Page 2...The Portland Observer...Eebruary 5, 1992
Employment in Oregon: December, 1991
p e r s p e c tiv e s
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Oregon unemployment rate:
6.6% unchanged from November
(seasonally adjusted)
by Professor M cK inle y B u rt
National unemployment rate:
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
7.1% up 0.2 from November
(seasonally adjusted)
Oregon’s seasonally adjusted un
employment rate steadied in December,
remaining at the November level of 6.6%.
learning caught in the contours of the
While the rate is higher than it was one
hieroglyphs. Her accompanying notes
year ago (6.2%), it remains well below
offer valuable insights into culture and
the nation’s 7.1%, suggesting that Ore
context
gon continues to handle this recession
Vol. I: The Old and Middle
better than the nation as a whole.
Kingdoms (#7741,245 pp., paperback,
Wage and salary employment ap
$11.95).
pears somewhat stronger now than it did
Vol. II: The New Kingdom (#7742,
one month ago, partly because of slight
239 pp., paperback, $11.95)
growth in December, and also because
Vol. Ill: The Late Kingdom (#7743,
the November employment estimates
228 pp., paperback, $11.95).
were revised upward. Food processing,
Last, but not last, I recommend the
retail trade, and services all had a better
following book from the same pub
November than originally thought.
lisher. Those who label themselves
The major problem for the Oregon
“ historians” know (or should know)
economy continues to be the lumber
that if an ancient people were indeed as
industry, in which major layoffs affected
literate or as technologically produc
both sawmills and veneer and plywood
tive as some have claimed, then, truly,
mills in December. With 18,200 work
there should be a valid substantiation
ers, sawmill employment has fallen by
and documentation.
More than 10,000 from the levels of the
Here we find a wealth of such
evidence for an “ African Genesis;”
these libraries were described in detail
by such scholars as George G. M. James
(Stolen Legacy), Anta Cheik Diop
Unemployed Oregon workers who
(African Origin of Civilization) and
have been receiving the federal emer
Peter Tompkins (Secrets of the Great
gency unemployment benefits that
Pyramid), other greats.
became available in November will
The Vanished Library: A
now be eligible for an additional seven
Wonder o f the Ancient World, by Lu
weeks of benefits. According to stale
ciano Canfora. The Ptolemaic kings of
Employment Division officials, Ore
Egypt-successors of Alexander the
gon’s total unemployment rate rose to
Great-sought to house under one roof
the level necessary to increase the du
all books ever written. From its founda
ration of benefits from 13 to 20 weeks.
tion in the 3rd century BC, their Library
Approximately 30,000 Oregonians
at Alexandria was a wonder of the ancient
who have been or will be receiving
world, and since its disappearance
federal emergency benefits will be eli
(Canfora dates its final destruction af
gible to receive the additional seven
ter 640 AD) it has haunted our cultural
weeks of benefits. Starting this week,
memory with its vanished treasure. In a
the Employment Division will begin
difficult but rewarding essay, Canfora
sending written notices to Oregonians
combines dramatic sketches, recon
who will be affected by the change.
structed conversations, and straight
The first benefit checks will be mailed
history to form an imaginative portrait
of the Library and a fascinating exami
nation of the historical and literary
sources that have informed him. His
procedure is labyrinthine, and but
Homeless graduates of drug and
something about his indirect method
alcohol recovery programs will find
casts the knowledge he imparts in an
new permanent housing at the refur
appropriately mysterious glow. (#7715,
bished 95-unit Sally McCracken build
205 pp., paperback, $12.95).
ing. The new housing is a project of the
Downtown Housing Preservation Part
nership (DHPP) which celebrated the
tax credits are useless to them.
building’s opening Tuesday, January
Our ‘Environmental President’ did
14 at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony was
not even show up for the State of the
held in the building lobby located at
Union. President Bush didn’t utter a
532 N.W. Everett.
word on preserving our country’s envi
DHPP was created in 1988 to de
ronment. He also neglected to address
velop low-income housing in down
the pressing issues of America’s farm
town Portland. The DHPP partners
ers, who greatly contribute to our coun
include PDC, Central City Concern
try’s economy. Times have changed.
(CCC), the Portland Metropolitan
The President’s speech aimed at
Chamber of Commerce, and the Hous
enhancing his ratings in New Hamp
ing Authority of Portland (HAP). The
shire rather than addressing the needs
Partnership’s goal is to develop 800
of all middle class Americans. Ameri
new units of low-income central city
cans don’t care about the popularity of
housing by 1994. The Sal ly McCracken
the President, or the Congress for that
Building is the fourth project to be
matter. They care about having jobs to completed by the Partnership bringing
support their families. The President
the total number of rehabilitated units
simply missed the boat.”
to 420.
Speakers at the opening ceremony
included City Commissioner Gretchen
Kafoury, PDC Commissioner Chair
man Douglas McGregor, Chamber
President Don McClave, HAP Com
I Cljc 39crrihmh (Observer ! missioner Howard Shapiro and CCC
Executive Director Debbie Wood.
The Sally McCracken Building
Limited Partnership owns the single
room-occupancy (SRO) building-the
T he P ortland O bserver
first to be designated for graduates of
CAN BE SENT DIRECTLY TO
substance abuse recovery programs.
Readings for Survival and Self-Image
Black History Month has rolled
around and it is again lime for me to
advise the readers of some easily ac
cessible material relevant to both cur
rent and past issues that have shaped or
thwarted the progress of peoples of
African and Asian descent.
The first volume cited incorpo
rates and expands the commentary that
appears in my Portland Observer ar
ticle of January 8, 1992, “ The Origin
and Spread of AIDS Is Finally Re
vealed. * ’ This book, ‘ ‘ Seeds of Change,
will have further revelations for you as
it moves past the first chapter, “ Qui
nine,” with its correlation to malaria
and syphilis. An excellent job is done
of documenting developments to date,
beginning from early European explo
ration, slave trading and colonialism in
Africa, India and South America.
My article quoted this book as I
documented that the current deadly
epidemic of the HIV Virus (AIDS) is
the result of recent medical experi
ments related to the Malaria/Syphilis
connection. These horror stories in
volve the deliberate injection of MON
KEY BLOOD into both indigenous Af
ricans and U.S. prison inmates; all
blithely and boldly cited in the medical
literature (remember the “ Tuskegee
Syphilis Experiments” ).
Further chapters detail how the
development and exploitation of the
world’s major cash cro p ssu g a i, tea,
cotton, potatoes-has in each case in
volved the manipulation ind often
GENOCIDE of the d
around
the globe; Africa, India, Bangladesh,
China, Indochina, Peru, The West In
dies, and other of the Americas (“ The
White Man’s Burden” they used to call
it).HadtherebeenachapteronRUBBER
we would have been given a new in
sight into the “ seeds” of the Vietnam
War viz-a-viz the desperate attempts of
the French government to hold onto its
trillion-dollar colonial empire. Not to
be omitted is the role of American and
European Rubber com panies-or of the
American military sucked into the holo-
caust at the cost of a hundred thousand
lives. The cost of ‘ ‘cash crops’ ’ comes
high. “ The sins of Fathers are visited
upon the sons.”
The following may be ordered at a
discount price from “ A Common Reader
Publishing Co.” , 141 Tompkins Ave.,
Pleasantville, NY 10570. Add $4.25
for shipping any quantity of books (all
are in stock).
Seeds o f Change, by Henry Hob-
house. “ Plants are trod upon, eaten,
smoked, and worn, but they are rarely
recognized as movers and shakers of
history. And yet, certain plants have
had more to do with shaping our world
than many revered statesmen. Pepper,
for example, can be seen as the root
cause of the discovery of America.
This story of five plants that trans
formed mankind is history at its best; it
changes not only how you see the past,
but how you look at the present as
well.” (#3562, 252 pp„ Paperback,
$11.95).
For those readers who are exasper
ated at forever hearing that it was the
Greeks who gave the world its lyric
poetry, and other gems of literature, I
recommend the following documenta
tion of an African genesis-preserved
on papyrus and written in stone; the
best written two thousand years before
the others left barbarism (note that
“ Homer” was illiterate, and that the
“ Greek” plays were based upon Afri
can religious and agricultural rituals
[Encyclopedia Britannica]). The cul
ture of the time embraced Egypt, Ethio
pia, Sudan, Li a am Arabia. Ancient
Egyptta : Literature' '.it tnrec superb
volumes, Miriam Lichtheim has gath
ered, translated, and annotated a vast
array of ancient Egyptian literature;
passages are drawn from poems, sto
ries, inscriptions, hymns, prayers, songs,
theological and didactic treatises. The
period covered ranges from the Old
Kingdom (c. 2699-2100 BC) through
the Late Period (c. 1000-300 BC).
Lichtheim’s labors allow ustoexam ine
the wonderland of myth, image, and
Additional Emergency Unemployment Benefits
Available in Oregon to receive a maximum of 26 weeks ot
no transition program.
Our country desperately needs
economic enhancement, but it’s fright
ening to hear the President propose a
90-day moratorium on federal regula
tions to achieve this goal. Federal regu
lations are not always stumbling blocks
to economic growth. This moratorium
could suspend safety regulations in the
workplace, inspection of consumer
products and pollution control. Jeop
ardizing the lives of American workers
is not going to help the economy.
The President’s health care pro
posal shows he doesn’t understand the
needs of the middle class. One-fourth
of the people in America without health
insurance are unemployed, and senior
citizens live on a fixed income. So, his
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Sharon Camarda
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beginning next week.
Those persons who are currently
drawing emergency unemployment
benefits will not need to file a new
claim or visit their local Employment
office in person. They will automati
cally be notified of their increased claim.
Those persons who have exhausted their
emergency benefits will also be noti
fied by mail, with the necessary forms
benefits. During periods of high unem
ployment, federal extended benefits are
triggered on for a maximum of 13 weeks
and triggered off when the unemploy
ment rate drops and stabilizes. With the
federal emergency benefits program,
Oregonians are now eligible for up to
46 weeks of unemployment.
The emergency benefits program
is funded by the federal government,
and instructions for restarting their while the state’s regular benefit pro
claims.
gram is funded by Oregon employers.
Those who qualify for the benefits The federal program will be in effect
will be paid the same weekly benefits through June 13, 1992.
amount they received on their original
Unemployed workers who need
claim. Oregon’s maximum weekly additional information about the fed
benefit is $259.
eral emergency benefits program should
Under normal conditions, unem contact their local Employment Divi
ployed workers in Oregon are eligible sion office.
Restored Sally McCracken Building Opens with 95 New
Single-Occupancy Rooms for Special Needs Citizens
Kopetski Faults President’s Speech
The following is the statement o f
Congressman Mike Kopetski in response
to the President's State o f the Union
address.
“ I was greatly disappointed with
the President’s State of the Union ad
dress because it had too much politics
and not enough leadership. He talked
about military savings, enhancing eco
nomic growth and implementing a health
care proposal. On the surface, this sounds
great, but at closer look you’ll find his
message lacks substance.
Identifying additional military
savings, as the President did, is only
one-half the job. The other half of the
job is redirecting the skilled people and
resources in our defense industries to
our domestic needs. The President has
rebounded in December, continuing to
provide much-needed strength to the
Oregon economy. After allowing for
typical seasonal differences,, construc
tion employment is ending 1991 with
900 more jobs than it started with. While
this does not match the strong growth of
the past few years, it is certainly better
than the major cutbacks which might
have been expected, given the overall
economy.
Retail trade provided the most sur
prising news in December. In spite of
sluggish sales and slow hiring in No
vember, retail employment soared in
December. General merchandise (or
department) stores provided most of the
impetus, adding 2,500 jobs.
Looking at 1991 as a whole, Ore
gon’s unemployment rate has averaged
6.0%, the highest annual rate since 1987,
but far below those recorded during the
last recession, such as the 11.5% in
1982. All major industry groups except
the durable manufacturing sector re
corded growth between 1990 and 1991,
though generally at a much slower rate
than in the prior few years.
1970s. Veneer and plywood mills, which
once provided incomes for more than
25,000 workers, now employ only 11,200.
Layoffs were also recorded in the log
ging sector where the loss of 800 jobs
exceeded the typical December drop of
500.
In looking at the lumber industry
another way: employment was 54,600
last month; 68,800 in December 1988;
and 80,100 in December 1978. There
fore, industry job losses in the last three
years roughly amount to theentire popu
lation of a city the size of Wood-bum,
Pendleton, or Forest Grove. Going back
thirteen years, the job losses approxi
mate the populations of Bend and Red
mond combined, and approach the
population of Albany
While lumber layoffs have been
going on for some time, the job losses in
other manufacturing have increased
throughout 1991. In December, primary
metals took the largest hit, losing 300
workers. Other industries affected by
layoffs included fabricated metals and
instruments and related products.
After falling in November, season
ally adjusted construction employment
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¡T he P ortland O bserver ]
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Potential residents of the Sally
McCracken are identified by social
service agencies operating substance
abuse treatment programs. Residents
of the Sally McCracken were previ
ously homeless individuals who util
ized local shelter services. Central City
concern will manage the building.
“ It’s hard to believe this is the old
Athens Hotel. It was filthy and people
were literally freezing to death here a
few years ago,” said Commissioner
Kafoury. “ The renovation of this build
ing for alcohol and drug-free housing
demonstrates the City’s commitment
to move people out of shelters and into
more permanent housing,” she added.
Total project cost for the building
was $4 million. Corporate Housing Ini
tiatives Limited Partnership (which is
affiliated with the National Enterprise
Foundation) provided $1.6 million in
cash investment in exchange for his
toric and low-income housing tax cred
its. Security Pacific Bank Oregon pro
vided $1.2 million in private financing
and PDC provided acquisition and re
habilitation loans totalling $1.1 mil
lion. The project received a $75,000
weatherization grant from Multnomah
County Community Action Program.
The Sally McCracken Building has
four stories. The ground-level features
retail space and the residential lobby.
The top three levels arc housing. The
residential lobby features group meet
ing rooms and a library. Each floor has
a community kitchen for use by resi
dents. Rents at the McCracken are
subsidized through the U.S. Depart
ment of Housing and Urban Renewal’s
(HUD) Section 8 Moderate Rehabili
tation Program.
The Sally McCracken Building,
originally the New Houston Hotel, was
built in 1912. It was designed by H.
Hanselmann and built by the Leonard
Construction Company. The Sally
McCracken Building has recently been
listed on the National Register of His
toric Places and restoration was sensi
tive to the historic features of the build
ing.
Built during the real estate boom
of the early 20th century, the New
Houston provided the city with one of
its first medium-service hotels offer
ing basic workingmen’s accommoda
tions, an alternative to downtown’s
elegant hotels. It attracted short and
long-term tenants including business
travelers, tourists and downtown em
ployees.
The New Houston Hotel was owned
by Mrs. Edith Goode, wife of promi
nent utility executive Henry Walton
Goode. Today, the revitalized building
is named in honor of Central City
Concern charter board member, Sally
McCracken, who has devoted count
less hours in support of the project
PDC is the City’s agency for urban
renewal, housing and economic devel
opment.
Governor Announces Projects
C o n t in u e d f r o m
community. Will coordinate and lever
age public and private resources to pro
vide a continuum of care for families.
Lead agency: Portland Impact. Con
tact: Marilyn Miller or Mimi Fogarty
(233-8491).
• Portland: Touchstone, a Family
Demonstration Project, will show how
to intervene in alcohol- and drub-abuse
problems of at least 40 families. Lead
agency: Office of Alcohol & Drug Abuse
Programs, Oregon Department of Human
Resources. Contact: Jeffrey N. Kushner
(378-2163).
• Grants Pass: Family Resource
Center houses private and county sup
port services for children and families,
focuses on early intervention, child care,
pre-school and parent-education activi
ties, housing and health needs; partner
ships with Oregon Department of Human
Resources division. Lead agency: Coa
lition for Kids. Contact: Carolyn Kohn
(479-1929).
• Eugene: Family C entered Dem
onstration is a collaboration of Sacred
fro n t
Heart General Hospital, University of
Oregon Center on Human Develop
ment, Oregon State University Exten
sion, and Birth to Three; Adult & Family
Services, Children’s Services and JTPA
arc expected to be added. Target group
is parents who arc addicted or at high
risk of becoming abusers. Lead agency:
Birth to Three. Contact: Minalee Saks
(484-4401).
• Hermiston: West Umatilla
County Integrated Services Project
seeks to maintain family integrity and
promote self-sufficiency among fami
lies with at least one child under 18.
Program developed by Adult & Fam
ily Services, Children’s Services and
Employment division of Oregon DHR;
program will link to local service agen
cies, as well. Lead agency: Adult &
Family Services Division of Oregon
DHR. Contact Twila Schell (276-1271).
• Lincoln County: Combined Case
M anagem ent Project will assist fami
lies in stress to achieve self-sufficiency.
Target group is families with children
page
up to age 8 that are served by at least
two agencies. DHR provides three staff
members for the program. Lead agency:
Lincoln County. Contact: Dinah Yessne
(265-6611).
• Jackson County: White City
Com m unity Action Project, located
in a World War II housing develop
ment, intends to provide on-site serv
ices to 20 to 30 families with multiple
needs. Program supported by Adult &
Family Services and Children’s Serv
ices divisions of DHR. Lead agency:
JacksonCounty.Contact: Hank Collins
(776-7354).
• Condon: Gilliam County Fam
ily Resource Center will integrate serv
ices of state agencies in one location.
Center hopes to contract with state
agencies to provide integrated services
rather than having staff come from
outside the county for only a few hours
a month. Lead agency: Gilliam County
Court. Contact: Susan Brewer or Jan
Moffitt (763-4235 or 384-2399).