cdiioo'ii) tconcnn
t
A Questionable Assumption
The domestic strategy of the Ford
Administration places greater
stress on the responsibility of the
individual states in assuring that
many of the services needed by
people are granted.
.. What this low profile approach
will mean for blacks and other
minorities is that the limited guard
ian role played by the Federal
government in the past two decades
will disappear. Fayqrable Supreme
Court rulings, federal watchdogs,'
federally funded programs and
other such things will cease to exist.
. .These programs and mechanisms,
it should be remembered, grew out
of recognition of blacks that local
authorities were less endowed with
—the ideals of the U. S. Constitution
than the federal government. Local
minorities, left powerless at the
hands of city, county and state
officials, could thus count on the
national government as a lever of
influence in the face of the over
whelming political, economic and in
some cases, military odds yielded by
hostile forces.
.. It is questionable whether or not
the local and state authorities, in the
past 20 years, have radically
changed their attitudes towards
blacks, and equally questionable
whether blacks have had time to
develop the sources of power with
which to neutralize such grass roots
level oppression.
Cost Of Food Stamps Should Be Low
'Congress has put a freeze on the
price of food stamps for the re
mainder of 1975, and we think it is a
good thing. Poor people are in a bind
during our recession and can least
afford to pay more as President
Ford had proposed.
..We can well understand the con
cern of President Ford with refer
ence to his total plan of combatting
recession. He was hoping that the
cost of these stamps would not get
out of control. It already is running
in the neighborhood of $4 hilling a
year. With current economic condi
tions being what they are, the cost
could go higher as more people
qualify to buy stamps.
..In the last great depression, the
late President Franklin D. Roose
velt said that “It was better to
balance, the human budget than the
fiscal one.”
.. The Department of Agriculture
says unemployment is swelling the
stamp rolls at the rate of 1 million
persons a month. In addition, many
people are being transferred from
old direct-food assistance programs
to the stamp program.
..Some congressmen want to ex
pand the benefits to include even
more people. President Ford wanted
to raise the price of stamps so all
recipients would pay 30 percent of
their adjusted net income for food
stamps. He estimated that this
would save the federal government
approximately $648 million per year.
.. We admit that there may be some
abuses inherent in the food stamp
program, and there may be needed a
number of changes. But the good
resulting from the food stamp pro
gram, far outweighs its evils. Con
gress, has directed Agriculture Se
cretary Earl Butz to make recom
mendations by June 30 on ways to
improve and reform the program.
Let us hope that out of his recom
mendations may come beneficial
reforms. Maybe we need to transfer
some people back to direct assist
ance programs.
.. Minority and black poor people
are experiencing a tight economic
squeeze at the moment. By freezing
food stamps at current prices, it will
help millions of people to get their
feet back on solid financial ground,
and even exist.
Guest Editorial - The Carolinian
Gas Hike Unnecessary
. .It is hoped here that Congress will
vote down Rep. A1 UUman’s plans to
raise gas tax to 40 cents by 1979.
Ullman, chairman of the powerful
tax-writing House Ways and Means
Committee said Tuesday that he is
“drafting a comprehensive energy
program calling for oil import
quotas and a gasoline tax of 40 cents
a gallon by 1979.
..Who would benefit from these
extra dollars? The big oil companies
have already announced record pro
fits for this past year. A second and
most important thought here is the
question of whether the government
is thinking about getting into the oil
business.
..Ullman has said his plans would
channel all United States oil petro
leum imports through a federal pur
chasing authority that would solicit
sealed bids and buy at the lowest
price.
..We believe a gas hike law of this
proportion would levy unbearable
obligations to poor Americans. At a
time when prices are soaring on just
about everything Americans have to
purchase, it would appear to us that
Rep. Ullman and his powerful
committee could come up with
something better than a huge hike in
the price of gasoline.
.. The Post believes some control is
needed during the energy crisis. We,
however, do not believe Mr. Ullman
has fqund the answer.
Lciicfj no Cficcdiior -
Stinson Listed As Community Leader
P. O. Box 881
Charlotte. N. C. 28231
February 17.1975
William Johnson, Editor
Charlotte Post
9139 Trinity Road
Charlotte. N. C.
Dear Mr. Johnson,
■ icaoc iuiu OIUIU1CU Hll
"open letter" and editorial
comment made after learning
of the awards presented by
Kelly Alexander and the
NAACP on Sunday, February
16. ms.
Mr. Kelly Alexander
2128 Senior Drive
Charlotte. N. C. 28216
Dear Mr. Alexander:
After reading of the select
ions made by your organisa
tion of outstanding leaders in
the local black community, 1
would like to applaud the
practice as one long overdue.
.. Being ignorant of the actual
specifies upon which the se
lections were made, I would,
however, suggest a serious
oversight was made in your
failure to include In your first
listing Jlygjmpie of J. L. Stin
son. Nosfd-f/fonaiad you that
Mr. Stinson has been a corner
stone in every segment of this
community for almost 40
years...long before the per
sons you named became
"names", by gisilng moral,
financial, and general support
through the year*, not only to
NAACP, but to black political
candidate*, the church, the
schools, and hundreds of
people, young and old,
throughout this city.
. .Could It possibly be that the
politics of “making it" to the
top in the local “Who’s Who”
clique might include the ap
parent weakness of a faulty,
collective memory....!, e. once
at the “top", forgetting the
very ones who helped to get
you there?
..J. L. Stinson should have
been ooe of the first to make
your list as an outstanding
person and contributor to the
Charlotte community. I can
say that as a daughter who is
proud of him. I am more than
sure that you and countless
others would say it, too....If
honesty prevailed, and due
recognition was justly given
when justly due.
Sincerely years,
Linda E. Stinson
Poet Appreciated
February 21. 1975
Mr. Bill Johnson
Charlotte Post
9139 Trinity Road
Charlotte. N. C. 28216
I would like to express mj
appreciation for having ha<!
the opportunity to appear it
the Charlotte Post recently
This exposure gave us at
opportunity to Inform Ui<
Charlotte Community of Uu
functions of the PAED-Loca
Business Development Organ
ization.
..Papers, such as. the Char
lotte Post, are really deliver
ing the message to the Char
lotte community. I think youi
paper Is very well received it
our area, so keep up the goo<
work.
..Once again, I would like U
say thanks. If there Is evei
any way that we can be oi
assistance to you or youi
paper, please feel free to call.
Yours for Progress,
Thomas J. Staton
To the Charlotte Post:
Thank* for your excellent
cooperation In helping ut In
form our itudenta and their
parents that school* had to be
closed on February 4 because
of the hazardous weather
conditions. The same goes for
February 5 when some schools
had to close very early be
cause of power failure. To
inform so many people on
such short notice would have
been impossible without your
willing cooperation.
February 18,187S
..We would appreciate your
Informing the appropriate
people In your organisation of
our policies In this regard. If
you have any questions,
please caU me or Dave Howe.
Henry Bostic or Shirley John
son in the Communications
Department. Again, thank yon
for your continuing coopera
tion.
Sincerely,
Chris Folk
Assistant Superintendent
for fAmmiiniaallmia
TO
BE
EQUAL
Work Program Needed
Anyone foolish enough not to take the current
recession seriously got a tremendous jolt from
the President’s Budget and the report of his
Council of Economic Advisors.
.. Both paint a picture of a sick economy right
through to the end of the decade. Unemployment
is projected at almost eight percent for the next
three years. This means the government’s top
economic minds are willing to accept that nearly
eight million people will be out of work annually.
. .They don’t even offer much light at the end of
the tunnel. By 1980, they say, unemployment will
still be 5.5 percent of the labor force, or over five
million people. And all of this is to be accom
panied by continued high inflation.
a a* a ■«, a. * a * _a_ a .a
. .n BtxuiB mi uic uiai Butu fit ujctuuu suuuiu
serve as the springboard for action. If the
economists say this is what will occur, it
becomes mandatory for government to inter
vene in the economy on a scale sufficient to
insure that such disastrous predictions don’t
come true.
.. With each passing day it becomes more clear
that the country needs a massive full employ
ment policy that guarantees a decent job at a
decent wage to everyone who can work, and
some form of economic controls to end high
inflation.
..This worries a lot of people, even those who
reluctantly go along with the President’s plans
for a big budget deficit to stimulate the economy.
Too much government control, they Insist,
means the end of the free enterprise system.
. .What they seem to be forgetting is that a free -
enterprise system that can’t make work for eight
million people, that locks 85 million people into
poverty or near-poverty, may be doomed any
way.
.. In fact, only bold steps that put people to work
and insure their earnings aren’t eaten away by
high inflation, can save the system. Back in the
1930s, at the height of the Depression, the
government took radical steps to put people to
work and saved the sytem in the process.
. .Some people are suggesting that one of these
steps, the Works Progress Administration, be
revived today. This was a program of work relief
that, in spite of all the myths about workers
sleeping on their shovels, was extremely effect
ive.
..The WPA put a total of over eight million
people to work on projects we’re still using
today. At its peak, one out of every twenty
American workers were on the WPA payroll.
. .They built 650,000 miles of new roads, 124,000
new or rebuilt bridges on viaducts. 120,000 public
buildings, such as libraries, schools and offices,
23,000 miles of streets and paths, 16,000 miles of
water lines, 1,600 parks, 6,000 playgrounds and
athletic fields, and thousands of hospitals, plants
and other facilities still In use.
..In addition, WPA programs taught reading
and writing to 1.5 million adults, organized
nursery schools for 36,000 children, drained
swamps, produced clothing for the needy, and
revived cultural life.
..This is an extraordinary record, and it is
typical of the ingratitude of many people who
survived that era on their father’s WPA checks,
and now claim that it was a “boondoggle” whose
revival will endanger the system.
. .All of this doesn’t mean we should copy the
WPA formula in Its entirety. It was a relief
program whose pay scales were deliberately
kept low and which rotated the jobless onandoff
us payrolls.
Historical Case Imminent In North Carolina
R«s r.arolil InKncnn
Historical Case Imminent In N. C.
.. North Carolina is on the verge of a
historical and classical trial. The
trial is that of Miss Joan Little,
accused of murdering the Jailer in
the Beaufort County jail with an ice
pick. Miss Little claims the jailer
attempted to rape her, and she killed
him In self defense.
.. The problem lies in the fact that
regardless of the outcome of the trial
there will be a FACTION in com
plete disagreement.
..The North Carolina white popu
lace, who feel Black women are
promiscuous, anyway, will believe
that Miss Little prompted the Jailer.
Miss Little will be dipicted as a
Black Widow spider luring her prey
into a death trap.
(
.. The North Carolina Black popu
lace, who feel that all whites are
pigs, will believe Mr. Alligood, the
jailer, tried to force himself on Miss
Little. Miss Little had to do what she
did to protect herself.
.. The prosecutors will open the trial
by digging into Miss Little's past and
trying to show the type character
Miss Little is.
.. The defense will counter by citing
cases where women were abused in
small town Jails. Then a character
profile of Mr. Alligood will be Intro
duced to secure the point.
.. With all this done the entire case
hinges on the characters of the
members of the jury. Race, sex,
marital status, age and financial
class will play important roles in
how jury members will see this case.
Obviously, a young Black single
female would be more sympathetic
toward the defense than say a white,
middle-aged, businessman.
• The jury will be left to judge the
cage on predominantly character
judgement of Migg Little and Mr.
Alligood. I can’t see any facts deve
loping from the situation since Miss
Little and Mr. Alligood were the only
witnesses. Of course Mr. Alligood
will not be able to tell his side of the
story.
BUrfchft<! manIdead at the hands of a
"‘“'I ta ** ■ situation
W,th ,n a «tate such
Caro,ina- Ignoring this
***** u*?**'* Ia 81,11 flu,t« monu
• of course, this situation
can not be ignored.
• • Regardless of the outcome of the
case the truth will still be blowing in
the wind. .
THE CHARLOTTE POST
“THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER”
Established 1918
By A M. Houston
Published Every Thursday
By The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc.
9139 Trinity Road - Charlotte, N.C. 28216
Telephones (704 ) 392-1306 - 392-1307
Circulation 11,000
Bill Johnson.Editor - Publisher
Gerald O. Johnson.Business Manager
Robert L. Johnson.....Circulation Manager
Second Class Postage Paid at
Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878
Member National Newspaoer Publishers
Association
National Advertising Representative
Amalgamated Publishers, Inc.
45 W. 5th Suite 1403 2400 S. Michigan Ave.
New York, N.Y. 10036 Chicago. 111. 60616
489-1220 Calumet 5-0200
* & w REDUCING THE AJD TO THE NEEDY \
TO APPEA SE THE NEW MAJORITY/ ' 2 J
THE PRESIDENT MAY BE MISREADING ***.
THE ELECTION RETURNS. •
' / 1,1
VERNON K. JORDAN JR.
Are They To Be Deliberately Sacrificed**.?