S O M M I
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Classical
Chinese
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Smokey
Robinson
comes to
Chinook Winds
_____________
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(Lip
Volume XXX.
Number 36
Jt É
art la nu (Phi
www.portlandobserver.com
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Wednesday
September 6, 2000
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A good time is had by all at DiversityFest
F iv e P o rtla n d a re a residents w ere given
s p e c ia l re c o g n itio n f o r p u b lic service
a t th e P o r t l a n d O b s e r v e r 's f i r s t
D i v e r s i t y F e s t C o m m u n ity P ic n ic
S a tu r d a y .
The L a b o r D a y w e eken d celebration at
O aks P a rk in so u th ea st P o rtla n d drew
a b ig c r o w d d e sp ite a sm a tte rin g o f
show ers. M u sic w as p ro v id e d by K irk
G reen. R on Steen, the R a m sey E m bick
Trio a n d the H ig h la n d U nited Church
o f C h rist Choir.
The P o r tla n d O b se rv e r p r e s e n te d
World Leaders Meet for
Millennium Summit
UNITED NATIONS - Kings, Generals,
Presidents and Prime M inisters are
assembling in New York with the lofty
goal o f turning the 21” century into an
epoch free o f war, poverty, ignorance
and disease. But they are also using the
U.N. Millennium Summit - the largest
gathering o f world leaders in history - as
a soapbox for issues in their homelands.
A t the sum m it’s conclusion, world
leaders are expected to adopt the so-
called Millennium Declaration, which
c o m m its to e ra d ic a tin g p o v e rty ,
promoting education and reversing the
spread o f Hl V/A1DS.
co m m u n ity se rv ic e a w a rd s to M ariah
T a ylo r, a N o r th /N o r th e a s t P o r tla n d
46,000 School Buses May
Have Brake Problem
PORTLAND, Ore. - Thomas Built
Buses, one o f the country’s largest
school bus builders, is warning that
6,000 o f its school buses may have
defective brake systems and as many as
40,000 other buses may be affected
nationwide. The defect involves the
Bendix anti-lock brake system on buses
manufactured between March 1998 and
last month.
Rebels Demand $10M for
Hostage’s Release
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines - Muslim
rebels have demanded $ 10 million for the
release o f an American kidnapped this
week in the southern Philippines, despite
a U.S. refusal to pay any ransom,
negotiators said. The Abu Sayyaf rebels,
who earlier threatened to behead Jeffrey
Schilling, plegednot to harm him while
negotiations continue. They asked that
food and medicine be sent for the 24-
year-old Oakland, Calif., resident, who
U.S. officals say has serious health
problems. The Abu Sayyaf group is still
holding six other foreigners and 12
Filipinos.
Geraldo Considers NYC
Mayor Job
NEW YORKCITY - Look out, Big Apple.
Talk show host Geraldo Rivera wants to
make a run at the m ayor’s job in New
York City after current Mayor Rudy
Giuliani leaves office in 2001. Rivera
w an ts to ru n a se lf-fin a n c e d ,
independent campaign in an effort to get
the job. The 57-year-old CNBC host
says he is onlyjust considering a possible
campaign and would like to see results
o f an upcoming poll about his running,
to determine if he would in fact run for
mayor.
A1 Fayed Files Suit Against
United States
W ASHINGTON — The law yer for
Mohamed A1 Fayed says he will file suit
against the U.S. government, the CIA,
the Department o f Defense and several
other government agencies. The goal,
according to A1 Fayed’s lawyer, is to
obtain documents and audio in hopes o f
resolving what happened the day o f the
crash. A1 Fayed said he hoped the
lawsuit would force the release o f new
information on the cause o f their deaths.
More Fatalities Linked to
Tires
WASHINGTON - More fatal accidents
have been linked to the brand o f
Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. tires that are
the subject o f a national recall, federal
investigators said. A National Highway
Transportation Safety Administration
spokesman declined to specify the exact
number, but previously it said it was
looking into 62 deaths as a result o f tire
problems.
The H ig h la n d U nited ( hurch o f C hrist C h o ir w a rm e d h ea rt & f h so m e fa v o rite g o sp e l tunes a t the- first ev e r P o rtla n d
O b server D iversity F e st C o m m u n ity Picnic.
n u r s e p r a c titio n e r ; G re g H o lb ro o k ,
m a n a g er o f tw o P o peye 's restaurants
o n M a r tin L u th e r K in g J u n i o r
B o ulevard; The Rev. J o h n n y P a c k o f
the M issionary' B a ptist C hurch; M aggie
G ib so n , a c o m m u n ity a c t i v i s t w ith
H a b ita t f o r H um anity; a n d J a c k C hung
o f the K orean G rocers A ssociation.
M u s ic
M ille n n iu m ,
M c D o n a ld s ,
W ashington M utual, G underson, Inc.,
a n d Starbucks C offee w ere also thanked
fo r
m a k in g
th is
event
so
su c c e s s fu l.A d d ittio n a l s p o n so rs m a d e
fr e e rides a va ila b le to kids.
(See addittional coverage inside/*
P hoto by M ichael L eichton /T he P ortland O bserver
Minimum wage is a high priority for President Clinton
A ssociated P ress
Declaring Democrats “committed to breaking
the legislative logjam,” President Clinton
huddled Tuesday with his party’s leaders to
plot strategy for a fall congressional session
destined to be dominated by the presidential
campaign’s final stretch.
The president sat with House Minority Leader
Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., and Senate Minority
LeaderTom Daschle, D-S.D., to discuss how
Democrats will deal with, among other things,
Republican efforts to push through election-
year tax cuts.
Clinton said the highest priority for Congress
should be passing a $ 1 increase in the hourly
minimum wage, rather than trying to corral
enough votes to override his veto o f a bill
repealing the estate tax.
“They’ve got a right to try to override any
veto that I m ake. T h a t’s the w ay the
Constitution works,” Clinton said. “But I wish
they’d try just as hard to muster up the two-
thirds to raise the minimum wage.”
House Republican leaders have promised to
pursue the veto override— and, i f the override
fails, to argue that the estate tax would itself
die ifGeorge W Bush is elected. White House
spokesman Joe Lockhart said the White
House is confident that the estate tax veto
and Clinton’s previous veto o f a tax cut for
couples will be sustained.
Clinton defended the vetoes, saying they
were necessary to stave off tax cuts that
would eat away at projected budget surpluses
without taking into account the costs o f
whatever spending programs the Republicans
plan to offer.
“We are committed to breaking the legislative
logjam,” Clinton said. “Unfortunately, the
strategy pursued by the Republican leaders
in Congress, I believe, would squander (the
surplus) on massive and reckless tax cuts for
the privileged few. This isn ’t fiscally
responsible. It isn’t fair.”
Daschle noted that, during the Republican
National Convention, GOP lawmakers called
for passage o f a patients’ bill o f rights and
prescription drug coverage for seniorcitizens.
“We intend to give our Republican colleagues
a chance to make their rhetoric match their
record,” Daschle said. “If they really believe
in these things, all they have to do is stop
blocking them. We will support them and the
president said today, again, he will sign them.”
Gephardt said Republican lawmakers have
said little about the large tax cut that they
touted last year, because they discovered
( Please see 'M inim um W age' page 6)
P resident C linton laughs alo n g w ith Rep. R ic h a rd G ephardt, D -M o., right,
a n d others as C linton s c h ie f o f s t a f f Jo h n P odesta, s e c o n d left, cracks a
jo k e Tuesday. Sept. 5, in the R o se G arden o f the W hite H o u se in
W ashington, about R epublican p re sid e n tia l ca n d id a te Texas G ov. G eorge W.
B ush s recent g a ffe at an open m icro p h o n e a b o u t a reporter. O thers with
C linton in background are Sen. Tom D aschle, D -S.D ., left, a n d Sen. H arry
Reid, D -N ev., center.
Little League Champs return home
Members o f the Hazel
Dell Little League team
from Vancouver are
guests o f honor at last
week s Portland Rockies
final game at Civic
Stadium. The little
leaguers won the Western
Region tournament, and
won their first two games
in the Little League
World Series, but failed
to advance because o f a
tiebreaker.
P hoto by M arr W ashinc . ton /T he P orti and O bse rver