Talk-Show Hosts,
Apathy Anger Mark Talisman

M

ark Talisman knows posing candidates. When former
Washington politics. Af- talk-show host Ronna Romney
ter all, he established a announced her candidacy for U.S.
program to teach newly Senate, she discontinued her ra-
elected members of the House of dio talk show for that reason.
"It's horrible," Mr. Talisman
Representatives about House op-
erations, office structure and con- said. "There are major issues out
there like health care and crime
gressional issues.
Mr. Talisman, who has spent which are critical to this country's
his adult life in the nation's cap- future. It's appalling these issues
ital, says "the institution has have been reduced to trash talk.
changed drastically." Mr. Talis- They are using public airwaves...
man blames this change on talk- Why should they have free access
to what others candidates have
show hosts.
"It's sad to watch the deterio- to pay for?"
Mr. Talisman, who served as
ration of politics that is governed
by the hysteria created by talk- director of the Council of Jewish
show hosts," said Mr. Talisman, Federations' Washington Action
who was in Detroit last week to Office, where he represented all
address the Young Adult Division Jewish federations to Congress,
of the Jewish Federation of Met- has another political woe — vot-
ropolitan Detroit and meet with er apathy within the Jewish com-
munity.
community leaders.
"The Jewish community has
Mr. Talisman is angered by the
fact that a handful of congres- fallen prey to the assimilation of
sional candidates are talk-show the comfort of a democracy," Mr.
hosts who used their shows as a Talisman said, "particularly the
vehicle to achieve name recog- young people who often use the
excuse their vote doesn't count.
nition and air their views.
Most talk-show hosts do not The fact is kids are lazy. They
broadcast while campaigning. don't register and they have not
Under federal law, equal broad- had the experience of communi-
cast time must be allotted to op- cating.

"Very few from our communi-
ty have written letters to Wash-
ington about the situation in
Bosnia. People have not con-
nected what we've learned about
the Holocaust to the situation in
Bosnia. No one could say they did
not know what was going on
there."
Mr. Talisman's experiences
have taught him that the best
way to change these situations is
not by reforming the masses, but
by getting Jews one by one to be
more proactive.
During his tenure at the Coun-
cil of Jewish Federations, Mr. Tal-
isman's accomplishments
included creating the Matching
Grant Program to resettle Sovi-
et Jews in the U.S. and the Mem-
orandum of Understanding
Between'. Israel and the U.S. on
Human Service Delivery.
Mr. Talisman also is founding
vice-chairman of the United
States Holocaust Memorial
Council and Museum, chair of the
Research Center for Jewish His-
tory and Culture in Poland and
a government consultant to new-
ly democratizing countries.

Mark Talisman

Recall Effort Under Way In Farmington Hills

U

ntil recently, Sharon
Stein never consid-
ered herself an ac-
tivist.
Now, this Farmington
Hills resident finds herself
fighting city hall and lead-
ing an effort to recall sev-
eral elected officials.
Six of seven Farmington
Hills City Council mem-
bers, including Mayor
Lawrence Lichtman, face
recall for approving plans
to develop a 92-acre site at
Middlebelt and 12 Mile
roads.
Ms. Stein and a group of
citizens who call them-
selves Voter's Voice are
upset with all but one
Farmington Hills City
Council member. The
group says the council
is circumventing zoning
laws on this project. They
also feel the council and
planning comrr -;ssion,

•

which gave preliminary opposition to the development
approval to the project, project.
are not representing
Voter's Voice also objects to an
agreement that ties a millage pro-
the citizens' interests.
Mayor Lichtman posal on the November ballot to
said a recall effort is in- this project, giving voters the op-
portunity to increase their prop-
appropriate.
"There is a recall ef- erty tax by a half a mill. This
fort because of a vote on money could then be used to pay
an issue. If the resi- the developer to give up his "de-
dents are unhappy, let velopment rights" and prevent
them express their feel- construction of the shopping cen-
ings during the next ter.
election. I could under-
"I don't think the people who
stand a recall effort if are being so vocal are represen-
there was misconduct tative of most residents," Mayor
involved but that is not Lichtman said. "I've talked with
the case. This is a gross a lot of residents who don't un-
and inappropriate over- derstand why some are getting
reaction."
so worked up. All we're talking
Also facing recall are about is a subdivision and a small
council members shopping center."
Joanne Smith, Nancy
Voter's Voice needs 6,200 sig-
Bates, Jonathan Grant, natures for each recall attempt.
Cheryl Oliverio and If the group is successful, Farm-
Terry Sever. Aldo ington Hills residents will be
Vagnozzi was not in- asked to go to the polls to vote on
cluded because of his a recall.

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