I ■ u B B T he P ortland O bserver • F ebruary 2 6 , 1997 USDA’s discrimination yields bitter harvest Harlon Dalton to Speak at “Community Convocation” The Com m unity Convocations Project announced today that Yale University law professor Harlon Dalton, author o f Racial Healing: Confronting the Fears Between Blacks and Whites (Doubleday 1995). w ill speak to a gathering o f concerned citizens at the first o f three Comm unity Con vocation af­ ter-work meetings. The convoca­ tion w ill be held on Tuesday, March 4, from 6 to 9 pm, at Jefferson High School Cafeteria, 5210 N Kerby. Dalton proposes that true heal­ ing w ill only come about through frank and open dialogue about race: “ It is by exploring the things we dare not say to each other that we can best get to know one another." Today he implores citizens to speak openly about the conditions which divide and terrorize us, and “ to put on the table all o fo u r fears, trepida­ tions, wishes and hopes." Dalton’s presentation is partially funded by the Oregon Council for the Hu­ manities. Follow-up convocationswill be held on Tuesday, A p ril 1, at Marshall High School, and Tues­ day, M ay 6. at W ilson H igh School. For more information call 228-7231, FAX, 228-8840. P age A 5 m R ep . B ennie G. T hompson (D-MS) I f A gricu lture Secretary. Dan Glickman is serious, about putting an end to the discriminatory prac­ tices at the United States Depart­ ment o f Agriculture (USDA), and I believe he is, then USDA should immediately develop a process to pay remedies to those individuals who have lost their farms as a direct result o f USDA discrimination. Second, USDA needs to establish and implement an independent sys­ tem - a "watchdog” - to m onitor field activities and enforce c iv il rights laws and regulations. The present system o f complaints and appeals, in which the accused USDA agency investigates itself, is thoroughly in­ adequate Third, those USDA officials and field supervisors who have consis­ tently demonstrated more allegiance to maintaining “ good ole boy" net­ works than in promoting fairness and equity, should be immediately dismissed and prosecuted to the fu ll­ est extent o f the law. Fourth, congress, once again, should revisit the county committee system, which is controlled by a few Unemployment fraud Gregory Black has pled guilty to felony theft charges in Multnomah County court for fraudulently col­ lecting unemploym ent benefits. Black was sentenced to 24 months probation, community service, and ordered to pay restitution o f $4,554 to the Oregon Employment De­ partment. To receive unemployment ben­ efits, a person must be able, avail­ able, and actively seeking work. Also, any earning during a period a person is claim ing benefits must be reported. Individuals may earn up to one-third o f their weekly benefit amount before benefits are deducted dollar for dollar. Charges were brought against Black as a result o f an investigation by the Employment Department. The department regularly pros­ ecutes individuals found to have claimed unemployment benefits while working and who incorrectly report their earnings. The investigation by the Em­ ployment Department was trig ­ gered by the agency’ s cross-match system. Car chase arrest A t approxim ately 5:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 18, 1997, Port­ land Police O fficers became in­ volved in a vehicle pursuit in North Portland, the chase ended when the driver drove into a dead end street, turned his vehicle toward a police officer and attempted to run him down, the policeman fired several rounds at a vehicle driven by Den­ nis James Bacote, black male, 20 years, o f NE Portland. Bacote d riv­ ing a Ford Explorer, and accompa­ nied by another male subject, was observed d riving erratically in the area o f N. A lb in a and N. Killingsw orth St. When officers attempted to stop the veh ic le a chase ensued. The driver Bacote, was placed into custody at the scene. The pas­ senger ran from the scene and has not been located. The officer was able to avoid the vehicle and was unharmed. A Rottweiler dog in­ side the vehicle was shot and killed during these actions. Bacote has been lodged into the Justice Center Jail. He is charged with Attempt Aggravated Murder, Attempt As­ sault 1, PCS II, Reckless Driving, Attempt to Elude, and a Warrant- Probation Violation Criminal M is­ chief II. Police Charge Son In Double Homicide descendants o f former slaves o f their legacy has become a status quo prac­ tice for the USDA, it is easy to understand why employees and tann­ ers refer to it as the “ last plantation ” Secretary G lickm an’ s “ listening sessions," have given farmers and employees hope that change is com­ ing. But U S D A 's bureaucracy and its protectors have historically re­ sisted real change - just ask former Agriculture Secretary M ike Espy. President Clinton needs to let us know where eradicating racism and sexism from the USDA, ranks as a priority in the agenda o f his second term, and Secretary Glickman has to give us more than warm platitudes and fee-good quotes from Dr Mar­ tin Luther King, Jr and the USD A's founding father. Abraham Lincoln the time for rhetoric is over Every American that wears cloth­ ing or eats food has a vested interest in elim inating the decades-old p o li­ cies o f discrimination at the USDA The agency ’ s history o f racial bias and antagonism towards minority and female farmers is well docu­ mented, it is tim e for President Clinton. Secretary Glickman, and Congress to take decisive action, rebuke these antiquated practices, and restore the American people's faith in this $60 b illio n federal agency. (Representative Thompson is a member o f the House Agriculture Committee and has been actively fighting to reverse the trends o f dis­ crimination at USDA On Thursday, February 27 at 4 p.m.at 1021 NE Failing, Sabin Com­ munity Development Corporation w ill be having an Open House, this is to celebrate the completion o f its first new construction home as part o f their Limited Equity/Lease Pur- chase(LELP) Home Ownership Pro­ gram for low income families. This is one o f five new construc­ tion home being completed this spring, and one o f two bu i It by Dream Home Builders. The LELP program was devel­ oped by Sabin CDC, Vernon Neigh­ borhood Action Group and a Com­ munity advisory council in consul­ tation with he boards o f Sabin Com­ munity Association. Vernon Neigh­ borhood Association and Concordia Neighborhood Association. This celebration w ill showcase the work o f Calvin Jackson, a local m inority contractor and owner o f Dream Home Builders. Grant funds from the EnterpriseCommunity pro­ gram other grant contributors ( Heinz Foundation, Portland Development Corporation, Multnomah County's Housing A ffordability Development Program, Oregon Housing Trust Funds and many individual con­ tributors) helped to bring down the cost to the home buyer to $ 6 1,000 from a developm ent budget o f $105,000. The home w ill go to a family earning 60% o f M FI. the primary goal o f the LELP program is to provide long term affordable home ownership oppor­ tunities for low-income families who are unable for various reasons to secure a home mortgage from tradi­ tional lending institutions. Sabin Com m unity Development Corporation is a nonprofit, commu­ nity based, membership organiza­ tion. Our mission is to make sure there is long term affordable hous­ ing for low and moderate income community residents and to encour­ age community involvement foi lo­ cal development, self-help projects, and youth and senior programs. Free inside loaves of Franz bread. Wc’rc giving you a little something extra inside your delicious loaf of Franz bread- and it won’t cost you a thing. Collect the new 1996 1997 Blazers trading cards. After all, they’re free. 1 here’s a new card each week inside loaves o f Franz Premium White or 100% Wheat Bread. Collect all seven. We’re also giving yon a coupon to use toward your first loaf We figured as long as we were lowering the price of the Blazers by a few million dollars, we might as well knock off an extra 35