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