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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1992)
f . ,f À .-f. y ï j - r- .•'rt-j*1'.*“'- - * »’ ’ «*•»* • • •• ■F” ' , « « i*rv The Eyes and Ears of the Community’ Volumn XXII, Number 45 hr r M n r o<i *n i r^ if-v z r h r "3r'~N «u»«in , * u o . n<, ' " ’v r ’ * f , r o n ,. . ’ ’ r> •*■ ilr » O r ,r ‘^ Z 4 f >3 r k r ,r M I r 4. 1992 ®fp? Ç nrtlanb (Obstruer ■ ■ 25e t ' ■ • . j O ) # •JU ' - C Z lm iêoii V ^ m s ! ! ☆ 1 ,•/».< • ><■ ^y ☆ ☆ ^y ☆ ☆ ^y ^y ☆ ☆ » V * ; » L-' •’ / ' r. * • * ' • ■ • » - •• .. ’ M ‘ -i ' *•. -I ■ 3 S*..' •& ^y BY STAFF A lot o f folks are saying “C ongratulations!” and m any are exclaim ing, “Thank God it’s all over!” In the biggest voter turnout in decades-driven not only by a bitter presidential contest, but by hundreds o f equally intense struggles over regional issues and offices--w e have a very stressed out and exhausted electorate in the afterm ath. W ith the C linton/G ore victory, there is no question but w hat the prize has been well w orth the effo rt and those o f us w ho have been dem anding change are breathing sighs o f relief. It is not that a great num ber o f A m ericans who have felt so ignored and victimized by an uncaring adm inistration are naively anticipating an overnight reversal o f their fortunes, but that there clearly is now a realistic possibility for change. And the people feel that with the many new and important changes in the makeup o f congress, they can reasonably expect to influence the system in their favor over the next year. The restoration of confidence and hope should have an exhilarating effect on all o f us, including the im portant officials and policy m akers. The effect of this groundsw ell o f expectations cannot be overestim ated and undoubtedly will be reflected early on in key decisions that should spur the economy in a favorable manner. The sam e should hold true for long overdue policy corrections in the areas of health care, family maintenance, education, retraining of the workforce, urban problems, and other factors of social redress where America has been seriously disabled. At 6 P.M . last night Democratic national chairm an described this election as a w atershed for A merica and very obviously we believe this to be exactly the case. Now, lets get on with it and begin structuring some meaningful change right here in Portland, Oregon. feZ.-': W y». V©r«si KLcitz Portland's Mayor Elect 'ÄB A n d S till C o u n tin g Measure 5& 6 BY PROF. MCKINLEY BURT There is more suspense in the air than there was just before the first shuttle launch after the Challenger disaster. And, obviously, this piece is being w rit ten just hours before final election re turns. However, it is not about predic tions or oddsmaking. there is some more serious and basic business to be taken care of. R egardless of outcom es at any level, from president to dogcatc her, it is a fact that so much harm has been done to this nation in the last twelve years that the course of the ship cannot be changed overnight. Far from that magic eventuation, we shall be fortunate in deed if corrective measures arc seen to take hold by the end of the first year of a new administration. If actually we have succeeded in bringing in a "new ” set o f politicos. It is surely the case, then, all those strategies for economic survival that have been implemented by a frightened and suffering citizenry will have to be m ain tain ed , even im proved. Even where one’s favorite knight or lady in shining arm or is elected, it has just been indicated that a time clem ent is in volved preceding the accomplishment o f all the prom ised good deeds. And we also know, “all that gl itters is not gold’. As opposed to any relaxation of effort or any com placency, now is the tim e for all o f us to intensify our struggles to convert this “plantation to a decent way of life. This means our vigilance cannot be lowered, nor can we lower the pressure on our leaders or institutions as we demand a full and com petent engagement with a failing system. And, certainly, we must de m and at the same time a redoubled effort and commitment on our own part. We may be due no more excuses than the failed politicians who have made careers o f denying responsibility for the saddest state of our economy in many a decade. Every aspect of our economy and infrastructure is in a disaster mode: Industry and small business, educa tion, urban structures from transporta tion and sewers to power sources, or derly transition of a cold war defense posture to a viable peace time economy with a realistic program for retraining the workforce, further deregulation of industries known to care little or noth ing about the environment, the failure to develop a universal health care pro gram in the face of an unserved popu lation numbering in the tens of m il lions, the development o f illconceived plans to “boost international trade” which arc really only devices to “ex port jobs” to cheap foreign labor mar kets—obviously financial rewards to big industrial campaign contributors and supporters of the administration. Add to this the dangerous and so cially debilitating failure of the justice system to address the issues of crime. drugs and a level of incarceration of citizens unprecedented in the entire world (ignoring the root economic causes)-then, I am quite right in sug gesting that there will be no quick fixes or solutions no matter who is elected or where, even given some alleged “man dates”. W hat seems clear to me is that I have been right on target with my current series of articles running in the "Perspectives” column on page 2 of this newspaper, “The Thrill Is G one”. I have been making the case that these frightening times o f economic and social stresses demand that our African American community (and oth ers) launch and develop new and im proved criteria for effective leadership and institutions. I have even provided documented role models o f no mean stature, demonstrating that fifty years ago and earlier, we had here in the northeast community blacks who built an economic and social infrastructurcX worth many millions. We arc busy indicting politicians at every level in W ashington for “ex cuses and lack of responsibility’’--what are we to say about our own state of affairs when the models cited above did their thing with no “talking heads” on television, few colleges degrees, no federal assistance, and who faced a racism and prejudice m aking today look like the promised land. I think we better get with it w hatever the election results. Ï ï W Sp’ . V . mom .•. ' X ■ ‘i - • • < ' ■ ■ . ’ :• V - r