cmm tcononu
Blacks Should Get It Together
When the Charlotte News printed
the article last week dealing with the
“Paid Political Workers” our first
impulse was to jump on a band
wagon with horns blaring “I told
You So!”
However, Black people in the
Charlotte community still have a
* long ways to go and the time is too
short for us to take a moment to pat
ourselves on the back.
It proved rather amusing to us to
learn that some of the so called
Black leaders screamed to the high
heavens back in 1974 when the Char
lotte Post first called attention to
this malady. These same people are
now admitting publicly that they
did indeed receive some money from
white politicans during the period.
Several fascinating implications
can be found in the recent acknow
ledgement, especially since these
people bought radio time to public ly
denounce the Post and the stand it
took on the problem. To our know
ledge there have been no such moves
made against the News, which only
recently joined the crusade.
The objectives given by the “paid
political workers” are unquestion
ably. desirable. They say the money
is used largely to purchase gasoline,
rent automobiles and to hire riders
supposedly to help transport people
to the polls.
But as so often happens, the exe
cution becomes tangled in pressure
politics played by the various groups
competing for the white politicians’
money and misshapen motives and
the results is the spending of a lot of
money for very little gain.
Righteous indignation
Now that the word is beginning to
spread, the first reaction of the true
leaders of the Black community
should be of righteous indignation,
because these few greedy people are
putting profits ahead of the best
interest of their fellowmen. .
Black leaders must remember
that they can bargain successfully in
the political arena only if they are
united and only if they can muster a
. sense of strength and a purpose for
their community growth.
The truth is Black leaders should
be far more aware of their bargain
ing strength than they seem to be.
The white politicians who are anx
ious to enter into some type of
working agreement should have
reasons to be worried for the Blacks
they are now dealing with are not
identified with nor do they address
themselves to the real problems of
the Black community.
The Post firmly believes that de
tente is our best hope for lasting
peace. Hope it may offer but only so
long as we have no illusions about it.
Politicans have a history of being
tough negotiators, and Blacks
should be, too. Detente, if it is a one
way street will fail. As a two-way
street it may succeed.
As Blacks, let us not be satisfied
with a political process where princ
ipal accomplishments seem to be
our acquisition of the right to pocket
a little money at election time.
It is time for the Black community
to demand that our leaders put
community interests among the first
priority. We believe Human
Humanitarian impulses and bene
volence are commendable and that
they have a place, but our own
strength and survival must come
first.
We do not feel that our strength
and survival should be placed in the
hands of a few irresponsible people
who receive pay from white politi
cians to direct us.
What bothers us most is that the
paid political workers hustle the
poor and the less intelligent among
us while pretending to be their
leaders.
Political Hustling
We have very little faith in the
effectiveness of this type of political
hustling. There are no statistics kept
and consequently there are no track
records to prove that this method of
getting people out to vote is of value.
One reason we find it difficult to
believe is the fact that less than 40
percent of the registered voters in
Charlotte’s Black community parti
cipate in the election process. If
these people deliver votes, please
tell us why this does not reflect in the
total number of Black people who
vote on election day.
Another concern to all is that
classic problem of the white polit
ican who holds the virtually untap
ped vote resources in the Black
community in such low regards.
Because the white politicans do
not recognize the true value of the
Black vote, he too is being hustled by
the “paid political workers”, who
are not attuned to the majority
needs of the community he suppos
edly serves.
We hope the most recent awaken
ing will help the Post to more clearly
show this community the need for
the abandonment of this out-dated
practice. The best way, we believe,
to improve the conditions in the
Black community is to improve
mutual understanding and trust.
The Post firmly believes that most
blacks bypas^ the opportunity to vote
simply because they are not well
informed of the issues being debat
ed. We also feel Blacks should be
told why a particular policy is in his
best interest as a voter. He must also
know that dangers are involved if
the policy is not adopted. Given the
facts, we believe, Blacks will deve
lop greater interest and their elected
representatives will be far more
receptive and responsive to the
growing results.
Opening the doors to integration
offered an excellent opportunity for
Blacks ‘to the expansionism of the
political arena, but we have since
lost the momentum we gained simp
ly because we have not effectively
planned a program or instituted a
policy for moving forward together
as a people, and not as individuals.
by Jim Martin
9thDistrict, N.C.
The majority in Cong
ress continues to push
for government to pro
vide and pay for more
jobs. On a vote of 239
154, the House has pass
ed and sent to the Senate
a bill to spend $6 billion
for expansion of the pub
lic service jobs pro
gram. President Ford
had asked Congrss for
$1.7 billion to continue
the program at present
levels and phase it out
next year. From these
figures you will be corr
ect in assuming that
President Ford will veto
the measure if it is sent
to his desk, and that I
would support such a
veto. It would take a
two-thirds majority to
override.
The public service
jobs we are talking abo
ut were created last
year by Congress when
unemployment was ex
tremely high in various
parts of the country. Un
employment figures are
now beginning to de
cline, but not fast eno
ugh to suit everybody.
So far, the answer of the
Congressional majority
is to let the government
create jobs. The Public
service Jobs bill was to
hire otherwise unem
ployed people to plant
trees, paint and repair
public housing projects,
etc. So far, the results
haven’t been very en
couraging.
While I oppose the
Public Jobs Bill, I do
support the Local Pub
lic-Works Jobs Bill and
there is a distinct differ
ence between to two.
While it may not be the
best means to create
jobs during a recession,
the measure is at least
the second best that has
come along.
The best approach of
providing jobs would be
to provide tax incent
ives to encourage busi
nesses to expand, thus
creating real jobs, pro
ductive jobs. Unfortuna
tely, this sensible solu
tion is rejected by the
liberal majority, who
oppose business tax in
centives all of which
they consider to be “lo
opholes”. In my opinion
they are necessary in
ducements for busines
ses to expand and pro
vide more jobs. This is
the best answer, a last
ing answer, and will re
generate a healthy econ
omy. It is the best way
to increase the number
of taxpayers to help sup
port the tax Consumers.
The worst approach,
but one the liberal maj
ority actually favors, is
for government to em
ploy people just because
they are unemployed.
The only job require
ment being that they are
unemployed. Their job
description would be to
continue doing more or
less the same as if they
were still unemployed:
that is, very little, This
approach amounts to
“make-work” as I have
already mentioned. It is
true that this approach
will pour $6 billion into
the economy; but the
same $6 billion has to be
borrowed back out of
the market to pay for it.
In the end there won’t be
much to show for it.
TO
BE
EQUAL
Federally Supported Jobs
For The Unemployed
One of the many tragedies in this Depression is
that of unemployed homeowners who can no
longer afford to meet payments on their houses
and as a result, are in danger of losing their
homes.
It’s a serious problem and became more so as
unemployment figures mushroomed. It has been
estimated that about 750,000 heads of families
living in mortgaged homes have been unemploy- #
for 15 weeks or more.
At that point, savings have usually been spent
and unemployment compensation just about
covers basic living costs, excluding mortgage
payments. But if a homeowner can’t make his
monthly payment, the lender - or the govern
ment if it’s a federally insured mortgage -- will
take over his house.
That situation moved Congress last year to
pass the Emergency Homeowners’ Relief Act,
authorizing the Department of Housing and
Urban Development to step in and put up
“emergency loans and advances and emergency
relief payments” to save the homes of the
umemployed.
A good idea. But the way HUD has written the
rules governing this program frustrated Cong
ress’ intentions and may sabotage the purpose
of the program.
unuer ine law, an unempioyea nomeowner has
two options. He can ask HUD to make his
mortage payments for him (or part of it), paying
the money back when he returns to work. Or he
can have HUD insure advances made by the
mortgagee, that is, the lender will cover the
payment due with federal juarantees of repay
ment.
The obvious choice would be to take a HUD
loan, Mortgagees have little incentive to advan
ce money; they could probably make more by
foreclosing. In the case of mortgages already
insured by HUD, a lender could get back-almost
all the money due by foreclosing, since HUD will "‘
pay him. Again, no incentive not to foreclose.
What this means is that for the program to
work, HUD would have to put out the money to
keep unemployed homeowners afloat. In the
case of homes already insured by HUD, the
government would have to pay anyway if
the mortgagee foreclosed. For such homes, it
makes even more sense for HUD to lend the
homeowner his monthly payments. Even if it
saves only a small percentage of such homes,
HUD will wind up way ahead in costs since ft
would have to pay out much more in the case of
foreclosure.
Despite this, HUD officials have written regu
lations that make it unlikely for the emergency
loan program to work.
For one thing, the loans would be triggered
only if the overall delinquency rate goes to 1.20
percent, a level never reached in our history.
Even then, the Secretary has the option not to
start the program.
Another regulation says that the direct loans to
the homeowner will be made only when the
mortgagee can’t make an emergency loan. That
effectively strips homeowners of the option
Congress carefully gave them.
These and other regulations suggest that HUD
will never implement an emergency law Con
gress passed in the best interests of the nation to 9
save the homes of people who have lost their jobs
In tVlin r\/\r\w/vnn a am
--.A S-\ --- S A. S' ^ ..*
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A Need For A Black Coalition
By Gerald O. Johnson
The Charlotte Black
Community is indeed making
great strides in the local polit
ical arena. I think the black
people of this community
should indeed pat themselves
on the back The great strides
that have been achieved are
only overshadowed by those
strides still to be achieved.
I personally feel that the
recent effectiveness of the
Black community is due to a
new awareness by Black
people in this community. An
awareness that has come
about because of some hard
working organizations. Hence,
organizations are the answer
to achieving goals that have
not been attained.
1 ^Electing Black officials to
public office is not the answer
Don't get me wrong on this
point. Black officials are de
finitely a plus on city govern
ing bodies. But community
organizations have done more
for solving problems in Black
communities than any Black
elected official will ever do.
this is partially due to the fact
that most black officials are
more interested in self than in
communities. Moreover, it is
partially due to the fact that
black officials aren’t sensitive
to the problems black
communities are facing. It is
partially due to the fact that
black officials once elected
forget from whence they
came. It is partially due to the
fact that most black officials
are elected because of mone
tary support from white
communities and hence his
loyalty must go to where the
money came from With all of
these "partially due to’s”,
black officials owe very little
allegiance to the black
community.
In contrast, however, black
community organizations are
made up of people who are
directly affected by commun
problems and as a group can
work together to gather facts
that can have significant im
pact on the decision making
process in this metropolis.
Furthermore, as a group no
self interest should enter into
the picture to distort the pur
pose of the community.
Therefore, it should be
obvious that community or
ganization is the key to further
black progress in Charlotte
and not getting more blacks
elected to office. I claim that
with good community organ
ization it doesn't even matter
who is holding offices in city
government.
Before continuing I must
make one thing clear. Mr.
Harvey Gantt, Charlotte’s
only black City Council mem
ber, has made a significant
contribution to Charlotte,
thereby contributing to the
black community. Mr. Gantt,
in my opinion, is the only
realistic council member
Charlotte has. He is also the
only qualified black to have
served in any governmental
position in North Carolina,
past or present Not only that
but I feel he is the only qualif
ied person to serve on th«
council, black or white. Mr
Gantt carries only one vote on
the council however, and his
clear and logical reasoning on
the most difficult of urban
problems often times is over
riden by the voting process.
Mr. Gantt does not serve the
black community. Mr. Gantt
acts out of the best interest for
Charlotte. This is how it
should be. Now I've said it.
The next thing that must be
realized if you agree on my
community concept is we
must get every facet of the
black community working to
wards the same goals. We
must come together in meet
ings and define these goals,
develop a plan to achieve
these goals, and a way to
evaluate the achievement of
these goals. Community
organzations, social clubs,
sororities and fraternities,
churches, colleges, and black
businesses should all be given
the opportunity to participate.
In this way we all can work
together in achieving the goals
set up by the total black
community. In only this way
will Charlotte's black
community reach the political
freedom they desire.
It is time for black organiza
tions to stop partying all the
time and to start promoting
meaningful projects. It is time
to start projects that benefit
the community as a whole and
to stop meaningless debutante
balls. It is time to reach out
and become political oriented
instead of socially oriented.
Scholarship programs to send
one student out to every two
hundred to college is meaning
less. Food baskets to a few
needy on holidays is meaning
less Meaningless in the sense
that the programs are geared
to a minute part of the
community instead of the
entire community. A black
coalition where the entire
community is involved in help
ing the entire community is
meaningful
G«rald 0. Johnson
itv nrnKUmt kn/k«i> »Ka
Rep. Jim Martin
REPORT FROM
J^^WashingtqnJ^
Sabotaging Unemployed Homeowners
THE CHARLOTTE POST
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