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ÏJ o rtla n b (D hscruvr ( \R1 f RS&l J)U ( "ATION Special Edition
O pinion
May IO. 2006
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
Offer Real Change
Bush spokesman
doesn't get it
by
A maya S mith
President Bush's hiring o f conservative new
commentarorTony Snow us his press secretary
proves that Republicans remain out of touch
with African-Americans and minorities as a
whole.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Bush’s
approval ratings fell to historic lows in the
African-American community, which remains
outraged with the inadequate, failed and mis­
leading response to the disastor.
In October 2003, Snow went on FOX TV and
said that racism isn’t a big deal anymore. He was
defending Rush Limbaugh's controversial com­
ments that Donovan McNabb was overrated
and that reporters are disposed towards black
quarterbacks.
"The comment wasn't racist,” Snow said.
"but that did not stop political opportunists
from accusing Rush of bias.” Snow added,
"Here’s the unmentionable secret. Racism isn’t
that big a deal anymore. No sensible person
supports it. Nobody of importance preaches it.
It's rapidly and thankfully becoming an ugly
memory.’’
How can Republicans claim to be mending
fences with the African American comjunity
and hiring Tony Snow who just doesn't get it?
Snow will continue to offer the same PR
campaigns and misleading answers w e’ve
come to expect from the Bush A dm inistra­
tion. Americans all over the country are ready
for change but President Bush keeps offer­
ing more of the same failed and incompetent
leadership.
I ('Republicans were truly serious about reach­
ing out to African-Americans they would back
up their hollow rhetoric with a real change in
policies and leadership.
Amaya Smith is a press officer with the
Democratic National Committee.
Trung D . Tu
for Circuit Court Judge
Don’t Sign Spending Cap Petition
•
Protect seniors,
disabled
and children
by K appy E aton
Trung D. Tu thanks the Oregon
Black Political Convention for its
endorsement o f him in his hid for
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge.
Vote for Trung
May 16 th
www.TrungTuForJudge.com
f , Jp f i
cn
/S I r n r s i i l l x
t n » l f I r i i m s n I ¿I I t I
L t 11 i rzs Lt ■ I ’ zt II
inflation. I n In t n 11*
this t i i v time
of rapidly r \ o by
the O regon Legislative
Fiscal
changing economics, the inability O ffice, O regon’s General Fund
of the Legislature to act quickly in would have been reduced by 25.6
fiscal matters could be disastrous percent if aTA B O R -like measure
to O regon's future.
had been in effect from 1990 to
Data from Colorado's 13 years of 2005.
The League of Women Voters
TABOR shows a decrease of 25
percent in funding for education has long supported adequate, fair
and social services. Voters sus- and equ ¡table funding for Oregon’s
iitiitili/tn
Oregon voters are urged not to
sign Initiative Petition #6, the pro­
posal to put a cap on state spend­
ing, because it could lead to severe
consequences for seniors, the dis­
abled and children.
If enacted, the measure would tie
state spending to inflation rates
and population growth. Known as
"The Taxpayer Bill of Rights" or
TABOR, this initiative would put
into the Constitution a rigid and
arbitrary spending cap on funding pended the law for five years in institutions of public education,
for public services such as educa­ 2005 after tuition for in-state higher human services, and public safety.
Initiative #6 would have far-
tion, health care, transportation and education rose 21 percent, and
Colorado dropped from 37th to 44th re a c h in g . u n in te n d e d c o n se ­
law enforcement.
The costs of some state services, in the nation in K-12 education quences for Oregonians and We
such as provided in the Oregon spending as a percentage of per­ urge citizens not to sign the peti­
Health Plan, are rising faster than sonal income. California voters tion.
turned down a similar proposal in
Kappy Eaton is governance
coordinator fo r the League o f
November 2005.
A ccording to an analysis done Women Voters o f Oregon.
This initiative would put into the
Constitution a rigid and arbitrary
spending cap on funding fo r public
services such as education, health care,
transportation and law enforcement.
New Prisons: But For Whom?
Halliburton job raises suspicions
by
J im H ightower
Look out- here comes Halliburton
again! With its own personal sugar
d ad d y o c c u p y in g the vice
president’s chair, this giant gov­
ernment contractor keeps getting
multibillion-dollar, no-bid contracts
from the Bush-Cheney regime, de­
spite having been found guilty of
shoddy work, massive cost-over-
runs and fraudulent billings.
Its latest w indfall, however,
should not merely be worrisom e
to tax payers, but also to anyone
concerned about Mr. B ush's anti­
dem ocratic penchant to extend
ever-m ore police and m ilitary
p o w e r o v e r W e the P eo p le.
Halliburton has been granted a
$385 m illion contract for a most
unusual project: building a net­
work of detention centers across
our country. Up to 5,000 people
could be “detained" and held in
each o f these centers, which are
to be run by hom eland security
authorities and possibly located
on unused m ilitary bases. “ D e­
tain" o f course, is a euphem ism
for “incarcerate" - or “ lock up."
And “center" is a gentle term for
“ prison.”
So, why does America suddenly
AM
620
need to spend a third-of-a-billion
dollars to establish a new mass
prison complex in our country ?The
feds and Halliburton cryptically say
that the detention centers could be
needed for “some kind of mass mi­
gration" or for “the rapid develop­
ment o f new programs.” When
asked what is meant by the omi­
nous term, “new program s,” a
Halliburton spokeswoman said she
could provide no additional infor­
mation.
Another curious aspect is that
the administration refers to this as
a “contingency contract.” saying
that the detention centers might
never be built, but that Halliburton
will have the cash and authority to
move quickly if and when given the
go-ahead.
The corporation's executive vice
president says that Halliburton is
“gratified," because the deal “builds
on our extrem ely strong track
record in the arena of emergency
management support.”
But who is to be managed, and in
support of what policy?
Jim Hightower is the best-sell­
ing author o f "Thieves In High
Places: They ’ve Stolen Our Coun­
try Anil It’s Time To Take It Back. ”
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