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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 2004)
Black History Food and V ’/ Health Advice fo r /Kw c Month African Americans Nate King Cole Inspired Generations 7X\ see page B3, inside See page A 10 for details b (©bsertœr City of Roses’ Committed to Cultural Diversity Volume XXXIII • Number 5 .Week ¡n TheReview $2.4 Trillion Budget Submitted President Bush sent Congress a $2.4 trillion election-year budget featuring big increases for defense and hom eland security and a pledge to cut this year's projected record deficit of $521 billion in half by 2009. Intelligence Failure Probe President Bush, reversing field, said he would order an indepen dent investigation into intelligence failures in Iraq. Trying to quiet mounting election-year criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike, Bush confirmed reports that he would establish such an in quiry. The focus will be not only on the Iraq problem, but also gaps in other areas, such as secretive regimes like Iran and North Korea and stateless groups such as ter rorists. Jackson, Timberlake Apologize for Flash CBS, MTV, the NFL, Janet Jack- son and Justin Tim berlake all say th e y ’re sorry - but none o f that is deterring the federal gov ernm ent from looking into the Super B ow l's too-revealing half time show. See story on page B8, inside. Super Bowl Brawl N ew E n g la n d P a trio ts fan s turned rowdy after their team ’s Super Bowl victory, overturn ing cars and lighting small fires as th o u s a n d s s w a rm e d th e streets. One person was killed in Boston when an alleged drunken driver drove his sport utility vehicle into a crowd. Second Mars Rover Photo NASA’s Opportunity rover sent back its first 360-degree color pan oramic image of the surface of Mars, extendi ng a robotic arm that will touch the planet's surface. Mayor for Gay Rights The m ayor called on voters to repeal a 1993 city charter am end ment that made C incinnati the only U.S. city to ban enactm ent or enforcem ent o f gay-rights laws. M ayorC harlie Luken used his annual State o f the City speech to argue that tim es and attitudes have changed and that Cincinnati should rescind the am endm ent to dem onstrate tol erance. (U o I u- C O T C* © ’T ' r-~ Os 2 X) 11 Cd □ '5 O if u c X CD O' i» on cr '5 ci 3 » w o Wednesday • February 04, 2004 L iv in g H istory African-American Senators revel in where they are, how far they’ve come J aymee R. Cun T he P ortland O bserver the O regon Legislative Assembly in 1984, she was the first and only black w om an there. She was also the first A frican-A m eri can wom an ever to head a major political party in the nation— as state chair o f the O regon Dem o cratic Party. C arter, one o f the m ost well- know n and loved politicians in the state, is deeply com m itted to her faith and her fam ily o f nine children and 26 grandchildren. As yet another way o f reaching her com m unity, C arter has sung the N ational A nthem at Portland Trail Blazers game., for R a c k History M onth. She plans to sing again on Thursday, Feb. 12. by Beyond their wildest dream s, three A frican-A m erican women are making the tough decisions, m anaging the budgets and ad vocating for human dignity in O regon as state senators. In a state w here less than tw o percent o f residents are A frican A m erican, these women have created a place for them selves that d id n 't previously exist in Senate cham bers. S ta te s e n a to r s M a rg a re t C a r te r , D -P o r tla n d , A v e l G ordly, D -Portland and Jackie W inters, R-Salem , know they have made history. / think we have a moral imperative to encourage, to nurture and financially support more young people to get involved in the political process in the state. -SenatorMargaret Carter, D-Portland They say they lean on each other and support other women in the Senate as well, am ong an institution that has hisorically ieen ruled by w hite men. A nd w hile they hold com mon records o f achievem ent as black women in politics. Carter, G ordly and W inters are distin guished by their issues, pas sions and the direction their ca reers have taken them. W hen C arter talks about the pork chops she cooked for din ner last night, it’s easy to forget this is the same woman who has broken color and gender barri ers in the state and the nation. W hen C arter was elected to C arter represents residents of north and northeast Portland. Am ong the m ajor issues affect ing h e r c o n stitu e n c y , C a rte r touches on hunger, affordable housing, com m unity policing and m ental health care, yet she can ’t help but return to education and leaving a legacy for children in every discussion. “I think we have a moral im perative to encourage, to nurture and finan cially support m ore young people to get involved in the political process in the state,” said Carter, who spent 27 years as a faculty m em ber at Portland Com m unity College. “It has to be a personal goal that we, as a photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Oregon state senators Jackie Winters, R-Salem (from left), Avel Gordly, D-Portland, and Marga ret Carter, D-Portland, hold common records o f achievement as African-American women in state government. nation o f people and A frican take care o f mentally ill, so we Am ericans, to raise our ow n and either jail them or let them walk support our ow n.” around on the streets, being hom e The com m on thread through less. T h a t’s unacceptable in a C arter’s issues is hum an dignity. civilized society,” she said. In a recent meeting with Gov. The governor responded by Ted Kulongow ski, she and W in creating a 19-m em ber m ental ters asked that a statew ide m en health task force, with C arter tal health system be established. and W inters joining caregivers, “I strongly believe the m en mental health and law enforce tally ill in O regon suffer from a m ent e x p e rts, re p re se n ta tiv es lack o f dignity based upon how from the O regon Health and Sci the cost o f m ental health is bud ences U n iv ersity and Sharon geted in the state. T here’s not Sm ith, wife o f U.S. Sen. Gordon enough m oney in the system to Sm ith, R-Oregon. G ordly says being a black woman in the senate makes her feel em powered. “ All the m em bers o f C on gress com e with life experi ences that are varied and rich. I bring an added value to my role, with a different lens in looking at public policy m ak ing,” she said. She adds, “O ne o f the m ajor reasons I’m here is so people continued on page A9 Community Silence Hinders Rash of Gunfire Chief asks for help after bloody weekend shooting c o 00 www.portlandobserver.com Established in 1970 Police Chief Derrick Foxworth was frus trated with the lack of community coopera tion after a rash of shootings left two men dead, a 14-yearold girl in critical condition and resulted in no arrests. Foxworth discussed the need for wit nesses to come forward with information about five shootings this past weekend at his C h ie fs Forum on Monday. “This has simply got to stop," Foxworth said. “You have a responsibility in keeping your community safe and in doing so, you have to share information. You have tocome forward.” Forum member Richard Brown said the com m unity’s silence stems from a lack of trust with police. Junior Street at 1 a.m. Sun "Police have a bad day. reputation in a lot of the Police said someone at communities and we need the party was playing with to overcom e that,” he a gun and they believe the said. firing was accidental. A The chief reassured juvenile was taken into citizens that Portland is a custody, but no one was safe city, but some citi immediately charged. zens are worried. Some Police said a shooting residents called for new at 12:40 a.m. Monday on enforcement o f curfew Northeast Sandy Boule laws for young people, vard stemmed from “a love better diversity educa triangle” fueled with alco Police Chief Derrick Foxworth tion in schools and more hol, that resulted in a non after-school activities. Others blame high life threatening wound to a 31-year-old unemployment on the spike in youth crimes. Asian man. The shooter was not identified The wounded 14-year-old girl was a or taken into custody. “straight A” Jefferson High School stu On Saturday night, W inston Morris dent, according to family and friends. Moton II, a 29-year-old African-American, Tyniece McConvey was shot at or near was found dead from a gunshot wound near a party at the 1800 block of Northeast Northwest Fifth Avenue and Couch Street. In a separate incident, four people were wounded by gunfire Saturday night after a fight involving an estimated 20 people at the Club Vegas parking lot on Northeast 75,h Avenue and Killingsworth. The conditions and names of those injured have not yet been released. The victims were reportedly four African-American men. Earlier Saturday, the body of Jamal Wells, 23, was found on the side walk at the intersec tion of Northeast 18,h Avenue and Mason Street. He had been shot several times. Foxworth said the shootings do not ap pear to be related. In urging witnesses to come forward with information, the chief vowed that police would do all they could to protect them. He said it was likely the suspects would commit other crimes if not caught. Those who know anything that could help the investigation were urged tocall 503* 823-0457or503-823-0451.
