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cdiMis c cornu Carter Is No Miracle Worker By Hoyle H. Martin, Sr. i Just four and a half months after • assuming the presidency last year, l Jimmy Carter was attacked by • many black leaders, congressional liberals and organizations for his ‘ failure to have found solutions to all the problems affecting blacks and other minorities. We noted these criticisms in this column in June of ilast year and suggested that four ^months was hardly ample time for s the President to have fully defined :many of the nation’s domestic pro blems much less having solved them. These criticisms were, as it turns ilout, simply the beginning of an ongoing attack on the President, and jeven his family, about every conce ivable issue from daughter Amy’s -behavior to Billy Carter to the Panama Canal treaty. Further biore, Carter has felt the wrath of .special interest groups over his turban policy, the minimum wage irate, farm subsidy, business taxes, •human rights, Bert Lance,his son’s marriage, arms sales and so on. i Commenting on these criticisms earlier this year, Carter added to his ;own criticism when he said publicly, ?‘My biggest mistake has Deen in iinadvertently building up expecta tions too high...I have dashed some hopes and disappointed people that thought we might be quicker.” following that statement Carter was accused of attempting to re spond too quickly by “overloading the circuits” in his dealings with the Congress. The Post feels, as it did a year ago, that the American people are ex pecting too muich too fast. The real problem with what Carter is or is not doing has been out of focus since he entered the White House, That is to say, the Nixon-Ford administrations were so far out of line with the needs of the nation that we have expected Jimmy Carter to be an instant miracle worker in solving the na tion's domestic and foreign pro Diems. - • - We are glad to see Iliat others in the media have begun to share our thinking about what Anthony Lewis of The New york times called “the savagery of the attacks on him (Carter).” For example, a recent Wall Street Journal editorial con cluded by noting that “behind this administration’s troubles stands not some failure of personal capacities but the bankruptcy of an idea. And many of those who’ve screamed loudest at the President might al most be doing so to drown out the broader and more important char ges. Maybe it really is time to lay off Jimmy Carter and start examining the kind of political thinking that produced him.” Inconsistencies Thus, while Jimmy Carter has short comings-his inconsistencies on some matters and his alleged great ter concern with style than with substance-he was elected to the presidency using the some kind of political rhetoric that others have used but with increasing expectation that he’d be able to fulfill to the letter the rhetoric offered. Thus, Carter’s major failing is that he has not been the miracle worker presi dent that the American people have expected from the occupants of the White House at least since Frank lin D. Roosevelt, of whom we ex pected to wave a magic wand and end the Depression of the 1930’s. It took ten years and World War II to make that magic work. sweep Of History Following the sweep of history, Harry Truman, the little guy from Missouri who was nobody’s favorite to become Roosevelt’s successor, changed the new Deal to an instant Fair Deal in the post-war boom years. Dwight Eisenhower gave America the instant father image it desperately wanted in the 50’s and John F. Kennedy conformed to the instant youth cult of our changing national needs, it was during the Kennedy years that the instant miracle worker presidency pheno menon gain its legitimacy as the first of the so-called “100 days” contemporary historical reports ap pea red. Such reports have become common place and they are read eagerly by those searching for clear proof of the miracle work of change for the better b>thepresident regard less of who he may be at a given point in time. in snort, Jimmy carter is our president, and he has strengths and weakness just as we all do. How ever, for him to be a successful national leader we must labor to be successfull as willing tax payers, workers, consumers and voters. In the final analysis, increased employ ment for example, cannot occur simply by an instant monetary , and fiscal policy of the Carter Admini stration, we as citizens must work to produce goods of quality that will be consumed in sufficient quantity that new jobs will be created. Thus, if the miracle is to take place we, the citizens of this great nation, must share the criticism as well as the glory if Carter is to be able to make rhetoric instant substance in moves to-ward resolving the nation’s ills. Jimmy Carter is often all one of us and with us not against. Therefore as we continue to exercise our freedom, speak freely and offer criticism, let us at the same time balance our criticism with words of encouragement and ask, could I do any better if I sat where he sits, it <nay make you a better person, Carter a better president and Ame rica a better Nation. BLACK AMERICA ROLL UP VOUR SLEEVES 'black folks themselves are going tv HAVE TO WORK Ol/T MANY OF THEIR OWN PROBLEMS, INSTEAD OF LEAVING IT UP, TO THE government aoences and eroorams. -•auank Blacks’ Destiny In Own Hands L_____ Public Payment For Private Priviledge Special To The Post During the next few months, the black community must pay careful attention to a well-intentioned but danger ous piece of legislation that threatens tne continued viabi lity of public education in America. If adopted, the so-called Tuition Tax Credit Act-commonly known as the Moynihan-Packwood bill— would signal the beginning of a potentially harmful redistri bution of public funds away from public education. In providing new financial “blood” to non-public schools, the bill would leave the al ready battered public schools seriously weakened, and dying from financial anemia. Why is this particular billso objectionable** especially *e black people? As presently written, the Senate version of the Moynihan-Packwood bill proposes that the government provide annual tax credits not simply tax deductions-to parents who decide to send their children to private schools. According to object ive estimates, sudi credits will reduce federal revenues by as much as $2.5 billion per year, a staggering amount by anyone’s book. If the bill is adopted by Congress, as seems likely at this time, taxpayers will be shouldered with the additional burden of paying half the tuition of every youngster at tending private schools, in eluding elite and upper-class institutions. But the bill contains anothei feature which is even mors objectionable: the tax credit plan will almost certainly be a financial bonanza for upper income groups. Since many private schools have tradition ally catered to the educat ional needs of America’s more affluent citizens, the relati vely well-off-wbo can already afford private education-will enjoy a significantly reduced tax burden at the expense of poor and working people. Even with the proposed $500 tax credit, I honestly doubt that many working-class blacks could easily finance a private education for their children. To further illustrate the anti-legalitarian bias of this proposal, it is worth nbting the results of a rpcent study If the bill passes, the.gtyidy con * eludes, nearly 80 percent of the tax credits will end up in the bank accounts of families earning over $25,000 per year. With this in mind, it is quite clear that the Moynihan-Pack wood proposal is hardly a “Poor Man's Bill.” Considering the horrendous injustices of our tax system, it seems foolish-even immoral to propose additional tax breaks for those who already escape their fair share. But the bill even goes beyond that: it threatens to erode the already precarious tax base which supports local public schools. Thomas Shannon of the Na tional Association of School Boards explained this point in a recent discussion of the tax credit proposal. By offering lucrative tuition tax credits, Shannon argues, a growing number of middle-class stu dents will transfer to private schools. As more students attend private schools, taxpayer sup port for public education will rapidly decline. With their children attending HaBux; in private schools, middle-class voters will become even more reluctant to support local school bond issues which en tail property tax hikes. As a result, blacks, and other low income groups will be forced to use under-financed and in ferior public schools while middle-income students flee to well-funded private insti tutions. Education in America once the main agent of equal opportunity and minority ad vancement, wilt soon evolve jfalo y Jf' two-cast^'kMMSfa -t-ti-1- 1— *—i—» . ptiDiic scnoois ior uir poor ana dispossessed; private schools for the moderately affluent and rich. As terrible as the legislation is, we must remember that some of the bill’s most out spoken supporters, including Senator Moynihan, are men of good will and long-time sup porters of the civil rights movement. Their motives, I believe, reflect a genuine con cern for the many har4 pressed urban families who have tradionally sent their children to local private schools. Such concerns are understandable, even com mendable, but the present version of the Moynihan-Pack wood bill simply goes too far, and, in many instances, will provide assistance to those who need it least. ■■By Vernon E. Jordan Jr.a TO BE EQUAL N. C’s Segregated University? The Department of Health, Education and Welfare is locked in a dispute with North Carolina’s state university system over the continued segregation of the 16 state-run institu tions of higher education. Separate black and white colleges and univer sities were rooted in the South’s dual education system that was declared unconstitutional. Despite repeated court rulings, many states continued to maintain segregated institutions. Last year, after a federal court ordered HEW to draft guidelines that would desegregate those state systems, many states negotiated plans for compliance with HEW. But North Carolina, despite its reputation as one of the more progressive states in the Soutfe is still a holdout. About nineteen percent of students in the state university system are black, but only about six percent attend the formerly all-white colleges. The figures are even worse for full-time students. Blacks far worse when it comes to faculty and administrative positions-less than five percent of the system. In North Carolina’s university system, blacks teach at and attend the tradition ally black schools, whites, the traditionally white institutions. Talks between the state and HEW are still going on, and HEW, which funnels about $70 million in federal aid to the state university system, will have to end that aid if the state fails to come up with an adequate compliance plan, as other states have done. The issue in this case should not be obscured. It is nothing less than whether North Carolina will comply with the Constitution of the United States. State-supported segregation is illegal, unconstitutional, and immoral. The state’s hold-out stance has many sup porters who have managed to muddle the basic issue. One line of attack has it that desegregat ion means the end of black institutions. No one is more concerned with strenghtening black colleges than I, but the issues related to state-supported black colleges are very different from those concerning private or denomination^ al institutions. There is no reason why a unitary^ integrated state tmlversity system should not maintejn -Uu^. traditions ^nd. special qualities inherent in black institutions. That can be achieved without ghettoizing those institutions. Acceptable compliance plans in other states make allowances for upgrading black institutions without destroying their heri tage. Enhancement of traditionally black colleges would draw more white students to them, but that is not inconsistent with providing quality education in a setting that recognizes the special attributes of those schools. The state claims that the imbalanced student population merely reflects free choice, but that is dubious since the state has maintained black and white institutions with overlapping pro grams serving the same geographical area, while expanding and improving some of the traditionally white schools. Freedom of choice thus becomes something guided and directed by state educational policies. When nothing else works, supporters of the state’s segregated system imply that desegrega tion would mean a loss of quality and lower academic standards. ♦ THE CHARLOTTE POST “THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER” Established 1918 Published Every Thursday By The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. 2606-B West Blvd. - Charlotte, N.C. 28208 Telephones (704) 392-1306, 392-1307 Circulation, 9,915 60 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE Bill Johnson.Editor-Publisher Bernard Reeves.General Manager Hoyle H. Martin Sr.Executive Editor Julius Watson.Circulation Director Albert Campbell.Advertising Director Second Class Postage No. 965500 Paid At . Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,1878 —-- ■ ----- B Member National Newspaper Publishers Association ■ ... — North Carolina Black Publishers Association Deadline for all news copy and photos is 5 p.m. Monday. All photos and copy submitted becomes the property of the POST, and will not be returned. —■——!■ ■ ' ' . National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc. 45 W. 5th Suite 1403 2400 S. Michigan Ave. New York, N Y. 10036 Chicago, 111 60616 (212 ) 489-1220 Calumet 5-0200 What A Balanced Budget Means To You By Gerald O. Johnson North Carolina Senator Robert Morgan in a recent TV interview made some interest ing comments. The one I was most taken by was that the country’s budget could be balanced once the people de cided that they wanted it budgeted The problem is that every attempt in balancing the budget is fought by lobby ists whose programs would be cut. The Senator commented that everybody is in favor of getting rid of the other guy’s program. He closed this segment of the discussion by saying that once we are wil ling to make some sacrifices then the budget could be bal anced. I couldn't agree more with the Senator and I was quite pleased to hear his comments For vou who aren’t familiar with this country 's budget and what it means to you, you will learn something today. Currently, the U S. spends approximately 65 billion dol lars more than it takes in. This obviously creates a seri ous dilemma All of us pru deni household managers have learned the hard way that spending more than you make can make life a head ache instead of a joy Bui what makes government spending different is that what the Government spends comes from our pockets. The Government's main means of Revenue gathering is through income taxes. R should be clear that as long as the budget does not balance the threat of increased taxes looms over our heads. Relief in taxes can never become a reality until the Budget is Balanced. What has caused such a massive un balance of spending? The answers are many including wastefulness, inefficiencies, high administrative costs, and corruption. But not to be undermined is the fact that the Government is trying to be all things to all people. There are programs to aid the elderly when they are sick. Programs to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Programs to create jobs for the un employed and houses for the homeless. There are pro grams to help the handicap and programs to educate the poor Programs to help mino rity businesses get a start and programs to subsidize state programs in a variety of ways There are programs that overpay businesses for con tractural work The Government pays the poor because they are poor. They pay the poor for each child in the family. They pay the hospital bills for poor having children and pay for the poor not having children. They pay for legal services and food, plus social services for the poor The elderly receives equal compensation for an assorted variety of services. Since the number of poor people is steadily in creasing and because the elderly stopped dying and just get older, the cost of these services keeps going up and up When you add the cost of subsidizing businesses, sch ools, farmers, and states the spending is astronomical. In order to balance the budget some drastic cutbacks in some or all of the programs is necessary. Attempts have been made to do just that. But whenever these attempts have been made to balance the budget, strong opposition came from those that would be affected by the cutbacks. Since Congress is a tool of the people, the opposition mani pulates the spineless fiends into passivity. - I have nothing against any of the factions that are re ceiving funds. However, I don’t think the Government can afford to be big mother to everyone. It is time for massive cut backs in Federal spending to be made All programs could use some reformation, especi ally in defense spending, congressmen salaries, wel fare, Governmental agencies, education, and transportation It doesn't take a genius to realize that there are neces sities and there are unneces sary expenses in government spending For instance, it is nice to have special educatibn programs to help slow learners However, it is not a i necessity for the federal gove rnment to pick up the tab. Likewise, the Government is picking up the tab for a lot of nice things that are not neces sities. It is past time that the priorities be set and the neces sities be funded and the nice things be scrapped. A balanced budget requires such precise actions by congress now. If not then your take home pay will continue to dwindle while your taxes will continue to rise. It is time for us to let.it be known that we are ready for massive cut backs in federal spending. A letter to your congressman will help. Agency Opens Three Offices The Mecklenburg County Veteran* Service Office has opened three satellite offices in Neighborhood Centers as part of its service expansion program. The offices are located at: Amay James Center, 2415 Lester Street, 374-2196. meeting from 9:30 11:30 a.m. each Thursday; Belmont Center, 700 Park wood Avenue, 374-26X1, »:*► 11:30 a m. each Tuesday; and Greenville Center, 1330 Spring Street, 374-2877, 9.30-11:30 a m. on Wednesdays. Services of the Veterans Office Include: (a) advising and assisting veterans, their dependents and survivors, present claims for compensat ion, hospitalization and medi cal care, insurance, education, home loans and other benefits to which they may be entitled under federal, state or local laws and regulations, (b) ass isting claimants in assembling necessary evidence to prepare applications for presentation " to the appropriate agency, (c)' requesting and arranging per sonal apperances before bo ards or agencies when necess ary. (d) preparing formal appeals for disallowance of benefits on behalf of claimants when warranted, (e) maint aining and updating records on all claimants. ., a 1 —-1
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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May 4, 1978, edition 1
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