Portland Advocate_1981-08

Committee Reports ECONOMICS The Committee recently met with Nel Tech's President and Founder, for the purpose of dis- cussing the company's commit– ment towards hiring Blacks in the N.E. community. Currently Nel Tech employs about 80 per– sons, 6 of them Black, and its President made it clear he does not consider color when hiring. The gist of our meeting was, no special effort will be made by Nel Tech to employ Black commu– nity residents in any signifi– cant number .•: A poor start in an attempt to initiate positive community relations on Nel Tech's part. Also, the Committee was told Nel Tech refused to meet with Albina Fair Share, and its only link to the Black community was one Black person. There will be a series of HCD hearings for the purpose of obtaining citizen input on how to best spend community develop– ment dollars in the N.E. com– munity. Published meeting times and places will be printed in advance. Check your local Black newspapers weekly, and if you need further information con– tact: N.E. Office of Neigh- borhoods 248-4575. ' We wish to acknowledge a spe– cial thanks to the Bardy Trophy Co., Bee Co., Coca-Cola, 15th. Ave.-Thriftway, and Fred Meyer for their generous contributions to our 2nd Annual Commu~ity Unity Day. Tradewell and Safe– way contributed $40.80 worth of pop between the two stores. Once again, 7-UP refused to make a donation, and Albertson also turned us down. However, we were very disappointed with the foul actions of Pepsi-Cola. We were promised 20 cases of Pepsi with a stipulation that we pay a de– posit for the cans according to a Pepsi representative. Upon arrival to make a pick-up and pay our deposit, we were infor– med that they had already dona– ted 50 cases of Pepsi to other community organizations, which they felt represented a wider segment of the community. There– fore, the BUF did not receive a donation as promised. LABOR If you have been following recent stories of the Labor Committee, you would have no– ticed that this Committee has been conducting an on-going sur– vey of Fred Meye~'s Walnut Park store. We have been concerned about its Check Cashing policy, Hiring, Pricing, Policing, Cour– tesy to customers, Service, Meat Quality, Cleanliness, Stocking Procedues, Job Upgrading for Blacks, and Job Induction and Promotion at all levels in the Fred Meyer chain of stores. Through negotiations with Fred Meyer, we are very happy to announce that we have a committ– ment from Fred Meyer to improve at all levels. Take a good look page 3 at our Fred Meyer. We believe they do not know right fran wrong, or, that we have a firm commi ttment that they are incapable or reluctant to from the top of the ladder at do right unless they have somoone Fred Heyer, to the bottom rung standing by or watching to insure that of it, that this will be a storethey do right ... very poor material for in its chain that carries the positions of authority and power. same quality, service, and pri- IMMATURI'IY would indicate a lack of cing as any other store within (necessary/sufficient) growth to date the chain. -as a person; 001' THINKING is an ex- The Committee woulq like to trane handicap for those to whan we be– extend our thanks to Officials stow the honor and trust to bear arms, of Fred Meyer and Walnut Park as to guard and protect our lives and pro- well, who worked hand in hand perty, and to enforce the laws that we with us to help make Community dean so important to law, order, and Unity Day, 1981 a success. harnnny; IDLENESS is a waste of the taxpayers ' m:mey, and a sure sign (read •••••••••••••••••the papers and listen to the ne.vs ) of a Arbitrator Decision 'Preposterous' by Joan Courtney Gordon lack of dedication and cammittment to the serious problan of crime in our city; BC>R.Ein1 indicates a lack of in– terest in their profession and in the duty of their profession; HARRASSMENT indicates a lack of integrity, a lack "'lhe opossun incident is over", ac- of ethics, a lack of respect, and a cording to Frank Ivancie, Mayor of lack of a sense of fair play; AN AT- ( the people of?) Portland. ''We have TEMPI' 'IO :ocosr WHAlE used as an ex– received the unbiased decision of an cuse would indicate a lack of con– independent and uninvolved (chosen and structive imagination and creativity. appointed by whan?) arbitrator. This It was intolerable inexcusable and proves th~ arbitration process is. fa~r a discredit to their (entrusted) p:::.O– and that 1t works, so we may use 1t rn fession the image they should endeavor similar cases in ~he future. ". . to pres~nt, and the standards they (as roes Mr. Ivanc1e truly beluwe that officers of the law) should strive to we are all so gullible that we would set for our city and its inhabitants fall for such an obvious attempt to ... and in any case, too low-caliber for brainwash and divert us fran recogni- officers of the law. tion of this barefaced and dramatic I also challenge the idea that they display of injustice and disrespect? would not, at least vaguely, have heard My faith in/respect for the law as of the opossum/Black stereotype, but, an avenue of justice dropped one nnre should that be the case, they should notch (straining toward rock-bottan) have been considered too naive and un- at the audacity of it all. informed to control and make a suffi- Be it known, Mr. Ivancie, that we cient contribution to law and order in would take issue with you on the mat- a vastly Black-inhabited area -or any ter of the result. We say "It did not other ·ethnic or specific group of peo– work," and so do countless other de- ple. cent, socially-conscious, and fair- Officers of the law may on occasion minded Portland citizens. Eyes are make a genuine mistake; for this they focused on you, Mr. Public Servant and may expect leniency and compassion. 'overseer of all the people of our There can be no room, however, for offi- city'. cers of the law to "act stupidly", wal- The whole incident is a ''slap in low in sympathy and condonanent , main- the face" to justice and integrity, tain their positions, and then expect and makes a nnckery of brotherhood in respect. Portland, Oregon. When the standards In sunmttion, as an ordinary citizen, of our power structure are discovered I submit that the above is nothing that to be so low, when toleration is so was missed by Stanley Peters (Mr. Jim lax that it upholds the like of what Crow, himself), Frankie (who never spoke, happened here, it is time for the peo- until he had an 'out'), the (fair and ple to take another look.·· time for unbiased) arbitrator, or the police of- the dealers to deal another hand. ficers who marched (an action that said ''Lack of supervision'' is a non- · nnre than a thousand words) . -Neither sufficient excuse; the officers in was it missed by Portland's population question are adults; they have been at large, nor Portland's Black Coomunity born. Hopefully, they have been and fellow-Anerican citizens. raised; they have lived, and they have We of the Black Ccmnunity abhor the · rocialized and interacted with other fact that the officers would have the . humans for nnre than 25 years, &> it (undiluted) gall to show such a lack of ~ot be 'o~l~' a matter of insuffi- respect for us, while daring to work in c1ent superv1s1on. · . . and 'patrol' (with weapons, mind you) Let us analyze the rnc1dent con- our comnunity under pretense of uphold- cerning Officers Ward and Galloway. ing law and order, and of· protecting us Assuming that the case in point was in and our rights and property. fact not (deliberately) racially nnti- We will not forget ... vated we are left with the following: -- It has been ~cepted that the offi- Jf~ti4tt~l ~wr~rs G"'''b cers were/are guilty of 'dumping oposs- ......,.a..- ,•• ~ .............. a.':S"'"""' urns' , so there remains only the rearons (both presented and imaginable) behind the action. We will look at what the arbitrator (uninvolved, unbiased, fair, and obviously intelligent enough to rearon -after all, he was selected) rrrust have considered. -- LACK OF SUPERVISION as an excuse would certainly indicate that -either ... .. . • • • t t . · .. · /, IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY: IN STRUC~LE FOR PEACE, ,TUSTI CE, & FREEDOM. Mn'*"'. UMI'III .,., '·'· ....... .....,.,. .... ,"'