First Generation Students Excel
OHSU Center for Diversity and
Multicultural Affairs helps bring
success to medical careers.
years
of
^community service
‘City of Roses’
See story, Metro section inside
^ìortlùtuò (Olrscriiut
Established in 1970
Volume XXXVI, Number 3
www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Wednesday • lanuary 18, 2006
M M
Week,,, in
ThcReview Portland Casino: a
Win
Assisted Suicide Upheld
The U.S. Suprem e C ourt upheld
O regon’s one-of-a-kind physician-
assisted suicide law Tuesday, re
jecting a Bush adm inistration at
tem pt to punish doctors w ho help
terminally ill patients die. See story,
page A3.
Mayor Nagin Apologizes
M ay o r Ray
N agin apolo
gized T u es
day fo r a
M a rtin
L uther King
D ay speech
in w hich he
p re d ic te d
that New O r
leans would
be a “choco
late” city once m ore. The m ayor he
really m eant to convey that blacks
were a vital part o f N ew O rleans’
history and culture and should be
encouraged to return. See sto ry ,
page B5.
New Orleans Students Back
rt.
Students returned to New O rleans
colleges T uesday for the first day
o f school since H urricane Katrina.
T he start o f classes at T ulane,
X avier and Southern U niversities
marked a welcom e return to routine.
See sto ry , p ag e A2.
Troubled Drug Benefit Plan
Since the Bush adm inistration’s
prescription m edicine program b e
gan on Jan. 1, tens o f thousands o f
elderly people have been unable to
get m edicines prom ised by the gov
ernm ent. Som e 20 states, including
Oregon have had to ju m p in to help
them. See sto ry , p age A2.
Beaten Girl May Die
M a s s a c h u s s e ts 's h ig h e st c o u rt
ruled T uesday that the state can
w ithdraw life support from an 11-
year-old girl w ho was badly beaten
by her stepfather. The man asked
the Suprem e Judicial C ourt last
month to block the state from tak
ing her o ff life support. He is al
ready charged in her beating and if
she dies, co u ld face a m urder
charge.
Groups Sue to Stop Spying
Federal law suits w ere filed T u es
day se e k in g to h alt P re sid e n t
B ush’s d om estic eavesdropping
program , calling it an “illegal and
unconstitutional program " o f elec
tronic eavesdropping on A m erican
citizens. The law suits w ere filed by
theC enterforC onstitutional Rights
and the A m erican Civil Liberties
Union.
Hostage Standoff Ends
A couple surrendered peacefully in
Statesboro, G a., T uesday after hold-
ing an attorney hostage for more
than 24 hours and telling authori
ties they were arm ed with an explo
sive device.
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photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
The defunct greyhound racing track in Wood Village could become a casino if a plan to open off-reservation casinos is approved through the ballot box.
Could help state
budget, add to
gambling woes
by S arah B lount
T he P ortland O bserver
O regon has spent the past 20 years
using lo ttery fu n d s to b alan c e cash-
strapped budgets for schools, stim ulate
econom ic developm ent and pay for state
parks. All the w hile the sta te 's nine feder
ally recognized tribes have enjoyed exclu
sive rights to operate casinos on tribal
land.
N ow tw o Lake O sw ego men are hoping
to extend the slot m achine’s arm by pro
posing a private gam bling facility on
P ortland’s edge.
C hief petitioners Bruce Studer and M at
thew Rossm an are proposing the state’s
first private casinoat the form er M ultnomah
Kennel C lub greyhound racing track in
W ood V illage. T he proposal com es soon
after the W arm Springs T rib e's application
for an off-reservation casino located in the
Colum bia Gorge. There is significant oppo
sition to a casino in the gorge, w hich is a
N ational Scenic Area.
D epending on whom you talk to, a new
casino on P ortland's outskirts w ould cre
ate more money for schools and roads, as
well as thousands o f new family w age jobs.
O thers say the casino would drag Oregon
governm ent into a deeper dependence on
betting revenue, creating more gam bling
addicts and the social problem s that ensue.
The O regon Lottery is proud o f “doing
good things" with their gam ing revenue
since it's creation in 1984, when O rego
We are asking Oregonians to take a
thoughtful look at our proposal and its
positive impact on the Oregon economy
and OUr SChOOls.
-B ru ce Studer
nians voted for the state lottery during a
severe recession. In 1995, a C onstitutional
am endm ent allow ed lottery profits to fund
public schools.
Studer and Rossm an have created the
G ood For Oregon C om m ittee to prom ote a
new m easure to am end the C onstitutional
to rem ove a casino gam ing prohibition on
non-reservation lands.
They ’ re aski ng for no tax breaks to bui Id
and operate the center and are dedicated to
giving back 25 percent o f adjusted gross
revenue to the state, w hich they anticipate
will break$ l(X) million.
"W e are asking O regonians to take a
thoughtful look at our proposal and its
positive impact on the O regon econom y
and our schools," Studer said.
If all goes as planned, the casino would
continued
on page A
Council Hopeful Brings Progressive Agenda
Tate injects
grassroots
activism into
campaign
by S arah B lount
T he P ortland O bserv er
L ucinda T ate feels the Portland
C ity C ouncil needs a different per
spective. S he’d like to see more o f
her neighbors involved in govern
ment and m ore business and hous
ing assistance for people o f color.
Tate is bringing passion to her
cam paign for City Council. S h e’s
gathering signatures to qualify in
P ortland’s first voter-ow ned elec
tion. Then public cam paign finance
ordinance levels the playing field,
g iv in g ca n d id a tes w ho acq u ire
1,030 signatures with $5 contribu
tio n s c ity - f in a n c e d c a m p a ig n
funds.
Tate, w ho is o f African and N a
tive A m erican descent, would be
the first w om an o f color to hold a
council seat if elected city com m is
sioner this Novem ber. She would
replace Dan Saltzm an w ho is seek
ing reelection.
This is T ate’s first run for public
office, but she’s been involved in
grassroots politics for nearly 20years.
She is currently chair o f the Portland
Rainbow Coalition and an active
m em ber o f the Jobs with Justice
F aith /l^ b o r Com mittee and Metro-
r a o r o by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Community Food Basket volunteers gather collections at St. Andrew Church in northeast Portland,
including City Council Candidate Lucinda Tate (center). Bernice Disney (left) and Dolores Montgom
ery. If elected during the upcoming primary and general elections, Tate would be the council’s first
woman o f color.
politan Alliance forC om m on Good.
Tate met with her supporters on
a recent night at the A lberta Arts
Pavilion. The street w here new
shops are springing up like m ush
room s overshadow s the dw indling
older storefronts. It was an appro-
priate place for her to sound off on
issues she prom ises to address in
office.
On gentrification she said, “ We
need to identify and find out the
needs o f people o f color.
“ Instead o f helping people relo
cate, we need to help them st
Colum bia Villa isaprim eexam pl
On employ m ent: “Smal 1 busi n
is the foundation o f every comn
nity, as well as the city. We n<
program s to help sm all busines
hire one more em ployee to h
stabilize them .”
Tate noted a particular need for
small businesses o f color.
“O ne perception is that they
are n 't being supported as much as
out-of-state businesses, like bou
tiques,” she said.
On housing: “My intent is to
look at how the council can be a
proactive force in housing assis
tance, as well as provide living-
w age jo b s.”
On neighborhood investm ent:
T a te c h a r g e s th a t e c o n o m ic
redlining is alive and well in Port
land.
“Look at it through the eyes o f
the Portland Development Com m is
sion,” she said. “Look at how m uch
is being invested in new, versus
established business.”
Tate is excited to shake up City
Hall, but her inspiration com es from
current and form er council m em
b e rs , m o st n o ta b ly G re tc h e n
Kafoury, past city com m issioner
and champion for low-income hous
ing, and M ayor Tom Potter.
She pledges to support P o tter's
initiatives on com m unity policing
and w orkplace diversity. Tate also
gives credit to Neil G oldschm idt's
early tenure, com m enting on his
impact to prom ote em ployable, liv
able and sustainable lifestyles.
“ He bro u g h t in people w ho
w eren 't afraid to risk,” she said.
" I’d like to bring that back.
Tate has until May to gather
1,000signatures and contributions.
Upon qualifying, she’ll begin ca n
vassing fo relectio n s in N ovem ber
I