S eptember 28, 1994 • T he P ortland O bserver
P age A4
Urban Planning,
Conclusion: "The Africans
Did It With Such Style
And Grace
B y P rof . M c K inley B i
rt
1 appreciate the comments of the
readers who have been following this
series on "Urban Planning" as it really
developed as a historical process. It
was the great Roman orator and states­
man, Cicero, who said, "To remain
ignorant of what went on before you is
to remain a child.”
Apparently, that is precisely what
the establishment has in nund for us
when, as a general case, we are de­
prived of knowledge of African con­
tributions to civilization—and in the
particular case, the historical devel­
opment of urban planning-the record
remains deliberately scattered among
such diverse and arcane sources as
magazines like Archaeology and Bib­
lical A rc h a e o lo g y R ev iew or
Smithsonian Magazine. And in such
books as Claudio Barucas', M onu­
ments o f Civilization: Egypt; Secrets
Of The Great Pyramid; Clarke and
Engelbach’s, Ancient Egyptian Con­
struction And A rchitecture; (The
‘Pyramid" book is by Tompkins; ex-
:ellent!).
And tumbling out of limbo the
last decade or so, we have such disclo­
sures as the fact that excavations
around the monumental temples and
buildings of ancient Egypt and the
Sudan (Nubia) put to the lie, the pejo­
rative statements that these edifices
were built by “hundreds of thousands
of slave laborers.” On the contrary, it
is found that the workmen and their
families were provided with spacious
and comfortable housing with all the
amenities and dignity befitting free­
men.
Archaeologist Zahi Hawass, di­
rector o f the Egyptian Antiquities
Project described the pictures, stat­
ues, inscriptions, clothing and per­
sonal effects that were found (LA
Times-Washington Post Service, 9/8/
94). “They were a happy people en­
joying their work... They enjoyed life,
drank beer and ate bread and garlic.”
They painted pictures and made sculp­
tures of their work and their families-
laborers, artisans and foremen/supervi-
sors were allocated living quarters and pay
scales that paralleled their place in the
hierarchy. Salaries included offerings for
dead kings and nobles.
Last week 1 introduced black
Queen Hatshepsut. "designer of the
panoramic urban vistas of broad tree-
lined boulervards". This granddaugh­
ter o f Ethiopian Queen Nefertari-
Aahmes sent great expeditions to the
"Biblical lands of Punt” , the original
East African home of the Egyptians.
These expeditions would return with
"gold, myrrh, incense, strange ani­
mals and other products” . It is re­
corded that, along with her city gar­
dens that graced the urban expanses,
she established the first municipal Zoo;
almost 4000 yrs. ago.
Also, 1 could have recited other
fashions and modes that were brought
back to Europe by N apoleon's 1798
expedition to Africa. There was the
“Empire” state style of dress and fur­
niture whose resplendent modes be­
came the rage for the haul monde of
France and, then, the “in-crowd of
the world. Africa was in vogue, and
the fad soon spread across the ocean
to A merica where it was named the
“American Empire Style". From 1818
on, furniture makers in Boston, Phila­
delphia and Washington, D.C. were
kept busy satisfying the tastes of the
elite. Today, we may see this African
style in the "Red Room” of the White
House.
It is said that “The truth shall
make you free”, but it also takes money
planning and politics, it seems in­
credible that the American descen­
dants of the African who pioneered
the Urban planning process should be
despoiled o f the opportunity to prac­
tice the art in our cities—or deliber­
ately discouraged by the planning
schools (check out Portland State
University). Again there is a need for
new visions, concepts and drive. We
w onder if that is to be provided by
Jerry-built organizations like “M etro”
which is confused as to either its
mandate or the Financing.
And in earthquake-stricken Los
Angeles the vision is of acres upon
acres of devastated real estate, still
unrepaired or torn down. Government
loan promises are meaningless be­
cause the banks w on’t participate; over
insured and overleveraged properties
still stand vacant, attracting drug deal­
ers, prostitutes and the homeless. Any
hope from today’s planners?
Ballot Measure Five Has Public Help Sought In Hit
Negative Impact On State And Run Case
And Local Finances
The Municipal Debt Advisory
Commission today released its find­
ings on the impact to state and local
government finance should the new
ballot Measure 5 pass this November.
The Commission conducted several
statewide public hearings on the M ea­
sure in May and June. The new M ea­
sure 5 would require that any new
state or local tax or tax increased be
approved by a general election Also
all state and local government fees or
other charges are considered general
taxes and would be voted.
‘ According to the
Commission’s findings, if
governments cannot in­
crease fees to cover their
costs on required services,
then general taxpayers will
fill the b ill..
"The C om m ission's findings are
startling and reveal some new insights
into the negative effects this M easure
will have on state and local govern­
ment financing,” State Treasurer Jim
Hill said in response to the report’s
findings.
“One of the most reveal findings
was that property taxes are likely to go
up as a result of the Measure. This will
certainly surprise the proponents of
Measure 5 w ho are looking to reduce
their taxes under this M easure,” Hill
said.
“According to the Com m ission’s
findings, if governments cannot in­
crease fees to cover their costs on
required services, then general tax­
The vehicle is described as a
1970’s style full size domestic pickup,
dark brown or black in color, with no
rear license plate.
A fter the c o llisio n , a p a sse n ­
ger in the p ickup got o u t, but the
d riv e r yelled at him to get back in
the truck. The veh icle then fled
ea stb o u n d on NW N o rth ru p .
Traffic investigators are seeking
witnesses to a hit and run accident that
seriously injured a 71 year old woman.
payers will fill the bill through in­ The incident occurred on September
creased property taxes, which the 10th a about 9:55 am.
Measure would allow. This is because
Patricia N Bowles, of Southwest
the Measure classifies all fees and Portland, was walking across the in­
Anyone with information on
charges as taxes' and then provides tersection of NW Northrup St. at 21st
this
case can call Sgt. Jerry Jones
an exemption for incurred charges’ Ave. when she was struck and run
at
823-2151.
which are based upon properly or over by a pickup truck.
property ownership. Thus, many fees
and charges can be imposed on prop­
erty or property owners," Hill added.
Testimony at the hearings also
indicated that higher property taxes
will be used to subsidize users of
government services and products. For
example, if building inspection fees
(the inspection to see if a structure
meets safety codes) fail over time to
be increased by a vote of the people to
cover costs, then the government must
shift to property taxes to provide the
service required. Thus, a developer
who is currently paying the inspection
fee would be subsidized by the gen­
eral taxpayer for the developer's use
of that service. Shifting from a "user
pays” philosophy to "the general tax­
payer pays” is a fundamental change
in the way governments pay for their
various services.
The MDAC did not seek to take
a position on the Measure. Its goal for
conducting these hearings was to de­
velop information regarding the im­
pact M easure 5 may have on state and
local government debt and to prepare
a report containing this information
so that the electorate may be better
• Explore over 75 hands-on stations showing the latest multimedia
informed on the Measure. Hearings
softw are and systems for businesses, educators and family fun.
were held in Salem , C oos Bay,
• H ear presentations from m ultim edia experts and sign up to win
Ashland, Pendleton and Portland.
free software and games!
r / » L41
POWER YOUR
IMAGINATION
MULTIMEDIA FA® 94
Sept. 29 - Oct. 2
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1945 SE Water Ave. Portland, OR 97214 (503) 797-4000
PGE Celebrates Energy
Awareness Month
Portland General Electric will
host several events in early October
in celebration of Energy Aware­
ness Month -- the 15th annual en­
ergy awareness cam paign spon­
sored by the United States Depart­
ment of Energy.
Thursday October 6 from 6 p.m.
to 9 p.m., PGE will host “Light as
Art”, a showcase of high-design and
energy efficient lighting fixtures and
lamps at their Downtown Energy Re­
source Center, 410 S.W. Oak Street.
The show will continue through
October 13. Hours other than the first
Thursday opening are as follows:
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to
11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:00
p.m. Admission is free.
Saturday, October 8, PGE will
host an Energy Fair in Portland 's Tom
McCall Waterfront Park. Representa­
tives from PGE, the Oregon Depart­
ment of Energy, the Portland Energy
Office, Tri-Met, Division of Environ­
mental Quality and others will be on
hand with educational booths aimed
at helping people learn how to use
energy wisely. In addition, the musi­
cal group The No Delay Band will be
performing.
In conjunction with the Energy
Fair, PGE will host the second annual
Electric Car Quarter Mile Drag Race.
PGE members of the Oregon Electric
Car Association and high school Elec­
tron Run cars will take part in three
rounds o f races.
“ O ur goal th r o u g h o u t the
m onth,” said Dick Reiten PGE
President and C hief Operating O f­
ficer, “is to help ou r custom ers learn
new ways to use energy wisely and
to be aware, throughout the month
and every day of the year of how they
can make a difference in the amount
of energy this region requires and
consumes.”
In addition, PGE will co-sponsor
an Energy Fair Friday, October 14 at
the Capitol Mall Plaza in Salem from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Fair will include
informational booths and entertain­
ment. The next day, PGE will partici­
pate in the Portland Energy Office
Energy Fair at the Multnomah Arts
Center, 7688 Capitol Highway from 9
a.m. to 2 p.m. Many products to help
consumers be energy efficient at home
will be demonstrated and on display.
Every day throughout the month,
PG E will sponsor free rides on
Portland's Vintage Trolleys, which
run between Lloyd Center and dow n­
town. PGE operated Portland’s origi­
nal trolleys from 1906 until 1946.
O S H ---------
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