Portland, Oregon
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PORTLRNÖ
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"The Eyes and Ears of the Community"
Volume XIX • Number 6
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February 9,1989
Introducing
Elaine Jamison
Asst. Principal
Portsmouth Middle School
Linda Harris
Principal
Woodlawn School
Bobbie Jackson
Library Clerk
N. Portland Branch
W ASHINGTON, D.C.--"Today, I
am calling on President George Bush
to adopt the Parity 2000 theme as a
goal for his adm inistration,” stated
John E. Jacob, President and Chief
Executive Officer of the National Uiban
League, during the release of THE
STATE OF BLACK AMERICA 1989,
Tuesday, January 24, 1989 at the
National Press Cub in Washington,
DC.
THE STATE OF BLACK AM ER ­
ICA, a publication of the National
Urban League, is the most authorita­
tive annual docum ent examining the
current status and conditions of Blacks
in America. In calling for the president
to adopt Parity 2000, Jacob said,
“ Parity 2000 is a theme that can allow
him to claim the higher g ro u n d -to
give his administration a unifying
obje ctive -ta p into the idealism of an
America fed up with greed and glit­
ter—and help reshape the map of
American politics for generations to
com e.”
Explaining Parity 2000, Jacob said
that the National Urban League’s
priority goal is to secure black-white
parity by the year 2000. "O u r Parity
2000 theme aims at black-white par­
ity in th key indicators of individual
and family w ell-being-such as life
expectancy, educational achievement,
employment and incom e.”
Jacob added that, “A national Parity
2000 goal would include the private
sector and the black community, as
well as government. Corporate and
neighborhood based initiatives to
radically improve education, training,
hiring, health and housing will be
essential.”
Jacob said that he was encour­
aged by Bush’s handling of “the diffi­
cult period between Election Day and
Inauguration Day. His Cabinet ap­
pointments have been wise. His state­
ments encouraging selection of Afri­
can-Am ericans and other minorities
for key sub-Cabinet positions are
welcome. His meetings with Black
leaders dem onstrated sensitivity and
concern.”
Referring to THE STATE OF
BLACK AM ERICA 1989, Jacob said
that, “ In 1988, Blacks were three
times as likely as whites to be poor.
Two-and-a-half times as likely to be
jobless. Housing segregation in­
creased and for the second straight
year, Black life expectancy declined.
“The gap has been made wider by
government cuts in program s that
help poor people survive, that create
opportunities, that enable families to
make it." Jacob further noted that,
“ Thetragic disturbances in Miami last
week reflect the results of that gap,
and the growing anger and bitterness
it encourages. Miami's Black people
were the only major ethnic group in
the city whose unem ploym ent rate
rose during the 1980s. As in other
cities, Blacks did not share the pros­
perity and got more than their share
of misery.”
"O ur task in 1989 is to focus na­
tional attention on the growing Black-
white gap, and to begin the process of
closing the gap,” said Jacob.
THE STATE OF BLACK AM ER ­
ICA 1989 presents nine papers pre­
pared by experts in the fields of hous­
ing, education, politics, religion, eco­
nomics and social welfare.
SUM M ARY
THE ECONOM IC STATU S OF
BLAC K-AM ER IC AN S
DR. DAVID H. SW INTON
D E A N -S C H O O L OF BUSINESS
JAC KSO N STATE UNIVERSITY
INTRODUCTION
This report on the current eco­
nomic status of Black-Americans
comes at the end of the Reagan
administration and the beginning of
the Bush administration. The new
administration will follow an admini­
stration which presided over eight
years of stagnation and retrogression
in the econom ic status of Black-
Americans. As reported in all of the
last few volum es of The State of
Black America, no progress has been
made in reducing the longstanding
economic disparities faced by Blacks
during the Reagan administration. In
fact racial inequality in American
economic life actually increased by
many of the standard indicators.
(Continued to Page 7)
Minority Business Enterprise
In Oregon:
Part //; Redden Decision Seriously Flawed
Ms. Cora Smith
by Stephen E. McPherson,
Special Correspondent
Last April Multnomah County ad­
vertised for bids to construct a 220-
bed minimum security facility in North­
east Portland. The L. D. Mattson Con­
struction Com pany submitted the
lowest bid of about $4.4 million but
that bid was set aside because it
contained less than one per cent
participation for women. That amount
was more than fifty per cent below the
county mandated set aside for women.
The prim e contract was awarded
to the third lowest bidder, Marion Con­
struction which came in at about $4.7
million. Their set aside for women
was estimated at four percent. The
same amount was allotted to minori­
ties.
The Mattson Company sued in
Federal Court claiming that they had
m ade a good faith effort to satisfy the
minority mandate. They also took the
legal position that their constitutional
rights guaranteeing equal protection
under the law had been abrogated.
U S. District Court James Redden
agreed with th Mattson Company and
ruled late last Novem ber that the
Multnomah County set aside for
women and minorities was unconsti­
tutional because there was not ade­
quate findings of discrimination. He
also ruled that the existing program
was not tailored with adequate re­
strictions to address past problems
Those two statements are a contra­
diction of themselves and lend a cal­
lous absurdity to the legal process.
If anything at all is questionable it is
the manner in which the jurisprudence
system functions in U S. District Courts.
The Bork confirm ation hearing dem ­
onstrated quite clearly that appoint­
ments federal judges enjoy often are
a result of their political prowess rather
than for their dem onstrated excel­
lence at the bar. W hile life time ap­
pointments might have eliminated one
caveat attendant to the position they
have aggravated another area. The
latter case makes such judges enti­
ties unto them selves who rarely
answer to anyone but themselves.
Some are known to have presided
(Continued to Page 3)
•XISÍ
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B lack H is t o r y M onth
National Urban League Calls On
President Bush To Adopt The Parity
2000 Theme During Release Of
“ The State Of Black America 1989”
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Business Community
Questions Salzman Defection
Businessman, Oregonian Owe Community An Apology
The January 30, 1989, front page edition o f the Oregonian
headlined a story written by Holley Gilbert o f the Oregonian staff,
claim ing Peter Salzman, ow ner o f Salzman M otors on Union Ave. in
Northeast Portland was moving out o f the area due to the high crime
rate.
Mr. Salzman cited drug paraphernalia, persons peddling hot
goods and the decline in his business as m ajor factors for his decision
to move.
However, the Observer has learned from form er employees,
form er business associates and neighborhood business that m ost of
the information released to the Oregonian was distorted, misleading
and unfortunate.
The drug activity surrounding the BM W operation while not being
mute, has most certainly dim inished with the closure o f the drug house
two blocks east. The peddling o f "hot"goods is apparently an accurate
statem ent but, according to some form er employees, Salzman Motors
was doing as much buying and selling as the "buyers and the sellers."
Asking to remain anonymous, a t least two form er em ployees o f
Salzman's stated in a taped interview with the Observer that they
witnessed m any transactions o f property being brought and sold a t the
BM W repair shop.
These employees also claim a deteriorating relationship between
father, son, and another business also housed in the building have
contributed as much to the decision to move, as the decline in auto
repair business along a street already saturated with auto repair shops.
The publication o f this story by the Oregonian once again fuels
speculation about the m edia’s com m ittm ent to a com m unity that is
asking for economic support. It also points out the extent a disgruntled
businessman will go to "publicize" a move and falsely blam e local
elements for his problems.
Hopefully, rem aining businesses will serve as leverage for the
continuing exodus, and also hopefully the local media will resort to more
responsible journalism. In any event, som eone owes this com m unity an
apology.
by Stephen E. McPherson
Special Correspondent
A host of tradespeople has owned
businesses for many years along Union
Avenue and in the immediate vicinity.
Many are in an uproar over the deci­
sion of Peter Salzman to relocate his
auto shop to the suburbs. With a
voice of unanimity they say that his
stated reasons for leaving are invalid.
Even Werner Salzman, Peter’s fa­
ther agrees with that contention. The
elder Salzman joined together with
Franz Wirkner, a compatriot from
Germany, to establish their auto shop
at the corner of Union and Northeast
Shaver some thirty years ago. W irk­
ner, part owner of the building, ab­
hors Salzman’s move. He will con­
tinue to operate Franz Auto Haus in
the same building.
No one is going to deny that there
have been problems. During the civil
disturbances of 1968 the place was
firebombed and looted, but it was not
burned down. This problem did not
interfere with their booming business.
The customers kept coming and they
had more work than they could ac­
complish. The BMW dealership they
started in 1969 lasted only two years.
From the very outset, the more se­
rious problem has not been their neigh­
bors, but the contentious relationship
that developed between the two part­
ners. Persons who worked for them
at that time describe the constant
bickering and rancor expressed in the
presence of clientele that eroded the
original partnership. The differences
must have been very serious. What
once was a large garage facility with
a common repair bay is now sepa­
rated by a solid brick wall. Their own
version of a "Berlin W all." Even today
a stifling animosity between the part­
ners continues to persist. The future
of their Union Avenue property will
depend largely upon how the elder
Mr. Salzman and Franz W irkner can
resolve their own perennial cold war.
The Salzm an’s occupy one portion
of the building where the expensive
toys of the rich such as BMW ’s and
other foreign luxury cars are main-
tained. Franz W irkner is on the other
side where he attends to the more
commonplace vintage Volkswagens
and the less expensive foreign makes.
At first glance it would appear that the
Salzm an’s got the better of the deal
even though it still exists on paper as
an equal partnership.
Despite the fact that the Salzman
Automotive works sets in the middle
of what once was a high crime area,
the direct effect upon them has been
minimal. Outside competition has had
a greater influence on their business
operation. Franz W irkner has been
burglarized only twice in ten years.
Most calls from police are to answer
false alarms. Peter Salzm an denies
his personal involvement in receiving
stolen items. However, there are ex­
employees who admit that they have
purchased questionable merchandise
from street people on the premises.
American General Contractors, a
minority owned business across the
street from Salzman Motors was
burgalized shortly after moving in
approximately one year ago. A
business acquaintance of the owner
was able to secure the names of the
burgulars, who surrendered most of
the stolen items, but informed the
victim that they had sold the oomputer
to the Salzman BMW Shop for one
hundred dollars. The victim confronted
Salzman w ho denied any knowledge
of the incident.
According to Portland Police, they
have no knowledge of any illegal activity
at the Salzm an establishment.
Peter Salzman did not mention
any burglaries or robberies. One cus­
tom er was hassled by the local crim i­
nal element and at tim es certain local
characters got into a parked car and
played the stereo equipment too loud.
This reporter has had the Salzman
establishment under surveillance ever
since a sensational article about the
problems in the area appeared in the
local daily newspaper. There always
were more than one half dozen ex­
pensive vehicles parked on the streets,
unvandalized and with all hub caps
intact. W e were led to understand
that a secure, fenced in parking lot
adjacent to the building is owned by
the Salzman-W irkner partnership.
Peter Salzman does not use it.
The irony of this controversy is that
even though Peter Salzman's busi­
ness associates question his motiva­
tion to abandon his Union Avenue
shop, they all agree that he is a warm
and sensitive individual.
Just across the street on N.E.
Shaver is John’s European Body and
Paint Co. Peter Salzman recently
seceded his partnership in that enter­
prise to John W ecker without recom­
pense. The problem here is that along
a 10 block stretch on Union Avenue
there are at least six auto body shops
The Ray Fleming Auto Parts supply
company is located within walking
distance of the Salzman's. They
maintain a huge inventory and have
never been burglarized. Both Art
Dienstel and Don Waters laugh about
the tim e one of the unarmed locals
attempted to hit their cash register.
They subdued the culprit and held
him until he was arrested by the police.
The crack house that bothered Peter
Salzm an’s customers last summer is
now closed and boarded up. The
prostitutes, pushers and users that
annoyed the Salzman clientele have
vanished from the scene. The corner
of Union and Northeast Shaver is
tranquil so why does he still choose to
leave?
Paul Rohrback, the owner of
Eastside Foreign Car Service, sums
it up quite succinctly. He worked for
the Salzm an’s for many years and
frequently found himself embroiled
between their disputes. Mr. Rohrback
contends that the Salzm an’s have
made millions out of the Northeast
community. They are insensitive to
the internal problems because they
reside outside of the area that gave
them their wealth. Mr. Rohrback further
contends that the younger Salzman
was taking advantage of the
trem endous amount of free publicity
the story would give him. Peter
Salzman agrees with that latter
perception.
Persons who inhabit the lower
Northeast sector of Portland long have
contended that the media create the
extra problems that often plague that
enclave. Here again is an instance
that lends support to that contention.
Joel Davis, the owner of a BMW who
is a custom er of the Salzm an’s sug­
gested this story to Holley Gilbert who
pursued it with great vigor. Even Peter
Salzm an is dismayed by the fact that
it received front page attention and
admits that it was exaggerated out of
proportion. One cannot measure how
much the initial story will affect the
M ayor’s revitalization program in that
area.
If Portland is the most livable city
inthe United States, it might take a bit
of serious image building to re-estab­
lish that fact. If the developing con­
vention center is to succeed, the local
daily media will have to becom e seri­
ous boosters of that effort ratherthan
display an overt and reckless propen­
sity for sensationalism and detrac­
tion.
When Peter abandons the Salzman
consignment of the building jointly
owned with Franz W irkner, it will be
his father who will be left holding the
bag W irkner certainly is not going to
agree to any arrangement which would
be deleterious to the survival of his
own business effort. Peter claim s that
he does not have any problems with
his father pointing out that the elder
Salzman is helping to finance his new
venture. None of this makes sense.
(Continued to Page 3)
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