Page 6
jpnrtlauh (Obstruer
lune 4, 2014
New Prices
Effective
May 1,2010
Martin
Cleaning
Service
Rekindling the Outrage on Big Bank Abuses
Demanding
justice for
financial wrongs
by F ran T eplitz
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: 1 small Hallway)
1 Cleaning Area (only)
$40.00
Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area
(Hallway Extra)
Stairs (12-16 stairs - With
Other Services): $25.00
Area/Oriental Rugs:
$25.00 Minimum
Area/Oriental Rugs (Wooly.
$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
Other Services). $5.00
%
ADDITIONAL
SERVICES
• Area & Oriental Rug
Cleaning
• Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning
• Deodorizing & Pet
Odor Treatment
Spot & Stain
Removal Service
Scotchguard Protection
Minor Water Damage
Services
SEE CURRENT FLYER
FOR ADDITIONAL
PRICES & SERVICES
Call for Appointment
(503) 281-3949
T h e ra n g e o f
abuses and crim es
c o m m itte d
by
b a n k s s e e m s to
grow w ithout end.
A s so o n as o n e
predatory practice fades from the
headlines, another appears m om ents
later.
R em em b er bank payday loans, a
k in d o f sh o rt-term lending w ith
annual interest rates o f up to 365
p e rc en t? O r how banks have steered
c u s to m e r s
in to
h ig h e r - c o s t
subprim e loans w hen they actually
qualified for a reg u lar loan? O r how
banks have changed the order o f
c u sto m ers’ debit card transactions
in ord er to drain their accounts and
m ake it seem like overdraft fees have
been legitim ately applied?
H ow about m ortgage fraud— fal­
sifying m ortgage applications, typi­
cally to obtain a larger loan than the
borrow er could handle? That prac-
tice contributed m ightily to the hous­
ing crash that began seven years
ago.
E ven if banking m isconduct no
lo n g er shocks you, a recent report
on how the institutions charged with
in v e s tig a tin g a n d p ro s e c u tin g
these crim es are essentially p ro ­
tecting the banks ought to rekindle
the outrage.
T he Ju stice D e p artm en t’s In­
spector G e n era l’s O ffice issued_a
report in M arch docum enting the
failure o f governm ent authorities to
m ake prosecuting those responsible
for the m assive m ortgage fraud a
m ajor priority.
G iv en that the ho u sin g crisis
helped tank the U.S. econom y and
sent shockw aves around the world,
the A m erican people need to expect
m ore from the Justice D epartm ent in
general and the FBI in particular.
M illions o f us continue to suffer the
ensure that m ortgage fraud w as p ri­ 2007.
oritized at a level com m ensurate with
S enator E lizabeth W arren (D-
its public statem ents. F o r exam ple, M a s s .), jo in e d by R ep . E lija h
the FBI C rim inal Investigative D ivi­ C um m ings (D -M d.) and M axine
sion ranked m ortgage fraud as the W aters (D -C a lif.) are see k in g a
low est ranked crim inal threat in its m eeting with the Justice D epartm ent
low est crim e categ o ry .”
to discuss the steps it w ill take to
T he b e lie f that large banks are p ro se cu te th o se re sp o n sib le for
too big and too com plex to sue helps m ortgage fraud and the need to
explain w hy senior banking ex ecu ­ ensure those steps reflect the seri­
tives from a range o f financial in sti­ ousness o f the losses faced by their
tu tio n s a re n ’t b ein g p ro secu ted . c o n stitu e n ts.
C learly, this is an om inous sign for
T oday, banks are m uch m ore
both o u r financial system and o ur likely to pay fines than face p ro s­
ju stic e system .
ecution for w rongdoing. T his a r­
T here are tw o ju stic e system s in rangem ent undercuts accountabil­
o u r n a tio n — o n e fo r a v e ra g e ity and any incentive to change
people, w ho can go to prison, and a policy and behavior. The initial sting
separate one fo r bank executives. o f a penalty p a y m en t, even w hen
W ith extrem ely rare exceptions, they hefty, ev entually subsides. G iven
n ev er go to prison.
their vast profits, m ost fines are
In fact, ju st one banking executive m anageable fo r U.S. m egabanks.
is serving time — Kareem Serageldin.
O ur ju stic e system m ust stop
A s T h e N e w Y o rk T im e s a n d tolerating banking crim es out o f fear
consequences o f greed-driven and P ro P u b lic a re p o rte d , p ro se c u to rs o f w hat prosecuting banks and bank­
illegal banking practices that contrib­ convicted Serageldin o f hiding losses
ers co u ld do to o u r econom y. T he
uted to the w orst econom ic crisis related to m ortgage-backed securi­
n a tio n ’s true, long-term interests
since the G reat D epression w hile the ties. The incarceration o f the Egypt-
will be served best w hen w hite-col­
bankers w ho started it all are getting born banker, form erly w ith Credit
lar crim e stops paying.
off scot-free.
Suisse, doesn’t constitute justice for
Fran Teplitz is director o f social
A ccording to the report, the Ju s­ the 4.9 million A m ericans w ho have
investing and policy fo r Green
tice D epartm ent “did not uniform ly lost their hom es to foreclosure since
America.
Getting at the Root of the Problems at MLC
We applaud the
superintendant
for her response
m atters. It m atters in this city, our
state, and in this country. H ow ever,
it is the w hy and how , the outcom es
o f the fact that it does m atter, that
this conversation m ust address. Fear
o f exam ination does not m ake the
issue disappear.
T h ere is a reason w hy O regon
law requires culturally com petent
healthcare. T here is a reason w hy
T he recen t u p ro ar concerning
Portland Public Schools S uperin­
tendent C arole Sm ith, and issues at
the K -12 school M etropolitan Learn­
ing C enter, have once again brought state statute allow s a legislator to
race into the forefront o f public d is­ request a racial equity im pact state­
co u rse.
m ent fo r certain legislation. T here is
A s S ocrates fam ously said, “the a reason w hy the city o f Portland
unexam ined life is not w orth living.” requires an equity im pact assess­
If w e are to acknow ledge issues m ent d u rin g its b udget process.
surro u n d in g race, then w e m ust not T here is a reason w hy M ultnom ah
be afraid to exam ine them .
C ounty has an Equity L ens Tool.
T o state the issue clearly: race
E quity is about focusing on out-
t
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com es, not intentions. E quity is a
critical thinking exercise. E quity is
about being w illing to have difficult
co n v ersatio n s because race m a t­
ters.
R ace m atters, therefore culture
m atters, and race and culture im pact
outcom es. In this co u n try , the d o m i­
nant culture and voice is m ale, white,
heterosexual, and able-bodied. This
is no t an indictm ent, it is not a criti­
cism . It is not calling ev eryone a
racist, sexist, hom ophobe, o r as­
sum ing ev ery o n e ’s indifference as
to the capabilities o f people w ith
d isab ilities. It is an o b serv atio n
based on exam ination.
A cross the country and in P o rt­
land, children o f co lo r are d isci­
plined, suspended and ex p elled at
significantly h ig h er rates than their
w hite counterparts for sim ilar b e ­
haviors. R ace m atters. C ulture m at­
ters.
T h e d is c u s s io n s u rro u n d in g
M L C is about race and culture. The
history and culture o f M L C w ere
m entioned in previous O regonian
articles as im portant aspects to the
school, and M L C w as described as
being founded on a philosophy and
practice o f “o p en -m in d ed n ess.” It
“ invited w hite and black students
said that it is an issue, but not really
a big issue. T his statem ent im plies a
luxury o f not being a parent w orried
about w hether th eir child should
w ear an afro to school, o f being a
parent not w orried about w hether
their c h ild ’s E nglish is good enough
to participate, o r not being assum ed
to be a relative o f y o u r c h ild ’s p rin ­
cipal o f co lo r ju s t because you are
the sam e race.
R ace m atters, and clearly is an
issue at M LC . Superintendent Sm ith
has show n the cou rag e to say that
it does m atter, that it im pacts our
children, and it should be exam ined.
W e w holeheartedly concur.
Sharon Gary-Smith, executive
director o f the McKenzie River
Gathering Foundation;
Avel Gordly, retired state sena­
tor;
Gloria Gostnell, retired Port­
land Public Schools principal;
M ichael “C happie” Grice,
board member, National Council
on Educating Black Children, and
retired public educator;
Dante James, director, Office of
Equity and Human Rights, city of
Portland;
Judith Mowry, senior policy
advisor, Office of Equity and Hu­
to e n ro ll.” If that history is no longer man Rights, city of Portland;
the case, should it not be exam ined?
and Kathleen Saadat, retired
B lack and w hite parents said that city of Portland director and jus­
race is an issue at the school. Som e tice advocate.