Portland Advocate_1981-09&10

MBE Uodate byJ.Hil.l Georgene Rose, Caseworker on the staff of Ron Wyden, (D) 3rd District, was in good company when she read the Congressman's opening address at a business seminar at the Portland Hilton on September ~8. The Congress– man could not attend because of pressing leg~slative needs in Washington, D.C. Ms. Rose's remarks were based on a Septe.llber 9th letter from the Congressman to Governor Vic Atiyeh. The letter disclosed -"'that "good faith efforts" would be costly to Black and other small business minority entre– preneurs in the district which elected Wyden to congress. Wyden e~timates that the entrepreneurs _stand to lose from $13.5 to 33.5 million on the $225.5 million Banfield Light Rail project and between $24 and $70 million on the $400 million worth of Interstate Transfer Fund projects. "Oh, well, we can never lose what we never had from TRI-MET and the MSD" stated one participant. He later adds, "one can easily discern, from the loss of riders and revenue, what the general public thinks about TRI-MET, what the Black community thinks, is largely unprintable in a family newspaper." Among the purveyors of "lip · service" to the Black community on economics was Gladys McCoy representing Multnomah County, and Scott Foster of Tektronix; other representation came from SBA, PDC, FHA, local financial institutions, IMPACT, and a new Black kid on the block, Randy Carter, The only missing note was Warren Mit– chell, Social and Urban Relations Officer, 1st Interstate Bank. Commissioner McCoy released information on a revised version of a "watered down" MBE program which is a carry over from her misguided School Board days which insures that Black pe~ple will receive very little, once again. Ber plan, to be voted upon on October 29, by the County Commissioners oJfers nothing new. .For example, the minimum goals for Blacks par– ticipating in the "minority" supplies section has a goal of • 5%. The Dlinimum goals for MBE/FMBE (Female Minority Business Enterprise) are in Construction: MBE 10%, FMBE 1%; Supplies: MBE .5%, FMBE O%; Services: MBE 10%, FMBE 1%; and Progessional Services; MBE 7%, ' FMBE 2%. This program, like all the rest only provides ~for the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. There are no guarantee of economic benefits actually being received by the Black community. The guarantee is once again reserved for White contractors, suppliers, and service providers, who will make the minimum of 90% to 99.5% in all catagories, and they do not have to fill out as much paperwork to do it. The goals were based upon some notion of availability and capability of each group, whatever criteria was used was not disclosed but took more than a year to research, Congressman Wyden needs to seriously address the needs of the Black community and we applaud his call for a national question on defense. He could use his meetings at King Neigh– borhood facility for this pur– pose. The question needs a full airing as the political and economical interests of this country are actively in– volved in war against Black people in 'the Third District, the nation, and throughout the world. Moreover he could answer the question, "How does the use of private sector investments and state public funds in assisting South Afrika in upholding apartheid, help Black people in District 3?" Blacks, (known · in polite entrepreneur circles as "show– cases because of their status in the business world, one in which they are powerless to make economic purchasing de– cisions) representing Tri-Met, PDC, and MBOC, comprised the planning committee for the conference. Several informed members of the Black community, viewed the event as an attempt to cool our the Black busi– nessmen who confronted Wyden at Bourban Street on August 19th. Wyden was questioned about his failure to meaningfully ad– dress the Black Community in economic "concretes". As us– ual Ron, talked out both sides of his mouth. He spoke to the Black business com– munity on his efforts to create new jobs in this district. He gave as an example, efforts to obtain jobs in the Columbia gorge on some of the hydroelectric operations. page 17 Ron threw out his public relations about a "grai>sroot" organizing ~ffort to obtain federal aid "to help local businessmen to help them– selves." An assessment of the facts suggests that this "grassr~ot effort" is a pipe– dream. Ron's own information discloses that 35% less money will be available for the development for small business. Wyden writes, "The gospel of this community has to be private sector jobs." Ron really needs to look at the dismal failure of the pri– vate sector in this area - namely, Nel-Tech and Tektronix, who brought some "sweatshop" jobs to Union Avenue. These jobs all have limited upward mobility opportunities and are in the lowest paying catagory. At the same time, TEK has de– veloped plans to provide 5,000 jobs near Troutdale and is fin– ishing a 490,000 square foot complex in Clark County. The business seminar was re– plete with past failure of •good faith' efforts of those private, federal, state, and local agen– cies who once again appeared be– fore Black people ig Portland and, as always, did' a superb public relations job of making the potential enterpreneur(s) feel good. The seminar, like past sesstons, did not result in immediate economic benefits to the Black community; the money stayed downtown again. This· raises the question, ''Why do some Blacks (in this instance, businessmen) sit passively and participate in seminars of this nature?" This writer can only surmise that the sociology textbooks are once again wrong and that Black people are able to delay gratification, especially that , community denizen, the Black (endurer) entrepreneur. The Oregon Citizens Party needs your help to get on the 1982 ~lection ballQt in Oregon. ~ )6UN.WI...... a LM.&.IU e-.u,•• ••••o•• ~-...Vft'aA&OII' ·~~ l"ouu 1 or If •u" •o•• ~t.IIIA•I•ft . ,,.,.CUlt!·~ • CU•Lt ,.. ..... , ... ,_ ..... ...,U.... GIIt... ~ t.......... THE GOVERNOR'S OMELETTE AND SANDWICH SHOP 3240 N. Williams Avenue Portland, OR 281-0280 "ORDERS TO GO" Who we af'e: We ran Barry Commoner for president in 1980. Our platform: Economic Democracy-Hold big business accountable for the economic problems they create; control over the economy by the people. Socia/ justice-Equal rights for all; self-determination for minorities. Peace-Bilateral arms reduction; truly befriend the third world; no– aiding dictators to repress their own people. Our tactics: Build a progressive third party-the Citizens Party-and fight corporate control of the ballot box, to regain control of our own · government. Please Help Us Get On The Ballot by circulating our ballot-access petition. We need 875 signatures/mo. thru July. To help call John, 283-2486 or David, 249-1781. Resolution on the 18th ("Black") Dietrh:t: "RESOLVED: Unless the Citizens Party is able to recruit a Black candidate who has widespread support in the Black community, the Citizens Party will run no candidate in the 18th District. Since it was the Black community which fought for and won the new district, the Citi~en~ Party will not endorse or assist any candidate who does not have support in the community. Since we perceive the Black United Front to be the most dynamic force in the Black community, in any discussion regarding support or possible assistance by the Citizens Party towards a candidate in the 18th District, support or lack of · support by the BUF will be considered the most important criterion.'' (Aug11st 23, 1981)