P age A3
T he P ortland O bserver • M arch 09, 1994
City, State, County, Metro Announce
Joint Funding Of Regional “Croson”
Disparity Study
▲
Wantage P a in t
It’s Time For A New Cop On The Block
There is absolutely no doubt that
the crisis of crime and violence is real
in this country. At all levels within
this society the fear of violent crime is
pervasive. Hence the receptivity of
the American people to proposals by
politicians that more police officers
be put on the streets. Indeed, the
crime bill before the Congress pro
vides for 100,000 additional police
officers over the next five years. I
have consistently maintained that sim
ply putting more police officerson the
streets in and of itself and by itself will
not appreciably affect the crime rate
over the long haul. What is required is
the implementation of a comprehensive
social and economic justice agenda in
order to achieve real peace and security
in American society. It is in the context
of implementing a social and economic
justice agenda that law enforcement can
have some significant impact.
But in order for law enforcement
to contribute to the solution of the
crisis of crime and violence it can no
longer be business as usual. In par
ticular the manner in which the police
conduct themselves in the Black com
munity, poor communities and com
munities of color must radically
change. Presently people in the com
munity often perceive the police as a
part of the problem as opposed to
being a part of the solution. Racist
attitudes are often prevalent among
police officers leading to widespread
abuse of power in terms of police
harassm ent and police brutality.
Trained to function as apara-military
force, the Rambo mentality and Rambo
style of operating frequently make the
police appear like an occupying army
in our neighborhoods. Then there is
the problem of police misconduct and
corruption. The drug traffic could not
survive without the complicity even
cooperation and involvement of of
ficers within the police force. Recent
revelations about police corruption in
Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and
New York City illustrate this point.
Given all the attitude problems, hang
ups and inappropriate behavior which
is characteristic of too many cops, the
police often lack credibility and are
mistrusted in our communities.
Since some form of law enforce-
ment/protection is necessary in any
society, what we need is a new cop on
the block. The community must be
involved in defining how the police
will function in our communities.
First and foremost this means that we
must demand an education for police
officers which includes racial and
cultural sensitivity training. Secondly,
we must demand civilian review
boards with enforcement powers as a
means o f eliminating police brutality
and police abuse. Finally, we must
work with affiliates of the National
black Police Association (NBPA) to
adopt community policing programs
in our communities. To achieve these
goals we must organize neighbor
hood and community block clubs and
associations as self-help crime pre
vention, detection and police moni
toring mechanisms.
Police officers must see them
selves and conduct themselves as
helper/protectors in the our commu
nity. As the Police chief of New Ha
ven Connecticut recently commented
on 60 Minutes, the police officer
should be seen in the same light as the
family doctor; a trusted friend to the
neighborhood and the people who
live there. This means police officers
working beats on foot or on bicycles
taking time to get to know people in
the neighborhood on a personal basis.
A new kind of a cop with and new
attitude and approach to the commu
nity can also work with neighborhood
block clubs on a range of community
concerns. Relating to and working
with youth in the neighborhood should
obviously be a very high priority.
This is probably not what most
people have in mind when they un
derstandably demand more police on
the streets. However, Black people in
particular should be aware that more
of the same will simply bring more of
the same. We do not need to open our
community up to greater police ha
rassment, intimidation and brutality
in the name o f fighting crime, vio
lence and drugs. We need community
control of the police and a new cop on
the block that will function in a man
ner that we define as just and humane.
Otherwise our communities will be
gin to look like concentration camps
complete with occupying armies.
Continued from front
nomic health of businesses owned by
women and minorities, and Oregon is
an winner when any of our businesses
become stronger,” said roberts. “W
want to give every business in Oregon
an equal chance to help with the
planning, designing and building of
our roads, bridges and other public
structures,” said Roberts.
Croson Disparity Studies have
been conducted around the country as
a result of the United Slates Supreme
Court 1989 decision in Richmond vs
Croson. One of the most significant
decisions to em erge out o f the
Rehnquistcourt.theopinion declared
affirmative-action and set-aside pro
grams unconstitutional without clear
evidenceof discrimination. Since that
ruling, many governmental jurisdic
tions and agencies have conducted
disparity studies in order to meet the
Court’s requirementof clear evidence.
Disparity studies examine the
history, business practices, statistics
and other data of the targeted indus
try, focusing on the opportunities and
barriers faced by m inorities and
women. The studies must explore
whether there is a need for instituting,
or continuing hiring programs for
people who are traditionally discrimi
nated against, primarily minorities
and women. Subsequent programs
attempt to remedy past discrimina
tion proven by the disparity studies.
In other parts of the country,
many of the programs aimed at guar
anteeing opportunities for minority
Emergency Unemployment Benefits
Start Phase-out In Oregon
Two programs offering ex tended
unemployment insurance benefits to
Oregon workers who are long-term
unemployed are ending, according to
Employment Department officials.
For the past two-and-a-half years,
these programs have provided ben
efits to Oregonians who have run out
of their regular 26 weeks of unem
ployment benefits. Federal Emer
gency U ncmployment Compensation
(EUC), which has been in effect since
November 1991, has provided $367
million to more than 200,000 Orego
nians during this period. Over the
duration of the program, EUC has
paid up to 33 weeks of benefits to
unemployed Oregon workers.
Because the program has not been
re-enacted by Congress, the Employ
ment Department stopped accepting
new claims for these benefits on Feb
ruary 5. Oregonians who already es
tablished claims before February 5
will continue to receive benefits
through the week ending April 30,
1994.
A second extended benefits pro
gram, which began in October 1993
will end February 26 due to a drop in
Oregon’s total unemployment rate.
For most people claiming unemploy
ment insurance benefits, the Oregon
Extended Benefits program super
seded the federal EUC program, pay
ing 13 weeks of additional benefits,
compared to seven weeks payable
under EUC.
The Extended Benefits program
to date has provided additional ben
efits to 12,000 Oregonians and has
paid out over $30,000,000. there is no
phase-out period for Extended Ben
efits, and the week ending February
26, 1994 will be the final week for
which these benefits will be paid.
Oregonians receiving benefits
under cither program can contact the
Employment Department office in
their community for more informa
tion.
Call 288-0033 Ask About Our Low Priced
Or Discount Advertising
and women-owned business have been
challenged in court by majority con
tractors, or organizations represent
ing them, who believe that they them
selves are being discriminated against
by such programs. An incidental but
significant benefit of the disparity
study process is to initiate a thought
ful self-examination by those govern
mental entities participating to make
sure that the programs which have
been designed are carefully designed
and reasonable in their scope.
Those initiating the Portland-area
study say it will help them fend off
legal challenges to programs they
may institute in the future as well as
provide valuable insights into the types
of programs most likely to actually
assist the minority and women owned
business communities.
“Many people of color in Port
land believe that systemic employ
ment discrimination has prevented
their equal opportunity to be trained
and employed in the local construc
tion industry,” said Madelyn Wessel,
City of Portland Attorney heading up
the study.
“Although the barriers to full
and equal participation are complex
and do not simply result from inten
tional discrimination, it is clear that
in the absence of enforceable partici
pation requirements minority partici
pation in government contracting has
dropped off considerably. In addi
tion, workforce data and other evi
dence we have reviewed support the
view that there have been significant
barriers to equal employment oppor-
tunity. Officials from thcCity of Port
land and the other jurisdictions in
volved have researched the viability
and scope of a regional disparity study
for over a year. City staff have spent
the past three months evaluating the
many technical issues involved and
initiating the design of the study.
The cost of a thorough Croson
study for the City, Multnomah County
and Metro had been estimated to be
roughly $4000,000. So far, Portland
has committed $175,000 to begin the
study. The state of Oregon will con
tribute $ 125,000, Multnomah County
$100,000 and Metro $100,000.
“A Croson Study will give us the
tools to operate with both carrots and
with sticks in the area of MBE/WBE
contracting and hiring, and both are
very important,” said Wessel. “We
need to be able to reward and support
businesses that fairly involve MBE/
WBE contractors andemployees, and
we also need to be able to reject bids
from companies that do not.” Such a
philosophy has been a premise of
federal contracting programs for many
years, and was thrown into disarray at
the state and local level only by the
decision in the Croson case.
Preliminary work on the study
has already begun. A consultant se
lection process is expected process is
expected to be initiated in the next
two months. The City hopes the study
is completed in the next year.
Officials within the City of Port
land have discussed conducting a
Croson study since the 1989 S upreme
Court ruling.
Tenth Annual Tourism Conference To Be
Held In Eugene*Springfield
Tourism leaders from through
out Oregon will gather in Eugene
March 6-8 for the Tenth Annual
Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
Preparing the visitor industry for
the future will be the focus of remarks
by keynote speaker Ed Barlow, Jr.,
who will kick off the conference on
Monday morning with a speech en
titled, “The Journey Toward the Next
Millennium - Doing Business in the
90’s.” Clinton appointee Greg Fiumcr,
Under Secretary of Commerce for
Travel and Tourism, will address the
conference at the Monday lunch, and
Charles Jordan, director of Portland
parks, will keynote the Tuesday lun
cheon.
Workshops at the Valley River
Inn include niche marketing, ethnic
and cultural diversity, rural tourism
development, market research, part
nerships, environmental awareness,
and “tourism basics.” Bill Wyatt of
the Oregon Business Council will
present the findings of the Oregon
Values and Beliefs survey in two work
shops on Monday.
The conference is coordinated by
the Tourism Division of the Oregon
Economic Development Department,
and funded primarily by registration
fees and sponsorships.
Sunday’s “Huddle Sessions” fea
ture the unveiling of the Tourism
Division’s 1994 spring/summer ad
campaign by Wieden and Kennedy
and new publications by Mandala
Communications.
Eugene was the site of the first
tourism conference, held in 1984. “It
is particularly appropriate that we are
holding our tenth annual conference
in the same location where the very
first conference was held,” said Joe
D’Alessandro, director of tourism.
“The Lane county area is anxious to
showcase this unique region of the
state, and the commitment of the local
planning team has been incredible.”
Cultural and recreational tours of
the area are featured Monday after
noon, as well as a Tuesday evening
performance at the Huit Center.
Governor Barbara Roberts will
address the delegates at the UO
Casanova Center on Monday evening
at a reception hosted by the Conven
tion and Visitors Association of Lane
County, Oregon.
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