Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, July 07, 1993, Page 3, Image 3

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P age A 3
T he P ortland O bserver • J uly 7 , 1 9 9 3
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Literacy Event Honors Outstanding New Readers,
Creates Wordless USA, Population 27 Million
Mayor Vera Katz Proposes “Fair
Contracting And Employment Initiative'
Portland M ayor Vera Katz pro­
posed a package o f reforms entitled
the "F a ir C ontracting and E m ploy­
ment In itia tiv e " to im prove the c ity 's
record in contracting w ith m inority
business enterprises (M B E ’ s) and
women business enterprises (W B E ’ s)
and to expand m i­
nority employment
opportunities w ith
the c ity ’ s contrac­
tors fo r m inorities
and women.
T h e re fo rm
package, presented
as a report to C ity
C ouncil today, pro­
poses that Council:
♦ E s ta b lis h
specific city-w id e
contracting targets
coupled w ith quar­
terly reports m o n i­
to rin g progress in
a c h ie v in g th e m .
The targets w ould
Mayor
p ro v id e b e n c h ­
marks fo r measur­
ing the success or fa ilu re o f the new
city programs as w ell as the perfor­
mance o f in d ivid u a l c ity bureaus The
q uarterly reports w ill provide the
C ouncil a diagnostic tool fo r deter­
m in in g w hat fu rtherefforts are needed
to im prove performance.
* Increase M B E /W B E contract­
ing opportunities by im plem enting a
tough new “good fa ith effo rts’ pro­
gram modeled on M e tro ’ s recently
enacted code, re quiring p ro o f o f out­
reach and good fa ith negotiations w ith
m in o rity and w om en-ow ned b usi­
nesses. new city code provision have
already been in place w h ich mandate
that in the case o f professional, tech­
nical and expert )PTE) contracts, at
least one bid solicitation by an M B E /
W BE be included fo r consideration
by city bureau managers p rio r to award
o f any contract. The code w ill also be
amended to require large potential
prim e contractors to take more com ­
prehensive steps and prov ide more
systematic docum entation o f th e ir
* Prov ide business and financial
assistance to e xisting and emerging
M B E /W B E contractors in partnership
w ith other local governments and the
private sector Establish an O pportu­
nity Loan Fund to leverage up to $5
m illio n in loans front local banks.
• Expand m i-
nority/wom en em­
ployment opportu­
n itie s w ith c ity
c o n tra c to rs
through more ef­
fective m onitoring
o f com pliance by
c ity c o n tra c to rs
and vendors w ith
E q u a l E m p lo y ­
ment O pportunity
requirements.
* Investigate
and
docum ent
cases o f d is c rim i­
n a tio n th r o u g h
sta rt-u p fu n d in g
fo r a re g io n a l
Vera Katz
Croson d isp a rity
study.
♦ Increase the number o f eligible
c e rtifie d M B E /W B E contractors.
The F a ir C ontracting and E m ­
ploym ent In itia tiv e w ould be funded
by monies already contained in the FY
9 2 -9 3 /F Y 93-94 C ouncil-approved
budgets and has been estimated to
leverage m illio n in fu n d in g on the
issue from the private sector and other
p ublic agencies
“ The C ouncil has recognized a
c ritic a l need to set in m otion a deter­
m ined effort to help the c ity ’ s eco­
nom ically distressed groups reclaim
ground they lost du rin g more than a
decade o f neglect o f A m e ric a ’ s inner
cities,” said K atz in in tro d u cin g the
package
"T here is strong ev idence that in
recent years m inorities and w omen, as
groups, hav e lost much o f w hat they
gained in an earlier period o f a ffirm a ­
tive action efforts and have suffered
disproportionately to th e ir numbers
fro m the policies o f neglect,” said
outreach to M B E /W B E contractors.
Katz.
“ A recent C ity A tto rn e y ’ s O ffice
COMPUTER
T I R I A I I
Beaverton
285-9247
study found, for example, that o f the
1,535 people employed by the 50 com ­
panies receiving c ity o f Portland pub­
lic w orks contracts in 1992 of$50,(MX)
o r more in value, o n ly 4 8% were
m in o ritie s and less than 1% were A f­
rican-Am ericans, “ K atz said
“ T h is package o f in itia tiv e s con­
stitutes a set o f adm inistrative actions
and proposed new ordinances aimed
at leveling the p laying fie ld in the
national n o n -p rofit literacy partners
com pction fo r city contract dollars for
presented Wordless US A , a tow n where
those w ho have been econom ically
a comprehensible w ritte n language
impacted by the effects o f d is c rim in a ­
does not exist. The event recognized
tio n and economic neglect. It is also
11 outstanding new readers from
intended to promote equal em ploy­
across the country fo r their co m m it­
ment opportunities fo r those w ho seek
ment to learning to read and their
w ork w ith th c c ity ’ scontractors,” Katz
incredible achievements as new read­
said.
ers.
“ I believe we must develop the
A cto r Danny G lover and singer
legal tools to support the many posi­
Jeffery Osborne, celebrity spokesper­
tive actions included in th is proposed
sons fo r the program , jo in e d Peter
package o f reforms. I therefore pro­
Coors, CEO , Coors B rew ing C om ­
pose that the city in itia te the start-up
five-year com m itm ent in partnership
pany, to honor the Coors Literacy w ith his tu to r several times a week
fu n d in g fo r a regional Croson D ispar­
Ambassadors, whose role w ill be to T h is is quite a change fo r the form er w ith four national literacy organiza­
ity study, w hich w ill provide the sta­
sen e as national spokespeople fo r the cabby w ho had to purchase his d rive r ’s tions to reach 500,000 adults w ith
tistica l underpinning required to es­
license ille g a lly because he co u ld n't literacy serv ices by the end o f 1994
cause o f literacy' d u rin g 1993-94.
tablish enforceable goals,” K atz said.
Ben Sherrod, age 54, o f San Fran­ read w e ll enough to pass a w ritten T o date, 350,000 have been reached
Croson refers to the 1989 U.S.
cis c o w as u n a b le to f u l f i l l h is exam. The best th in g about being able The company also funds the Coors
Court decision in R ichm ond v. Croson
daughter’ s request to read her favorite to read fo r Ben is “ you feel like yo u ’ re Literacy H o tlin e (800-626-4601) for
h olding that a ffirm a tive action plans
those who w ant to be volunteer tutors
book. The next day he enrolled in a somebody.”
must meet a “ strict scrutiny” test in the
e
r
a
c
y
p
r
o
g
i
a
m
.
i
u
u
a
y
,
d
v
h
hicvi
»
Coors
“
Literacy
Pass
..
It
~
...
O
n.”
«
is
»
a
o
r
w ho w ant to learn to read
literacy program. Today, Ben meets
courts, must serve co m p e llin g gov­
ernm ent interests and must be nar­
row ly tailored to serve those interests.
A Croson study w ould provide direc­
services, w ill be the social service
tion in meeting those guidelines.
Persistence has fin a lly paid o ff 2,100 homeless fam ilies in M ultnom ah
provider fo r the transitional housing
K a tz asked the C ouncil to en­
Despite a disappointing decision by County and their number has increased
program The agency w ill assist fa m i­
dorse a regional approach to com plet­
15%
ayearsince
1989
T
h
is
is
th
e
o
n
lv
the federal Departm ent o f Housing
lies in securing permanent housing
in g a Croson study, to provide “ seed
housing
project
to
serve
homeless
and Urban Development (H U D ) to
and supportive services to become
money” to complete such a study, and
fam
ilies
w
ith
children
in
East
M
u
lt­
deny fu n d in g fo r the W illo w Tree Inn
econom ically self-sufficient. These
to authorize her to seek fu n d in g part­
Transitional H ousing program in G re­ nomah County.
services may include counseling, ch ild
ners fro m among other pubic agencies
The
W
illo
w
Tree
Inn,
a
form
er
sham, a netw ork o f com m unity orga­
care, tra n sp o rta tio n jo b tra in in g . Head
in the region.
nizations, churches, and public agen­ convalescent center, was purchased
Start, and transportation assistance.
“ As the C ity A tto rn e y ’ s O ffice
cies have persisted in fin d in g a solu­ by East County Shelter Projects, Inc
Funds to operate the W illo w Tree Inn
has put it, w hat we can require w ith o u t
tio n to perm anently open the first East and opened as a homeless shelter from
have been provided by M ultnom ah
a Croson study are actions; w hat we
County transitional housing fa c ility January to M ay o f 1992. D u rin g the
County, the C ity o f Gresham, and the
can require w ith a Croson study are
fo r homeless fam ilies and th e ir c h il­ last year, sev eral state and local public
results,” K atz said
agencies have pooled resources to C ity o f Portland. Volunteers from the
dren
com m unity and local churches w ill
For more in fo rm a tio n , contact
Rey Ramsey, D irector o f the O r­ renovate the fa c ility to accommodate
also continue to help support the home­
Sam Adams at 823-4120
egon D epartm ent o f H ousing and nine fam ilies w ith ch ild re n in in d i­
less program.
Copies o f the “ F a ir C ontracting
C o m m u n ity Services; M u ltn o m a h vid u a l efficiency apartment units In
Homeless fam ilies w ill begin to
and Em ploym ent In itia tiv e ” and back­
County Com m issioner Sharron K e lly addition, m ajor repairs were made to
move in and social serv ices prov ided
ground materials are available from
the
ro
o
f
and
the
plum
bing
and
heating
and C ount C h a ir H ank M ig g in s ,
by Human Solutions on July 6, 1993
the M a y o r’ s Office.
M ayor Gussie McRoberts and repre­ systems.
F am ilies who need in fo rm a tio n about
B
oth
single
and
two-parent
fa
m
i­
sentatives from the H ousing A u th o r­
the W illo w Tree In n transitional hous­
lies
w
ith
children
w
ill
be
provided
ity o f Portland, Hum an Solutions and
in g program should contact stall at
housing
for
up
to
five
months
at
the
East County Shelter Projects Inc held
Human Solutions, Inc. at 2900 SE
a press conference to fo rm a lly dedi­ W illo w Tree Human Solutions, a non­
122nd Ave between 8am and 5pm,
cate the transitional housing fa c ility p ro fit agency in East M u ltn o m a h
Monday
through Friday o r ca ll H u­
County w ith extensive experience in
on Wednesday, June 30.
man
Solutions
at 248-5201.
There are currently an estimated prov id in g com m unity-basedbilingual
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- M e d ic a l R ecords ■ In su ran ce C laim s
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Im agine hav in g to ask a frie n d or
relative to help you f ill out a jo b a p pli­
cation W arning instructions on house­
hold cleaners look like gibberish to
you. W hat i f you co u ld n ’t read the
prescription label to understand how
much m edicine your sick c h ild needs?
T w e n ty-se ve n m illio n A m e ric a n
adults d o n ’ t have to imagine
To im part the em otional impact
o f a lif e w ith o u t w o rd s , C o o rs
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Wednesday. June 30, 1993 • 12-40-24-31-34 PB 44
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There's A New Look In Fitness
On Portland's New East Side
POWELL’S
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9 a m - 11 p m M o n d a y th o u g h S aturday
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