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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1992)
l’agt 2...The Portland Observer...March 25, 1992 p e r s p e c tiv e s BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT UNE by James Posey Jr I ■ JF by Professor McKinley Burt ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Construction Opportunities Why ODOT? A Follow Up To The King Article 8Y JAMES POSEY community and afraid she not getting it. action plan to ensure diversity of oppor Continuing our last arucle which It’s critical that she survives be tunity over and above federal man focused on the Oregon Department of cause there are only few like her who dates. Transportation Deparunent’s Disadvan are willing to stand in the gap and take ♦♦♦♦Ignore the leadership responsibil tage Business and On-1 he-Job training the heat and do the right thing. ity to coordinated resources and build programs, let first say why this is such More than that, it’s critical because alliances necessary to make civil rights an important state department and es no matter how well designed, funded, programs work. pecially as it relates the African-Ameri and intended the program is, nothing While the above items infer some can community. substantial will be accomplished with of the major faults of ODOT, there is First of all as I've said before, this out knowledgeable, competent and com- some good news. It appears at least to •.late department administers one of if mitted people running the critical ele this point Bea Brooks, the relatively not the biggest budgets in the state, ments of the program. For ex i here is virtually nothing that ample it is not uncommon to find happens in this state that is not in "...selectees hold back tide of programs instituted to help or some way significantly im frustration support the issues of minorities pacted by this state department, and women to be staffed by mi f o r example, the Department of and hopelessness norities and women who don’t Transportation C om m ission and grease the skids as many in have a glue as what to do. And in meeting agenda set for March some cases even when they dis 17,1992 includes such items as: the community slide cover what they are suppose to p a rtn e rsh ip funding agree deeper into deprivation." do, they don’t have guts to do it, m ent with T ri-M et’s light rail especially in face of controversy co rrid o r project, a spending even though controversy is basic ele new manager of the civil rights section proposal for theem ergingsm all busi ment of their job. Its not uncommon to is serious about making posiuvechanges ness program , a discussion on the hire staff for leadership and manage in that office. While she is only one Japanese exchange program s, a dis ment positions who have little or inter person and has definitely proven that cussion on aeronautics strategic plan est in the true nature of the work or who she is not perfect, she is attempting to and on and on and on. Every item themselves internally and philosophi plug the holes and get the ship in shape rep resen ts economic opportunity. cally deeply resent the so called special at ODOT. She is doing this in the ab (Note: In near future, the Light Rail treatment for minorities and women. Its sences of a truly experienced staff and project will the best and biggest oppor sort of akind to a pathetic self-hate organization that has had an incredible tunity for Blacks to gain economically. sickness if you ask me. history of conflict and neglect. She is The great fear is that African Ameri The other most commonly observed also creating controversy by attempt cans won’t have the business or skill phenomenon is the recruitment of key ing to make the programs actually ben capacity to take full advantage of this minority board members or minority efit minorities and women as they are tremendous opportunity.) program managers and subordinate staff intended do. And from my view point Secondly, this state department has who once hired or installed either spend she is likewise catching hell from ma responsibility for administering the one lot of lime placating or anemically side jority culture contractors who are intent of the most well funded federal pro stepping advocacy roles and responsi on maintaining the status quo. Also it is grams in the country with a specific bilities and/or who in some cases ac most probable that she is receiving an mission to help minorities and women tively and openly work in opposition to indirect assault from internal sources at enter business and gain employment in the best interestof minority and women ODOT all the way up the management the construction industry. concerns. In filling these “gale keep hierarchy. And if that was not enough, Finally, this department simply by ing” roles, selectees hold back tide of there are those out in community who virtue ot its sue ana logistic ability to frustration and hopelessness and grease are critical of her because they have not affects all aspects ot commerce in the the skids as many in the community seen enough progress soon enough. No state, sets a tone and presumes a leader slide deeper into deprivation. The hir matter how you slice it, this woman ship role in how the state culture works ing and selecting authorities of many of who is generally experienced in the or doesn’t work. In other words, other these programs have an uncanny ability working of state government, but rela state agencies and departments are fol to find and hire minorities and women tively inexperienced in this particular lowing the lead of ODOT. who for whatever reason have little or area of minority contracting, is never This is why it not acceptable for no cultural, class identity or allegiance theless making a difference. In fact, she ODOT to continue to: to their respective ethnic or gender is a pleasant bright spot in an otherwise ♦♦♦♦Have one the worst internal and groups. And as harsh as this accusation dismal picture. She will make a bigger external hiring records for African might seem, there is certainly clear difference once she becomes more tech Americans of any of the state agencies. similarities to the house nigger vs field nically familiar with the programs and ‘’♦’■»Administer itscivil rights programs nigger divisive strategy that slave mas can survive the onslaught from all sides. involving a lack of accountability, sta ters employed during that era to keep I wish I could wave a magic wane and bility, and bottom line results specifi the slaves in check. Today in Portland cast a spell on the Urban League, cally as it effects African Americans. it’s still an effective control mecha NAACP, Operation Push, and all the ****Along with Governor Roberts, to nism. rest on them not listed, to make them ignore the need to include representa In our next article we will conclude find some way to significantly and out tion of African Americans on the Trans the review of ODOT and review aspects wardly support this women. I predict portation Commission and on other spe of another major program. We will also she will not last unless she receives cial policy development committees. discuss leadership or the lack there of some unqualified support from those ♦♦♦♦Foster the “Good Old Boy and and political factors common to most of who are most likely to gain from her Girl” system in contracting by not im the previously listed programs. “Sheroics.” She needs help from the mediately establishing an aggressive * * Ä *-’* Z ' ' -‘.S * • > 1 ?-• '.' «V ‘ *’V; (©b server » ' 1 " ’ w Alfred Henderson Contributing Writers McKinley Burt Bill Barber Sharon Camarda Mattie Ann Callier-Spears P n rilan h (©bserüer Production Staff Operations Manager Dean Babb Sharon Camarda Gary Ann Garnett Jennifer Johnson Joyce Washington Accounting Manager Gary Ann Garnett Public Relations T he P ortland O bserver CAN BE SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR HOME ONLY $25.00 PER YEAR. Chuck Washington Sales & Promotions P lease Tony Washington fill out , ENCLOSE CHECK OR The PORTLAND OBSERVER is published weekly by Exie Publishing Company, Inc. 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97211 503-288-0033 • Fax 288-0015 MONEY ORDER, and M ail to : S ubscriptions Deadline for all submitted materials: Articles: Monday, 5:00 pm-Ads: Tuesday, noon T he P ortland O bserver POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to: P ortland O bserver, P.O. Box P ortland , O regon 9 7 2 0 8 ■fi PO Box 3137 3137, Portland, OR 97208 Second class postage paid at Portland Oregon. The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and can not be used in other publications or personal usage, without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 1991 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT •vît ,: ï . &• . \ I* 'J>x Name PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. Subscriptions :$25 00 per year. The Portland Observer-Oregon's Oldest African-American Pubhcation-is a member of the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National . -4 io* Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc., New York, NY. ment says that logging on the Western Oregon lands they manage has dropped considerably, severely reducing the payments they customarily are able to make each year to Oregon counties from the sale of timer on these lands. These funds have always been critical to the economy of many of the more rural areas, many of them possessing hardly any of the usual tax bases of conventional industries. Consequently, we find 18 Oregon counties where this logging money makes up as much as TWO-THIRDS OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET! We are presented with a devastat ing blow to the process of education in many semi-rural areas where, already, there were considerable financial prob- lem s-from school plants and fixtures, libraries, and in obtaining the new technology for interactive teaching odes and for modem laboratory equip ment. While an industry-blessed area like Washington County receives only 1 percent of its budget from timber sales, we have a disaster situation where we have the following dependencies: Curry County - 66 percent; Douglas County - 64 percent; Josephine County - 55 percent, and Jackson County - 46 percent. Now, to put all of this in context, let us consider that we were already facing a tragic situation underwritten by a severe national recession--and an equally disastrous regional series of layoffs, cutbacks and pessimistic eco nomic forecasts that inhibited new or expanded investments. And theefforts of relevant state agencies to persuade new companies to move here have been stymied by nationally distributed reports that Oregon is cutting back on EDUCATIONAL ACCESS ANDOP- PORTUN1TY. There has been addi tional news of cutbacks in the projec tion of repairs and expansions of the physical infrastructure. If that scenario looks like a classic case of the “NO WAY OUT SYN DROM E,’’ then that is just about the situation we have here in this state— unless there is some inspired, struc tured, and disciplined action, most immediately. I am with Oregon’s Sen ate President John Kitzhaber when he says that “a Republican proposal to cut stale agency budgets and BASIC SC HOOL SUPPORT by 3 percent is insensitive.” Kitzhaber went on to say at a news conference that the state’s budget problems were far greater and complicated than could be solved by a flat budget cut. I would concur with his percep tion of Governor Roberts as an execu tive who wants to make government more efficient and for trying to per suade voters that TAX REFO RM IS NECESSARY. Let me add my voice: the questionable addition of innumer able lottery games and the projection of Las Vegas-type casinos is not going to do it. Only an orderly, well-de signed and income-dedicated revenue producing program is going to work. My proposal is that a SALES TAX is the most feasible method to achieve this. f CONTACTS: MARK MONTEVERDI, PHILIP MORRIS: (212) 880-5000, THOMAS JOHNSON: (212) 686-4711. FOR EDUCATING YOUNG MINDS! Earvin •‘Magic” Johnson, center, former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star, and Michael A. Miles, Chairman and CEO, Philip Morris Companies Inc., second from right, admire the sculptured Frederick D. Patterson Award presented to Johnson by the United Negro College Fund during the organization's 48th Anniversary Dinner in New York City. With them are. from left: Joseph D. Williams. Chairman. UNCF Board of Directors and former Chairman and CEO, Warner-Lambert Company; William h ' Gray, III, President and CEO, UNCF; and Jonathan Bush, Chairman-elect, UNCF Board of Directors and Chairman, J. Bush & Company. Johnson’s work on behalf of the UNCF during recent years brought $7-million to the UNCF. Civil Rights Journal #535 BY BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. Publisher k • Last week’s column, “All That Glitters Is Not Gold,” was well re ceived. Well and good, but there are several priorities other than the Com munity College upscale that need im mediate attention; particularly, the slate’s economic problems. We con cede that the two issues can hardly be separated. I am going to proceed here most immediately with a suggestion that may shock many of those who know me. I am a gungho advocate for the immedi ate enactment of a Sales Tax! Yes, I know what Ballot Measure 5 was in tended to accomplish. And I am equally aware that beyond some areas of prop erty tax relief for big business, the results of that measure were not at all the economic panacea expected for the mass of small homeowners. And I understand very well that Governor Roberts has directed state agencies to eliminate 4,000 positions by June 1993 because of the anticipated SI billion budget deficit in the 1993-95 budget. And that the same Measure 5 requires the State General Fund to off set property tax revenue that local school districts lost when their tax rates were capped in 1991. There will be even more attrition in the educational estab lishment as Oregon’s O&C counties find themselves not getting the full S83 million Congress guaranteed them from timber sales this year. Now, this financial blow is not the result of ballot Measure 5, but a direct consequence of the spotted owl contro versy. The Bureau of Land Manage Cruel and Unusual: The Thomas Standard S ubscribe (USPS 959-680) OREGON’S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION Established in 1970 How About One More Tax; For Survival T hank Y ou F or R eading T he P ortland O bserver Given the astounding high rate of incarceration of African-Americans in prisons across the nation, one would at least assume that Supreme Court Jus tice Clarence Thomas would have an ounce of sensitivity to the issue of cruel and unusual punishment toward prison ers in state and federal penal institu tions. But, unfortunately, Justice Tho mas has acted and ruled against the interest of those who are most often victimized in this society, that is those who are imprisoned. In fact, it was another “embarrass ment” for all communities who respect human dignity for Thomas to write such a ruthless opinion, which could be used to justify prison brutality. Fortu nately, though, the majority of the Su preme Court ruled 7 to 2 that excessive force against prisoners is unconstitu tional. The case before the Court was Hudson vs. McMillian which arose out of an incident in Louisiana’s infamous Angola State Prison. Keith Hudson was an inmate in Angola Prison and was beaten badly by correctional officer Jack McMillian. Hudson was beaten while handcuffed and shackled in leg irons and suffered bruises in his mouth, eyes, chest and stomach in addition to having his dental plate cracked as a result of a blow from McMillian. This incident happened back in 1983. Il has taken all this lime for the case to work through the federal courLs once Hudson sued McMillian and other prison offi cials for “cruel and unusual punish ment” in violation of the Eighth Amend ment to the U.S. Constitution. The majority opinion was written by Justice Sandra Day O ’Connor. Even though Justice O ’Connor is a judicial conservative, she voted to declare the kind of treatment that Hudson received in the Louisiana prison to be wrong and unconstitutional. O ’Connor stated, “ When prison officials maliciously and sadistically use force to cause harm, contemporary standards of decency al ways are violated. This is true whether or not significant injury is evident.” We know that one of the reasons why so many prisoners become repeat offenders is directly related to the man ner in which they are treated in the prison system. Brutalizing a defense less prisoner will do nothing toward rehabilitation. Of course, most prison officials know this and that is exactly why prison brutality is so pervasive and permissive in our society. Prison in mates sometimes are viewed as being less than human and thusare the victims of inhuman treatment. It is said that a prison is a mirror image of the society that maintains the prison. It is important, therefore, that the courts require a standard of human rights in regard to prisoner’s righLs is sues. A society that allows the brutal- i/ation of its prisoners is a society in need of change. Thomas appears to believe that a prison inmate is not entitled to the standard of constitutional protection from brutality. In his dissenting opin ion, Thomas wrote, “Today’s expan sion ol the cruel and unusual punish ment clause beyond all bounds of his tory and precedent is, I suspect, yet, another manifestation of the pervasive view that the Federal Constitution must address all ills in our society.” This goes counter to the sentiments that Thomas testified to under oath during his coni irmation hearing before the U.S. Senate. There Thomas had said that he wanted to be on the Supreme Court to “bring something di ffcrent to the Court” in terms of an interest in helping the court to deal with the underprivileged, in particular the incarcerated. I hontas had even said to the Sen ate, “1 say to myself almost everyday, But lor the Grace of God, there go I, ’...referring to groups of prisoners that he used to see. Well, it is our hope that Brother I homas does not have the misfortune to be imprisoned given his proclivity to support the right of prison officials to beat up inmates. Justice O ’Connor put it best in her response to I homas’dissent. She staled, To deny, as the dissent does, the differ ence between punching a prisoner in the lace and serving him unappetizing food is to ignore the concepts of dig nity, civilized standards, humanity and decency." •re 'Xfi * '• i* V t . • . * ,• Jr* • . •* j ■ I • » |T*- fl» • X** ►?, ' * » e t * < • • ■ i .
