supporters, organi zers and members. Mr. Merritt's presence sparked enthusiasm, a passion for the success of Portland's chapter, and he reaffirmed the Black United Fund's commitment to the concept of self-help. In Oregon, the primary objectives of the Black United Fund of Oregon are: fundraising through payroll deduction systems; and grant making to support projects of Black and minority communities in the programmatic funding areas of education, health and social services, social justice and legal services, art and culture, economic development, and emergency needs. Ms. Amina Anderson is the Executive Director. The Black United Fund of Oregon is certified by the federal government as a tax-exempt corporation. Every dollar donated is tax deductible. k DIAT a _ king 3201 NE Columbia Blvd. New Radiators Portland. OR 97211 New Cores ' <503)282-9707 (2 o «)699-4550 . by Gov. Neil Goldschmidt G o v t « mow News From Neil Oregonians made their mark in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan with Trade Festival '87, and the mark we left in Asia was one of "Com mitment". Asian business is done at a personal level, and as we met with over 60 businesses and produces a highly-successful trade fair, contacts were made and reinforced. Those stories will be coming out in the months and years ahead, as Oregon builds its trade with Asia. Already, the contacts Oregonians made have paid dividends, for a!> parts of Oregon. Our focus was on agriculture, in a part of the world where rising in comes are producing a demand for imported food. Oregon is the only state authorized to inspect and stamp quality grades on exports to Japan. That authorization is paying off. Agripac, a Salem-based food pro cessing cooperative, signed a deal in Japan for canned sweet corn to be used in Japan's school lunch program, a $750,000 annual contract. Agri pac is sending about 12% of its canned products to Japan, and Paul Solan, the president, was among the strongest members of the trade mission. Other immediate sales covered a wide range of Oregon products, from spices and seasonings (Beaverton Foods Inc.), to a variety of wines, vege tables and even live cattle. Asian cattle are looking for feed, too, and Oregon Hay Inc., at Uma tilla, sold some 5,000 metric tons of cubes and double-compressed bales of alfalfa, thanks to Chet Abrams' work on the mission. Probably our most "exotic" sale was by The Carriage Works, in Kla math Falls. Cathryn Morse was a trade mission delegate, and sold two carriages and a stage coach in Japan. The "W ild West is a popular theme in Asia, and there will be more jobs and exports for Klamath Falls as a result. Some Oregonians on this trip have been trading in Asia for some time — but for most, it was a new venture, a first step in opening a vast and promising market. Bob Buchanan, our State Director of Agriculture, and Dick Reiten. Director of Economic Development, put this mission together, and the cooperation of these major state agencies was important to the success of the mission. Together, we opened new trade offices in Taiwan and South Korea and expanded our Tokyo office. In an area of intense competition, Oregon is making its presence felt. I was happy to announce several major new developments on this trip Dynic Inc., will build a plant in the Portland area to manufacture printer ribbons; the Eugene-based franchiser, Taco Time Inc., opened a new rest aurant in Tokoyo; and International Seeds Inc. of Halsey made a major break-through is grass seeds in Taiwan. But these individual transactions are not the real story of the Asian mis sion. The real story is a hundred Oregon business people, paying their own expenses, working together to build the image of a state committed to trade, and committed to a strong presence in Asia. At the end of every long day — the days ran from early breakfasts to late dinners — Oregonians would share stories from the day, and pool infor mation for the next round of calls. The partnership of our state agencies and these private businesses will produce jobs on our farms, in our forests and manufacturing plants. All three Asian nations will send investment missions to Oregon in the next few months. State Treasurer Tony Meeker was on the trip and made contacts with key financial houses in all three nations. Oregon's future is linked to the Pacific Rim and its markets, and this was made abundantly clear to the Oregonians who took part in Trade Festi val '87 and the entire Asian mission. Brooklyn students with Principal, Rosemary Daniels (R) and teacher Pat Lidrick (L). School Children Tour Disneyland Two hundred Portland Public School students were selected to spend a day at Disneyland on Tuesday, November 10, 1987. This special project was sponsored by the Sunshine Foundation and the Cerebral Palsy Association. The students role American Airlines to Los Angeles, California, and eight charter buses drove them to Disneyland. The students and adults who went with them were escorted by twelve Portland Police officers. The students spent the day riding, walking, eating and enjoying Dis neyland. The highpoint of the day was Captain E-0 by Michael Jackson, plus the rides Monorail, Undersea Garden and the Matterhorn Sled ride. The students were given gold t-shirts from the Sunshine Foundation and Disneyland Mickey Mouse hats. The will always remember this day, because it was filled with excite ment from beginning to end. Special thanks goes to the Sunshine Foundation and the Cerebral Pal- sey Association for their fine project. 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