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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1989)
0 ■♦♦♦Jr ‘ f r x x V ’ r x * 'V r > *•’*♦ < x - > » • r r »'• •> < 4 < » » rx < P ortland. O regon VOLUME XIX NUMBER 48 The Eyes and The Ears o f the Community’ Private Industry Council Training Center Surpasses First Quarter Goals Northeast Portland’s Unemployed Landing Jobs Averaging 500 Percent Above Oregon’s New Minimum Wage The Private Industry C ou ncil's North east Employment and Training Center opened in July o f 1989 to serve Northeast Port land's unem ployed by providing cou n sel ing, job training, job referral and basic skills im provem ent. During the first three m onths o f operations, the center enrolled 9 0 adults in its job training program, assist ing m ore than h alf o f its projected yearly total o f 150 Northeast-area residents. A first-year goal o f 2 0 job placem ents was also achieved in record time. Through Sept., 25 participants obtained job s paying an average o f $5.78 per hour, with several individuals earning more than $9.0 0 per hour. The Northeast Em ploym ent and Train ing Center is unique in its approach to assisting persons with m ultiple barriers to productive em ploym ent. T hese barriers include little or no work experience, drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitutjan and mental health problems. Many participants are high school dropouts with poor math and read ing sk ills, and low self-esteem . The center was established to provide a holistic approach to em ployability, and partnerships allow staff to address a variety o f needs. O regon’s Em ploym ent D ivision has a staff m em ber on site to refer center participants to available jobs. Adult and Fam ily Services is also an active partner, with a part-time representative available at the center to coordinate services. In addi tion, The Private Industry Council has contracted with Portland Com m unity C ol lege to offer cla sses on the prem ises for math and reading im provem ent, and high sch ool com pletion. D ennis C ole, President o f The Private Industry C ouncil, stated, “ The early suc cess o f the Northeast Center demonstrates the effectiven ess o f offering services spe cifically tailored for needy populations. It takes more than a band-aid to put our city's hard-core unem ployed to work. The Pri vate Industry C ouncil is responding to the challenge o f aiding the hard-to-serve. W e aren't just helping people find jobs. W e ’re changing liv e s.” Job placem ents in O ctober equalled the total achieved during the first quarter o f operation, and job retention is outstanding. Nearly 60 Northeast-area residents have found jobs through the center since it opened- more than 9 0 percent are still on the job. The Northeast Em ploym ent and Training Center has exceed ed all goals for assisting target populations, including w om en on welfare and African-A m erican m en. To date, people o f color account for nearly 4 0 percent o f all hires. E xam ples o f em ployers hiring center participants include G riggs- Anderson Research, Farmers Insurance, Wacker Siltronic Corporation and The Urban League o f Portland. Together with job training and job placem ent assistance, the Northeast Em ploym ent and Training Center offers indi vidualized counseling and case m anage ment. Staff works with local agencies to coordinate services to participants needing drug and alcohol assistance programs, mental health services, vocational training, hous ing and other aid to rem ove barriers to su ccessfu lly holding a job. P ositive word- of-m outh is the center's only form o f adver tising. B ecause the center was established to work with a particularly challenging group o f Portland’s unem ployed, services are expected to be longer-term and m ore com prehensive than traditional public-funded training programs. A representative case history illustrates the need for exten sive interaction with participants. An African-Am erican man w ho o b tained one o f the highest-paying jobs after attending the center's job training course, found that the incom e he was receiving in his present position provided too great a temptation for returning to a life o f drug use. After m issing a day o f work due to a cocaine relapse, he returned to the center to seek help. The Northeast E m ploym ent and Training C enter’s assistant director per sonally escorted this participant to enroll in a com m unity-based drug treatment pro gram and encouraged him to agree to a w eekend lock-dow n for detoxification. The program participant returned to work the follow in g M onday and has been on the job since A u g u st Center staff are working with the drug treatment center to help this man fight his addiction and remain em ployed. He has volunteered to return to the center and share his experience with other class participants. The Northeast Em ploym ent and Train ing Center is located at 3034 N.E. Martin Luther King Blvd. (2 4 1 -4644). It is an operation o f The Private Industry Council, a non-profit organization primarily funded with federal Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) dollars. Headquartered in Portland, The Private Industry C ouncil serves adults at its dow ntow n location (241-4600) and young people at its Youth Em ploym ent Institute (28 0 -1 0 5 8 ). The Private Industry Council funds additional locations through out M ultnomah and W ashington counties. Metropolitan Human Relations Commission Holds Community Speakout On Thurs., D ec. 14 at 7 :30 p.m. the M etropolitan Human Relations C om m is sion w ill be holding a com m unity speakout in inner Northeast Portland. The event w ill be held at the King N eighborhood Facility, located at 4815 N E 17th. The com m unity Speakouts are a part o f the C om m ission’s VISIO N INITIATIVE and are designed to provide information for the developm ent o f a list o f priority human and c ivil rights needs. This list o f priority needs w ill provide direction to the C om m ission as it seeks to effectively m eet the needs o f the region. T hese needs w ill be translated into program goals, research topics, budget requests etc. Jeannette Pai the new Executive D irec tor for the C om m ission has a very strong background in community organization and em powerm ent. A s S taff Liaison for the Salem Human Rights C om m ission, M s. Pai was able to assist individuals and organiza tions in building coalitions that has em pow ered many diverse com m unities within the Salem ?M arion County proper. In turn, these coalitions w ere able to im pact city p olicies and state legislation. Stated M s. Pai, “ the VISION INITIATIVE is grounded in the b elief that em pow erm ent, accounta bility and connecting with the com m unity are centra] to efforts toward m eeting chal lenges facing the com m unity today.” A lthough M s. Pai is new to the C om m ission, she is keenly aware o f the issues and problem s facing our com m unities. “ I see what lies ahead, given the increase in incidents o f v iolen ce and harassment, and m ore im portantly, I feel a sense o f what is happening in our com m unities: the frustra tion, the anger, and the dissatisfaction. I think w e can turn the situation around, but w e all have a ch oice to m ake. W e can com e together and speak in one empowered voice, or w e can allow the system to continue to divide and conquer us." The C om m ission is com m itted to a new vision o f com m unity em powerm ent, advocacy, and coalition building. But this can not be accom plished without all o f us together working towards a united front. The C om m ission encourages you to com e and participate; your v o ice , opinions and perspectives are essential. Multnomah’s Ervin To Serve On Panel Of Election W A SH IN G T O N , D .C .-T h e National Center for P olicy Alternatives (N C PA ) is pleased to announce the appointm ent o f V icki Ervin, Director o f E lections for M ultnomah County, to serve on the advi sory board o f its Voter Participation pro gram. N C PA is a non-profit non-partisan public p olicy center that sp ecializes in innovation at the state level. Since, 1984 N C PA has been com m itted to reform ing the nation's patchwork quilt o f voter regis tration law s in the states, a key effort in addressing the ever-declining rate o f voter participation in the United States. The advisory board w ill bring together two dozen nationally respected election authorities to d evelop an “ action agenda'* for increasing dem ocratic participation throughout the states. The dynam ic group o f secretaries o f state, state legislators, election technicians, legal scholars and advocates provides the board with a w ide range o f experience and perspectives. The advisory board's first m eeting w ill take place in W ashington D .C ., beginning on N ov. 30. The highlight o f the two-day event w ill be a panel discussion entitled “ H igh Tech D em ocracy," a look at how com puter technology can be integrated with registra tion practices to increase participation and system integrity. V icki Ervin has been working in e le c tion administration since 1974. She is Treas urer and L egislative C om m ittee Chair o f the O regon County Clerks' A ssociation. During the past five years M s. Ervin has worked with the W orld A ffairs C ouncil o f O regon, m eeting with representatives o f more than 25 foreign countries to explain the election process in O regon and the United States. Statement By Commissioner Dick Bogle First, I want to m ake it very clear that the C ity o f Portland has a dism al record on affirm ative action. There is no excuse. I share the blam e. M y office has been taking extraordi nary steps to im prove the hiring record o f the bureaus in m y portfolio. M y bureau managers share m y resolve. In order to achieve affirm ative action goals, leaders m ust set the right kind o f example. In government, that example should com e from the elected o ffic ia l's ow n o f fice. By that, I m ean his personal staff. I have em phasized strongly to M ayor Clark that he needs a black liaison drawn from the African-A m erican com m unity. This makes good sense because every major problem faced by the city as a w hole is concentrated in inner Northeast Portland, where m ost Black citizens live. By dragging his feet on the matter o f hiring a m inority liaison , the M ayor is casting a cloud over his o ffic e , and m aking his ow n job, and the jobs o f his staff, more difficult. I ERVER 25C DECEMBER 6,1989 Black United Front Seeks “Block” Of City Grant Funds From HUD - Mayor Clark Replies by P r o f t n o r M c K in ley B u rt An accumulation o f com plaints against Portland M ayor Bud Clark and his treat ment o f m inorities cam e to a head at a 9:30 a.m ., Tuesday press conference sponsored by the Black United Front at the Martin Luther King Center. There w as exten sive coverage by television and the print media as Mr. Ron Herndon, co-chairm an o f the Northeast com m unity's m ost v isib le or ganization, laid dow n a gauntlet to a city administration described as “ racist and lacking credibility.” Ron Herndon Flanked by his co-chairm an. T he Rev. John H. Jackson and representatives o f other com m unity organizations. Herndon quickly and forcefully sp elled out the m a jor areas o f concern: “ M ayor Clark did not hire a B lack ad m inistrative assistant, nor d evelop a hiring process as o f Decem ber 1, 1989. The m ayor's response to the c ity ’s af firm ative action d eficien cies is w oefully inadequate. He has failed miserably to provide the leadership needed for rapidly m oving the city toward a workforce reflective o f its etltnic diversity.” This scuthing indictm ent w as im m edi ately follow ed on by a declaration o f intent on the part o f the “ Front” and cooperating community organizations to bring the Neigh borhood Revitalization Programs to a screech ing halt until major d eficien cies are recti fied: “ B ecause o f the m ayor’s five years o f callously ignoring affirm ative action, w e are asking the Department o f H ousing and Urban D evelopm ent to withhold all future block grant funds designated for the City o f Portland. W e w ill ask that funds not be released until the city im plem ents an af firm ative action plan that seriously ad dresses the current hiring practice that trans lates into “ white o n ly ." The mayor’s response through a spokes person was as follow s: " A s I have said before, I agree with Ron; we want the city to have a workforce that is representative o f this com m unity. This means a workforce that is representa tive o f all m inorities. A lso, as I have said before, w e are not there yet, but w e are working very hard on both the planning and im plem entation o f an im proved affirm ative action plan. W e w ill see results.” "W hat I find curious is that Ron is d e m anding that H U D hold up over $7 m illion in funds. These funds are the core o f n eigh borhood revitalization efforts. Our good work so far has been recognized by H U D to the point that w e have attracted additional funds. $3.75 m illion in N ehem iah funds alone.” “ What I also find curious is that Ron wants to create so m uch conflict when he and I share the goal o f neighborhood revi talization and equal em ploym ent opportu nities. T hese actions that Ron wants. If im ple m ented, w ill com pletely destroy our neigh borhood revitalization program and job outreach program. ’ ’ Mayor Bud Clark This very heated exchange does not at all clear the air nor docs it pretent the public with any structured procesa where by a resolution o f the issues can be projected and acted upon. It w ould seem at this point that our lot is to adopt a wait and see attitu d e-u n less there are other actors w ait ing in the w ings to com e forward and re so lv e a very distressing situation. Those w ho are unem ployed and are under repre sented in the Northeast com m unity are not goin g to be very am enable at all to accept ing what m ust seem to them an intermi nable struggle to gain an equality which should be assured to them under a valid affirm ative action plan. The B lack United Front is dem anding in n o uncertain terms that such action be im m ediately forthcom ing. NECDC Host Public Meeting, Dec. 14th Northeast Com m unity Developm ent Corporation (N EC D C ) is hosting a public m eeting at 7 p.m ., on D ec. 14, at the King N eighborhood Facility, 4815 N E 7th. The purpose o f the m eeting w ill be to update and to receive input from the com m unity on the work being done to develop the Port land N ehem iah H ousing Program. On Sept. 29, 1989, NEC DC received confirm ation it had been selected by the Department o f H ousing and Urban D e v el opm ent to receive a 3.75 m illion dollar N ehem iah H ousing Opportunities Grant. Portland's award was the second largest in the country, the only award w est o f the M ississippi, and the only grant funded at 100% o f the request. Nehem iah provides a 0% second m ortgage o f $ 1 5 ,0 0 0 for the construction o f 100 new houses and the rehabilitation o f 150 hom es in the B oise, King, Humboldt and Vernon neighborhoods. Construction w ill begin in the Spring o f 1990. Every buyer is elig ib le for a $15,000 Nehem iah second m ortgage, but the N e hem iah m oney provides only a sm all por tion o f the total developm ent package for a house. The City o f Portland has agreed to w aive all developm ent and permit fees for the 250 hom es and M ultnom ah County is donating its foreclosed properties in the targeted neighborhoods. A consortium o f lending institutions and the State H ousing Council w ill furnish the construction and first m ortgage loans at below market inter est rates. The com bination o f financing w ill allow NEC 1X3 to sell hom es to people w ho are ordinarily shut out o f the hom e ow n er ship market. Northeast Com m unity D evelopm ent Corporation has been working with staff from the Portland D evelopm ent C om m is sion, the Bureau o f Com m unity D evelop ment and the H ousing Authority o f Port land to develop som e o f the technical as pects o f the program. The public m eeting on Dec. 14 will be geared to provide NECDC with valuable input from the com m unity in North/Northeast Portland as to the design o f the Portland Nehem iah Program. Repre sentatives from com m unity groups and agencies are invited, as w ell as any inter ested citizens. Special guests at the m eeting w ill be o fficials from Enterprise N ehem iah D e v el opm ent, Inc. in Baltim ore, Maryland. The Enterprise Group received the largest N ehem iah Grant in the country, and is in town sharing information on the program with NECDC. Low Income Energy Assistance Program To Begin O n D ec. 4th, agencies responsible for d e livering LIEAP services in M ultnomah County w ill begin m aking appointments and accepting applications from the g en eral public. L ow -incom e households w ho need finan cial help to pay their winter heating b ills w ill be able to apply for energy assistance during the next 2 -3 m onths at local helping agencies. H ouseholds m ust have dem on strated energy costs to be elig ib le for this one-tim e only payment. A household m ust have a total gross incom e at or below 125% o f the poverty level to receive an energy assistance paym ent. This guideline is established by the Federal Governm ent and is based on incom e and household size. For exam ple, a household o f one would be eligible with an annual incom e o f $7,475 or less. This would only be $623 per month. For each additional household member, the incom e can in crease by $2,550 per year, or $213 m onthly. Actual paym ents to needy households vary according to incom e and the primary heat ing source. Payments vary from $ 1 7 0 to $200. Renters and hom eowners receive com parable paym ents. In m ost cases, p ay m ents are m ade to energy suppliers on behalf o f the eligib le households. Residents o f subsidized housing may be eligible for a limited payment, if their energy costs exceed their utility allow ance. They must provide inform ation from their h ou s ing authority as w ell as their heating/en- ergy costs. A different paym ent schedule is used for qualified subsidized households. Q ualified applicants w ill also be referred to weatherization services, and those who may need additional assistance w ill be referred to the various utility fund programs which operate in O regon. D ue to the large dem and for assistance, applicants w ill experience som e delay in the application process. It is hoped that applicants w ill be patient, as the staff w ill respond to their call as soon as possible. Listed b elow are som e self-h elp ideas that m ay be beneficial to clients as they await their appointments. * D o not stop paying your bills. Try to make at least partial paym ents. C all the utility to determ ine a m inim um paym en t * If you cannot m ake a paym ent, contact the utility and arrange for a paym ent plan. * I f anyone in your household is severely ill and a sh ut-off w ould endanger their health, talk to the utility about a m edical certifi cate. * If you heat w ith w ood or o il, talk to your dealer about m aking installm ent payments. * Try to conserve to keep your bill low . The utilities and the O regon State extension service have free information on energy conservation. * Sign up for self-help weatherization w orkshops. Y ou m ay be able to receive free materials to use in weatherizing your home or apartm ent The United W ay's ENERGY HOTLINE (2 2 7 -5 4 3 7 ) is available to refer people to sources o f assistance through Jan. 3 1 ,1 9 8 9 . H otline hours are: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m ., M onday through Friday; D ecem ber4 ,1 9 8 9 to Janu ary 31, 1990. The hotline w ill be closed D ec. 22 and 25, and Jan. 1 for holidays.