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Page A 4
August 17. 2005
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
O pinion
Voting Rights Act
Brought Justice
SfME ° F"WE UNK>M, Two ^ r s
tué
m w c.
Full equality needs more work
by U.S. R ep . J ohn
L ewis , D-G a .
Aug. 6 was the 40"' Anniver
sary o f the Voting Rights Act. It
has been called one of the most
influential pieces of legislation
passed by Congress in the last 50
years and hailed as the crowning
success of theCivil RightsMove-
ment.
Before the Voting Rights Act,
there were only a few hundred black
elected officials in the whole United
States. Today, just 40 years later,
there are literally thousands of lo
cal, state, and federal officials all
and fired from
their jobs just for
talking about reg
iste rin g
to
vote. People were
beaten, arrested,
taken to jail, and
even killed trying
to register to vote.
1 almost died trying to make sure
that my parents, grandparents, you
and your children would have the
right to vote.
We have come a long way in
America, but we still have a great
We must remember that the
vote is the most powerful,
non-violent tool we have in a
democracy. We cannot take it
fo r granted.
across the country, including black distance to go before we achieve
mayors, judges, sheriffs, school equal justice in America. We have
board members, city council mem work to do and we have to get
busy. We must remember that the
bers and members of Congress.
The Voting Rights Act has vote is the most powerful, non
changed America. It has made this v io le n t tool we have in a
democracy. We cannot take it for
country a better place.
We must never forget the role granted.
We must get educated about the
that our community played in bring
ing greater justice to this country. issues and vote according to our
It is true that Congress passed conscience. And, then, we need to
the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And, get involved. Whatever it is you
yes. President Lyndon Johnson care about, you need to choose
signed it into law, but it was the your ground and make a difference.
brave and courageous souls of This nation needs you. It needs
M ississippi, Alabama, Georgia- your creativity and your ideas to
men, women, and children-all across meet its democratic destiny.
Congressman John Lewis is a
the South who wrote that act.
People stood in unmovable lines. member o f the Congressional
People were evicted from their farms Black Caucus.
W b U NEVER UtT - the terrorists Affaci
ASSURED-
Missed Opportunity on Fixing Schools
Lawmakers fail on several counts
S usan C astillo
In my role as the
State Superintendent
o f Public Instruction,
I’d like to discuss a few
missed opportunities
during the recent Leg
islative session.
First, of course, is school fund
ing. There was a great deal o f talk
about stable school funding
through the Speaker’s plan and
later on, with the Governor's plan.
by
A combination of politics, turf, and
the preservation of the status quo won
out over what was best for students,
schools and taxpayers in Oregon.
In the end, neither plan
w ent anyw here, and
our schools ended up
in sam e p o sitio n
th e y ’ve been in for
years - poorly funded
and still dependent on
the unstable income consolidation.
Finally, the G overnor’s excel
tax. I appreciated the efforts to ap
proach the problem from a different lent idea o f requiring group pur
angle, but both the Speaker and the chasing agreem ents for O regon’s
G overnor missed the opportunity 198 school districts never even
to address head-on the dual issues got drafted into a bill.
A third missed opportunity was
o f stability and adequacy.
The second missed opportunity the failure to take a constructive
was the chance to make progress in look at the Education Act for the
containing education costs. I joined 21st Century, especially the CIM
with the Governor in supporting a and CAM. Instead, a serious effort
statewide health insurance pool for was made to simply eliminate sec
school districts. The potential sav tions of the law, and the many Leg
ings under a statewide pool were islators joined me in opposing that
unknown, but even the idea to do a extreme approach.
In all these cases, a combination
study to identify possible savings
o f politics, turf, and the preserva
went down in defeat.
A bill to direct and fund the Sec tion of the status quo won out over
retary of State’s office to conduct what was best for students, schools
financial and performance audits of and taxpayers in Oregon.
Even though we m issed these
Oregon’s school districts, which
the G overnor and 1 also supported, opportunities during the session,
waskilledincommittee. Inaddition, I am going to continue to work for
a bill to streamline services to stu school funding, co st c o n ta in
dents and consolidate Oregon’s 20 ment, and school im provem ent in
Education Service Districts, with the year to com e. Betw een now
the result being significant cost and 2 0 0 7 ,1 will work closely with
savings, was amended to remove the G overnor, the State Board o f
E ducation, and the m any other
education leaders and partners
w ho care deeply about Oregon
stu d e n ts.
We can make progress by plan
ning to fund schools under the
framework of the Quality Educa
tion M odel, c o n ta in in g co sts
through improved audits of school
districts and ESDs, and using co
operative purchasing agreements,
ESDconsolidation, and a statewide
health insurance pool.
A comprehensive review and
revision of graduation requirements
and the CIM/CAM to make the
changes is also needed in order to
move us to the next level.
As Thomas Jefferson said, “I
like the dreams o f the future more
than the history o f the past.” The
time is now to look toward building
the schools Oregon needs for the
skills of the 21 st century. Together,
we can work toward that goal.
School Castillo is the Oregon
superintendent of public instruc
tion.
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