Volume XXIV Niiinhci 40
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M in o r it y E n ter pr ise E d it io n
Portland Wins
Husky Classic
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Portland's
Expanding Skyline
Karyn White
Minority business
enterprises in Portland are
in a position fo r growth.
“The basis fo r this album
was simple: it was about
trusting my 'gut’feelings.
See Sports, page A7
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See MED section, page Cl
See Entertainment, page B2
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F orm er D em ocratic C ongress-
woman Barbara Jordan, 58, of Texas is
reportedly on the list to replace the
NAACP’s ousted executive director Ben
Chavis. Jewel Jackson-McCade, 49, New
York City, is the other woman highly
regarded for the post. Many say the group
will be “politically correct" if they name
a woman to the post.
_______
______
Government figures show that job
growth from April 1993 to last March
raised payroll employment at private
businesses and government agencies na
tionwide by 2.5 million, to 112.3 million.
And because of continuing economic
growth, nearly 1.5 million more workers
were added to the samejob payrolls from
last March through August.
Rider Advocates Rise From Storm Of Gunfire
by
Poll Shows Gap In
Progress Beliefs
A racial equality problem in the U.S.
is a minority view, according to an Asso
ciated Press poll. Six in 10 whites think
that blacks and other minorities have the
same opportunities they do. Seven in 10
blacks disagree. Only one in three Ameri
cans say the nation has done too little to
help blacks in the 30 years since the Civil
Rights Movement.
M ichael L eighton
In the aftermath of a shooting on a
city bus, Tri-Met General Manager Tom
Walsh said he was left with only two
choices.
Chavis Praises Barry
Victory
Finding it difficult to raise money
and under pressure from the Democratic
Party, L. Douglas Wilder has given up
his bid to become the second black in the
U.S. Senate. Wilder, the first black elected
governor of Virginia, was running as an
Independent. The Democrats feared his
candidacy would take away votes from
incumbent Democrat Charles Robb and
helpelect conservative Republican Oliver
North.
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▼
A $3 million offer by talk-show host
Oprah Winfrey to help poor families find
a way out of public housing has gener
ated over 20,000 calls to a social service
agency which will administer the pro
gram. W infrey’s money will go to
Chicago’s Jane Addams Hull House
Association and it will help 10 families
this yearand 90 families nextyeargetjob
training, housing assistance and other
services.
Wilder Drops From
Senate Race
V
’ V z. • . t
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Continued to page 3
Winfrey’s Offer Draws
20,000 Responses
Benjamin F. Chavis, speaking be
fore a black church congregation in
Washington. D.C. hailed Marion Barry’s
election victory and urged African Ameri
cans to be wary of the media and other
“oppressors” of the black community.
ChavissaidBarry’swinningofthe Demo
cratic nomination for D.C. Mayor was
the perfect example of what blacks can
do when they “work in unity.”
» ‘ •
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V.
M ichael L eighton
Moving in step with the momentum of
progress is Tri-Met General Manager Tom
Walsh.
And while Walsh tries to increase rider
ship for Tri-Met, he works to build private,
public and legislative support to expand the
agency into the next century.
A proposed bond levy for Portland area
voters in November is a major step to adding
a third, and most aggressive tier yet, to Tri-
Met’s transportation system.
The South/North Corridor would create
a 25-mile light rail line serving North and
Northeast Portland, connecting a route from
Clackamas County to Vancouver.
Tri-Met currently is in a major construc
tion phase, extending its Gresham to Port
land rail line to the west side from downtown
to Hillsboro.
Figures Show
Economic Gains
A2
250
If you look into the future of Tri-
Met you will see more mass transit,
massive new construction and added
jobs. It’s both the short-term and long
term outlook for this public service
agency.
Jordan On List To
Replace Chavis
EDITORIAL
f e
Voters To Decide North/South Light Rail
by
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Carolina with the longest
winning streak in college
sports is next fo r the Pilots.
■ M M a M M A ffll
Tom Walsh, Tri-Met general manager.
Two teenagers had been shot on the
Number4 Fessenden bus at North Albina and
Jessup streets. They were innocent victims in
the crossfire of gang violence.
The way Walsh saw it, he could do
nothing and admit crime as a fact of life or
fight back.
It took about three seconds to choose,”
Walsh said.
“I wanted todosomething immediately,”
he recalled, thinking back to the violent epi
sode last October.
Walsh put armed security guards on the
bus.
They rode along every No. 4 bus and
other buses in North and Northeast Portland
for 10days before finally being replaced with
a non-armed security force and much later,
community-based rider advocates.
Walsh said he didn't want tojust give lip
service that Tri-Met was committed to a safe
transportation system.
His actions were not without risk and
criticism. But it did send a strong message the
public agency would take very tough mea
sures to make buses safe.
My attitude was "dammit, that's our
property and our responsibility and our cus
tomers deserve a safe system," Walsh said.
He said armed security was a forced
alternative.
Portland police were unable to respond
to the extent and as quickly as Walsh wanted.
The agency Tri-Met hired for crowd control
declined to get involved. That left a Tri-Met
Western State Treasurers Elect
Hill As Vice President
regon State T reasurer Jim Hill
has been e le c te d vice
president of the W estern
S tates T re a s u re rs A s s o c ia tio n
(WSTA).
O
During the annual conference of the western
treasurers in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Hill was
unanimously elected to serve during 1995.
Term begins December 1, 1994 and ends
November 30, 1995.
“I am very honored to have been se
lected to be vice president of the Western
States Treasurers Association," said Hill. “I
look forward to working with my colleagues
on a variety of issues that challenge treasuries
across the nation. More importantly, this will
provide an opportunity to share some of the
lessons we have learned in Oregon that will
benefit other treasuries . Oregon will in turn
profit from the innovations pioneered by
others."
The 1995 president of WSTA. Arizona
State Treasurer Tony West, commended
Hill’s election, saying “Selection by your
park-and-ride security force that would on
move in if its employees were armed.
Walsh said he wasn’t pleased with tl
choices. He knew security with guns w;
another exposed risk, but saw the alternativ
as doing nothing.
Today, the neighborhood-based advt
cates ride the buses on eight lines in th
region, from afternoon until late evening
They serve as full-time paid customer servic
representatives and augment Tri-Met secu
rity and a Portland Police Tri-Met enforce
ment unit.
The rider advocates are equipped witl
two-way radios and information about Tri
Met services. They can call for additional lav
enforcement if needed.
“They’re not substitute police," Walsl
said. "These are people with community ties.’
▼
Continued to page 3
Ticketmaster’s Fees
Called Outrageous
xcessive fees are charged by
The survey also found that Ticketmaster
Ticketm aster on tickets to
charges service fees for every ticket sold on
concerts and other events,
each order, regardless of whether a consumer
according to the Oregon Student
buys one ticket or 100 tickets.
Public In te re s t R esearch G roup
For family events like the circus (as
(OSPIRG).
opposed to rock concerts), Ticketmaster usu
E
Jim Hill
peers is truly a mark of excellence. Treasur
ers have always been on the cutting edge, and
our leadership in 1995 will continue to work
hard to make sure our views are known to
▼
Continued to page 3
On average, the fees add $5.10 in addi
tional costs or 27 percent of the value of a
ticket, according an OSPIRG survey of
Ticketmaster service charges to 80 events in
10 states.
OSPIRG's national consumer advocate
highlighted the survey results in testimony
last week before a Congressional subcom
mittee.
"Ticketmaster clearly rips-off consum
ers. says Maureen Kirk, OSPIRG's execu
tive director, who supervised the research in
Oregon. "Ticketmaster charges outrageous,
monopolistic and often undisclosed fees for
its services. It s a nationwide problem even-
goes should be aware of here in Oregon,”
Kirk said.
NATIONAL
HEALTH
SPORTS
METRO
A4
A6
A7
Bl
ally charges only $ 1.75 or less per ticket and
caps the total fees at $7 per order.
In Portland, where there is some compe
tition, ticket service charges averaged $ 1 less
than nationally. But Ticketmaster service
fees in Portland still add 25 percent to the
actual ticket price.
A nd at le a s t tw o - th ir d s o f
T icketm aster agents surveyed said that
their service charges are not disclosed
separately on tickets.
“We urge Congress to take strong action
to ban Ticketmaster's monopolistic prac
tices. cap their outrageous fees and push the
Justice Department to investigate possible
antitrust violations by this monolithic beast,"
concluded national consumer advocate Bill
Wood in his testimony before Congress.
ENTERTAINMENT
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CLASSIFIEDS
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