CLINTON ST. QUARTERLY THE CLINTON ST. QUARTERLY vol. 2, no. 3 firm, but just fall 1980 A Sellers Tribute, Steve Blackburn . . . . 2 Ed ito ria l................................................ 3 Traveling Light, Ed Blatter................... 5 Pulling the Switch on the Private Utilities Rick Mitchell..................................... 8 Nuke Waste, Rory Tyler..................... 14 Grapes, Peter T ro tte r......................... 18 The Capitalist Conspiracy David Horowitz........................... 21 Naughty Boys Acting Up Jim Blashfie ld................................... 24 Praise the Lord and Pass the Politicians Steve Myers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 The Demos, M.G. H orow itz .............. 30 Candidate Commoner David Milholland............................. 31 The Book Review, Steve IVallin.......... 34 Cowboys and Indians, Walt Curtis . . . 35 Ashes in the Beerdrops Musicmaster..................................... 39 Musical Newts Pt. II, Talk About Heavenly Bodies Michael Adelsheim ......................... 42 Feetsball Lenny (Who Else) D e e ........ 44 The Education of Mrs. R Katherine D u n n............................... 45 The Clinton St. Quarterly is published free to the public by Clinton St. Center for the Arts, Inc., 2522 S.E. Clinton St., Portland, OR. © Clinton St. Quarterly 1980 BEST Editors Emeritus: Eric Edwards Joe Uris Bev Walton TALES OF THE TRICKEY Co-Editors: Lenny Dee Peggy Lindquist David Milholland Joel Weinstein Design and Production: Eric Edwards Peggy Lindquist Joel Weinstein Proof Readers: Walt Curtis Steve Cackley Ad Sales Lenny Dee Kathy Livingston David Milholland Randy Shutt Contributing Artists: Steve Blackburn Jim Blashfield Alan Brewster Tom Kramer Jerry Kruger Tad Leflar Henk Pander Frank Poliat Phil Post Bob Rini David Sondin Isaac Shamsud-Din Robyn Tarbet Gus Van Sant It began back before Tammany Hall and grew to be ponderous like the girth of Richard Daley. It has achieved the consistency of jellied napalm and smells, some say, like a field of rotting broccoli. Every time you think it’s reached its nadir, another election year rolls around to convince you it can sink a lot lower. It’s that grand old flim-flam, American politics. Who are the flimmers? How are they flamming you, and why? From everyday intimidations of hapless individuals by faceless bureaucrats to corporate blows against the public interest, the powerful are out to put your ass in a sling. Sure, you expect them to lie blatantly, cheat remorselessly and pull every dirty trick in their treacherous hearts. But did you know they are robbing you blind? (Look inside and learn what is really behind the utilities’ desperate fight against Public Utility Districts.) Or that they are threatening your life? (Don’t believe it? Read how government inertia abets the nuclear industry in its failure to deal with the deadly problem of radioactive wastes.) Or that their ambitions are global? (Our political affairs expert David Horowitz reveals the extremity of Wall Street’s desires in a scenario right out of the ravings of the lunatic fringe.) Or that they have joined forces with America’s other great huckster class, the evangelists, to fleece the public? (Although the trend has been trumpeted ad nauseam by the national media for months, Steve Myers takes a first-hand look at the phenomenon as it festers right here in River City.) Or that they may be in big trouble? (Intrepid David Milholland talks to Presidential candidate Barry Commoner, and the corporations had better take heed.) In the spirit of American shuck and jive, The Clinton St. Quarterly dedicates this issue to several political worthies. First, plaudits go to Mayor-elect Frank Ivancie for his enthusiastic support of $9.5 million worth of improvements to Civic Stadium. For this modest sum, a perfectly functional scoreboard can be replaced, the pressbox for our long-suffering press corps can be enlarged, and the roofline can be extended beyond the 15,000 seats already protected. In this sports-blase town, the stadium rarely holds more than two thousand hardcore fans, and only the most befuddled of these would come to the stadium during a rainstorm, perhaps to watch the synthetic turf grow. So what if four local high schools face closure in the coming year due to budget restrictions. This is the stuff of long-denied dreams of power, and Frank’s political vision ranks right along with Mr. Magoo’s. The CSQ also congratulates the Portland shakers and movers whose recent attempt to recall four School Board members fizzled ignominiously. We might have applauded the Black United Front for its gumption and tenacity or the people of Portland for their good sense, but probably the biggest factor in the recall’s failure to even make the ballot was the abject simplemindedness of the sponsors. Here were some of the most wealthy and powerful interests in the city falling on their great, pink rumps with a resounding plop, and it made you wonder who gets them up in the morning. Their statements were shrill and filled with nonsequiturs and quotes taken outrageously out of context. Time after time — almost exclusively, in fact — they targeted the Board’s only black member for their harshest criticism, leading observers to conclude their motivation was simply racist. It’s hard to know why the city’s power elite would fall all over themselves looking so foolish, but the CSQ is grateful for such a delicious, revealing glimpse of how they operate. It was good for a laugh, and they give us so few. J.W. Editorial cartoon by Jerry Kruger 3
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