Page 8 î *!' ^lortlauò (Obstruer Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views o f the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. 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.