EDITORIALS & COMMENTS
—Thoughts For 1983
Two of the biggest , holidays
annually dose each year. Christ*,
mas, with all of its trappings, is
charaderized by shopping malls
filled to satisfy the commercial
_zeal, and shoplifters too; church
£es extend themselves to offer
v spiritual need and food for the
• downcast; families meet, em
£brace, and exchange gifts; and
^Children, and some adults too
^extend their fantasies about .old
’.-Santa.
K And then there’s New Year’s
>Day. A time for parties, relax
ation, bowl games, spiritual re
newal and resolutions, too. No,
:we are not going to suggest any
>Jfew Year's resolutions that lwe
:*Can’t keep and you won’t .either.
; Rather, we offer some cbm
-Jnents from our year’s editorials
rUnd other reflections that.may
add to your thoughts, persped*.
V- -in an era oi new cnauenges,
blacks rnust.be alert.to toe
^emerging “new. racism” which
;is a reminder that toe quest Jfor
[Equality, justice and opportunity
[is an on-going struggle.
—[l-'-lbe availability of mega—
[dollars and the accompanying
[frrewurc on collegiate Coddles
[has led to NCAA recruiting
[violations and toe exploitation of
;many black youth as evidence by
[toe large number who are cast
[aside without a college degree as
[soon as their eligibility as ath
letes has ended. Let’s insist toat
Collegiate athletics be kept .In
proper perspective.
Computer Science
; -America’s high level of un
employment is related in part io
toe little known or understood
fact. that. toe nation is slowly
moving from the Industrial Age
to an era of computer techno
logy for which too few people in
toft-labor-facce-have toe new.
computer science skills. '
i -In the 37 years since the A
:bombing of Hiroshima, so-called
.Civilized nations -"toe USA and
toe USSR in particular - have
been insanely stock piling mon
strous nUClear arsenals that Can
Cow destroy the earth seven
.times over.
, -The only way black voters
tan be believers in elective
officials is to go to the polls en
inasse in every election and vote.
^-Actor and playwrite Ossie
Davis has urged blades to de
velop a map, not .a rap; get .a
plan, not Ibe man.
• “Man can live about 40 days
without .food, about, three days
without, water, about, eight
minutes without _air...but^only
about one Second without hope.”
If star gazing infolbe 1980s is
to have any meaning we must
pause to look back and see where
we have been in order to sense
where we are going.
-Labor analysts have Con
cluded that , many American’
r ■■■ 1 -.. ■'
workers who have never experi
enced extended periods of un
employment, have perceived
their extended prosperity as
normal, as expectation that have'
become feelings of entitlements.
-Fred D. Alexander, a man of
the century; Coleman Kerry,
calmness in a stormy sea;
Martin Luther King, an enduring
symbol of hope; George Leake, a
man among men; Jack Brayboy,
a man for all seasons.
-Black history mirrors the
past .and gives direction to the
future.
Black Survival
-The survival of black insti
tutions, businesses, neighbor
hoods and traditions will be
determined by the decisions of
black people.
_-We Can, in the final analysis
only be equal if we are indivi
dually and collectively in pur
suit of excellence.
-Black youth must be directed
and led to believe that; the
spectors of racism, sexism or
age discrimination should not be
a deferent. to the pursuit, of
|_‘_
-Vote (or what? Vote to pre
serve what you have and to gain
what your potential may bring.
-As long as housing discrim
ination exists, the problems of
crime, educational dropouts, de
pendent welfare, tax burdens,
and urban blight will continue.
The black church, the major
institution owned arid Controlled
by blacks, needs to move ag
gressively to pool its resources to
become a dynamic force in the
quest for economic opportunity'.
-Progress for black Ameri
cans should be measured in
terms of our commitment .to a
positive attitude, the wprk
ethic, trust.in each other and
faith in Almighty God.
-Christmas is a time to pause
and remind ourselves that loom
passionate feelings for others
m ust be extended to being year
round. To do less wpuld be to
degrade the meaning of Christ-,
mas and to reject , the love of
Christ Jesus, a love without
which there can be no brother
hood.
Something On Your Mind?,
. .“Something On Your Mind” is
a column devoted to readers who
went, to express thoughts oh
various subjects, and who wish
to share their thoughts wjtfaT
others.
Some subjects that jnay be of
interest are: Racism, New Con
servativism, Busing, etc.
Your article should be at ieast.
250 type-written words, and dou
ble spadng is (referred. Please
include your name and age.
Write: Editor, The Charlotte
Post, P. O. Box 30144, Charlotte,
N.C. 28230.
1983
THE BLACK COMMUNITY CAN, AND WILL (OVERCOME).
7&e£etitofi:
»
I
Wage Increase Hit Poor Hardest?
Dear Sir:
Recent news reports
have signaled an increase
in North Carolina’s mini
mum wage beginning the
first of January. Hie wage
hike affects workers not
covered by federal mini
mum wage laws and raises
the wage rate from $3.10 to
$3.35 an hour. While friends
of big labor may be
dancing in the streets,
those concered about youth
unemployment should view
further increases in the
minimum wage with great
dismay.
Ironically, raising the
minimum wage creates
greater unemployment,
hitting the poor and the
minority worker the hard
est. Black economist
Walter E. Williams has
congently discussed these
concerns in several works.
Williams informs us how
these minimum wage laws
have worked in effect and
who these laws have bene
fitted the most.
Minimum wage laws
force employees to pay
their workers an arbitrary
wage selected by lawmak
ers as “Just.” These laws
were created, in theory, to
prevent employers from
“exploiting’' their workers.
However, what happens to
unskilled employees who
are only able to produce
$3.10 per hour when the
minimum wage is raised
from $3.10 to $3.35 an hour?
Professor Williams
points out that such In
creases in the minimum
wage prices these unskilled
workers out of a Job. An
employer cannot pay some
one 13.35 when they can
only produce $3.10 and stay
in business for long. Em
ployers must reduce the
number of unskilled em
ployees by either automa
tion or by hiring workers
with greater skill. In the
example above, workers in
an on-the-job training pro
gram who can produce at
least $3.35 enjoy the bene
fit of higher wages and
those produce between
$3.10 and will likely
find themael vm ooce again
unemployed.
The negatve impact of an
increase in the minimum
wage falls disproportion
ately on those who are
unskilled. Traditionally,
youths, poor people and
minorities tend to be over
represented among the
ranks of the unskilled
worker. As such, an In
crease in the minimum
wage unmatched by an
equal increase in produc
tivity is a disaster that
increases unemployment
among these groups.
Who, then, benefits from
a higher minimum wage?
Does big labor back such
legislation out of some al
truistic concern for un
skilled workers? I think
not. Professor Williams
uses the simple yet il
lumine ting example of
building a fence to demon
strate how skilled workers
are able to demand higher
wages as the minimum
wage for unskilled labor
Increases.
I decide to build a fence
and can use either three
unskilled workers or one
skilled carpenter. If the
minimum wage for un
skilled labor is $3.10, the
carpenter can charge up to
three times that rate and
still be competitive. The
Legislature comes along
at this point and decides
that $3.10 is not a “livable”
wage and raises it to $3.35.
Now the skilled carpenter
can increase his own rate
by three times the mini
mum wage increase and
still bd' competitive.
Through minimum wage
legislation, unions are able
to get their overwhelming
ly skilled membership lu
crative wage increases
largely on the backs of
unskilled labor. It should
come as no surprise that it
is BIG LABOR WHO BE
NEFITS MOST FROM -
MINIMUM WAGE LAWS.
Artificially high mini
mum wage rates are a
major factor in black teen
age unemployment. Skilled
union leaders do not lose
their Jobs due to high mi
nimum wage rates and can
use these rates to improve
their economic position.
The same assertion cannot
be made about unskilled
laborers. As long as min
orities are disproportion
ately represented in the
ranks of unskilled labor,
minimum wage increases,
unmatched by growth in
productivity, are a major
obstacle to equal employ
ment opportunity.
small
NEWS & VIEWS
' •; ’* -> , „ * ^ i
A Catering Business
The catering business is an expanding
parti of the rapidly growing food and
■ beverage industry in tbe United States. The
supply whatever food or drink is needed at.
specific times to private, government,. and
commercial locations.
Mobile caterers increased their food and
drink sales by over nine percent in 1981, but.
sales have been soft In 1962 because of the
down turn in pliant employment and lack of
general economic recovery. As tbe
economy points toward solid improvement.
in 1963 and beyond, tbe catering business
should move sharply ahead.
catering includes several types of activi
ttes^ idOudlng ^tbe banquet .hall where the
caterer who drives to the customer’s site;
and the mobile caterer. The mobile caterer
operates a specifically designed truck to
carry prepared food to various sites and
serves from the vehicle. The basic success
of the food service contractor is his or her
ability to determine the food service needs
of the coromunity'and Co plan their business
to meet Jbeniieedk.
The dollars needed to start.a catering
business depend entirely on the method'of
food preparation and delivery. A large
caterer who wants the ability to provide all
of the food, equipment,, and personnel to
handle groups of 100 to 200 people wfilneed a
minimum of $100,000 Capital funding. The
small mobile caterer can start .oj^erations
with a much smaller investments The pro
fits in this business are average, usually
returning two to five percent .net .profit .on
sales. The major expense items will be
food, labor, and equipment!maintenance
and equipment rental.
Catering relies heavily on word of mouth
advertising as its most .effective means of
getting new customers. The caterer must be
very selective in hiring personnel and must,
emphasize service with quality; Additional
methods of promoting the catering business
include yellow.page ads, magazines, news
papers, and direct mail. Direct jriail tan be
effective with churches, community organ
izations, and non-profit groups.
It is important .to remember tbat indivi
duals are tbe major part .of tbe'Catering
market including private parties, wedding
receptions, and holiday special events.
In tbe beginning Catering business, it is a
good idea to start with a cold menu and add
hot items as your business develops. This is
because hot items require more equipment,
and skilled experience in preparing and
delivering. In tbe beginning, tbe starting
Caterer' will need only one range-oven
Combination until sales levels are estab
lished'. Other equipment.needed may in
clude refrigerators, freezers, slicers, and
dining appointments. You may also need
“light equipment'.’ which includes lines,
tableware, glasses, novelties, and paper
plates and utensils. A panel truck can be
used for food and drink delivery.
For additional information, Contact.tbe
Economic Development. Division, Center
for Improving Mountain Living, Western
Carolina University, Ciillowhee, NC 28723,
704-227-7492. "
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Second Class Postage No. 965500
“THE PEOPLE'S NEWSPAPER”
Established 1918
Published Every Thursday
by The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc.
Subscription Rate 117.68 Per Year
Send All 3579’s To:
1524 West Blvd., Charlotte, N.C. 28208
Telephone 794-376-9496
Circulation 19,433
194 Yearn* Continuous Service
Bill Johnson Editor, Publisher
Bernard Reeves General Manager
Fran Farrer Advertising Director
DannetteGaither Office Manager
Second Class Postage No. 965509 Paid At
Charlotte, North Carolina
Under the Act of March 3,1878
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 become the property of The Post
and will not be returned
National Advertising
Representative
Amalgamated Publishers, Inc.
MSS S. Michigan Ave. 4S W. 45th §*., Suite MSS
Chicago. III. costs New York, New York 10SSS
Cotamet 5-0200 212 4*0-1220
Up-..
, From Capitol Hill
Conyers Block Conservative Criminal Code Strateev
Alfred* L. Madison
Special To The Post
Representative John
Copyers. Chairman, of Jtaa
House Judiciary Subcom
mittee on Criminal Justice
said on the floor of the
House that he was shocked
and appalled at the action
of Congressman Peter
Rodino, chairman of the
House Judiciary Commit
tee, for acceding to Re
publican Senate conserv
atives and House Republi
can conservatives to take
last minute action an cri
tical portions of the
Criminal Code in the lame
duck Congress.
Reform of the Criminal
Code began in the IMOs
with an appointed National
Commission on Reform of
Federal Criminal Laws.
The commission’s final
report was in 1971. Imple
mentation of the findings
were left with the Senate.
The Senate efforts were de
nounced by legal scholars
and organizations con
cerned with civil liberties.
In the 96th Congress the
House Judiciary, having
rejected the Senate efforts,
produced its own version
After numerous hearings
and witnesses by the House
Judiciary Subcommittee
Alfred* L. Madison
on Criminal Justice, a bill
was reported to the floor in
the spring of 1981. This bill
struck a balance between
the rights of the defendants
and protection of the people
and their government. It
also separated the role of
the state and federal
government.
"The 8enate,’’ said Con
yers, "in trying to pull a
fast one, sent beck to the
House bill H R 3963 with
riders which threaten indi
vidual liberties." These
threats were in Titles I and
V. Title I is the "boil -
reform’’ which is only a
preventive detention; it
permits a court to detain a
defendant prior to trial
based on predictions that
the defendant might be
dangerous to the commun
# .
ity if released on bail.
Title V, sentencing re
form, which authorizes
longer prison terms,
appeal ofsenteness by the
government if the prosecu
tor thinks the judge was too
lenient. This, of course,
would rob judges of their
discretion to individualize
the treatment of defend
ants.
The rider also changes
Title VI to permit the fe
deral government to give
property to states to be
used in iaehWng more pri
sons Title VII calls for
mandatory prison terms In
certain circumstances.
Tremendous pressure was
put on the House and San
ate conferees to compro
mise an these issues.
Mr. Conyera was greatly
irked by House Judiciary
Chairman Peter Rodino,
for attempting in the lame
duck Coogreas to change
“bail reform,” sentences
and forfeiture procedures,
without having as is usual
ly dona, the subcommittee
report go through the full
Judiciary Committee. The
Subcommittee Chairman
saM, " . .decision to remove
key portions of the Code
from the Subcommittee’s
jurisdiction during the
lame duck session, that is
operating under the gun of
the Administration, la the
worst kind of usurpation of
pamm and a dahgeroul
precedent.”
The Subcommittee pro
feesional staff members
who were highly familiar
with the Criminal Code
issues were ordered by Mr.
Rodino to participate in the
Senate conference. Con
yers ordered them not to
meet. This placed stafT
members in a tough situa
tion. However, since these
suffers were under the
direct supervision of Mr.
Conyers, they obeyed Ms
orders and refused to meet
with the Senate conferees.
Conyers took Ms case U
the Houee floor, sUting
that Chairman Rodino had
undermined Me role as
Subcommltee Chairman,
and that ha wanted the
American people to know
that the Criminal Code,
provisions were not ready
for Houee action. "The pro
per place for their consi
deration Is the Mth Con
gress, that meets In
January.”
Representative Sawyer
anticipated producing an
amendment to force a vote
on the Senate bill, but this
was never brotggit to the
floor. Instead of the Saw
yer’s amendment, a bill
was Introduced by Con
greesman Hughes, Chair
man of the House Judi
ciary Subcommitee on
Crime. The Hughes bill
makea tampering with con
sumer goods (such as the
recent Tylenol case) a fe
deral crime, assault on a
CIA official a federal of
fense, establishing a cabin
et peat for drugs control,
and establishing proce
dures) for forfeiture for
drug offenders.
In floor discussion of the
Hughes bill, Conyers stated
that the bill was the result
of a conference in which no
conference wns aver
called. Even when a bill la
removed from a confer
ence it can only he with
drawn after 30 days; that
such a procedure for bring
ing a bill to the floor In the
manner of the Higgles bill
has never been dona.
Representative Kind
new. a conservative,
stated that such procedure
was used in 1907 and once
again in the 1990s. In
checking with a staff mem
ber of Conyer’s committee
I was told the parliamen
tarian stated there has
never been any such pro
cedure. Even If Mr. Kind
ness was correct, only two
instances in around 000
years, would hardly be con
sidered a precedence.
Representative Conyers
succeeded in preventing a
change in the bail reform
and sentencing, from being
acted upon In this lame
duek Congress.
Campbell
Schedules
Registration^
Registration for the
spring semester at Camp
bell University wiB begin
on Wednesday morning,
January IS. classes will
begin the following morn
ing, January IS, at 0:
For further information
concerning registration for
spring classes at Campbell
University, contact: Regis
trar’s Office, Campbell
University, Buies Creak,]
N.C. 27509, 019-909-4111,
Ext. 210.
--