Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Feb. 1, 1979, edition 1 / Page 2
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. cion0is tcoHinicnu j Meeting The Challenge • by Hoyle H. Martin, Sr. Poet Editorial Writer In an action designed to protect itself from creditors, The Charlotte Poet filed a voluntary petition in a Charlotte federal court on Sept. 12. Like many other small businesses, squeezed between inflation and cash-flow problems, the Post’s ac tion is designed to meet a short term problem. Our confidence that the Poet will continue meeting the chal lenge was evident when publisher Bill Johnson said, “To be perfectly honest...1 don’t see anything here that we can’t handle.” We were pleased too with the level of objectivity that The Charlotte Observer (Jan.27) exhibited in re porting on our financial problem. .We make this observation because it is not often that a daily newspaper will write in an objective way about the problem of a weekly paper. This is evident by the early positive responses of support we have re ceived from the community. Perhaps these developments indi cate that its time for Charlotte’s Black community to take a serious look at the unique role the Post plays in their daily , lives. We note this because without the Post there would be a media void in the .coverage of news relevant to the black community. While the Post’s circulation of over 9,100 is the highest in the paper’s 60 year history, and January 1979 has been the best income month since Bill Johnson became publisher in 1974, an increase in circulation and advertising are vital to keeping the Post in business. Ironically, but not surprisingly circulation and advertising, two of the primary function of any news paper operation, were presented as the “most serious” problem of the black press at the National Newspa per Publishers Association’s Mid Winter Workshop held in Memphis recently. Therefore, and to repeat, the Post’s problem is neither unique nor new but is instead a problem of small business in general and the black press in particular. As you are reading, you may be wondering how you might help. The answer is simple, purchase a $13 annual subscription. We have made this suggestion because we believe the Post to be a newspaper of quality that this community needs and wants. One of the few church-family oriented newspapers in the country, The Po6t will continue meeting the challenge as evidenced by its steady growth, quality news reporting and its commitment to the news inter ests of the Black community. If you agree with our optimism and the quality of our news product, subscribe to the Post and ask a friend to do the same. Planning Will Help Test Scores j In the debates, discussions and comments about the low compet ency test scores by some Charlotte Mecklenburg School students, espe cially blacks, a great deal of alarm, emotion and finger pointing has occurred. Teachers, administra tors, parents and students are each tending toward wanting to blame the other for the test failure rate. Such exercises will not achieve anything nor deal with the real issue involved. We further believe that rushing head-long into massive volunteer tutor programs, student test-taking skills, the sudden ending of so-called social promotions, the raising of National Teacher Examination minimum scores and the stricter screening of applicants for teacher training programs would be pre mature unless instituted after a thorough analysis of why the test scores are low. Thus, clear analysis followed by a carefully planned approach to improving student aca demic skills appears to be the only sensible way to eventual higher test scores for our youth. A beginning point in any meaning ful understanding of why student test scores are low should be in a look at the political, social and academic climate at the time that the present nth graders were in their primary grades. When this year’s crew of 11th graders were in their primary ■ ^ ' 1 ■ grades - during years when basic foundations for learning was occurr ing - our community was caught-up in the emotional struggles over school desegregation and court or dered busing. In that climate, our public schools were reduced from being citadels of learning to instru ments of social change. What we are partly seeing in the low test scores is the result of schools that were no longer consi dered a part of the fabric of the community, frightened children in distant strange schools following a long bus ride, and teachers hamper ed in their teaching shills by racial myths and stereotypes. In this atmosphere,with blacks being bused in disproportionste numbers, it was not likely that youth in most need of teacher directed development re ceived any academic foundation. The result has been 11th grade low test scores in 1979. Another point for consideration in this matter involves the use of volunteer tutors. Most such tutors are or will be white middle-class housewives who do not have nor need full-time jobs as most blacks do. This will mean having many black youth tutored by white fe males who probably have had little or no previous contact with blacks. Unless this kind of issue is faced squarely more will be lost than gained in helping to improve the ^academic skills of more youth. ^LACKSmiST^WPSk /USTIFY/NG BLACK mm lawlessness onM DENIAL OFRIGHTS'M MUST SPEAK OUT V FRANKLY AGAINST M THE CRIMINALS A Challenge To Black Leadership Business In The Black Food Prices Moving Higher i_rr\_n DaIIa - A-' Cv yj J V/IMlt >v*i u. vn>uv Special To The Post Even the farmers are find ing fault with the Carter Ad ministration’s food price pre dictions for 1979.Black Ameri can consumers are already caught in the ever increasing price spiral and sinking job market.Current signs of a broad and general accelerat ion of economic activity por tend a higher inflation rate for 1979 than 1978 and the delay and subsequent deepening and extending of the impending recession. The recent 14.5 percent pro jected increase in the price of crude oil is significantly larg er than anticipated by almost all earlier economic forecasts. The hike will undoubtedly ac centuate previous economic accounts estimates of unem ployment and inflation. While the demand for petro leum products has in the past turned out to be very largely price-inelastic over a wide range (for gasoline, for ex ample, from thirty cents a gallon to seventy cents), it would seem to be unwise to assume much elasticity in the incremental con resulting from the rise In the price of crude oil.Taken by itself, the rise in the oil price represents an absorption of income whose effects will largely be felt in markets other than petroleum products.Such an increase will spill over into food prices. Farmers who find addition al cost of fertilizer and farm equipment operations will try to pass on the increased costs to consumers.Farm-state con gressmen will introduce leg islation which will push food prices up. Senator Robert J. Dole (R Kansas) ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture , ^ommiuee, plans 10 miroauce a new farm bill that would, as he puts it, “quickly improve farm income. "The proposed legislation would, for example pay farmers to take wheat, corn and other crops out of production, while requiring beef imports when supplies are “ample. “An effective de sign which will destroy low cost food for the consumer. A reduction in the beef supply is already expected and sugar production is pre dicted at three percent below the 1977-78 crop-year, accord ing to F. O. Lict, respected commodity economist. worldwide weatner renders a crop production forecast, including one for 1978-79 high ly vulnerable.However, world population still rises at a rate of around 80 milllion mouths each year. Many governments are ded icated to increasing and im proving diets and living stand ards.China is convinced it should now eat bread and not noodles!Such demands on the U. S. food production capacity will combine to drive U. S. consumer food prices at least the earlier predicted ten per cent or more this year. Mecklenburg County Will Receive Highway Bond Fund RALEIGH,-For the second straight year, Mecklenburg County can look forward to benefits from 1977 highway bond funds that will be used to improve secondary roads. Today in its monthly meet ing here, the North Carolina Board of Transportation allo cated $15 million from funds authorized by the State High way Bond Act of 1977 for improvements to the state’s 59,378-mile secondary road system. Mecklenburg County's share of the $15 million allo cation is $85,850, based on a formula prescribed by the state legislature. According to the formula, each county re ceives a percentage of the total funds available, deter mined by the unpaved miles of secondary roads in the county ' in relationship to the total mileage of unpaveo secondary roads in the state. Mecklenburg County has 115 miles of unpaved roads, while the total mileage of unpavec state maintained seconds r> roads in North Carolina is 20,058. Secretary of Transportatior Tom Bradshaw commented “Again, we are glad to be able to put the highway bond funds to work for the people.lt was the people’s overwhelming support of the 1977 bond issue at the polls that made these funds a reality.lt is such con tinued participation and sup port that will enable us tc make much needed improve ments to our highway anc transportation systems anc complement Governor Jim Hunt’s balanced growth anc economic development pro gram for the benefit of the entire state,” he added. In February 1978, the trans portation board approved as initial allocation of $30 millioi from the bond issue for secon dary road improvements. 1U BE EQUAL Snake Oil And Balanced Budgets California’s Governor Jerry Brown has em braced the new orthodoxy of balanced budgets. In his inaugural address, he’s come out “for a constitutional convention. The_ purpose : to pass an amendment to the CodstthilMI requiring a : balanced federal budget. . . -» By so doing, Governor leadership of the But his proposed inflation - a balanced federal modem version of Like them, it won’t cure the problem. n_—_—a._a __9_ ai___ va _> uvvduui o oiauu uuoicauo vie |iuuuv. n am u«u politics, bad economics and bad leadership. The call for a Constitutional convention is dangerous. Once assembled, such a convention could rewrite the entire Constitution, a frighten ing prospect in this day of single-issue interest lobbies and widespread indifference to civh rights. But beyond the grim .possibility of a conven tion that could run wild, the requirement for a balanced federal budget is a bad one. First, deficit spending - the unbalanced budget - is often necessary. In times of recession, excess federal spending stimulates the economy and prevents the deep slide into massive Depression. Second, a constitutionally required balanced budget would prevent the government from responding to crises, whether foreign or do mestic. The government’s flexibility would be. damaged. Third, it needlessly restricts government’s ability to meet its obligations. An economic slowdown resulting in lower tax revenues would force either a reduction in federal services or a tax rise, neither of which may be feasible in a given situation. Finally, the most likely outcome of a balanced budget amendment would be its evasion. The Governor knows full well that states that have balanced budget requirements in their own constitutions simply setup twf> budgets. One, for operating expenses, is kept in balance. The 3 other, for capital expenses, is financed through borrowed funds. By those standards, the federal budget is already balanced. If the federal government went through that little exercise, it would simply increase public distrust of government. A perfectly legitimate accounting procedure would strike many people as being an evasion of the Constitution. The fundamental flaw in the plan mandating KolntlAA^ _1 ft._1 __A. 11_1_ 1____i*_ *vuv* cu muukfi uco ui iio aooum^uuii that federal deficits cause inflation. In fact, even conservative economists recognize that even a deficit as large as the President’s $30 billion target adds only a small fraction of a percentage point to the inflation rate. Like the old snake oil merchants, proponents of a balanced budget amendment offer nothing of value. The problem of inflation would be untouched. The real problems of our economy low productivity through unemployment and] • underemployment - would be worsened by the government’s inflexibility. It’s a failure of leadership to manipulate symbols and to seIT the public worthless ideas ; t instead of trying to come to oHps with the real problems of our economy. THE CHARLOTTE POST "THE PEOPLES NEWSPAPER” Established 1918 Published Every Thursday By The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. 1524 West Blvd.-Charlotte, N.C. 28208 Telephones (704)376-0496-376-0497 Circulation, 9,915 _ 60 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE BILL JOHNSON. ..Editor Publisher BERNARD REEVES...General Manager SHIRLEY HARVEY...Advertising Director ■ HENRY ALAKSA.-.Buainesa Manager Second Class Postage No. 965500 Paid At Charlotte, N.C. under the Act of March 3,18178 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 Chicaeo, 111. 60616 (212) 489-1220 Calumet 5-0200 Burrell Spots Cracks In Carter’s New Foundation National Business League President Dr. Berkeley G. Burrell today declared that “the continued exclusion of blacks coupled with the in creasing rate of inflation cons titute the major cracks in the President’s efforts to build a new foundation. " Responding to President Carter's State of the Union address. Dr. Burrell said: “Certainly the building of this new foundation should take Into account the needs and intereata of the nation’s disad vantaged groups, and utilize the input of the minority private sector as well. From our point of view, one thing is clear - without the inclusion of minority sector participation in the American economic mainstream, the state of the union will not remain sound." The leader of the nation's oldest business association emphasized that inflation re mains the nation’s most ser ious domestic Issue. Noting that the coat of living rose by more than 9 per cent last year, he added: “If we do not arrest seemingly uncontroll able price Increases, this na tion of massive wealth will have poor people, including white people, eating dog food The unemployed, underem ployed and others on fixed incomes simply cannot endure a continuation of voluntary wage and price guidelines which do not stop the r ising cost of food. Mr. Carter says that man datory controls are unwar ranted and that we should not substitute myth for common sense. Yet, common sense tells us that it is unwarranted for a nation that spends a billion and a half dollars every day to have some of her people trying to survive on dog food. The Carter Administration must exert stronger leader ■hip to halt inflation if its new foundation is not to be built upon sand and swept away by the raging tide of the poor people trying to survive on canned dog food. The NBL Chief continued: "The tax system is designed to (gather and distribute re sources. As taxpayers, the minority community is always Included on the gathering side, but somehow remain excluded from the distributing side. Our call for capacity building resources underscores our in tention to participate in the nation's economic benfits This year, the white people must share our resources with us." Burrell noted that despite the Administration's claims of austerity, the budget still comprises sn unprecedented $532 billion. He stated: No matter how lean you slice it, $532 billion is still a tremend ous sum of money. The minority private sector is not asking for an increase in the budget;rather, we are con cerned about receiving our fair share of these resources.” The call for capacity build ing resources has been sound ed with increasing frequency by the leaders of the minority private sector. According to Burrell: ‘The minority pri vate sector should still de mand its equitable share of capacity building resources from the federal government. The issue may well be one of agility and adaptability. We have to be agile enough to shift our focus to where the re sources are, and from all indications, that focus will be in defense spending next year. * Moreover, despite budget cuts, federal expenditures will actually increase, and the mi nority private sector should get its fair share of those expenditures.” Burrell explained that the overall thrust of the Adminis tration's proposals run count er to the needs of the disad vantaged minority communi ties "The President's proposals requlr a higher rate of unem ployment to offset inflation Such tactics put a dispropor tionate burden on our disad vantaged sectors who are al ready losing the battle of welfare checks chasing higher prices," he said. Recently re-elected to an unprecedented sixth three year term, Burrell is the tenth President of NBL. Headquart ered in Washington, D.C., NBL’s growing membership is found in 120 chartered chap ters in 37 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, more than SO national minority business, trade and professional associ ations are affiliated with the League through its National Council for Policy Review. GEBS Schedules Three Classes , A certified employee Bene fit Specialist Program (CEBS)haa scheduled three claaaea to be offered at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte beginning in Peb. Offered by UNCC's Office for Continuing Education, the CEBS program Is a joint development of the Interna tional Foundation of Emplo yee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. It is designed for trustees, administrators, consultants, attorneys, account man agers, Investment managers, benefit personnel and others who are active in or interested in learning about the emplo yee benefit field. A course on pension plans will be taught Thursday s, Feb 22 to June 7. «««... M Freeman of Mridlnger and Associates of Charlotte, act uaries and employee U'liefil consultants, is uw instructor A course on Social Secu rity, savings plans and other retirement arrangements is scheduled Wednesdays, Feb. 21 to June 0. Carl E. Johnson Jr., Charlotte attorney with the firm Fleming, Robinson, Bradshaw and Hinson, is the instructor. Management principles is the topic of a course scheduled Tuesdays, Feb. 20 to June 5. David J. v.«uM*.rt, assistant vice president of NCNB's trust division, is the instructor. Each class will be from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Smith 227. The cos. of each class is $100. An orientation session for all three courses is scheduled at 7:30 p.m Thursday. Feb. 15, in Denn> ill ► or r« gistralion form* and other information, contact UNIT * Olticc for Continuing Education at MC-2424 Want To Improve Your Handwriting? Want to improve your handwriting or penmanship? The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is offer ing s seminar in calligraphy for those who want to learn how to write in a beautiful or formal manner. Sponsored by the Office of Continuing Education at UNCC, the seminar will be held Tuesdays, March 9 to April 34, from 7 to9 p.m. In the community room at the Sears and Roebuck store In the Southpark Shopping center. The instructors will be William B. Mitchell and Di anne Yett English, and the cost is 935. For more information, con tact the UNCC Office of Con tinuing Education, telephone 597-34*^
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Feb. 1, 1979, edition 1
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