Page A4-The Chronicle, Thursday, July 5. 1984 Winston-Salem Chronicle /?'(<'/l/ r ^n C it n %* ' ' j utiv3vj11 vaii L o w uii, Crosswinds No substitute From The Charlotte Post. Students who seek employment after high school graduation need to master the same basic academic skills as the college-bound person. Therefore, vocational training and technical education are no substitute for education in the core competencies. These are important because the major asset the employers want in a high school graduate is ^ ^ ahiiity tx> learn, and to adapt to changes in the skills". ~ This statement summarizes a National Academy of Science panel report of business and education leaders titled "High Schools and the Changing Workplace." It is a _ A. .1 . - -I icpuri inai appears wortny or commenting on as our nation's youth and teachers are departing from school for the summer, and for many, the seeking of permanent or summed jobs. ^Agichard Heckert, vice chairman and chief operating officer of the E.I. DuPont Co., and chairman of the 20-member panel, said the report is concerned only with high school graduates who do not attend college, who. he said, "represent the largest segment of the American workforce and play a critical and central role in the nation's economy." Mr. Heckert added that the panel was seeking to set forth a set of core competencies that include: The ability to read, write, reason and compute, including a mastery of "standard English in its written and spoken forms" and elementary algebra. An understanding of American economic and social life. Possession of the attitudes and personal habits that make for a dependable worker and citizen. Please see page A5 masses) avi mn bill- \t 6-r^ms us hw wm't that raavce el AVO\D AVIVONG WttO LOO What tax By JOHN JACOB Syndicated Columnist It is generally agreed that there will be far-ranging tax legislation in 1985, and support is building for reform of the tax system to raise more revenue in a fairer way. But what's fair to one person may be very unfair to others. Advocates for the poor have to be especially watchful that tax reform doesn't degenerate into yet another round of soaking the poor. The 1981 tax reform wound up doing just that - squeezing more from the poor while providing windfalls for the affluent. That tax cut, combined with drastic cuts in federal domestic spending, took some $17 billion from, poor people between 1983 and 1985, while affluent families in the $80,000-and-up brackets got $55 billion worth of tax benefits. ^Xhe same tax legislation, even though it was modified the following year, vastly increased special tax gains for wealthy individuals and corporations. Three of those items -- the accelerated cost recovery system, preferential Black edu By DR. MANNING MARABLE Guest Columnist For three years, the Reagan administration has waged war against black America. The relentless budget cuts in human services, the tax policies which provide welfare for the rich and the suppression of civil rights and civil liberties all amount to an unprecedented assault on people of color and the unemployed. One decisive aspect of this ?i ? c? ciass wariare can be observed within higher education. Slashes in government spend ding, for education- have swmmmmssstsssmm ?ai I y leges. Under Reagan's tenure, black college administrators have been forced to scramble in a desperate bid to retain students and to maintain their schools. Clariborne C. Davis, director of financial aid at Mississippi Valley State University, stated in a recent interview in the Chronicle of Higher Education that his school had lost approximately $100,000 in federal student aid since the beginning of 1983. "If we had the money, we might have had 200 to 300 more students," Davis notes. Vtfi) IHifcD WOBLD \%\ ufcA^ecs senee \jU ^TPAir-TUTtN UP Jfr a 7 > ? F t ?' Wi3rt2AT\OW \T ALSO U\kV&< N?STy AN \LLE6M ft r> N\PU>V?RS IT'S ft, CON\?Roi KS LATIKJ ? CARDS Ms/\TH C ; reform is n treatment for capital gains and the investment tax credit ? will cost the Treasury over $50 billion in 1984. Without considering whether such tax breaks are economically justified, we can question their fairness. The capital gains tax was cut to a maximum of 20 percent, which is actually lower than the marginal tax rate and social security tax rate paid by a working^head of a family of four who earns $42,000 a year . And fairness is the issue when taxes paid by the poor "... we have to wonder just ??i /* - w/// ne jornoor and /ow-incoi siders morexkeeping (ax reft tv have risen while those for the affluent were cut. One recent study showed that in 1978 a family at the poverty line paid . $269 in combined income and . soeiah security taxes. But in 1984, that same family at the poverty line paid over $1,000 in income and social security taxes -- a jump from 4 percent of that family's income in 1978 to over 10 percent this year. cation vs. 1 The students who could afford to attend Mississippi Valley "either are not going to college at all, or are attending less expensive community colleges. Careers could be sabotaged by a student's inability to attend a desired college because of a lack of money." At nearby Tougaloo College, Melvin Phillips, director of student financial aid, states that the lack of federal aid has affected the school's enrollment, or has forced prospective students into the "military service as a way to get college money, with 550 students, we . 1 lh J.r. dollars and cents." can't afford to lose that many bodies." At North Carolina Central University, the situation is even worse. According to Vice Chancellor Roland L. Buchanan Jr., 90 percent of U:*. e rww 1 ins uiuvcisuy s j,uuv siuaenis rely on some form of financial aid. When North Carolina Central informed students that they could not postpone the payment of short-term debts this fall, 44at least 20 students . were forced to drop out when they could not meet the ^ vou &H&ULD PCBDWCr yOUB Vr r \ 5 ^ ^ >i ; \T A XCME TO wee \ ,U?K/ > c&L^ ?^ k MSG. -\NG CrGT ®W >UR PINK SUPS J a II p-2 wi ! eeded ? P The reason is that Congress tilted the cuts toward higher income brackets and didn't take such simple steps to protect the poor as increasing per- ( sonal exemptions, standard I deductions or the earned in- j come tax credit. i So we have to wonder just 3 how concerned Congress will be for poor and low-income j taxpayers when it considers t more sweeping tax reforms. 3 ^ome of the^reform ideas now j surfacing suggest that r "reform" could wind up hittin 0 the nnnr aoain c r"O""' I t L how concerned Congress me taxpayers when it con- n orms. 9 9 lj t< P For example, there is renew- d ed talk of a value added tax o (VAT), in effect, a form of na- n tional sales tax. Unless such a tax is carefully framed to ex- a elude food and low-cost items Y that are likely to b! part of a p poor family's consumption a package, that would soak the tl poor with a vengeance. Sales taxes always do that because p h Please see page A12 b< t Y leaganism 1 tr payments because their finan- cc cial aid had been cut." pi Buchanan notes that a hi number of prospective students "have not been able w to come to the university cc because they could not get ar adequate funds to sustain re them while they are here ... I be feel there is a responsibility on se the government to provide op- th portunities for students who W are poor, but who are capable of doing university work." Even at those traditionally black institutions where the tuition is extremely low, the * impact of Reagan's budget A W8WrnW>ffi'TTT'||iiP 'f' mm iTui nnrrr-T''"^ re cuts had been felt. At the bl Baton Rouue ramnn? of Southern University, roughly Fi 85 percent of the 9,500 th students receive aid. yc Southern's vice president for di student affairs, Clarence M. ar Collier, states that more re undergraduates have had "to use the Guaranteed Student Loan program" just to remain ju enrolled. fo The problems of black in- m stitutions transcend mere dollars and cents. Surveys by ye Please see page A5 ill \N9T?AD CP W*TiNC\l| MGNfcV CAJ EXPfcNSWfc ips i etters j Mumber one I n the nation I To The Editor: Congratulations on being namd the number one black paper in he nation. What an honor! I now you are proud of your acomplishments. 1 am reading the paper now nd wanted to take the time hank you for your continued >ursuit of excellence. This award cknowledges that you are movig in the right direction. I am glad to be a part of the umber one team as a subscriber. ne community expects connupfrntemcrmr**^^ Nigel D. Alston Senior Underwriter Integon Life Insurance Co. Winston-Salem > vlore compliments To The Editor: Congratulations for the Dutstanding work and service hat you and your staff have done ind for the well-earned honors ind distinctions bestowed upon /our publication. Thanks for being so receptive ind obliging to the many articles hat I have sent or brought to 'our office for publication elating to church, school, fraterlity or community activities. Of all the papers 1 send news o, to be published, only yours, he Winston-Salem Chronicle, las printed and presented this lews, for the most part (with ninor editing), as it was original/ prepared. You have done much d inform the public and make a art of printed history inivirltltllc ornnnc onW *1?* , . awuutJ) VUpj OlIU CUUiCS 111(11 therwise may have been igored. It is no surprise to me that you re the best weekly newspaper, our new location and future lans are indicative of dreams nd plans to do even greater lings in journalism. My hobbies, writing, taking ictures and keeping a continuing istory of organizations that I elong to are greatly enhanced by le clear and informative clippigs from your newspaper. My xapbooks are fairly comprehenve. Without your great conibution, in terms of publishing implete stories, including sharp ictures and captions, these stories would be incomplete. lo really be informed about hat is happening in the black immunity of Winston-Salem id Forsyth County, one must ad the Chronicle on a regular isis. Get wise, those who get cond-hand news. Get and read e best -- the acclaimed 'inston-Salem Chronicle. Rudolph V. Boone Sr. Winston-Salem A. i note of thanks First, congratulations on cently being named the best ack newspaper in the nation. Second, on behalf of Dr. and anco's Stars, I would like to ank you for the fine article >ur sports editor, Robert Eller, H on our crtftU-,11 '* ? vii v/ui jvnuan icaill. 11 was lother example of the fine porting done by your :wspaper. I would be doing a great instice if I did not mention the under and present and only anager of the Stars, Robert iiley. J.D. Dunlap is in his fir^t ar as a Stars coach. Please see page A5 BUT J&LCN6 *SVL'i'Ce 2: \m\ in Ttte % t ii#vi