Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, September 07, 2011, Page 8, Image 8

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New Prices
Effective
May 1,2010
Martin
Cleaning
Service
Carpet & Upholstery
Cleaning
Residential &
Commercial Services
Minimum Service CHG.
$45.00
A sm all distance/travel charge
m ay be applied
CARPET CLEANING
2 Cleaning Areas or
more $30.00 Each Area
Pre-Spray Traffic Areas
(Includes: I small Hallway)
September 7, 2011
Legal Aid is More Important than Ever
Cuts at the expense of the poor
the last three years. W hy then, is com e individuals. Lawyers w ho grew
the governm ent taking aw ay from up poor should feel a sense o f obli­
by J udge G reg M athis
this
organization at a tim e w hen it gation to give back to the com m uni­
L e g a l a id s e r v i c e s
A s p a rt o f its e ffo rts
a ro u n d the c o u n try help should be expanding?
ties they grew up in.
to c u rta il g o v e rn m e n t
B
a
la
n
c
in
g
th
e
n
a
tio
n
’s
b
u
d
g
e
t
lo w -in c o m e in d iv id u a ls
S o m e la w firm s d o re q u ire a t­
sp e n d in g , C o n g re ss re ­
is
c
ritic
a
l,
b
u
t
it
c
a
n
n
o
t
an
d
sh
o
u
ld
w ith th eirciv il (non-crim i­
to rn e y s to c o n tr ib u te a c e r ta in
c e n tly c u t fu n d in g to
nal) legal needs. Legal aid n o t be d o n e at the e x p e n se o f the n u m b e r o f p r o - b o n o h o u rs e a c h
L e g a l S e rv ic e s C o rp ., a
o ffic e s a lso h a n d le c ases p o o r. I f the g o v e rn m e n t w a n ts to y e a r; w e n e e d m o re to fo llo w
n o n - p r o f it g ro u p th a t
t h a t i n v o l v e h o u s in g slash sp e n d in g , it sh o u ld ta k e a s u it a n d d o th e s a m e . I f th e g o v ­
funds m ore than 100 state
m a tte rs, u n fa ir e v ic tio n s, m a g n ify in g g la ss to th e in fla te d e rn m e n t d o e s n ’t see th e im p o r ­
p ro g ra m s th a t p ro v id e leg al aid to fo re c lo s u re s an d m o re. C u sto d y $1 trillio n d e fe n se b u d g et. U n til ta n c e o f le g a l a id s e r v ic e s - e s ­
th e p o o r. So far, the g o v e rn m e n t a n d c h ild -s u p p o rt c a se s are also th e U .S . c an fig u re o u t a s u s ta in ­ p e c ia lly at th is tim e in h is to r y -
has slashed nearly $ 16 m illion from so m e o f th e c o m m o n se rv ic e s le -. ab le w ay to lift its p e o p le o u t o f th e n o u r b u s in e s s c o m m u n ity
th e o rg a n iz a tio n ’s b u d g e t; n ex t g al aid h as g iv e n to in n u m e ra b le p o v e rty , th e c o u n try has a d u ty to m u s t s te p fo rw a rd a n d h e lp e a s e
y e ar, th ey w an t to c u t an a d d i­ fa m ilie s o v e r th e y e ars.
p ro v id e serv ice s to h e lp the p o o r. th e b u rd e n .
tio n al $104 m illion.
L
eg al aid is o n e o f m an y p ro g ram s
W ith so m any A m ericans unem ­
Judge Mathis is a national fig ­
I t ’s a d m ira b le th a t th e g o v e rn ­ p loyed or under-em ployed and u n ­ th a t sh o u ld be im m u n e to C o n ­ ure known for his advocacy cam­
m e n t is se a rc h in g fo r w ay s to b a l­ able to m eet their financial o b lig a­ g re s s ’ b u d g e t ra id in g w ays.
paigns for equal justice. His inspi­
a n ce o u r b a llo o n in g n a tio n a l b u d ­ tions, it stands to reason that the
O f course, the holes in the n a ­ rational life story o f a street youth
get. B u t, o n ce a g ain , o u r e le c te d need for legal aid is m ore im portant tional ju stice gap are som ething the who rose from jail to judge has
o ffic ia ls are lo o k in g in the w ro n g than ever. Indeed, the num ber o f private secto r m ust address as well. provided hope to millions who
p la c e s an d c u ttin g m u ch n e ed e d people eligible for such services M ore law yers need to provide pro watch him on the television court
s e rv ic e s .
has increased nearly 30-percent in bono - free - services to low -in- show Judge Mathis.
1 Cleaning Area (only)
$40.00
Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area
(Hallway Extra)
Missing the Mark on African-American Jobless
Stairs (12-16 stairs - With
The ‘white like
me’ tour
O ther Services)-. $25.00
Area/Oriental Rugs:
$25.00Minimum
Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool):
$40.00Minimum
Heavily Soiled Area:
Additional $10.00 each area
(Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying)
UPHOLSTERY
CLEANING
Sofa: $69.00
Loveseat: $49.00
Sectional: $109-$139
Chair or Recliner:
$25 - $49
Throw Pillows (With
th & >
Other Services): $5.00
%
ADDITIONAL
SERVICES
• Area & Oriental Rug
Cleaning
• Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning
Deodorizing & Pet
□dor Treatment
Spot & Stain
Removal Service
Scotchguard Protection
Minor Water Damage
Services
SEE CURRENT FLYER
FOR ADDITIONAL
PRICES & SERVICES
Call for Appointment
(503) 281-3949
W illiam R eed
B efo re he w ent
to M a rth a ’s V in e ­
y a rd fo r 10 d ay s
at a 1 ,2 0 0 -a c re ,
$ 5 0 ,0 0 0 a w eek
h o b b y ra n c h . P re sid e n t O b a m a ’s
th re e -d a y to u r o f th e A m e ric a n
h e a rtla n d last m o n th illu s tra te d
his re -e le c tio n p la n s a n d s tra t­
e g y . In the “ w h ite like m e to u r” ,
O b a m a so u g h t to g et th e a tte n ­
tio n o f p o p u la tio n se g m e n ts d is ­
illu sio n e d w ith h im an d in fu se
M id d le -A m e ric a n v o te rs w ith o p ­
tim ism , w hile co n v in cin g th em that
his a p p ro a c h o ffe rs the m o st ra ­
tio n a l p a th to e c o n o m ic sta b ility .
T he tour allo w ed O b am a a p ic­
ture-perfect platform to strategically
by
define the R epublicans as so unw ill
ing to co m p ro m ise they w ould risk
financial chaos. But, the visits al­
low ed O bam a to press the flesh
am ong A m e ric a ’s h eartlan d and
b rought co n tro v ersy and d iscu s­
sions about O b a m a ’s presidential
jo b perform ance and the policies he
su p p o rts.
T he bus to u r had the trappings o f
a candidate w ooing voters. T he trip,
w ith all the presidential accessories
in tow , took O bam a through rural
ham lets in M innesota, Iow a and
w estern Illinois and allow ed him to
shore up his posture in the polls and
his political position w ith w hite
v o ters.
O bam a w ent to H enry C ounty,
111., w hich has a B lack population o f
2.2 percent; to W inneshiek C ounty,
Iow a w hich is 0.6 percent A frican
A m erican. In D ecorah, Iowa, O bam a
declared h e ’d propose a m ajo r jo b s
THE LAW OFFICES OF
Patrick John Sweeney, PC
Patrick John Sweeney
Attorney at Law
1549 SE Ladd
Portland, Oregon
Portland:
Hillsoboro:
Facsimile:
Email:
(503)491-5156
(503)615-0425
(503) 244-2084
Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com
package to C ongress this m onth.
O b a m a ’s n o t d e liv e rin g fo r any
seg m e n t o f the A m e ric a n p o p u la ­
tio n e x ce p t the rich . B ut, a so arin g
jo b le ss rate am ong A frican A m e ri­
c a n s an d a n e w fo u n d c o m fo rt by
b la c k la w m a k e r s to c r i t i c i z e
O b a m a ’s e c o n o m ic p o lic ie s
sh o u ld p ro m p t W h ite H o u se o ff i­
c ia ls to fo cu s m o re d ire c tly on
b lack A m erica.
U rban blacks are experiencing 25
p e rc e n t u n e m p lo y m e n t and the
W hite H ouse needs m ore collabo­
ration and cooperation from leaders
in black A m erica. A t a jo b s forum in
D etroit, Rep. M axine W aters, D-
C alif., blasted the p resid en t’s bus
to u r and has asserted that O bam a
skipped hard-hit A frican A m ericans
and their com m unities. W aters said
“ W e w ant to give him every o p p o r­
tunity but ... the unem ploym ent is
u n c o n sc io n a b le.”
A fric a n A m e ric a n jo b le s s n e s s
is 16.2 p e rc e n t, and n e a rly 41 p e r ­
c e n t fo r b la c k teen s. In sp ite o f
th o s e n u m b e rs , a W a s h in g to n
P o s t/A B C N e w s p o ll s h o w s
O b a m a still e n jo y in g ro c k so lid
su p p o rt am o n g A frica n A m e ri­
c an s - an 86 p e rc e n t a p p ro v a l
ra tin g fo r th e w ay h e ’s h a n d le d
th e e co n o m y . A m o n g w h ite s and
in d e p e n d e n t v o te rs, O b a m a g ets
a 26 p e rc e n t ra tin g .
W aters is right saying, “It's tim e
for us to step up and note that o u r
devastation and the pain that w e're
experiencing, but w e w ant to be a
part o f helping to develop the solu­
tion. W hatever the plan to be un­
veiled in Septem ber, w e intend to be
a part o f it.”
W hen will the adm inistration pay
attention to black needs? W hat will
it take for A frican A m ericans to be
a part o f O b a m a ’s plans for the na­
tion? O bam a need not go further
than N ational U rban League P resi­
dent M arc M o rta l's 12-Point Plan
for Job C reation.
The L eag u e’s plan is based on
U rban Jobs A ct legislation spon­
sored by N ew Y ork Sen. K irsten
G illib ra n d a n d B ro o k ly n R ep.
Edolphus T ow ns. T he U rban Jobs
Act provides federal grant funding
to non-profit organizations to offer
jo b training, education and support
services for urban youth and young
adults.
Funding U rban Jobs A ct pro­
gram s m akes sense. It can help elim i­
n ate b la ck u n e m p lo y m e n t. T h e
O bam a adm inistration needs to fund
targeted program s that connect at-
risk youth to jo b s and gives 18 to 24-
y e aro ld s skills training, m entoring,
and G E D preparation.
W hen P resident O bam a speaks
to the nation about the labor situ a­
tion on T hu rsd ay , Sept. 8 in an
address to C o n g ress, h e ’s expected
to present new and relevant in itia­
tives to grow the eco n o m y and c re ­
ate jo b s. It w o u ld be g ratifying to
see O bam a present the U rban Jobs
A ct to the public am ong his reco m ­
m endations to put A m ericans back
to w ork.
com m unities are not being dealt with
and to m ake sure that this ad m in is­
tration understands that w e cannot
continue to go on this w ay and ...
w e cannot be quiet. W e have d e­
cided that not only are we going to
William Reed is president o f
rem ind the adm inistration about the Black Press International.