November 7, 1990---l he Portland Observer-"Page 9
Whatever Happened to Minority
Business? -Part 4
by Professor McKinley Burt
It was brought to my attention
last week that my observation o f the
federal M in o rity Business Program s-
” You can’ t force the government to do
anything (w ith ou t political heat)” - is
till holding true in the “ disadvantaged”
area. I was referred to a “ Letters to the
Editor” item in the October 29 edition
o f the publication “ American Contrac­
tor” .
Here, a m inority contractor
criticizes the Small Business A d m in i­
stration and affiliated agencies for plac­
ing him in a “ Catch-22” situation in
respect to promises o f S urety Bond guar­
antees. Months o f expensive effort,
time and other preparation went down
the drain when the firm was confronted
with the “ zapper” : The government
(SBA) w ill not guarantee bonds/con-
tracts i f the age o f the requesting firm is
UNDER 12 M O N TH S. Further, mud­
dying the waters was a less than satisfy­
ing “ Financial Capability Review” :
a young firm w ith no infusion o f capital
required to satisfy the prerequisite f i ­
nancial capabilities demanded by the
U.S. A rm y .”
In respect to the first situation,
it imm ediately occurs that it would have
been crim inal for the SBA and those af­
filiated agencies to allow this firm to
waste so much o f its time and energy
w ithout inform ing them o f the ” 12
month” requirement (the question arises,
ofcourse, " I s thiskey stipulation pro m i­
nently displayed in the 's c rip t’ , scuh
that any’ applicant would have been
aware o f the fatal constraint?” ) And is
the system still so impaired?
The second situation propels
us into one o f the most confused and
nebulous areas in all the interface be­
tween government and citizen. Just
what is “ F IN A N C IA L C A P A B IL IT Y ”
w nhin the context and rubric o f A m er­
ica’s widely heralded programs to “ bring
m inorities into the mainstream o f com ­
merce and in d u s try ." Somehow the
message gets conveyed that many o f the
laws and rules o f generally accepted
financial via b ility and c re d ib ility have
been suspended in varying degree in o r­
der to bring the disadvantaged aboard.
Wistful, many seem to believe this. After
all, we did not get the 40 acres and the
m ule-so, conceivably, something is still
due.
I can certainly understand it i f
you are reminded here o f the piece I
wrote a few months ago citing a passage
from “ A lice in W onderland” as rem i­
niscent o f the federal bureaucracy: caught
up in an attempt to mask his own confu­
sion, Humpty Dumpty exclaims, “ Things
are what I say they are!” Right on! Let
the buyer beware (caveat emptor). Again,
I refer to m y own experience cited last
week. I had a sufficient financial base
until I allowed the government to attain
the position o f an unenforceable finan­
cial commitment. Shame on me! I t ’s a
learning game--things went quite w ell
in previous commercial enterprises where
there was no federal involvem ent. So
what is it that we are saying in all o f this?
First, disabuse yourself o f all
those naive expectations. Politics and
voter registrations reign supreme. Ig ­
nore the rhetoric and the large advertis­
ing budgets and display ads, and ap­
proach the agencies just as you w ould a
USED C AR D E A LE R . Assume that
you are as innocent as any other con­
sumer entering a new marketplace; per­
haps more so.
An interesting aside here is that
a lot o f this kept ringing a bell in my
memory u ntil fin a lly things fe ll into
place. Loo kin g through my Black H is­
tory files used in my university classes,
I found ju s t what I was looking for: ma­
terials relating to that over a century old
debacle set up im m ediately after the
C iv il W a r-th e Freedmen’ s Bureau,
obstensibly designed to expedite the
entrance o f the freed black slaves into
the Am erican mainstream w ith “ all
deliberate haste.” So, what else is new?
W ill we learn? More next week.
Tenth Cans Film Festival To Benefit Hungry
M ovie fans can see a first-run
movie o f their choice and help Oregon ’s
hungry people by attending the Tenth
Annual Cans Film Festival on Wednes­
day evening, November seventh. Forty-
two A c t lll theaters throughout Oregon
and Clark County, Washington, w ill cele­
brate the event’ s tenth anniversary by
opening their doors to movie-goers who
contribute tw o cans o f nonperishable
food items in lieu o f the regular movie
admission price.
Congressman Ron Wyden w ill
k ic k -o ff this year’s Festival w ith a pub­
lic appcrance at L lo yd Center Cinemas
at 9:30 a.m. the morning o f the event.
Stajc Senator Jane Cease and State
Representative Ron Cease w ill read the
M ayor’ s Proclamation, establishing
November 7, 1990 as Cans F ilm Festi­
val Day. OFB Executive D irector Ra­
chel Bristol L ittle and representatives
from the G irl Scouts and A ct III Thea­
ters w ill also be on hand to answer
questions about the event and its 10-
year history.
On the evening o f November
seventh, local G irl Scout troops w ill
gather at area theaters to assist Oregon
Food Bank in collecting the canned goods.
Last year, Oregon Food Bank received
34,400 pounds o f food from Cans F ilm
Festival, a 38% increase over 1988 to­
tals. This year’s goal is 40,000 pounds
statewide.
Cans F ilm Festival one o f a
series o f Oregon Food Bank pre-holiday
events that raise public awareness as
w ell as food. By participating in these
events, individuals and fam ilies help the
Oregon Food B ank’s netw ork’s member
agencies prepare fo r w inte r emergency
food nceds-a time when many Orego­
nians face the m ounting financial pres­
sures that so often come when the weather
turns cold.
Oregon Food Bank is a private
nonprofit network o f 19 regional food
banks serving nearly 600 social service
agencies throughout Oregon and Clark
County, Washington.
I
Business Profile:
Don Bankhead of L o ca l’s O nly
BY C Y N T H IA B R O W N
hard i f you have a relationship. I spend
“ A lot o f record stores do carry local
most o f my tim e at this. People don’ t
artists but they don’t do it like we do,:
understand why I work so hard. I l gets
said Don Bankhead o f Local’ s Only.
really stressful and hard on friends and
“ We feature local bands, show their
fam ily. But I always want to be in busi­
posters, sell their l-shirts, bring them
ness for m yself. I ’d much rather be my
in to the store fo r liv e , all-age
own boss than have someone tell me
performances,and hold record release
what to do.”
parties.”
W hile growing up in Salt Lake
Bankhead and his partners
C ity, Utah, Bankhead showed his deter­
(Sarah Moran, A rt
Thomas and Dan ______
Sause) decided to
open this unique
outlet after experi­
encing the trials and
trib u la tio n s
of
trying to sell their
own music. “ W e’re
a ll
m usicians,
w e’ ve a lld o n e a lo t
o f recording and we
a ll had a hard time
selling our tapes.”
« t
The store stocks
$
C D ’ s,
album s,
tapes, and other
merchandise on 500
Don Bankhead co-owns downtown 's diverse
diffcrcntnorthw est
artists ranging from
Kenny G to the Oregon Symphony to U-
m ination at an early age. ‘ ‘When I was 8
Krcw .
years old I cleaned a music shop in
“ But we concentrate more on
exchange for piano lessons. I bought my
the guy who is up and coming and trying
first piano at age 12 by w orking at the
to make a name for him self,” he added.
shop and m owing lawns. I got a good
“ And there aren’t as many black artists
deal from the owner o f the store,” he
as there should be. I know they’ re out
recalled. “ M y parents had no idea I was
there. We want to sell their tapes.”
buying a piano until it was delivered.”
The broad range o f styles is a
He continued to take lessons and listen
com m itm ent to freedom o f creativity.
to an eclectic array o f music, m ostly
“ W e ’re here to sell music regardless o f
rock and roll. “ M y major influences
what it is. Our doors are open to all
were James Brown, The Beetles and
kinds. W e’ ve even had Aryan Nation
E lvis Presley; none played keyboards.
and Neo-Nazi bands. We have some­
M y favorite keyboard players were in
thing for everyone,” said Bankhead.
‘Chicago’ and ‘ Spint’ ” . Bankhead cut
When Locals O nly opened one and a
his first album in 1978 and then changed
h alf yearsago their first m onth’ s income
his musical style to classical and jazz.
was S37O.OO. Now they average be­
A fter high school he attended
tween $2500 and $3100 per month.But
the University o f Utah and majored in
business can s till be rocky. * ‘What w e’d
business and marketing. “ Going to co l­
like now is to fin d a way to stabilize.
lege and studying business d id n ’ t really
W e’ re looking for money fo r advertis­
help me out to run a business. But c o l­
ing and we want to expand to other c it­
lege is good to learn to get through and
ies,” he said.
stick w ith something,” he commented.
The biggest challenge for
A fte r college he went to C a li­
Bankhead as a small business owner is
fornia and studied fashion design at the
the impact on his personal life, “ it ’ s not
U niversity o f San Francisco and worked.
ju s t a fu ll-tim e jo b ; i t ’s your life. I t ’ s
However, he soon decided to leave the
Portland Observer
CLASSIFIEDS
DATA PROCESSING
PROGRAMMER/ANALYST
MEDICAL CLAIMS
ANALYSTS
Blue Cross and Blue Shield is currently accepting applications fo r the position o f
Programmer/Analyst. The Programmer/Analyst w ill:
Design, develop and implement system improvements using current technology
Gather, analyze and document inform ation for developing or m od ifyin g opera­
tional and inform ation systems to pinpoint areas where improvement can be
made
Designing programs, develop code and perform the necessary implementation
activities involved in the installation o f new and improved systems.
The successful candidate w ill have 1-3 years o f IB M mainframe experience and
a m inim um o f 2 years OS and C O BO L experience, w ith training in systems
analysis, and special emphasis in project management, user relations, data
gathering techniques and written & oral communication. A college deg desired.
College experience may be substituted by demonstrated commendable per­
formance as a programmer.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield o f Oregon offers an excel employee benefits package,
flex-tim e work hours, and competitive salary. Pre-employment drug screening
required. To assure your resume is processed imm ediately, place ad #438 at the
top o f your resume or in you cover letter. Send resume to:
Blue Cross
Blue Shield
o f Oregon
Human Resources Dept., 5th Fir.
100 S.W. Market
LWJ
Portland, OR 97201
T D D #225-6780
Blue Cross and Blue Shield o f Oregon is currently accepting applications for
Medical Claims Analysts. This position is responsible for accurate and tim ely
payment o f blue Cross and Blue Shield o f Oregon’s medical claims. Experience
necessary to perform this task w ill include:
1 year recent clerical w ork experience in a doctor’ s office or hospital setting
Demonstrated knowledge o f medical term inology and anatomy. This may be
obtained through a classroom setting or o ffice experience
ICD-9/CPT-4 Coding
A m inimum o f 6-12 months experience using a C R T in a production oriented en­
vironment
Fast, accurate use o f a 10-key calculator
Previous claims processing or insurance b illin g experience highly desirable.
Starting salary S1347/mo.Training class w ill begin Jan.2, 1991.
BlueCrossand Blue Shield o f Oregon offers an excellent employee benefits pack­
age, flex-tim e work hours, and com petitive salary. Pre-employment drug
screening required. To assure your resume is processed immediately, place ad
#457 at the top o f your resume or you may apply in person between 9 A M -4P M
M on-Fri.
m
Equal Opportunity Employer
Sub-Bids Requested
Oregon Department of Transportation
UPRR Overcrossing To Pendelton Highway
Pendelton - Cold Springs Highway
Umatilla County, Oregon
Bid Date: November 15,199019:00 A.M.
Kiewit Pacific Co.
P.0. Box 1769, Vancouver, Wa. 98668
(206) 693-1478 258-4687, FAX (206) 693-5582
CCB063471
We are an equal opportunity employer and request sub-bids from women
and minority business enterprises.
Blue Cross
Blue Shield
o f Oregon
Human Resources Dept. 5th Floor
100 S.W. M arket
Portland, O r 97201
Blue Cross
Blue Shield
Equal Opportunity Employer
PUBLISHED
FIRST TIME TODAY
PORTLAND BUREAU OF
PARKS & RECREATION
MASTER PLAN BELLROSE
CORRIDOR OF THE 40 MILE LOOP
Bids due Noon, Nov. 21
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The Bureau of Parks & Recreation is inter-
ested in consultant services to assist the
Bureau in developing a master plan for the
Bellrose Corridor. Strong design and engi-
neering, and pubic involvement skills are
sought. Scope of work includes develop-
ment of a master plan, cost and funding
analyses, and an operational plan. If you
wish to receive a Request for Proposals, or
have questions, please contact: Mary Anne
Cassin, Portland Park Bureau, (503)
796-5229
Published Nov. 1, 1990.
bay area. "O n e day I was coming home
from w ork and saw some guy running
down the street shooting people,” he
said. Bankhead took some vacation days
and checked out Seattle. He spent one
day hitch-hiking to and from Portland.
“ It was a great experience. People were
friendly and h elpful..” The same people
who brought him to Portland gave him a
ride back to Seattle.
“ C om ing to
Portland and Se­
attle was a breath
o f fresh a ir,” he
added. “ E v e ry ­
thing you could ask
for is in one place,
m o u n ta in s, the
ocean and nice
people.” Another
thing Bankhead
discovered in Port­
land was blatant
racial harassment.
“ The firs t tim e I
was spit at and
called nigger was
in Portland. Grow­
music store
ing up in Utah was
a great thing. M y
fam ily was always treated w ith respect,”
he said. But he retains a positive attitude
about race relations in Portland. “ I turn
the other cheek. I f they’d spend 5 m in ­
utes w ith me they’d know that it was
totally inappropriate to spit at me. L e t’ s
get into the deep roots o f racism, like
how alcoholism is studied-why is an a l­
coholic an alcoholic? W e’ ve got to get
along.We have to meet in the middle
and tolerate each other u ntil the point o f
understanding each other.”
A fte r m oving to Portland
Bankhead worked as a manager fo r Fred
Meyer, wrote fo r the now defunct “ Pre­
v ie w ” magazine, and started a lim o u ­
sine service before deciding to open a
record store.
Bankhead is comm itted to his
business and is in it for the long haul.
“ I ’ ve never had a better w orking rela­
tionship than this one. I also think I can
set an example. I m ight have a chance to
be a role model fo r kids w ithout being a
basketball player,” he said. “ And I ’ m
doing it fo r me, not fo r anyone else. I ’ m
a type ‘A ” person. I always have to be
doing something and i t ’s an opportunity
to prove to m yself what kind o f person I
am and to g ro w .”
m Advertising
»Employment
» Bids/Sub-Bids
EMPLOYMENT
CITY OF PORTLAND
Data Entry Clerk-to $1,768/mo
District Aquatics Coordinator-to $2,468/mo
Energy Director-to $49,130/yr
Engineering Associate B (Traffic)-to $3,662/mo
Police Officer-to $3,217/mo
Senior Accountant-to $31,013/yr
Urban Services Manager-to $48,255/yr
For more info/closing dates
call (503) 248-4573 (24 hr jo b inform ation) No resumes please
B U R E A U O F PERSONNEL
1220 S.W. 5th Ave., First FI.
Portland, OR 97204
Apps also available at:
U R B A N LE A G U E
10 N Russell
M inorities, females and disabled encouraged to apply.