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