Page A 4
(Tljf ^Jnrtlanb (ßbsertter
Opinion articles do not necessarily
reflect or represent the views
o f The Portland Observer
O pinion
lhe P o rtla n d O b s e rv e r
U S PS 9 5 9 - 8 8 0
Established 1970
4 7 4 7 N E M a rtin L u th e r K ing, Jr. B lv d .,
P o rtla n d , OR 9 7 2 1 1
E d i t o r - i n - C h i e f , P u b l i s h e r
C harles H. W ashington
E D I T O R
M ichael Leighton
D IS T R IB U T IO N
M
i N R G E R
M ark W ashington
C m r in
D ir e c
P aul N eufeidt
O f f ic e
1 n r
M
c
t o r
The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manu
scripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned
it accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design
display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot
be used in other publications or personal usage without the written
consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the
composition o f such ad. © 1996 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR
IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.
The Portland Observer-Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication-
-is a member o f the National Newspaper Association-Founded in
1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated
Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers
Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver.
P ostmaster : SendaddresschangestoPoitlandObsenerPOBox
3 1 3 7 , Portland, OR9 7 2 0 8
Periodical Postage paid In Portland, OR
e r
Subscriptions are $ 6 0 .0 0 per year
K athy L in d er
R
e
p
o
r
t
e
5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 3 3
Jaym ee R. Cuti
FAX 5 0 3 - 2 8 8 - 0 0 1 5
ads@portlandobserver.com • classlfieds@porbandobserver.com
Advertise with diversity in
(The
•
news@portlandobsmer.com • subschpbon@portlandobserver.com
r
^Jodiani» (Observer
call 503.288.0033
or email: ads@portland observer.com
Practice puts
too many in
horrific
cycle of debt
bv J ulian B ond
C o n g ra tu la tio n s to
N ew Y ork State A tto r
ney G eneral Eliot Spitzer for taking
a stand on sub-prim e lending. Preda
tory lending is an evil, deceptive
T he P ortland O b s e rv e r’s d istrib u tio n o f n e a rly 4 0 ,0 0 0 p ap ers
encom passes a w ide cross-section o f residential and state readership,
as well as a large percentage o f the local business com m unity.
B eco m e a p a r t o f o u r c o m m u n ity .
R e a d th e P o r tla n d O b s e r v e r N ew s.
Make check payable to the Portland Observer News or pay by Visa or Master Cant
2 Years $100.00
Online subscriptions are also available at subscnptit)rwapirtLinikihstTv iTc<»Ti
Renewal $60.00
N am e__
__
A d d r e s s ___
C ity ___________
State
P hone
Fax
Reps. C harles B. Range, D-N. Y.
and B enjam in L. Cardin, D-Md., are
calling on the Bush A dm inistration
and C ongress to take action to tight
p overty in light o f new C ensus
B ureau data released Friday.
T he report show ed that the m e
dian income level for American fami-
lies dropped for the second year in
a row last year, declining by $500 to
$42,409.
C ensus figures also indicate that
the percentage o f A m ericans living
in poverty increased from 11.3 per
cent in 2000 to 12.1 percent in 2002.
T he total num ber o f poor A m eri
can s has grow n by 3 mil lion during
the period.
Rep. R angel, w ho is the leading
D em ocrat on the C om m ittee on
W ays and M eans said, “ Incom e is
dow n and poverty is up for A m eri
can families. The Bush A dm inistra
tion seem s m ore interested in spend
ing tens o f billions o f dollars to
w age w ar in Iraq than in doing any
thing to com bat poverty right here
in America. W e need a national strat
egy to boost em ploym ent and re
duce poverty and w e are not g et
ting it from this adm inistration.”
Rep. C ardin, said “T he C ensus
num bers confirm w hat m any o f us
have already seen in our com m uni
tie s - in c re a s in g h a rd s h ip fo r
A m erica’s families. M iddle incom e
fam ilies have to live on less, w hile
poorer A m ericans are falling even
deeper into poverty.”
“ U nder President C linton, pov
erty declined for seven years in a
row. N ow w e see poverty rising
again. The fam ilies affected by this
trend have yet to see the helping
practice aimed primari ly
at people o f color.
S ub-prim e lenders
prey on A frican-Am eri
cans, the elderly and
fem ale heads o f house
holds, charging astro
nom ically high rates o f
interest and im posing
excessive fees and pen
alties. T his p ractice traps m illions
o f individuals in a horrific cycle o f
debt-slavery.
T he N A A C P p a sse d re s o lu
tio n s a g a in st p re d a to ry len d in g
in 2000 and 2 0 0 2 , and has even
g o n e so fa r as to fo rb id its u n its
from a c c e p tin g d o n a tio n s from
p redatory lenders. I tis tim e f o r a ll
v ic tim s o f this p ra c tic e an d fo r
th o se w ho are tru ly co n c e rn e d
about eco n o m ic em p o w erm en t to
d em an d acc e ss to re a so n a b le an d
h u m an e le n d in g p ra c tic e s fo r all
A m ericans.
I hope that o th er states w ill fol
hand prom ised by so-called c o m
p a ss io n a te c o n se rv a tism . T h ey
need less talk and m ore action. An
easy first step w ould be to provide
tax re lie f to the 6.5 m illion low -in
com e fam ilies excluded from the
last tax bill,” C ardin said.
“ W e need to m ake fighting pov
erty in A m erica a priority before it
becom es even w orse. If w e can
afford to occupy nations a h a lf a
w orld aw ay and pay billions to re
build there, how can w e ignore the
suffering o fw orking fam ilies in our
ow n land? If w e can afford to keep
hundreds o f billions in tax cuts for
those w ho make more than $200,000
a year, then how can w e turn a blind
eye to those people w ho w ork hard
but still can not keep their fam ilies
from sliding deeper into poverty?”
R angel added.
Z ip C ode
Com pany Name
G ift subscriptions are also available for h a lf price w ith your renew al.
The Portland Observer • P.O.Box 3137 • Portland, OR 9 7 2 08
5 0 3 .2 8 8 .0 0 3 3 • Fax 5 0 3 .2 8 8 .0 0 1 5 * portlandobserver.com
Use your Card For a chance to...
low N ew Y o rk 's lead and pay m ore
attention to econom ic d iscrim in a
tion in the form o f unfair, irrespon
sible lending practices. T his is also
an opportune tim e for financial in
stitutions and responsible lenders
to w ake up and address the legiti
m ate credit needs o f low incom e
people.
Julian Bond, C hairm an o f the
B o a rd o f D irectors o fth e N ational
A ssociation f o r the A d vancem ent
o f C olored P eople
Please send y o u r ed to ria l m a te ria l
better t0 the (Scditer
Jlo rtla n h GDhscrucr
The Portland Observer is Oregon s Oldest and Largest Multi-Cultural Newspaper.
1 Year $60.00
Less Talk and More Action
Needed to Combat Poverty
Predatory Lenders Prey on People of Color
If It’s New or Informative,
You Probably Saw It In
October OI, 2003
to newsier p o rtlan d o b sen er.com
To Portland with Love Public Power
E d ito r ’s note: M eaux Craig, a fo r m e r P ortland resident,
su rvived the terrorist attacks o f the W ord Trade C enter
tow ers in N ew York. H is horrific a n d heart w renching story
was sh a red with readers o f The P ortland O bserver a t the
time. Now, on the tw o y e a r anniversary o f that d readful dav,
his m other, D ee C raig-A rnold o f northeast Portland, re
ceived the fo llo w in g open letter to the com m unity:
Y our love, concern and support have been greatly appre
ciated. D uring the darkest hours o f m y life, I’ve felt the
strength that w as m uch needed. Y our unlim ited em pathy has
transform ed m e into a pillar o f strength I’ve never thought
possible (w e ail have hidden stam ina that m ust be nurtured).
It is m y w ish that everyone in this w orld experiences the
pow er o f love. The m otto I learned at H ow ard U niversity is
that “ Luck is w hen preparation m eets opportunity.” I guess
w ith the likes o f The C ity o f R oses, I’ve been the luckiest!
A s then a person o f despair, uncertainty and excruciating
m ental and physical pain, now tw o years later I feel alm ost
w hole again.
O regon, lock up the love w ithin your hearts and d o n ’t lose
the key. A lthough m y heart belongs to B rooklyn, W ashing
ton, D .C .an d Portland equally, I think when it com es to love;
you all w on m y heart hands dow n.
P. S. - Please continue to open your hearts to those in need.
M eau x C raig
Proposal Troubling
T he N orth/N ortheast B usiness A ssocia
tion B oard o f D irectors has unanim ously
voted to oppose the proposal to form a
p e o p le ’s u tility d is tric t in M u ltn o m ah
C ounty.
A P U D w ill ad d an a d d itio n a l b u rd en
and u n c e rta in ty to o u r a lre a d y tro u b le d
eco n o m y . C o n d em n in g e x istin g p o w e r fa-
c ilitie s in M u ltn o m ah C o u n ty w o u ld be a
le n g th y and d isru p tiv e p ro c e s s, c o stin g
m o re th an $1 b illio n . F u rth e rm o re , i t ’s
u n k n o w n h o w c o s tly o r c o m p lic a te d
tra n sitio n in g from e sta b lish e d re lia b le
serv ers to a P U D w o u ld be. A nd th ere is no
certain ty in w here a PU D w ould receiv e its
p o w e r an d at w h at cost.
O verall, o u r b e lie f is that the form ation o f
the M ultnom ah C ounty PU D puts residents
and businesses at risk o f higher rates and
disruption in services.
E dw ina Wasson, N orth /N orth east B u si
n ess A ssociation p resid en t
Win One of Over 350 Prizes!
I
$ < 11 W A V
o
NO PURCHASE NEC E SSA R Y CERTAIN R E STR IC TIO N S APPLY W IN N E R S SE LEC TED FROM ELIGIBLE ENTRANTS AMONG ALL SAFEWAY COMPANIES STORES SEE CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR RULES AND DETAILS*
a
Attention
SENIORS
Safeway Senior
Shuttle Service!
Introducing « great new service for
out neighborhood senior citizens.
FREE grocery «hopfMng shuttle
s e r w r to your nearby Ainsworth
< M IK Blvd Safeway Food 4
D rug
TWICE a M onth'
O n or around the
4th and 15th of each month
This Service is FREE to
seniors age 6 0 and over
Ptwiiwon (.rnniS’AMhw MM >ntar>ri
M U W f f t K N A T ltD * HP S M * er ey w
Z O O * FOW O U A S A t C IA l
A A J T A A N iA O A T A T IO P t
T A O lL tY S t A V IC I
S C H t D U i t fiy s a at youa M I A h v o
Pork Shoulder
Blade Roast
Large Peaches
or Nectarines
O r Pork Shoulder
Country Style Ribs. Bone-in.
Any size package.
Washington grown.
Great for a fruit salad.
SAVE up to $2.89 lb. on 2
SAVE up to $1.11 lb.
BUY ONE GET ONE
FREE
OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE
iA t tW A Y FO A ( O M P t tT K O IT A It i
Safeway Club Price
Safeway Club Price
(C)SAFEWAY
I 7 / F O O O A D ftlfC
General Mills
Cereal
For More
Wo/roofm/i CnU
fO i S72 O t t i
9 to 12-oz. Selected varieties.
Card price: $1.66 ea
Visit Safeways
Web site at
SAVE up to $5.19 on 3
PRICES EFHCTIVt 0CTO8EA 2003
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
1
5
-SJ
Thu, [ Fn
2
Set
[ 3 I 4
i
« am « fct 0« 6» to Aw m»r Wn «
e m ro «XO «n ■» «■ <n un en » «e,
'
10-lb. Bag
Russet Potatoes
Tasty baked, mashed or fried.
SAVE up to $2.02
3.4
Safeway Club Price
Now the savings are in the Card!
ALL LIMITS ARE PER
HOUSEHOLD PER DAR