Page 2 Portland Observer DECEMBER 13,1989
E ditorial I O pinion
G uest E d it o r ia l
]
Articles and Essays by Ron Daniels
Where, How, and Why We
Must Count! More!
by A. Lee Henderson
There is a need to take a careful meas
ure of the way we count success in the
recent elections.
We have to consider where the elec
tions are held and how they were conducted
before determining the future of our politi
cal strategies as minority peoples. It is
essential that we share this message with
each other, because we know we count.
And we know for our future and our chil
dren’s future why we must count! More!!
We stand to lose the advances of ghetto
politics which is shifting our electoral dis
tricts into areas of pure B lack or pure White
racial divisions. Ironically, the Voting Rights
Act which was put into force in 1965 “ to
end such things as poll taxes and literacy
tests that disenfranchised millions of Blacks"
has helped to set up guarantees to Black and
Hispanic candidates. It does so by estab
lishing inner-city districts. Local politi
cians, therefore, appeal to the segregated
populace and confine Black candidates to
stay pul on local levels rather than risk
winning with an interracial platform in a
non-ghettoized district. Virginia’s new
Governor and New York’s new Mayor offer
stunning examples of a future we have
ahead of us! But we must heed the critical
local level! There is an advantage certainly
to Black congressmen that the law offers in
protecting their seats which they might find
in jeopardy with a population decline.
U.S. News and World Report cites
figures that claim Blacks hold just 15 per
cent of elective political offices while ac-
counting for 11 percent of the voting-age
population.”
Black influence is felt in confined dis
tricts of concentrated Black populations,
such as in Chicago, but what would happen
if this influence was encouraged to extend
beyond these set boundaries?
Our vision ought to include this type of
expanded democracy so that we can impact
humanity. Where? Universally. How? By
fixing our sites beyond our present bounda
ries. Why? Because we must count to make
a difference in effecting changes that will
strike all levels o f society for economic,
social, and political progress. We must
Count! More!!
We wish to avoid the inequities that
occur when districts are depleted of B lacks,
as happened in Atlanta to raise the propor
tion of Blacks in an adjacent district. The
depleted district elected conservative Re
publican Pat Swindall to office in 1984.
However, Atlanta’s fifth congressional
district did elect Black Andrew Young in
1972 who became the Mayor o f Atlanta!
Carol Swain, a Black political scientist
at Duke University notes, “ More Blacks
could be elected. It’s just that there's gen
eral perception among Whites and Blacks
that Blacks can’t win in a majority White
district ’ ’
We contend that the stage is set for a
greater participation of political action, and
that this is a meaningful time to stride
forward and erase all inequities.
We can be meaningful and mighty as
we participate in our own future and the
future of humankind.
L e t t e r s to
t h e E d it o r
MINORITY OUTREACH LETTER
I am writing to let you know about
some important services Human Solutions
offers which we want to bring to the atten
tion of racial and ethnic minority persons.
Human Solutions, Inc. is a social serv
ice agency offering a wide variety of serv
ices to low-income, elderly and handicapped
persons in Multnomah County. Our serv
ices include homeless and aging case
management, housing counseling, energy
assistance, information and referral, and
weatherization. Our services are outlined
in the enclosed brochure.
I am writing to you because Human
Solutions wants to boost the participation
of minorities in our programs, particularly
in programs which have had a low partici
pation rate by minorities or which are in
tended to benefit minorities. These pro
grams are:
* Critical Maintenance. This HUD
funded, Multnomah County sponsored
program provides funds for the repair and
maintenance of owner-occupied dwellings
in portions of east Portland, and mid and
east Multnomah County. Repairs are made
where the health of the occupant is threat
ened, where the habitability of the building
is in jeopardy, or to increase the energy
efficiency of the dwelling. Funds for this
program are limited.
* Fair Housing Counseling. This coun
seling is for persons who feel they are or
have been discriminated against in any area
of housing including rental, pre-rental,
purchase, pre-purchase, shared housing,
displacement and re-location, or landlord-
tenant issues.
* Weatherization. We can weatherize
qualifying homes and rental units at no cost
to the home-owner or landlord. Weatheri
zation will help reduce the amount of money
clients spend on energy and allow them to
spend their money on other necessities.
Human Solutions performs the weatheriza
tion work but intake for this program is
handled by Multnomah County.
Human Solutions programs usually are
limited to low-income, elderly or handi
capped persons. Fair housing counseling is
an exception to our guidelines; it is avail
able to anyone regardless of income, age or
physical condition. Access to all human
Solutions programs is available to anyone
regardless of race, color, national origin,
religion, sex, age, sexual preference, famil
ial status, or physical or mental handicap.
All services are handicapped accessible. In
addition, we have Spanish speaking staff
available.
In the meantime, if you would like
more information about Human Solutions’
programs or would like to refer a client to
us, please call Lucy at 248-5200. If you
would like to refer a client for weatheriza
tion please call the Multnomah County
Community Action Program Office, at 248-
5464.
We appreciate your referrals of quali
fying racial or ethnic minority clients.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Steven H. Rapp,
Public Inform ation Officer
PORTLfì
ERYER
Progressive Black Politics:
Way
by Professor McKinley Burt
1 called it right again, didn’t I, when
forecasting that the political upheavals in
Eastern Europe would mean very little to
this nation’s B lacks-w ho might have be
lieved that big cuts in the military might
translate into an improved economic situ
ation. I’m sure you saw that headline quot
ing the president, “ D on't hold your breath
expecting a peace dividend there isn’t
going to be a lot of excess money floating
around out there." In case you were naive
enough to think that any "excess” would
be funneled into such critical areas as healthy
education, housing or drug wars, you’ve
been forewarned in this column-the money
is going to our kinfolk overseas to get them
back on their communist feet.
So much for our relatives; let us pro
ceed with the task we assigned ourselves
last week; “ where do we go from here?”
Writer Shelby Steele said we suffer from a
"victim-focused Black identity,” and we
were admonished for a “ lack of ability to
take responsibility and seize opportunity."
Now, there is something we really need to
consider here. The American media works
overtime to convince this nation (and the
world), and perhaps Blacks themselves,
that this is just the case. Day and night all of
us are bombarded with the shrill assault of
the denigrating images and verbiage which
can only serve to portray-one sidedly-a
poor, forlorn, despised and hopeless mass
of people (with no future and no Statue of
L iberty to beckon ‘ ‘Send me your poor and
downtrodden masses' ’).
This debiliating radiation pours from
the tube: “ illiterate, imprisoned, jobless,
drop out, drugged (from womb to serility),
rapist, unruly, unhoused, uneducated, and
unparented.” If there is another level of
Black existence, it is not intended that the
world should know of it. The media is not
interested in how these situations came
ab o u t-it would not dare explore these is-
su es-th e media is interested in sales and
ratings, the balance sheet. If there is an
ebony body politic, beleagured but alive
and functioning—then it is certainly going
to have to assert itself or we may all perish
under the weight of the assault.
It is my belief that Blacks have got to
Business Manager
Saies/MarkeUng Director
There has been talk lately in Con
gress about increasing federal excise
taxes on everyday consumer goods.
Many economists argue that legisla
tors favor consumer excise taxes on
alcohol, gasoline and tobacco prod
ucts because they can be hidden in
product cost. A nickel here, a dime
there doesn’t sound like much, but
the total cost can be staggering.
Even more staggering is the fact
that Congress is proposing an increase
in federal consumer excise taxes alter
23 states raised gasoline taxes. 13
states raised tobacco product taxes
and seven states, alcoholic beverage
taxes in 1989.
According to a survey newly re
leased by the National Conference of
Slate Legislatures (NCSL). the number
ol slat.es increasing consumer excise
taxes in 1989 was the highest in years,
and these regressive taxes were the fa
vorite target ol stale legislatures. A re
cent comprehensive study by the non
profit, non-partisan Tax Foundation
found that consumer excise taxes on
alcohol, gasoline and tobacco, along
with sales taxes, absorb almost 10
percent ol the income of the lowest in
come lamilics, hut less than 2 percent
ol the highest income class.
How much more will we pay in
stale excise taxes lor 1990 alone? fry
approximately S I.5 billion, f l i c esti
mates by individual state from the
NCSL survey tell the story. Id
a 1989. PM Editorial Services
rTbO Y ou T ARE Y
o U N
EAT,T hav F
[SNORE ?
rend
ie ^ isiative A gence
DOYbU SUEP
HAVE
IN YOUR
.UNDERWEAR?^ ever
EATEN
JARE Y ou a
KIWI ,
L( s OO{)BMER?J
I FRUIT
ARE You
.AÍMQKER?
FNV i Æ nv WT • aV>«N<S B A N 5
5r
PORTLAND OBSERVER
li published weekly by
Exle Publishing Company, Inc.
4747 N.E. M .L .K . Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 47211
P.O. Box 3137
Portland, Oregon 4 7 2 «
by John E. Jacob
Excise Tax Overload
Lean Harrls/Gonerai Manager
Joyce Washington
escalate their communication modes. Our
names need to appear a lot more in the
R eader's Column in the press, answering
the many slanted and prejudiced news ar
ticles that are more view points than news
(some should be on the Editorial Page). We
should go around the media and address
establishment organizations ourselves-the
Rotarys and others service organizations,
business and professional groups. Request
a place on the agenda of organizations,
request guest editorial space in the press,
answer both the racists and the pseudo
liberals. It is unthinkable that we could
have as many college graduates and profes
sionals as we do, and then not carry a
counterattack against the thinly-veiled
diatribes and denigrations beyond the con
fines of the ghetto.
I also believe that another “ way to go
from here” is to re-examine our organiza
tional bases. It is quite possible that our old-
line traditional groups such as the Urban
League and the NAACP no longer effec
tively serve the purpose of a beleaugered
race as we approached the 21st century-at
least not entirely, and, certainly, there must
be some serious restructuring. We may
inter from recent local events that the area
of administrative controls and procedures
is one that needs a great deal of work and
education-(for example, a smoothly func
tioning and well trained board of directors
is as much a prerequisite in the social or
ganization as in industry). Then, too, there
is the exterior interface with a new techno
logical workplace and infra-structure—pro
gressive social organizations are now se
lecting members of their boards with con
siderations o f the experience and ability to
deal with a 21st century interface.
This is just a glance at one aspect of a
necessary new o rder. It is imputed that
Blacks are going to have to develop some
new structures to train, educate, guide and
monitor their social and economic efforts
in this age of computerized information
systems. Next week we will examine some
possible formats in such needed areas as
Consumerism, Health and Safety, Urban
Development, Director Training, Etc. We
can no longer build on cronyism and popu
larity.
. NArt. T0AÎ7ÇK-
APrceciAnoywEEk
(5 0 3 , 2 8 8 -0 0 3 3 ( O ff ic e )
Deadlines for all submitted materials:
Anidas: Monday, 5 p.m.; Ads: Tuesday, 5 p.m.
'IKW onmí .9
T M RORTLANO O S S tflV E R «atoona« IrM lanca lu b m n io n i M r u l s c l i and p h o io a f^ b , thoulrf b» d w > i
W m M and w.H ba rMwnwd d «ocom pan») by • M d -a ddraiM d «nvalep*. AJI ciMUcd d..ign«d dúptey ad.
beoorrw dw .ote preparty ol tha nawapapar and can not ba u.ad in o<ha* publmitona o* pataonal u taga. wiihoul
Iha wtinan eentaad «4 tha ganara! tnanagar, unlaaa Iha cham haa purchaaad Iha corroo, (ion ol auch ad 1M 9
P b B M ^ O N o ’ m O H B IT E O
RESEnVE° ' n £P R O O U C r'ON IN WHOLE O ft IN PABT W IIH O U T
1
p A. tz
WÌ.I
*_ & * ♦
1
Creed O f The Black Press
.•
The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from
social and national antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless o f
race, color, or creed, full human and legal rights. Haling no persqn. fearing
no person, the Black Press strives to Itelp every person in Ihe lin n belief that
all are hurt as long as anyone is held hack.
•_ y
>»
» . "i.
Long Term Health Care
When the history of the 1980s comes to
be written, the strange saga of the Medicare
Catastrophic Coverage Act will likely be a
prime illustration of how greed and special
interests undercut compassion and social
needs.
The Act was passed in 1988 after a two-
year struggle to meet the disastrous impact
of long-term illness on the elderly, many of
whom found their lifetime’s savings wiped
out when Medicare coverage ran out.
Many of the elderly have chronic con
ditions that require steady consumption of
expensive prescription drugs, and the Act
partially reimbursed those expenses, as well.
The improved coverage was financed
through a surtax on the elderly. In effect,
the beneficiaries of the bill would pay for it.
All seniors pay a small monthly fee; those
liable for federal income tax pay a modest
surcharge, and the wealthiest 5 percent of
the elderly wound up paying the top sur
charge of $800 per year.
When the Act was passed, everyone—
leaders of both parties, senior citizens groups,
and health experts-hailed it as a long over
due improvement benefitting the most
vulnerable of the elderly.
Then greed took over. Affluent seniors
balked at having to pay up to $800 a year
extra, although they’d benefit from the
legislation, too. A massive letter-writing
campaign was launched for repeal and
Congress, fearing the shrill opposition of
the affluent elderly, backed down.
In the rush for Thanksgiving adjourn
ments, Congress repealed the Act, although
congressional leaders say new proposals
for Medicare expansion will be high on the
agenda after New Years.
Congress should reconsider its action
and reconstitute a Medicare Catastrophic
Coverage Act, for it is just as important
today as when it was passed, and there was
no reason to give in to the hysterical calls
for repeal.
It's estimated that the average M edi
care subsidy to high income retirees is
worth well over $2,00 per year, so the extra
tax surcharge to pay for it just reduced an
already large subsidy to the affluent, while
extending benefits for the less well-off.
The greed factor, so typical of the
1990s, is going to boomerang on the afflu
ent, too. Many objected to the modest sur
charge because they can afford private
insurance that provides similar benefits.
But private insurers held premiums down
only because many benefits were picked up
by the Medicare program.
With the A ct’s repeal, those private
insurance premiums will go up-m ost likely
by a lot more than the surtax that upset so
many of the affluent.
Most important, the Act provided
important benefits for the elderly poor,
such as a requirement that state Medicare
programs provide Medicare deductibles,
premiums and co-insurance charges for the
poor. That must be part o f any new legisla
tion.
The African-American elderly have a
special stake in an improved Medicare-
Medicaid program that caps out-of-pocket
expenses for covered hospital and physi
cian services.
Any changes in the Act must preserve
features that benefit the poor, such as
Medicaid buy-ins, caps on out-of-pocket
payments, and prescription drug expense
caps.
It is, unconscionable for Congress to
pander to a relatively small group of afflu-
envpcople who have benefited from the tax
cuts of the 1980s while stripping vital pro
tection away from the poor and the moder
ate income elderly.
d
'
e t
A
A * A* *
• ' ’ * • * • ♦ • • ♦
». •
■
a ïfc t -»i
'-L -
. »
•
3'
RETSUI
'T A W W a f t 60T OUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT
Subocigdrana: S20.00 par yaar In Iha TrkCaunly araa.
Tha PORTLAND OBSERVER - Oragon'a oMaai Alrrcan-Amerlcan Pubitcatron-ii a m anijar a Tha National
Naanpapar Aa.odanon - Foundad In IM S . Tha Oragon Nam papar Publr.har. A lte ra tio n . and Tha Nalonal
Advarbam, Hapraaanlatnra Amalgamated Pwbliahar«, Ina., Naw Vari.
recognizes that while racism and racial
oppression remain major barriers to A fri
can-American progress, an explorative
economic system also works to keep Afri
can-American progress, an explorative
economic system also works to keep Afri
can-Americans, other minorities and poor
and working people locked at the bottom of
the economic ladder. The American politi
cal economy is a system of prosperity for
some and misery for many. That system
must change.
The mission of progressive Black poli
tics, therefore, is to " , . . accept major
responsibility for creating both the atmos
phere and the program for fundemental, far
ranging change in America . . . It is the
challenge to consolidate and organize our
own Black role as the vanguard in the
struggle for a new society.” Progressive
politics is not a politics of the status quo. It
is not about the business of apologizing for
or legitimizing the present system. Pro
gressive Black politics is apoliticsof social
transformation.
Progressive Black politics is forced to
raise hard questions as it relates to the
present system. How is that the wealthiest
and most technologically endowed nation
on the face of the earth can have 3-6 million
homeless people, 37 million people with no
health insurance, 60 million people who are
either functionally illiterate or completely
illiterate, 30 million plus people who live in
poverty, and urban inner city centers that
are collapsing under the weight o f jobless
ness, crime, drugs and decay? As Martin
Luther King put it: “ true compassion is
more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it
comes to see that an edifice which produces
beggars needs restructuring.”
Progressive Black politics therefore must
be about the task of exposing flaws and
contradictions in the American political -
economic system and it must press for
“ restructuring.” Itseeks not to plunge into
the "m ainstream ” o f what America is, but
to transform the very nature of the main
stream. of what America is, but to trans
form the very nature of the mainstream.
Progressive Black politics therefore must
forge a fighting program and enter into
coalitions not to dilute the Black agenda or
to accommodate the status quo, but to unite
any and all who have a vision of a new
America and a new tomorrow. And as the
Gary Declaration exhorted African-Ameri
cans nearly two decades ago: "th e society
we seek cannot come unless Black people
organize to advance its coming.” Such is
the vision, mission and challenge of pro
gressive Black politics in our time.
To Be Equal
Established in 1970
Gary Ann Garnett
If the masses of African-Americans
are to survive, develop and prosper in
America, indeed if the masses o f working
people, B lack or white and other minorities
are to benefit from the "good life” in
America, then Black politics must move
beyond mere skin color to a progressive
vision and agenda for change in America.
African-Americans most assuredly
should aspire to gain access to power both
in the public and private sectors and we
should seek to forge coalitions. But our
access to power and the coalitions which
propel our leaders into positions of prom i
nence, may only produce disillusionment if
black politics is not grounded in a progres
sive vision and agenda. Without a vision,
an agenda and the capacity to wage struggle
to enact that vision and agenda. Black faces
in high places will make no difference. In
fact there is the danger, absent a progres
sive vision and agenda, that Black faces in
high places may only legitimize the present
system and thereby perpetuate the status
quo.
What does it mean to be "progres
sive"? The Gary Declaration which was
issued at the historic 1972 Gary Conven
tion summed up and set the tone for pro
gressive Black politics in terms of vision,
goals and a sense of mission. It is useful to
cite this document from this great gathering
as a basis for guiding our deliberation and
actions in this crucial period.
"T he crises we face as Black people
are the crises of the entire society. They go
deep, to the very bones and marrow, to the
essential nature of America’s economic,
political and cultural systems. They are the
natural end product of a society built on the
twin foundations of white racism and white
capitalism." The progressive vision is based
on an analysis of the problem facing Afri
can-Americans and other oppressed groups
in this country. America as is, with its racist
institutions, chauvinist culture and an ex
ploitive economic system which promotes
and tolerates extremes of wealth and pov
erty is not acceptable. Hence the Gary
Declaration went on to state” . . . all truly
Black politics must begin with this truth:
THE AMERICAN SYSTEM DOES NOT
WORK FOR THE MASSES OF OUR
PEOPLE, AND IT CANNOT BE MADE
TO WORK WITHOUT RADICAL FUND-
MENTAL CHANGE. (Indeed, this system
does not really work in favor of the human
ity of anyone in America).”
Progressive Black politics is based on
a race-class analysis and perspective. That
is to say that progressive Black politics
ToGo!
O R E G O N ’S O L D E S T A F R IC A N -A M E R IC A N P U B LIC A TIO N
Allred L. Handerson/PubUsher
The Vanguard For A New Society
*
* i
■ ’
-r
•
-i
r •-*
'
: ■
I
■V