•
By RO SEIGEL
mGHLANJ) PARK - At a pe­
cial council m ing requeSted by
Highland Par Mayor Linsey
Porter, t city council delayed
action on the Mayor' requ t to
gi lope of planned hous­
ingatA-Mac/BenjaminManoron
Manchester Avenue th right to
stop paying taxes and pay a 4%
rvioe charge instead.
Highland Park Mayor Linsey
Porter said that it
for thed velopers to an ur­
anoe this would happen if they
ere to get funding from the
Michigan State HousingDevelop­
ment Authority (MSHDA).
Some opponents of the Mayor,
including Wanda Linsey Bostic,
charged such a "tax break" would
be removing revenue from the
city at the time of a vere budget
. is.
Some council members ex­
::>1'E!89E� concern that this request
d been given to them at the last
minute with little time for them
to 100 into t facts.
-vie have been pushed right to
the wire," Councilwoman Greta
Johnson said. "We don't have nec­
essary information It is very un­
fair."
Administration officials and
d lope said it necessary
to gi au short notice, because
of last minute demands from
MSHDA. Such last minute
changes in requirements were
common in state funding agen­
cies.
THE DEVELOPERS said
thiS would not increase their prof­
its, because their profits in such
government funded projects were
regulated by the government.
By RO SEIGEL
Spec'" to Michigan Citizen
DETROrr- The City of Detroit
paid $8,500 to a coalition that par­
ticipated in the Tent City protests
last winter.
The coalition was pro ting
policies 'of Michigan Governor
John Engler and Detroit Mayor
Coleman Young which they
charged had increased homeless­
n
Members of Michigan Up and
Out of Poverty Now, a coalition of
social service recipients and advo­
cates for the homel charged
that Engler's decision to elimi-
- nate all General .istance aid
had made it impossible for people
to pay rent and forced them into
the street.
They also demanded that
thousands of vacant livable public
housing units in. Detroit be imme­
diately available to th homel
for occupancy.
Coalition members charged
that this was being blocked by
Young as Mayor of Detroi
ORDER TO dramatize the
plight of th homel , protesters
put ten on property adjacent to
and owned by the C ethodist
Church in Detroit's C Corri-
dor.
The t n ci y w
"Englerville", to demons: .
their view the Engl r' polici
were ponsible for th ir hom
1 .
The dministration
wanted this tax tement in 0 -
der to u the lopm nt
financially fj ibl.
The council unanimou ly
voted not to take any ion on
this' ue until they reooived from
the administration certain things .
as ed by Councilman Titus
McClaIy.
The effect on city revenues of
having a 4% service charge in­
tead of taxes.
The profit margin th devel­
oper would be making under this
arrangement.
a How the city was expected to
benefit, if this measure went into
effect. "I don't mean city govern-
By RO SEIGEL
Mlchlg.n Cltlz n
maRLAND P - High-
land Pa young people will
have a chance � get traiflin:g
ne.tgbtXlI' in t . Hi�'
Beautlfica n Ptoj
Lee Holrla, qualicy oontrol
officer for the Wayne County
Job Connection, said a grant of
7 t 000 in Michigan Depart­
ment of'Lebor funds for beauti­
fication equipment combined
with Job Training Partne hip
Funds will pay youngpeopl for
ummer work,
The project will create "spe-
'0
sion of the Church to be there. The
coalition has its headquarters in
the church building.
ACLU said that shortly after
the "Tent City" was erected, De­
troit Police officers entered the
property without warrants, con­
fiscated and d troyed th nt,
beat people and mad arr
without any legal bas' .
Repre ente by Attorneys
Julie Hurwitz e ecutive director
of the ational Lawy Guild
Sugar Law Center, and Paul
Denefeld, ACLU Legal Direct, the
coalition members received a per­
manent injunction from the
Wayne County Circuit Court
ment, but the entire city."
McClary id
A 1 from MSHD at-
finning in writing that 'without
council approval of t .
charge the proj d
Befo bringing up t
tions, McClary . d, "I hope you
will write thi down, beca I
must have this information,
fore I can give an intelligent vote. "
Council woman Christine
Franklin said that since under
the city charter, council had to
have such an ordinance read in
different mings, the d lay in
taking action would not harm th
proj
,500
agains the City of Detroit pre­
venting the city from ha ing,
arresting or interfering with "the
constitutionally protected activ­
ity engaged in by thepr te."
Hurwitz aid th fa h "the
City is willing to pay any money
in this " and the penna nt
injunction rep nts a "signifi­
cant victory for he rights of De­
troi e to engage in political
pro t."
By RO SEIGEL
Spec I to t!HI Mlchlg.n CitIzen
By LAVERNE M. GILL
N.tlon.' Chronic" Wlr.
ASlDNGTO , DC. - As Nige­
ria continues to struggle under
the so-called transitional rule of
Gen. Ibrahim Babengida, Chief
Moshood K O. Abiola increases
his exposure with African Ameri­
can leadership in Congress. At a
p conference h ld in Wash­
ington, Chief Abiola, who was
elected to th presidency ofNige­
ria in June but never allowed to
serve by the existing military re­
gime of Gen. Babangida, urged
America to continue its economic
boycott of igeria until demo­
cratic rule became a reality.
Abiola who has been a gener­
ous contributor to causes of the
Congressional Black Caucus in
the past was introduced by Con­
gressman William. Jefferson 0)­
LA) who chairs a task force which
includ Con man Ron Del­
lums (D-CA); Congressman Don­
ald Payne (D-NJ) and
Congresswoman Cynthia McKin-
. ney (D-GA).
Th CBC has endorsed to elec­
tion that put Abiola in office as the
President of igeria,
Saying that "Congress should
more forthcoming regarding
th ndancy of Chief Abiola,
who won under fair and free con- .
ditions," Con man Jem rson
tated that "the Black Caucus
tands in un niable support of
Chief Abiola".
Referring to the demonstra­
tions that brok out in igeria
. a r th f: 'lure of transition,
Abiol id, "On hundred ixty
eight people paid with t ir liv
when they took to the streets pro-
ting the dictatorship of the ca­
bal (Gen. Babangida's regime) ...
Ev n as I peak to you now i
upply chairperson, I pictured with Barney and a group of
ir In Highlar:'d Park. (photo by N. Scott)
o
ria' in the throes of a truggle. "
Striking a eord that would en­
dear him to the lawmakers in
America, Abiola said that "Nige­
ria has become a trafficker in the
area of drugs ... We will be totally
nsitive to the US. concerns on
th issu."
IN REBPO SE TO a qu -
tion as to wheth r h w eon-.
cerned for his life, Abiola id T
have never owned a gun in my
life" and that "Yes, I am con­
cerned for my safety. I am sym­
bol" of democracy.
Nigeria is Africa's leading 011
producingoountry, although i
mains poor with a 250 per cap­
ita Gross National Product. Th
lack of fiscal disciplin forced the
International Mon tary Fund to
declare Nigeria not in compJi­
anes with an IS-month standby
facility started in January 1991
50 ear ilrn
e tival r union
Many children will et a
chance to classic films on Sat­
urday, September 25, at the State
Theater, 148 W. Main St t,
Benton Harbor.
The State.Th ter, with St.
J ph Today will 1 rating
50 Year Film F ivai Reu mono
Showtimes is 12 noon, 3:00, 6:00,
and 9:00 p.rn. Cost is 15 r per-
n, which includ all hows
The State Theater h ve Friday
night lock-ins, wh re th chi 1
pend th night at th Th
and eat pizza, pop corn and