TCH
THE CITIZE,.,
5.
Signs of Hope
- It m y em lik dd time
to be feeling optimi tic. A
Pre 'dent ho on re-election
dep lte -1 Bl ck oPPO ition h
j t been om in for another
four years. BI c un mploy-
ment i uck at 15 percent.
Program to h lp the needy
re in jeop rdy Congre
to trim the mammoth'
deficit.
But th
tell the
Ameri
d fact don't
tory of Bl ck
1985 the
community' int mal trength
the report cit th chieve-
nt of Je e Jack n' Pre i-
,
1
c
dential Campaign. The Urb n
Le ue highlights 'the flurry
of political involvement it help­
ed to spark at the local level
particularly among young BI c
voter." The Lea ue also note
the recent elevation of Rep.
illiam Gr y (D-PA), who is
Blac to th Chairmanship of
Congre ' Budget Committee.
Bl c in general re workin to
olve their own mmunity's
problem m ing po itiv
effort to trength n familie
d improve chools ccordin
to the rep rt.
ore broadly the ation
Urb n League ee gns of a
, revi of the interracial, non·
partisan m vement far cial
ju tice. ' evidence, the
Le gue cite joint Blac and
white efforts to aid the vic­
tim of f mine in Ethiopia
and th major ne campaign
gainst r cia] inju tice in South
frica.
But the League correctly
points out that the ne evidence
of Bl ck trength, doe not
. gnal any Ie ning of the
,
dditional housing in the city -
as a matter of fact it would
on enh nce their plans," id
Crenshaw.
Commi sioner Charles Hen­
der n id that citizens of
thp ritv "tiP. .rvP. Ii cent hou •
•
Ire
orce
Act th per on placin highe t
n civil rvice exam are th
on s hired.
h rlton noted that two
Bl k m n h d scored high on
the I t exam given, but were
not re ident of the Heights
nd did not qualify bee u
of re idency requirement.
If voters repeal the Civil
e Service t, then the per onnel
departm fit would do th hirin
rvi of firefighters, Ch rlton id.
respon ibility of ov roment or :
the private ctor to a . t the
building of a Black merica
that is equal in ev ry respect
to th other sector of our
iety.
League Pre ident John Jacob
listed a number of steps Presi­
dent Re an could take to
demonstrate the truth of his
'rhetorical statem nt that he
care deeply about racial jus­
tice." He urged th President.
t pport the civil rights bill
which is no b fore Congre ,
to reapprai U.s. p licy toward
South fri a, nd to in truer
Admirustration officials to stop
fo tering racial polarization by
their ill-tempered attacks on
Black organizati n �
Th ational Urban League
report repre nt a refreshing
change of tone. It is rooted
in a hopeful yet realistic n
f who we re and where we're
going. It' an excellent guide­
p t for 1985. e all ne d
to keep it in mind we
tackle thi new year's tough
challen e .
e
ing."
The executi director of
the hou ing commi ion, Dan­
ethel Whitfield said that she
"just about kn w what the
ote was going to be", becau
of committee meetings that she
attended the eek before.
"I'm at odd to wonder why
they don't e a need for addit­
ional housing," said Whitfield.
"when, often times, I get refer­
rals to my office saying, 'Com­
missioner So-and-So told me to
come over and apply for housing
- perhaps you could help me.
Me and my ven kids don't
have anyplace to stay.'
"Th n I see a commi ioner
get up there and vote large
units down - that make
me wonder why." aid a p rplex­
ed Whitfield.
'I'm pretty sure that if had
we m de pplication, we would
h recei d the money and
we n d t mon y in Benton
H rbor for hou ing, aid Whit·
field.
e provide th city with
d t money,"
id itfi ld. 'This past ye r
e p id S27000 t e for our
318 units, plu we paid
oUI registration fee 0 000.
H d e received the additional
40 units w probably would
ha paid to th city of Benton
Harbor another ()()() to
10 000 annually in payment in
Ii u of t xes. Perh ps th Y d n t
think they need that money.'
hitfi ld said that he will
nd letter to HUD "saying
than you very much for the
GOOD
LUCK'
/.
UNEMPLO'(MENT
BENEF\1S
.____�
.....
offer to help my city, however.
unle the commi ion com
out and revotes my city don't
want to help them lves."
In another m tter the saga
of the city's treet sweeper
continued.
City anager Ellis Mitchell
id that becau the city is
renting the street eeper to the
county, the city ha been able
to keep the street sweeper
running. Mitchell said that the
money obtained from the coun­
ty is u d for maintenance of
th street s eeper, with the
remainder of the money going
to the city's street fund.
Citizens and commi sioners,
la t week, had complained that
the city i allowing county
road to be cleaned before
city treets. itcheU aid,
however that eeping of coun-
ty road is only being done
wen the weeper would oth r­
wi be idle.
Public and Recreational Ser­
vice Director Carl Brown tated
in a memorandum to itchell
that most downtown treet
cleaning has been ccomplished.
Bro n added that the city
plan to "completely eep
City four time durin this
the gutter, covering up the
debris.
The city i charging the
county 40 per hour, Brown
aid, for the street weeper nd
operation.
Commi ion critic George
Wysinger ed City Finance
Director Ricardo John on if h
ha received S3000 from the
county for 75 hours of street
eeper use. Johnson did not
answer.
Ho ever, both Johnson and
Mayor Cooke informed Wysinger
of ho to get the inform tion
through the Freemon of Infor­
mation ct. Wysinger said that
he h tried that avenue b fore,
but his request wa denied by
City Manager itchell. Y:
singer had reque ted information
abut how much was p . d to
Yarbrough' brother Glen who
is a con uJtant to the city.
In other busine , the city
comrm Ion r jected a bid
received from e ley Thorn
and Sons Inc. for the replace­
ment of pavement on Miller
Street.
Community Service Director
William Lilly aid that the bid
wa twice the cost that the city
h d e tim ted, Lilly did not
di 10 e the mount of the bid
or th city's e tim teo
ayor Coo e e t bli hed t 0
public hearin - to designate
rtin Brothers ill and Foun­
dry Supply Co., 289 Hinkl y,
as an Industrial Development
Di trict· and on t e of the
city' federal revenue sharing
fund or 1 5- 6.
se n."
Brown added that tn recent­
ly mended Anti-Litter Ordin­
nee. which requires city re i·
dent to clean their treet
gutter, will help the treet
eeper. He aid that debri
in the gutter can cau dama e
to the treet weeper, e pecially
h n residents rake leave into