Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1998)
A L G U S I U , 1998 Hage A8 H r $Ìodlanì> © fw ruer National Urban League Grades President’s Initiative on Race On the eve o f the first anniversary o f President Bill C linton’s Initiative on race, the National Urban League has issued its own report card on the effort. According to League Presi dent Hugh B. Price, the Initiative deserves a grade o f "B +” tor Good Intentions, but thus far, only “C” for impact. The National Urban League sa lutes Mr. Clinton and his Adminis tration for their Leadership on many related fronts that have improved the well-being o f African Americans. The President deserves an “A” for the performance o f the economy. The sustained recovery has begun reach ing into cities and urban neighbor hoods, and has reduced unemploy ment among our people. Welfare reform has helped propel poorpeople into the world o f work, although the jury is still out on the fate o f former recipients who do not make this tran sition successfully. Mr. Clinton has been steadfast and highly vocal in his support o f affirmative action. He has appointed an unprecedented number o f minori ties and women to positions o f genu ine authority in his Administration. And his historic trip to several Afri can nations has helped race relations at home by dem onstrating to all Americans-the economic, strategic and symbolic importance ofthis long neglected continent. The President’s Initiative on Race builds on this base o f accomplish ments. Now to our assessment o f its progress: Good Intentions: B+ P re sid e n t C lin to n ’s m o tiv es clearly are noble and his heart on race issues is unquestionably in the right place. We salute him for launch ing this Initiative, which has nudged the nation to face up to the unfinished business o f race relations that Ameri cans would prefer to ignore. Surveys show that Mr. Clinton has placed this issue much more prominently on the nation’s radar screen than would have been the case without the Initiative. We give the effort a grade o f B+ instead of A, however, because Mr. Clinton and the White House have not gone flat out in pressing this Initiative forward at the pace required. Given delays in launching it and the distractions facing the White house much o f this year, implementation has sputtered badly at times. Were the Initiative on Race an even higher priority for President Clinton and the White House, we doubt this would have happened. Impact: C Regrettably the President’s noble intentions have yet to translate into the kinds o f impacts that were rea sonably expected by this point in time. Hence our grade o f C. We hope this mark will climb dramati cally in the second year, assuming the Initiative is extended. Given the paramount importance of improving race relations, as well as the promis ing foundation that has been laid, we urge the President to press forward for another year. We give the impact thus far a grade o f C for the fol 1 ow i ng reasons: *The Initiative on Race has flown solo more than it should have and could have. Many organizations, such as the National Urban League and our collaborators in the National Voices Coalition-have been involved only peripherally despite frequent offers o f assistance. This has se verely stunted the reach, staying power and impact o f the Initiative in communities. W e’ve been consulted on occasion, but seldom called upon to help in any meaningful or sus tained way. ♦President Clinton’stwo televised town meetings have helped raise the public consciousness, but the topics chosen and formats used have severe limitations when it comes to address ing the serious issues before the na tion. The exchanges on air seldom illuminate or promote the fuller un derstanding that’s required to move the ball forward. President Clinton should use his bully pulpit and con vening power with greater frequency and focus. ♦To the President’s considerable credit, he has engaged federal agen cies in figuring out how to ratchet up theirefforts. The Initiative deserved good marks for stepping up overall civil rights enforcement, targeting housing discrimination for particu lar attention and increasing aid to minority businesses. The final shortcoming that drags the Initiative’s grade down in our judgment is its failure to address some o f the toughest problems of race that still face our society. Al though the televised advisory board held a meeting w here they discussed race, crime and the administration of justice, the escalating problem of police misconduct was not adequately addressed. This violation-physical abuse, harassment or racial profil- ing-is widespread in minority com munities. Yet the President and the Initiative have paid scant attention to the problem, much less proposed solutions. Having launched the Initiative in Race, President Clinton should stay the course. In the year ahead, we urge him to devote more personal attention to the Initiative, sharpen its focus, tackle the really tough issues and consume more political capital on behalf o f this cause. If he does so, both higher grades and a lasting legacy are well within reach. S outhwell Hers was an opportunity shrouded in adversity. When a tragic mill accident left Jo Anderson disabled and unable to re turn to her job, she recognized a turning point. She sought help through Oregon’s Vocational Rehabilitation Division. Five years o f working and planning followed. Today she owns her own cleaning business called The Profes sional, is financially independent and employs others who may have men tal or physical challenges. Jo is one o f our success stories. And while there are others, there could be many more. Census data tells us that one in five people in this country has a disability. In Oregon, 220,000 working age people with disabilities want to work; 79% are unemployed. This is O regon's un tapped labor pool o f skilled, moti vated and respo n sib le men and women. Employed Oregonians with dis abilities work in every job sector. According to a 30-year Dupont study, workers with disabilities are equal to or better than their non-di sabled peers in the following areas: *97% have above average safety records *86% have above average atten dance ♦90% have above average job perform ance ♦76% are harder workers ♦78% are more dependable As the w orkforce ages and more people move toward retirement, we will have to look at all our re- sources-including people with dis- abilities-to fill the vacancies. At VRD, our m ission is to assist O regonians w ith disabilities to achieve and m aintain em ploym ent and independence. The federal Rehabilitation Services A dm inis tration recently recognized our re habilitation section, ranking it sev enth nationally for its successful em ploym ent initiatives. In 1997, VRD provided rehabilitation ser vices to more than 16,000 O rego nians and successfully rehabilitated and placed more than 2,400 indi viduals in jobs. On average, those receiv in g V RD service, versus those who do not earn five times more money. Thousands o f Oregon businesses have found a labor resource in this pool o f people with disabilities. Diverse individuals bring new ideas and new approaches to business challenges. The more divers the w orkforce, the stronger the busi ness advantage. Em ployers who adjust an exist ing w orkplace for a w orker with The Salvation Army receives 25th Grant this Year The Salvation Army received a grant today for $5,000 from Oregon Community Foundation, markingthe 25th grant from this generous foun dation to The Salvation Army this fiscal year. Oregon Community foundation’s grants to The Salvation Army this year have touched thousands o f lives in the past year alone, some o f the programs funded include: ♦Greenhouse-a resource center for the estimated 2,000 young people, ages 12-21, who live on Portland's city streets. Greenhouse just cel ebrated another year o f success sto ries with a prom for youth who achieved their G E D ’s. ♦The Medford Transitional Shel- ter-a shelter providing an intense, three level transitional program for 500 homeless individuals and fami lies in Southern Oregon each year. •W hite Shield Center-a “last re- sort” for pregnant and parenting teens who m ight otherw ise have their babies removed from their c u sto d y by th e sta te . W hite S h ield ’s residential treatm ent pro gram helps these young women keep their babies and change their lives. • T h e W e st W o m e n ’s & C hild ren ’s C enter-a safe place to begin again for fam ilies surviving dom estic violence. The W est pro v ides tem porary and long-term transitional shelter and a therapeu tic preschool. T he Salvation Army serve over 1,000 people each and every day in the Portland M etro area, w ith a w ide range o f services for every one from infants to seniors. To m ake a donation, volunteer, or in quire about services, anyone may call The Salvation Army at 503- 234-0825. Kites and balloons should be flown in open areas away from lines Melissa, age || Keep clear of trees or structures close to power lines Mahala. aqe 7 Workers with Disabilities Contribute to the Success of Employers by J oil Jack S Jill went up the hill & played near poles and wires. A line was down S Jack soon found if touched he would EXPIRE. disability finds it is not costly and actually is good for business. Rea sonable accommodations may in clude ramps, bathroom grab bars or large print menus. The average cost o f a job accommodation is about $200. By making our places o f business accessible for our employees, we also make them more accessible to our customers. Future marketplace suc cess depends on attracting a diverse customer base and making all cus tomers feel welcomed and valued. Employers report that the training and recommendations provided by rehabilitation agencies have im proved m orale and productivity throughout the company. With good jobs, people with dis abilities become taxpayers and con tribute as productive citizens. U.S. citizens with disabilities control $ 15 billion and patronize the same busi- nesses-perhaps your business-as ev eryone else. If you are looking for motivated workers like Jo Anderson lor your business, I encourage you to tap into one o f Oregon ’ s greatest labor pools. You will discover a working rela tionship that wins. For more information abut hiring persons with disabilities, call VRD at 503-945-5880 (voice) or 503-945- 5894 (TTY). GET THE) K IT W ant to help keep the air clean on DEQ C lean A ir A ction D ays? G et the kit! Fresh A ir K its are av ailab le o fferin g free rid es on T ri-M et M AX light rail land buses on C lean A ir A ction Days. T he kits w ill help a ttra c t new p a sse n g e rs on days w hen the DEQ urges the use o f m ass tra n sit because o f sm oggy air c o n d i tions. T he kits co n tain three free tic k e ts, a trip p lanning guide and a Tri M et system map. Each tic k e ts pro v id es rides all day long on MAX and buses. The free tic k e ts are only good on C lean A ir A ction D ays. K its are a v a ila b le by calling T ri-M et at 238-R ID E from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm , w eekdays. Treat all lines on the ground or overhead as energized Stay away from substations or anything marked Danger; High Voltage Dustin, age o utdoor electric safety is important to all of us — especially this time of year when we’re outside more. With the help of some of last year’s winners in Pacific Power’s Electric Safety Contest, we want to make you aware of some of the potentially hazardous situations you and your kids can get into while working or playing outdoors. Safety. For a free color-your-own It’s no accident! J fun poster &glow-in-the-dark magnet for kids, call 1-888-221-7070. # PACIFIC POW ER A PactfiCorp Company wwwpacificorp.com
