Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2017)
Page 2 The Skanner November 1, 2017 ® Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now Bernie Foster Founder/Publisher PCC is a Wise Investment That Benefits our Region Bobbie Dore Foster Executive Editor A Jerry Foster Advertising Manager Christen McCurdy News Editor Patricia Irvin Graphic Designer Melanie Sevcenko Reporter Monica J. Foster Seattle Office Coordinator Susan Fried Photographer 2017 MERIT AWARD WINNER The Skanner Newspaper, es- tablished in October 1975, is a weekly publication, published every Wednesday by IMM Publi- cations Inc. 415 N. Killingsworth St. P.O. Box 5455 Portland, OR 97228 Telephone (503) 285-5555 Fax: (503) 285-2900 info@theskanner.com The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Association and West Coast Black Pub lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of The Skanner. We are not re spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. ©2017 The Skanner. All rights re served. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission prohibited. Local News Pacific NW News World News Opinions Jobs, Bids Entertainment Community Calendar LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS d ay ! • L i ke u s o n F ac it Updated daily. to y • ebo o k • learn • co TheSkannerNews m me • nts s we, the Portland metro region, consider what we hope to be in the fu- ture, it includes a thriv- ing community where all can succeed; a vibrant economy with a highly skilled and ed- ucated workforce. Communi- ty colleges play a vital role in this vision and PCC, Oregon’s largest college, is a central part of this equation. Right now, PCC has a bond measure #26-196 on the bal- lot. This measure (www.pcc. edu/bond) seeks to improve workforce training pro- grams through modernized facilities; expand training for health professions and STEAM (Science, Technol- ogy, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) disciplines; and meet needs for safety, secu- rity, building longevity and disability access throughout the college. This is a renewal bond, so there is no addition- al cost to the taxpayer, but the return on investment is sig- nificant. For more than 75,000 stu- dents in the metro region, PCC is changing lives. By 2020, two- thirds of all jobs will require some level of postsecondary instruction or specialized training. The bond measure, if passed, would undergird lege but it is also a vital com- dollar invested in PCC yields a Kali Thorne ponent of Oregon’s economic $12.50 return. That’s the ROI engine. It serves as a critical we need. Ladd PCC Board of Directors Chair PCC’s ability to educate Ore- gon’s future workforce with up-to-date equipment and technology, helping students to land recession-resistant, family wage jobs with career advancement potential. Our students benefit and so does the community at large: An educated community and skilled workforce benefit all. PCC’s bond program also benefits the community through construction jobs, sustainable construction practices, partnerships with local business owners, and the ongoing betterment of neighborhoods. Specific to construction, our board of directors has a 20 percent goal for MWESB participa- tion, and we are happy to say that through the last bond program we’ve exceeded this goal. This kind of collabora- tion is what makes our com- munity stronger and our col- lege more successful. PCC is your community col- catalyst for the region’s edu- cational, government, busi- ness, industry, community and philanthropic partners. Its diverse alumni are those who make our community work: the small business own- ers, technicians, teachers, manufacturers, emergency “ If passed, PCC’s bond measure is estimated to maintain current tax rates for local homeowners service providers and nurs- es who keep our economy strong and thriving. PCC creates pathways for students to reach their ac- ademic goals and complete their certificates and degrees. In turn, our graduates can land work enabling them to contribute to, and partici- pate and share equitably in, a thriving local economy. Every With your help and sup- port, PCC can rebuild Ore- gon’s middle class through education, skills training and workforce development. So, come Nov. 7, we ask that you vote “yes” on the PCC bond. Our region’s long-term eco- nomic health and vitality de- pends on it. Thank you. If passed, PCC’s bond mea- sure is estimated to maintain current tax rates for local homeowners, with the total principal amount of bonds authorized not to exceed $185 million. This is estimated to maintain the tax rate of $0.40 per $1,000 of assessed proper- ty value, for 16 years. About the author: Kali Thorne Ladd is chair of the PCC Board of Directors and rep- resents Zone 2, which includes Multnomah and Columbia Counties. She has served on PCC’s Board since 2012. Thorne Ladd holds a master’s degree in Education Policy and Manage- ment from Harvard University. She is a co-founder of KairosP- DX, a non-profit organization focused on access to quality early learning opportunities for historically underserved children. Are You Subsidizing Rich NFL Owners? www.TheSkanner.com in y o u r c o m m u n Opinion T he tax-free municipal market faces a rough road under President Donald Trump. Presi- dent Trump’s threat to “end use of municipal bonds” for building and/or renovating National Football League (NFL) stadiums escalates the battle with protesting pro football players and prompts examination regarding Blacks’ governance. Trump’s theme is that “billions of tax- payer dollars” subsidized construction of profession- al sports stadiums. Trump’s move also exposes the gull- ibility of Black and urban gov- ernments over three decades of financing and underwrit- ing rich stadium owners. Private, professional sports stadiums are increasingly built with taxpayer dollars. It’s estimated that the total bill for stadiums is $10 to $12 billion. There are many forms of such deals, they in- clude a mix of state, local, and federal subsidies in the form of land, infrastructure im- provements, cash payments, tax-free municipal bonds, and more. Since 2000, feder- al taxpayers have footed $3.2 billion toward private sports stadiums through subsidies in the form of tax-exempt mu- nicipal bonds. The issue shows how dif- ferential urban governments were to sports team owners. The practice of building sta- diums for rich owners was William Reed Black Press Business accelerated during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s heydays of black-run governments. Governmental entities have long used tax-free munici- pal bonds to finance infra- “ Around the league, rich owners are feasting at ‘the public trough’ structure projects, including sports stadiums. Investors buy the bonds as a relatively risk-free vehicle to earn in- terest. The irony is that the NFL is a $14 billion-a-year busi- ness. After Trump’s threat affecting their money, NFL Commissioner Roger Good- ell released a letter saying the league’s position is that “Everyone should stand” for the anthem. Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones stood foursquare behind Goodell against the players. Jones and the Dallas Cowboys ushered in the era of the billion-dollar stadium with “Jerry’s World” in 2009. Taxpayers assumed the cost for over a quarter ($325 mil- lion) of its $1.2 billion dollar price tag. Around the league, rich owners are feasting at “the public trough.” At the U.S. Bank Stadium, where the Minnesota Vikings play, pub- lic dollars account for half the $1.06 billion bill. The Atlanta Falcons’ new Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened at a cost of $1.5 billion, with the public picking up an estimated $600 million of its tab. Twenty oth- er NFL stadiums have opened since 1997, at a cost of nearly $5 billion in taxpayer funds. In Virginia, Republican Gov- ernor Bob McDonnell used $4 million in taxpayers’ mon- ey to build the Washington Redskins a training center in Richmond. The Redskins’ owner, Dan Snyder, has a net worth estimated by Forbes at 3.2 billion The furor results from Pres- ident Donald Trump label- ing protesting NFL players “sons of bitches.” The next week, more than 150 NFL players, alongside coaches and owners, protested the comment. Now, Jerry Jones is doing Trump’s bidding. Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. has moved to the fore probably because of his interest in the Cowboys and Jerry’s World or AT&T Stadium, a retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas. AT&T stadium is also home of the Cotton Bowl Classic and is owned by the city of Arlington. “Jerry’s World can be used for activities such as concerts, basketball games, college and high school foot- ball contests, soccer match- es, and motocross and races. Forbes reports Jones’ net worth as $5 billion, the major- ity of which can be accounted for as his ownership stake in the Cowboys, currently val- ued to be the world’s most valuable sports team at $4 bil- lion. Many municipal govern- ments have been “taken” by rich sports team owners. In his 2016 budget, President Barack Obama proposed get- ting rid of tax-free bonds that help finance stadiums. Since 2000, more than 45 sports stadiums were either built or renovated. The av- erage cost to build or reno- vate a stadium was $412 mil- lion. Since the early 1960s, 91 sports stadiums have been built with public funding, and 22 were paid for with public funds. The NFL was a tax-exempt nonprofit operation until 2015. It was considered a non- profit because it distributed profits evenly to all 32 teams. Each team is required to pay taxes on their distribution. Protesting NFL players want people to understand that Trump is spinning things; and that their dissent isn’t about the flag or “an an- them cause.” nt • lo c a l n e w s • eve