CÎMlrt:
We Recommend Carter, Hunt, Hair
By Hoy le H. Martin Sr.
Post Executive Editor
The presidential election of 1976
will occur in a setting of voter choice
determined by the candidates' tele
vision style rather than substantive
issues, rhetoric rather than defini
tive political philosophy and Ford's
apparei^t lack of leadership versus
Cartej^apparent potential for lead
ership.
Looking beyond the style-setting
q^the debates, the rhetoric appeals
to specific ethnic or interest groups,
arid the past records of the candi
dates the POST offers *■ what it
believes to be the best choices for
national, state and local offices in
the election of November 2,.
For the office of the President of
the United States we prefer Jimmy
Carter. He has a reasonably good
record as governor of the state of
Georgia, an impressive record in
civil rights, particularly when view
ed in the context of the history of the
times, and a commitment to a
domestic policy that will be of
particular benefit to middle and low
income citizens.
ivir. r oru on me oiner nana, nas
shown an inability to provide asser
tive leadership, has a questionable
— _record in civil rights, supports a
domestic policy that hinders reduc
ing unemployment, and a foreign
affairs program that exploits black
Africans and practices economic
imperialism in Panama.
-For the office of the Governor of
North Carolina the POST recom
mends Jim Hunt. Hunt has expres
sed a commitment to progressive
government, a desire to strengthen
the N.C. Human Relations Commis
sion, and supports a full employ
ment economic policy for the state.
For the four State Senate seats
representing Mecklenburg and Ca
barrus counties we recommend
FRED ALEXANDER (D), J. CARL
YLE RUTLEDGE (D), CAROLYN
MATHIS (R), and BARRY MILLER
(R).
A former city councilman, Alex
ander's record in the legislature has
been one of getting things done for
urban areas, blacks and consumers.
J. Carlyle Rutledge has had pre
vious legislative experience and we
believe he should be given the
opportunity to serve again.
Carolyn Mathis has shown consi
derable growth and maturity during
two terms in the House. We believe
she will use well her developed skills
in the Senate. Barry Miller has a
wide knowledge about health mat
ters and has an untiring record of
positive activities in community
affairs. His dedication and sense of
good judgement justify our support.
Mecklenburg County has eight
seats in the N.C. House. For these
seats we recommend LOUISE S.
BRENNAN (D), RUTH M. EAST
ERLING (D), JO GRAHAM FOS
Γ
TER (D), PARKS HELMS (D),
BEN TISON (D), FRED W. WHITE
(D), MARILYN R. BISSELL (R)
and DAVID JORDAN (R).
Four of these candidates (Gra
ham, Tison, Helms, and Bissell) are
incumbents, and one (Jordan) has
previously represented both Meck
lenburg and Buncombe counties in
the House. All have been given high
marks for being knowledgeable and
effective legislators.
Mrs. Brennan has been an effective
party member and possesses
considerable knowledge about local
and state political affairs. This
background should enable her to
become a good House member. Ruth
M. Easterling is making her second
bid for a House seat. Her long
involvement in civic affairs and a
term on the Charlotte Citv Council
should give her the basic skills to be
an effective lawmaker with some
expertise in the problems of the
cities. Lastly, Fred W. White, one of
the few westside residents to get the
opportunity to seek state office, is a
successful business man. His busi
ness experience and identification
with working people - partly through
administrative leadership at the
N.C. Heavy Equipment School -
should enable him to take a unique
point of view to the law making
chamber.
To fill the five seats on the
Mecklenburg County Commission,
we recommend ELIZABETH G.
HAIR (D), ROBERT WALTON (D),
LEWIS C. COLEMAN (D), PETER
FOLEY (D), and THOMAS F.
MOORE JR. (R).
In two terms on the County Com
mission Mrs. Hair has demonstrated
effective and compassionate leader
ship
Robert Walton offers a wide know
ledge of civic and business affairs -
including a depth of understanding
of the black community - that we
believe will add much to the com
mission's effectiveness. Lewis C.
Coleman has a record for. getting
things done at the grass-roots level.
We believe he will continue this
effort and . help the commission to
stay in touch with the real human
needs of people at all socio-economic
levels. Peter Foley had demonstrat
ed, in our opinion, an increasing
awareness and understanding of
peoples needs, therefore, he will
continue to add much to the commis
sion. Thomas F. Moore Jr. is a
former District Attorney of proven
ability and judgement. We believe
he will be a welcome addition to the
commission.
Finally, the POST believes that
Clifton E. Johnson, Larry Thomas
Black and J. Frank Huskins have
well demonstrated their abilities
and should receive your vote for the
judgeships they seek.
On the sewer and water bond
issues we ask that you vote ves.
h
NOW. IF THE BLACKS
WANT POWSR-THEY
WILL HAVE TO CET IT
THR0UOH THE PAi
BOX." AGH£UL.
WTEÏ
SELF HFTP
OUR J
CHLDRENS
What Makes The Difference In Sehool?
By D. Marie Washington
Special To The Post
When discussing the problems of today's
schools, one of the words most frequently
heard among higher level educators is
accountability. It has been noted that the
schools which offer quality education are
those which are accountable to the people
whom they serve,' namely, the parent
corn m unity. U seems that in schools wttefe
the staff seeks to gain and keep parents'
approval, parents are found to be cooperative
and supportive; children are obedient and
responsive; the physical plant is respected
and cared for, and learning t$kes place. But
in schools where the staff disregards parents
and their opinions, parents become hostile
and aloof, children become destructive and
rebellious, and learning dwindles to a mini·
' mum. It also appears that accountability and
parent power go hand in hand. There is more
accountability to rich parents than to poor
parents; private schools are more account
able to parents than are public schools, and
schools serving White communities are more
accountable than schools serving Black com
munities.
In an effort to make all schools account
able, school Jsoards in many cities have
experimented with various ways and means
of giving communities more control over
their schools, but those programs which have
offered the most promise have been strongly
resisted and oftentimes defeated by the
powerful teacher unions. Even though ac
countability is a reality in affluent communi
ties, it seems that teachers and principals are
especially fearful of any real reorganization '
which would give power to parents in the
inner city -, yet it is in the inner city where the
quality of education demands that some
system be devised which would make schools
more responsive to their parent-communi
ties.
It is suspected umi one ot tne cmei reasons
why accountability is so difficult to achieve in
inner city schools is that it requires educators
to recognize that their relationship to the
community is that of employee to employer,
and as such, it requires a sense of subordina
tion - and there's the rub! Many people who
work in the inner city schools simply refuse to
think of themselves as being in a subordinate
role to the Black, the poor, or the powerless.
They assume that their higher level of income
and education automatically places them in a
superior position to the parents, and that they
should not be challenged or questioned by
parents concerning their decisions and beha
viors. On the other hand, teachers and
principals seem to have no trouble accepting
their service role in affluent communities,
and they even admire and applaud the fact
that those parents there keçp close watch on
teaching behaviors and on the school's
performance. ν
Regardless of the difficulties and obstacles,
however, those who desire quality education
for all children must continue to work to make
all schools accountable to the citizens whom
they serve, because accountability is to
quality education as yeast is to bread; and
until it is equally realized in all schools,
education.for affluent Whites will continue to
come as a full, delectable loaf, while educa
tion for the Black, the poor and the powerless
will be no more than a thin, tasteless wafer.
TO
BE
EQUAL
* \
Vernon Ε Jordan Jr. |
Removing The Poor
Remember those urban renewal programs of
the 50's that plowed up central cities, destroying
homes and neighborhoods of poor people to make
way for speculative projects that benefited the
better-off?
Well, hold on to your hats because those days
are on the way back - at least if numerous
housing experts, city planners, and urban
theorists have their vtay.
Typical of the new thrust in city planning is the
recent testimony, before a Congressional com- φ
mittee, of a man described in news accounts as
"a theorist on the recovery of American cities."
He urged that the urban poor be moved away
from center-cities so that the areas could be
redeveloped to attract middle income suburbani
tes back to the cities. That sounds to me like a
theory for the destruction of American cities.
But it's typical of the mounting support for that
kind of thinking that his testimonv was taken so
seriously. It fits into what is becoming known as
the "triage" theory.
mat sa Datueueia lerm ιογ meaics-iacea wnn
a situation in which they've got to provide fast
medical aid to casualties under battlefield
conditions. Let the dying die, the theory goes,
and concentrate, your scarce resources on those
who might pull through.
Translated into the urban environment by
planners, the theory says, in effect, that poor
neighborhoods can't be saved so just let them
deteriorate while providing services to neighbor
hoods in better condition. Ultimately property
values will fall and the areas will be ripe for
developments like shops, offices and middle and
upper income housing.
And for the poor who live in those neighbor
hoods-tough luck. Help them relocate to the
outskirts of town. Out of sight, out of mind.
The abject failure of the urban renewal
programs of two decades ago ought to be a
warning against this approach to city officials,
but they're blinded by what they see as the
attractions of increasing the city's tax base.
Run-down slums.juré full of' nori-taxpaying
properties and abandoned buildings. Redevelop
ment means increased property taxes and
wealthier residents who can spend more.
ine jouer in ine aeck is tnat supporters of this
approach think it can be effected smoothly.
Large scale emigration to the suburbs somewhat
eased the urban housing crunch in the sixties,
and they think redevelopment can be accom
plished without too much pressures on the
housing market.
This so called "triage" approach has been
encouraged by the abandonment of federal
attempts to formulate a comprehensive urban
strategy and the vacuum that withdrawal left, a
vacuum filled by local interest hostile to the
poor.
The way to save the cities isn't to abandon
them to the mercies of speculators. The cities
will be revitalized through programs that help
the poor, preserve and improve their neighbor
hoods, and ensure their participation in decisions
that affect their lives.
Spare us the solutions of self-styled urban
"experts" and other social quacks who prescribe
DOlicies that will nnlv loarf tn
IHIi LWAKlXriTE POST
"THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER"
Established 1918
Published Every Thursday
By The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc.
2606-B West Bivd.-Charlotte, N.C. 28208
Telephones (704) 392-1306, 392-1307
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OS i see ic
Amendment For The People
By Gerald 0. Johnson
Amendment for the People
There is an amendment go
ing before Congress that if
passed will allow tax payers to
set priorities as to how our
taxes are spent. This amend
ment would, also, restrict the
amount of money the govern
ment can tax us.
More than of the taxpay
ers polled were in favor of the
amendment. However, those
in government and civic or
ganizations are opposed to the
amendment. Though those
opposed to the amendment are
in the minority, the amend
ment will not get off the
ground. The reason is that the
people voting on the amend
ment are government offi
cials.
Individuals opposed to the
amendment qfgue that tax
payers couldn't agree on how
to spend Ux dollars. More
over, they*argue that critical
issues would not be resolved
because of voter apathy. It has
even been said that those in
favor of the amendment would
stop taxes altogether.
The truth is the taxpayers
are fed up with incompetency
in government Government
has squandered away so much
money that people honestly
regret paying taxes at all.
For instance, up until re
cently the Charlotte City
School Board was using tax
dollars for legal fees in an
attempt to keep Black kids
from getting a decent educa
tion
The federal government has
used tax dollars to keep ex
president Nixon well support
ed. t,
The federal government has
used tax dollars to give Con
gress a raise practically every
year. Note that Congress is
primarily responsible for the
expenditure of tax dollars.
Moreover I find it hilarious
that people relate welfare to
Blacks when in fact the big
gest welfare group is the
Government iUelf. There are
many agencies in Washington
with no work to do. That is
ridiculous. Hence, we are pay
ing taxes to pay people to do
nothing for the government;
The President not being ex
cluded.
''/Tax ftrHlare are being pour
ed into the Defense Depart
ment for national security.
This is the biggest watteoCâH
Doesn't it seem strantfe that"
we spend more money for
Gerald Ο. Johnson
defense in peace time than we
do in war times. Something
must be wrong. We are main
taining Army bases that are
obsolete. They have been ob
solete since WW II. Defense
contracts are issued to non
existent companies. The hat
goes on and on.
The Government has de
monstrated that its priorities
are not in the best interest of
the people
The truth is the amendment
would be good Since the re
-peeeentatives we elect to of
fice do not represent us, we
need a means of representa
tion. We need a way to indi
cate our priorities.
Since of the voters have
indicated that they are in
favor of the amendment U
would seem that our represen
tatives would vote {he amend
ment in. However, this is a
case in point to show that we
the people are getting taxation
without representation. It Is
time to get this government
for the people back to the
government by the people.
Two Party System
"The Democrats giveth and
the Republicans taketh away"
is a little saying heard fre
quently in Black neighbor
hoods. The saying is true. The
two platforms of the parties
indicate this fact ""
Democrats are people orien
ted and they support heavy
spending for people programs,
liiis type of government I*
inflationary but it gives the
people hope for the future.
It is without a doubt that
inflation leads to depression
(mild recession).
♦
Once Republicans take of
fice the people programs
start going out the window.
Cutbacks are made to slow the
growth of inflation. This con
servative Government stabi
lized the economy and keeps
the country from going over
the brink. The trouble is they
do this at the expense of the
people. Thus moral is low
during the Republican re
gime.
However, this type of up and
down Government keeps the
country in balance, believe it
or not.
The country can not exist
purely on overspending nor
solely on underspending.
There should be a happy me
dium It doesn't seem foolish
to me to have a co-existence of
both worlds.
1 don't Mieve we will get it
t
with the two party system.
Hoorah for the Band
The Johnson C. Smith Gold
en Bull Band under the direc
torship of Mr. Davenport, bet- .
1er known as "Mr. D," has
come a long way since the
beginning of the school year.
The band's marching, play
ing, and intricate patterns
were extremely good for the
last two years. Hats off to
Mr. D. and the band for
providing good half-time per
formances during football
games. So everyone on JCSU
campus should be proud of
those fast becoming immortal
words "Band Take The
Field".
aomeunng un Τ our Mind?
Something on your mind is the name of a
column devoted to our readers of this news
paper-as long as it relates in some way to young
people, regardless of age.
It will be written by you and about wl^tever is
on your mind!
So, if you have something to say...WRITE ON!
Some subjects that may be of special interest
to you are: Drugs, Generation Gaps, Welfare,
Gangs, Scnool, Going Steady, Police Revolution,
Whites, Blacks, Integration, Busing, Draft, God,
Negro churches, etc.