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Editorial Articles Do Not Necessarily
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© b s e ru e r
Gates Move For The Millennium
•JJJürtlanit
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USPS 959-680
Established 1970
STAFF
P
u b l is h e r
C harles W ashington
E
B ill G a te s , th e f o u n d e r o f
M ic r o s o f t a n d th e w e a lth ie s t
m an o n p la n e t E a rth , is a v is i o n
a ry . H e p ro v e d th a t by s ta rtin g
a c o m p a n y w h ic h c h a n g e d h u
m a n h is to ry an d no w h e ’s p r o v
in g th a t h e u n d e r s ta n d s th e
c h a n g e s the new m ille n n iu m w ill
b r in g a b o u t an d th e r e s p o n s i
b ili tie s th a t th e p r iv ile g e d h a v e
to e n s u re a fu tu re in w h ic h a ll
h a v e e q u a l o p p o r tu n ity to p a r
tic ip a te . B ill G a te s sh o w e d th a t
h e is a v is io n a r y in w h ic h a ll
h a v e an e q u a l o p p o rtu n ity to p a r
tic ip a te . B ill G a te s sh o w e d th a t
h e is a v is io n a r y fo r th e 2 1 s1
c e n tu r y as w e ll as fo r th e c u r
re n t o n e w h e n he a n n o u n c e d th a t
G a te s M ille n n iu m S c h o la rs h ip
p ro g ra m , w h ic h w ill m a k e a v a il
a b le $ 1 b illio n to A fric a n A m e r i
c a n , L a tin o an d L a tin a a n d n a
tiv e A m e ric a n s tu d e n ts o v e r th e
a v a ila b le a n d w a s c a lle d “ e a r th -
sh a tte rin g , la n d s c a p e - c h a n g in g ”
by W illia m G ra y , th e h e a d o f
n e x t 20 y e a rs.
T h e G a te s M ille n n iu m S c h o l
a rs h ip p ro g ra m is o n e o f th e la rg
e s t p h ila n th ro p ic g ifts e v e r m a d e
a n d w ill b e a d m in is te r e d b y th e
U n ite d N e g r o C o l l e g e F u n d
(U N C F ). It w ill g u a r a n te e fu ll
f in a n c in g fo r o u ts ta n d in g s tu
d e n ts o f c o lo r w h o c o m e fro m
p o o r fa m ilie s . U n d e r g ra d u a te
s tu d e n ts w ill b e a b le to s tu d y
a n y s u b je c t, b u t g r a d u a te s tu
d e n t s m u s t b e c o m m itt e d to
s tu d y in g s c ie n c e , m a th , e n g i
n e e r in g , c o m p u te r te c h n o lo g y ,
e d u c a tio n a n d lib r a r y s c ie n c e .
B y i t s e l f it w ill n e a r ly d o u b le
th e n u m b e r o f s c h o l a r s h i p s
the U N C F .
M r. G a te s h im s e lf n o te d th a t
p eo p le o f c o lo r a re v a s tly u n
d e r - r e p r e s e n t e d in s c i e n c e ,
h ig h e r e d u c a tio n an d in h is o w n
co m p u te r in d u s try . T h e s e s c h o l
a rsh ip s , o f w h ic h 1 ,0 0 0 a re e x
p e c te d to b e a v a ila b le e v e r y
y e a r, a re d e s ig n e d to r e c tif y
th o se n u m b e rs .
O v e r th e p a s t tw o y e a r s th e
B ill an d M e lin d a G a te s F o u n d a
tio n h a d m a d e la rg e c o n t r i b u
tio n s to e d u c a tio n , h e a lth a n d
lib ra ry s c ie n c e s . It h a s a s s is te d
in w irin g th e c o u n t y ’s p u b lic l i
b ra rie s fo r th e I n te r n e t a n d h a s
m ad e so m e $ 2 0 0 m illio n in c o n
trib u tio n s to r e s e a r c h a n d d i s
tr ib u tio n o f v a c c in e s fo r A ID S ,
M a la ria a n d o th e r d is e a s e s . B u t
p rio r to th a t M r. G a te s fo u n d
h im s e lf b e in g c r itic iz e d fo r h is
Reporters Use
d it o r
Larry J. Jack son , Sr.
C
E
opy
Tabloid Tactic To
d it o r
Joy R am os
B
u s in e s s
M
anager
G ary A nn T aylor
A
A
d m in is t r a t iv e
s s is t a n t
T alun aka W ashington
D
ir e c t o r
of
A
d v e r t is in g
Tony W ashington
G
r a p h ic
D
e s ig n e r
H eather Fairchild
D
is t r ib u t io n
M
anag er
M ark W ashington
C
o n t r ib u t in g
W
r it e r
R ichard Luccetti
47 4 7 NE Martin Luther
King, Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97211
503-288-0033
Fax 503-288-0015
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P ostmaster :
Send address changes to
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Portland, OR 9 7 2 0 8
D E A D L IN E S
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ADS:
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Mislead Voters
B y T im H all ________________________
As a candidate for an elective
position, there ’ s an expectation for a
m easure o f fairness from the press.
In m y recent run for com m issioner
for the Hazel Dell Sew er District
(HDSD) in V ancouver, I received
none from the Columbian.
Tw o Colum bian reporters took
on the role o f candidate hit squad as
they attem pted to ridicule me and
m islead voters by sensationalizing
my private disputes over property
taxes and past problem s with my
sewer. They w ithheld from readers
(voters) important information, made
quotes from w ords I never said, and
selectively used facts to distort the
full truth.
As a public relations professional,
I’ve been quoted in the W all Street
Journal, Los A ngeles Times, and
Denver Post to m ention a few new s
papers. For the first tim e in m y 20
years talking with the press, two
reporters actually altered m y w ords
and the facts to create front-page
news.
I chose to run for the position o f
sewer com m issioner because I have
experience w orking with organiza
tions to improve their image and
efficiency. A s I heard people com
plain about the sewer district, I took
into account m y ow n experience o f
poor service, and decided I could
m ake ch an g es. M y w o rk w ith
Portland’s highly effective waste-
water m anagem ent group gave me
an inside track to inform ation to
accomplish this goal.
C olumbian reporter Frik Robinson
told me that m y desire to serve
ratepayers was not an interesting story.
It would be better ifl “was angry at the
sewer district’ ’ and out to get someone
fired. He wanted to write this story
even though I said it was false.
In the two articles w ritten by
Robinson, there was m uch m isinfor
mation. For exam ple, I told him my
PTA Board shared w ith m e their
sewer complaints. Robinson w anted
to write: “PTA urges Hall to run.”
Not true and I told him to change it.
He retaliated by printing H all' backs
aw ay from PTA involvem ent’ and
now says the conversation never
took place.’
In criticizing me for m y dispute
with the sewer district, Robinson sus
piciously w ithheld the fact that the
sewer district refused to answ er my
num erous co m p lain ts ab o u t the
backflow o f sewage into my hom e
for m ore than four years. He kept
secret from voters w hy it took them
so long to respond.
W hen I com plained the source o f
the misinformation was a HDSD em
ployee, in a phone conversation, re
porter Gregg H errington got angry
that I reported the involvem ent to the
State Public Disclosure Commission.
H e retaliated with a sensationalized
story on m y property tax dispute with
Clark County, a dispute I m ade pub
lic weeks earlier. The newspaper used
a large headline as ifl had com mitted
a terrible crime.
Herrington to chose to withhold
key information. W hen I personally
presented him with important facts
from my attorney and the State Board
o f Equalization prior to the release o f
his story, he openly ignored them.
“ I’m asked m y attorney’s name, I
gave it, but added, "I could not re
m em ber how to spell it.” In his ar
ticle, he wrote: Hall “co u ld n 't re
m em ber his attorney’s nam e.”
By now you can see the pattern o f
m edia abuse.
As the only m inority to run for
office in Clark County this election
season and the first African-A m eri
can in m ore than 10 years, I w as told
to expect the Colum bian to focus
th eir“special attention” on m e and to
scrutinize m y every deed.
I disregarded this advice after an
editorial noted my being the most
* ‘energetic’ ’ candidate in the race. How
ever, when I met with several mem
bers o f the C olum bian’s editorial
board. I was forced to recognize the
disrespect as one editor opened and
read his mail while I talked. I knew
then that it would be foolish to expect
any fairness and objectivity from them.
A fte r th e e le c tio n , re p o rte r
Robinson tried several times to reach
me. 1 issued a w ritten statement. It
was the only w ay I believe I could
avoid being m isquoted again. But
even then I had serious doubts.
la c k o f p h ila n th r o p y d e s p ite h is
in c re d ib le w e a lth .
It is c le a r th a t B ill G a te s u n
d e r s ta n d s th a t u n le s s a ll A m e r i
c a n s a re e q u ip p e d to e n te r th e
2 1 s' c e n tu r y a n d its in f o rm a tio n
a g e , th a t o u r n a tio n c a n n o t r e
a lly flo u ris h . H e u n d e r s ta n d s
th a t w e m u s t e ith e r p u t m o n e y in
e d u c a tio n n o w o r in im p r is o n
m e n t la te r. H e u n d e r s ta n d s th a t
w e c a n e x p a n d th e s lic e s o f th e
e c o n o m ic p ie th ro u g h e d u c a tio n
a n d tru e e q u a l o p p o r tu n ity . A n d
h e ’s p u ttin g h is m o n e y o n 2 0 ,0 0 0
y o u n g p e o p le o f c o lo r liv in g in
o u r n a tio n s p o o r e s t c o m m u n i
tie s w h o c a n m a k e a d if fe r e n c e
i f g iv e n a c h a n c e .
B e g in n in g in th e fa ll o f 2 0 0 0 ,
th o s e h ig h s c h o o l s e n io rs w h o
h a v e 3.3 g ra d e a v e ra g e s o r ab o v e
a n d a re n o m in a te d b y a te a c h e r
o r p r in c ip a l w ill b e e lig ib le fo r
th e G a te s s c h o la r s h ip s . T h e y
w ill a ls o h a v e to w rite an e s sa y
o n th e ir lif e g o a ls a n d w ill be
re q u ir e d to c o m m it th e m s e lv e s
to so m e fo rm o f c o m m u n ity s e r
v ic e .
B ill G a te s is a v is io n a r y an d a
m u lti-b illio n a ire w ho u n d e r
sta n d s th a t y o u n g p e o p le o f c o lo r
are a k ey to th e fu tu re o f o u r
n a tio n . M a y b e y o u a n d I d o n ’t
h av e th a t k in d o f m o n e y , b u t w e,
to o , ca n h a v e th a t k in d o f v isio n .
W e c a n c o m m it o u r s e lv e s to e n
su rin g th a t y o u n g p e o p le o f c o lo r
are p re p a re d a n d re a d y to ap p ly
fo r th o se G ate s s c h o la rs h ip s . W e
c a n be m e n to rs a n d ro le m o d e ls.
W e ca n p ro v id e s u m m e r jo b s .
W e c a n tu to r an d w e ca n g iv e
w h a t d o lla rs w e h av e .
W h o k n o w s w h a t fu tu re M ae
Je m iso n o r C h a rle s D re w o r G a r
re t M o rg a n is o u t th e re w a itin g
fo r a c h a n c e . T h a n k s, M r. G a te s,
f o r b e l i e v i n g in th e f u tu r e .
T h a n k s fo r c h a lle n g in g us to do
th e sam e.
The Newspaper Scandal
H ave
you
ever
been
c h e a te d ? H a v e y o u e v e r b e e n
g iv e n le s s th e a m o u n t o f
m o n ey fo r y o u r s e rv ic e s r e n
d e re d ? H a v e y o u e v e r fe lt
lik e s o m e o n e w a s t a k i n g a d
v a n ta g e o f y o u b e c a u s e th e ir
p o s itio n o r r e s p o n s ib ilitie s
in c lu d e d o v e r s e e in g y o u r p o
s itio n an d r e s p o n s ib ilitie s ?
W e ll, I h a v e . F o r m o n t h s I
d e liv e re d n e w sp a p e rs fo r a
lo c a l n e w s p a p e r c a r rie r
w h ic h s e l l s a n d d i s t r i b u t e s
th e O r e g o n i a n . I w a k e u p a n d
d e liv e r n e w sp a p e rs e v e ry d ay
at 3 :0 0 a m . I am a s e n io r c i t i
zen a n d e n jo y h e lp in g a n y
one an d e v e r y o n e ,r e g a r d le s s
if I am b e in g c o m p e n s a te d .
H o w e v e r , t h i s is o n e j o b
w h e re th e e m p lo y e r a n d I a re
v e r y a w a r e o f m y e m p lo y m e n t
a n d m y d u ty to b e p a i d f o r a l l
s e rv ic e s re n d e re d .
H e r e it is o n e y e a r l a t e r ,
a n d I h a v e y e t to b e p a i d in
f u ll f o r a l l o f m y d e l i v e r y s e r
v i c e s . O n e m a y a s k , “ W e ll,
w h y d id y o u w a it f o r a w h o le
y e a r to g e t p a i d ? " M y r e
s p o n s e , “ I w a s to l d I ’ d b e
p a i d , m o n th a f t e r m o n th , a n d
I a c t u a l l y b e l i e v e d th e p e r s o n
w h o to l d m e t h i s , in w h ic h
w a s th e s a m e p e r s o n w h o w a s
s u p p o s e to p a y m e f o r m y s e r
v i c e s r e n d e r e d .: W h a t s h o u ld
I d o , I th i n k to m y s e lf .
I te ll m y c lo s e s t frie n d s
a b o u t th e s i t u a t i o n a n d th e y
b e c o m e d i s g u s t e d a t th e
th o u g h t o f a n y o n e m is u s in g
o r c h e a tin g a n y o n e , e s p e
c i a l l y w h e n th e y a r e r e p r e
s e n tin g an o r g a n iz a tio n , T h e
O re g o n ia n .
M y d a u g h te r g e ts h e a te d
e v e r y tim e 1 m e n t i o n I h a v e
y e t to b e p a i d th e r e m a i n d e r
o f w h a t ’ s r i g h t f u l l y o w n e d to
m e . In a d d i t i o n , to m y s u r
p r i s e , M r. P i p e r r e c e i v e s a l l
tip s in w h ic h c u s t o m e r s g iv e s
to n e w s p a p e r c a r r i e r s f o r
th e ir s e rv ic e s , h o w e v e r, w e
th e d e l i v e r e r s n e v e r s e e th e s e
tip s , o n ly th a n k - y o u c a rd s
c r e a t e d b y M r. P i p e r h i m s e l f .
In c o n c l u s i o n , I e n d e d u p
ta k in g M r. R o n P i p e r to S m a ll
C l a im s C o u r t. N o w , 1 w a it f o r
ju s tic e .
S ig n e d
M rs.
D is g u s te d
and
S hocked!
Just think: Your son
is b rig h t, h e a lth y
a n d h e a d e d fo r
college one day You
love the direction your
career has taken. You're doing a lot of the things you planned
and even a few you didn't. Living life to the fullest is easy w hen
S u p p o r t fem lxi
you
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