Page A4
(Clic |Llo rt lattò (Dbseruer
October 22. 2003
O pinion
Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or
represent the views o f The Portland Observer
Ihe P o rtla n d O b s e rv e r
E It I T U K I H - C H I I t , P V K I I i H I
n
C R t
a
Charles H. Washington
T I v e 111 i r t T o K
Paul Neufeldt
USPS 959-680
illtO
Established 1970
I
Michael Leighton
O r r t c £ M a n a G t
Kathy Linder
R
4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.,
D
is t r ir v t io s
Portland, OR 97211
M
a n a g e r
R
Mark Washington
e
p
o
r
t
e
r
Javmee R. Cuti
P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer P0 Box 3137 . Portland. OR 97208
Periodical Postage paid In Portland, OR
i Subscriptions are $60.00 per year
0 8 2 8 8 0 0 3 3 • FAX5 0 8 2 8 8 0 0 1 5 • EMAIL: r
The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions Manuscripts and photographs
should be clearly labeled and w ill be returned i f accompanied by a self addressed envelope.
A ll created design display ads become the sole property o f the newspaper and cannot be used
in other publications or personal usage w ithout the w ritten consent o f the general manager,
unless the client has purchased the composition o f such ad. © 1996 TH E P O R T LA N D
OBSERVER A L I. R IG H T S R ES E R V E D , R E P K O D l'C T IO N IN W H O I.E O R IN P A R T
W IT H O U T P E R M IS S IO N IS P R O H IB IT E D .
The Portland Observer--Oregon's Oldest M ulticultu ra l Publication—is a member o f the
National Newspaper A ssociation-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Repre
sentative Amalgamated Publishers. Inc. New York, N Y. and The West Coast Black Publishers
Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver.
Vouchers Won’t Help School Children
Action by
Congress makes
my blood boil
Most o f the D.C. C ity C ouncil
and 85 percent o f the people o f
the D istrict don't want them. How
dare Dianne Feinstein, who lives
3,000 miles away and w ould not
dare to support vouchers fo r
I must admit that I'm not objec schools in Cal ifornia, decide what
tive about it.lt makes my blood boil. is best fo r the children o f D.C.?
I'm talking about the move to cram How dare Ihe Republican leader
school vouchers down the throats ship o f Congress make decisions
o f the people o f the District o f Co for the people o f the District o f
lumbia. Il sjust racist and undemo Columbia, which is mostly Demo
cratic. And it d idn't happen by crat? How dare the House leader
chance.
ship, in a particularly devious and
We have a plan
for college.
surprise move, schedule a vole on
D.C. vouchers (for a majority A fri-
ean American school system) on
the very evening that the Congres
sional Black Caucus was sponsor
ing a Presidential television debate
in Baltimore? How dare Washing
ton M a yo r A n th o n y W illia m s
prance himselfonto the Senate floor,
the first D.C. Mayor to be invited to
do so in 25 years, like a grinning
poster child o f the b ill’ s sponsors,
while he sold out thousands o f D.C.
public school children? It just makes
my blood boil.
But what really makes me angry
is how conservatives have cyni
cally identified the great respect for
education that many in the African
American community have, which
grew out o f being denied education
during slavery and an understand
ing that education was the door
way out o f the ghetto, and have
funded a "movement” for school
vouchers in black communities
across the nation.
by
B ernice
P owell
J ackson
Many o f the cities targeted by
the right do have very real prob
lems in public education, but vouch
ers won’ t solve these problems.
Vouchers won’ t solve the very real
needs o f children living in dire pov-
learning materials they use. Vouch
ers won’ t solve the problems o f the
school systems which face build
ings which are falling apart and
which are facing tax cuts as states
are forced to cut budgets because
o f falling revenues Vouchers won’t
solve the problemsof95 percent o f
the children who w ill be left behind
in public schools, which w ill have
even fewer dollars, when they can't
or won’t he accepted into private
schools.
Perhaps i f M a yo r W illia m s
w ould have visited Chicago to
see what is happening in the
schools there or even Cleveland,
- Bernice Powell Jackson
where despite the drain o f funds
from Cleveland public schools to
erty. V ouehers won’ t solve the prob the voucher program and even to
lem o f children living with parents charter schools, w e ’ re seeing
who are unable or unw illing to pro small, incremental steps o f im
vide fam ily support mechanisms provement, he m ight not have
most o f us take for granted. Vouch been so taken by the rig h t-w in g ’ s
ers w on't solve the problems o f attempt to privatize D.C. schools.
children who don't find their own Perhaps i f real democracy ever
cultures reflected in the books and comes to W ashington, D.C. the
Vouchers won't
solve the problems
o f 95 percent o f
the children who
will he left behind
in public schools.
people o f that city w ill have the
right to choose what they want
fo r themselves and their children.
The good news is that the plan
for school vouchers in D.C. was
withdrawn from the U.S. Senate
floor in the midst o f the Bush
administration's $87 bi I lion request
for Iraq. But Senate leaders vowed
to return, perhaps in the omnibus
federal spending b ill that w ill come
at the end o f the month.
Bernice Powell Jackson is the
Executive Minister for Justice anti
Witness Ministries fo r the United
Church o f Christ.
betters ta the f f e f iter; Concerned About PUD
Saving for college may not be easy, but it helps if you
have a plan That’s why families all over Oregon are
investing w ith the Oregon College Savings Plan
m era tor a on¡oy thaaa benefits -
State tax deduction up to $2000 per year
Tax-free growth and withdrawals'
Use your sayings at schools nationwide
Call today for your f r e e enrollment kit.
1-800-368-9484
w w w .oreg on colleg esaving s.com
O
OREGON
Oregon 52» College Saving* Network
u
it A m erican
F unds
STRONG E
■Sr'
sm vn
/ 1 »trenn Mate Wt deduction tot umrrtbutiofu >4 up to $2.000 per lax filing
lax free withdrawal* for qualified expenses
Hie plan is managed bv Strong Cap-”
-
‘
. Seciirnies dmribund
.. .
. . hs 'Stroi
apital * Management • Ins.,
a -------------J
registered ---------------
invatmem advisor
Investments Int an affiliated o
company ( main other « n in n o provided hy U.S Bancorp Asset Management Ins
Not FU R insured/No Bank I .uaramee/May I-nac Value Hie Oregon ( oliege Savings l’Un is administered hs
State In-asurrr Randall Edwards
Mans lederai tax attribute* will expire on 12/31 / I I I Unless nuidilied hy future legislation, the earnings portkxt of the qualified
disrrihuiion made after rlus date will he raxed at the henefkiarv s tax rale Investment values fluctuate QSO3H463 0903
Anti-Government Myth
I moved herefrom Nashville. Tenn. and have been trying to catch
up on this PGE vs. PUD debate. Frankly, I ’ m shocked to see the
deceptive “ Citizens Against the Government Takeover" commer
cials on T V warning that voting yes on measures 21-51 and 52 w ill
"add another layer o f government." This scare-tactic rings loudly
o f the bogus "government is wasteful and private companies are
efficient" line that we have been fed since the Reagan era.
Hello, people! I spent years working for a Fortune 50 company
and personally watched m illions o f dollars wasted on poorly man
aged projects that bled on and on fo r years because no one was
w illin g to take on the department head in charge with project. Why?
Because he was related to the CEO and to question him would have
been career-suicide! Private industry is no more organized and
efficient than government — human nature is human nature, just
think Enron!
Wake up, Portland! See through this anti-government myth and
take back the electric resource that is rig h tfu lly yours!
Sarah Walton
As a northeast Portland resident, I want to share with my neighbors why
I m concerned about Measures 26-51 and 26-52. These measures would form
a people’ s u tility district to take over PGE's and Pacific Power's reliable
service in Multnomah County.
What voters may not know is that this proposal would hurt programs that
we all count on-including affordable housing programs, low-income energy
assistance, energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
A takeover would damage social and environmental programs that are
important to low-income, elderly and disabled residents o f Multnomah
County. Pacific Power and PGE contribute close to $20 m illion a year for
"public purposes,” such as low-income energy assistance, weatherization,
energy efficiency and affordable housing. W ith a new PUD, this money
would be lost.
These programs are already struggling. This is the worst possible time to
cut them by m illions o f dollars per year.
Unlike PGEand Pacific Power, which generate most o f theirown electricity,
this new u tility would have to buy all o f its electricity from others. No one
knows how much it would cost, or how high rates would go.
Even the Oregon O ffice o f Energy has concluded that there is no way this
new government u tility can guarantee lower electric rates than what we art
already paying.
Margaret Carter, State Senator
Use your Card For a chance to...
Win One of Over 350 Prizes!
I
""» M a up
o
j
NECESSARY CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS APPLY WINNERS SELECTED FROM ELIGIBLE ENTRANTS AMONG ALL SAFEWAY COMPANIES STORES SEE CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR RULES AND DETAILS.
Pork Shoulder
Blade Roast
Red Crimson
Seedless Grapes
Bone-in.
Slow cook.
Crisp healthy snack.
SAVE up to $1.41 lb.
SAVE up to $1.01 lb.
Safeway Club Price
Safeway Club Price
Snack Sized
Packaged Candy
Red Delicious
Apples
9 to 22-oz. Selected varieties.
Limit 6. While Supplies Last.
Selections may vary by store.
Northwest grown.
Excellent low calorie snack.
SAVE up to $1.31
SAVE up to $1.58 on 2 lbs.
Safeway Club Price
Now the savings arein the Card!
2^1
Safeway Club Price
ALL LIMITS ARE PER
HOUSEHOLD PER DAY!