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10
NO.45 OCTOBER 10 -16,1984
income Blades eswel les poor
SHI GTO , D.C. - In
the ey me ure of economic
tatus - income, poverty atus
and unemploym nt 1 vels -
Blac are or off today than
in 1980, ccording to a ne
udy issued October 4, by the
Center on Budget and Policy
Prioritie .
The tudy, 'Falling Behind:
a Report on How Blac Have
Fared Under the Reagan Polic­
ie ," al 0 find th t the econo­
mic gap between Blacks and
whites - alre dy larg to begin
with - h idened further
ince 1980.
The udy i b d on data
from th n s Bureau, the
Bure u of Labor Statistics, the
Congre Io ud et Office, the
Urban Institute, and other
offi °al d nonpartisan r-
ny of th d ta have
available only within
th p t two month .
Th report notes that, the
"The tatu of Blac Ameri-
vin Burkhe d, 19, died
a rue t his home, 972 c­
Alli ter, trying to ave the life
of his 84-year old grandmother.
Burkhe d i the cond teen
to die in a fire this year
whil attempting to save
another person's life. Last
Feb. 28, Usa Harris, 16, died
in fire at 248 BeUview hile
trying to ve three small chil­
dren.
The fire at 986 cAllister,
hich too the lives of Ro ie
Bell and Burkhead, and injured
one per on attributed to
port bl electric p ce heater
too clo to bedding, ccording
to fire reports.
According to Captain Ron
B in of the Benton Harbor
Fire Dept' report: "Calvin
Burkhead went to th room
and carried Rosie Bell, an
invalid, to the kitchen and sat
h co dOt
in getting the children out the
rear door. After everyone
wa out, Calvin then reentered
the hou to get Ro ie Bell
and he apparently was lost
and overcome by smoke."
The deaths raise the. number
of fire-related f alitie in the
city to ven for this year .
Estimated property damage as
$20,000.
The house was owned by
Claudia Fisher, 1020 Salem.
There no smoke detector
in the hou , according to
the report. The City of Ben­
ton Harbor pa d a City Or­
dinance June 30, requiring all
properties to have smoke
detector installed. The ordin­
ance carrie a 500 fine or
90 day or both.
•
on
- The
Southwe tern ichigan Christian
adership Conference (SMCLC)
Steering Report pre nted re­
cently to the City Commission
dre critism from Carl Brown,
director of Public or and
Recreation.
Brown' report a received
by the City Commi ion, on­
d y, but put on hold to be
di d t next week's meet­
ing, ccording to City Man ger
Ellis itchell.
"The report in its final draft
ca d more da than good,
ort
in that it totally ignored the
accomplishment of the Benton
Harbor Park and Recreation
division, and the many dedicated
hours spent in reviving recreat­
ion opportunities for city resi­
dents as well as other ," Brown
wrote of the SMCLC report.
The SMC report w ub-
mitted to the Commission Sept.
24 by Rev. Dirk Ficca, pastor
of the Fri t Pre byterian Church
of Benton Harbor and chairman
of the SMCLC committee. The
committee report evolved from
Co· 1
cans today is bl aker than is
commonly believed" and th t
the data "provide strong evi­
dence that the principal factor
respon ible for the Blac
economic decline since 1980
- and for the widening of
economic gap dividing Blacks
and whites - has been the
budget and tax policies proposed
by the Administration and
enacted by Congress since
1980."
DECL
GBLACK CO
According to the study, the
average Black family in every
income stratum has suffered a
decline in its disposable income
and tandard-of-living since
1980, and the average Black
middle cia family has a lower
standard of living than four
years go, just as the average
poor Black farnilv does.
Continued on e 2
•
IS er
over
By DianaKy
S. Martin Taylor, director
of Michigan Department of
Labor, met with the Ministerial
Alliance Friday, October 5 to
discus the proposed closing
of Berrien County Action.
T.aylor told them their final
decision is to decertify Berrien
County Action. ' e will stop
funding ovember 2 and the
agency will have until ov. 30
to conduct phase-out activities,"
Taylor told the ministers.
B.C.A. receives over 70 per­
cent of their funds from the
Bureau of Community Services
(BCS). The decision to de­
fund BCA by BCS cited pro­
blems with the agency's general
management systems; fmancial
mis-management; lack of effect­
ive service delivery; failure to
fulfil its contractual obligations
and deficit financial position
the DOL chief said.
"For better or for wor t,
we have made the determina­
tion to defund BCA. Lets
tart a new day," Taylor added.
"It is my recommendation we
start allover again. Change the
people who are delivering ser­
vice, ithout disrupting r-
vice ."
Taylor said the purpo of
CAP ency is to help peop .
, e cannot let bad peop
TURN TO PAGE 7
.'
The search for superintendent
of Benton Harbor Area Schools
has narrowed to final two candi­
dates from a field of 56. Harry
Stephens, interim superinten-
m e
clo
•
I
fowl up things and not serve
poor peopl ," Taylor said.
He urged the .rninisters to get
involved in making sure good
men and women of good will
rve on the board. Taylor
added ministers should be in­
volved in the lection process
of people being appointed to
the board. "See that it is a good
solid board," Taylor aid.
Reverand John at on, presi­
dent of the Ministerial Alliance
said in the past ministers have
not really been called upon
until "a me gets started."
Taylor; James orman,
Director of BCA' and Deborah
Grether, Deputy director of
Department of Labor; met with
ministers and crowd of
about 35 people at St. Paul
Missionary Baptist Church,
s. MARTIN TAYLOR:
ut clown BCA
dent; and Dr. Shirl Edward
Gilbert, former chief of the
Ea t Chicago Heights hools
are the t o. A second t of
Con . ued on 2
Urbandale Street, Reverand
Elbert Brown pastor.
A public hearing date _ '
scheduled for October 16 at the
Benton Harbor Public Library
to have citizen comments.
Charle Henderson, executive
director of BCA has announced
he will app the decision to
refund the agency.
Berrien County Commi­
sioners have the first option
at organizing another CAP
agency which is the state]a ,
according to Taylor.
Taylor urged steps be taken
to have a new agency designated
a soon as po ible.
David Peter n chairman of
the Berrien County Board of
Commissioners has appointed
Benton Harbor Mayor Wilce
Cooke, County Commissioners
Willie A ew and Fred Baird,
Artic atson, ary DeFoe of
AACP and Ja e Scott, Town­
ship Supervisor to begin the
proce of finding another
gency to replace BCA.
Baird, Cooke and rtic at-
n all rve on e pre nt
BCA board.
According to Baird, the com­
mittee's fir t se ion wa planned
for Oct. 10 t Captain' Tab!
in Benton H rbor. The group
invited all the municipal he d
in the county to the meeting,
Baird id.
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