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 *-’*
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Alfred Henderson
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Bill Barber
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Mattie Ann Callier-Spears
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Sharon Camarda
Gary Ann Garnett
Jennifer Johnson
Joyce Washington
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Gary Ann Garnett
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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."
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