t I
Views / Opinions
urgence of Reaganism
harp contradiction
ofint t bet n
of BI and poor
.M·chigan
Citfze
Pu s ed eac S ay by
NEW DAY
ENTERPRISE
PO Bot. 03560
Publisher. C ar es e I
Contributors:
Bernice Brut n ary
Golliday - Allison Jones
Jacquelin a In - Ao
Seigel. a el Sco
V1anaglng Editor
cl" '8<- "
Proauc Ion.
cI � s
y 0
gan-B h
nth rich
nd orking peopl in urb n
America nd th in ingly
uburb n hit middl cl
To m ny within BI ck Amer­
ica trong intervention by th
fed ral government 0 promote
civil rights and affirmative ac­
tion, government pending on
ocial programs and govern­
ment/public sector employment
h repre ntro a way out of
aparth id and poverty.
At an earlier stage in Ameri­
can history government pro­
grams also provided a path to
"th mainstream for impoverish
white immigrants.
HAVING AClllEVED rela­
tive affluence, however, what
has become the white middle
class sees its interest differ­
ently. Government programs for
poor and working people are
now perceived to be programs
for Black people and people of
color and a burden on the backs
of the (white) taxpayers. There-
fore, cutting government spend­
ing and reducing the size of gov­
ernment plays well in white
uburbia.
But in Black America cutting
government spending often
means choking off vital re­
sources urgently ne ded for
job , programs, housing. educa­
tion nd social saf ty net pro!
gram like food stamp and
welfare: And reducing the size
of government often means in­
creasing unemployment within
the Black community wh re th
unemployment rate is consis­
tently two to three times higher
than in the white community.
Thus the Contract for Amer­
ica which Republicans promote
to propel them into power is at
base a white agend , a white
agenda calculated to appease
middle class white voters while
the rich and super-rich continue
to enrich themselves at the ex­
pense of poor and working pe0-
ple and the middle class of all
races and ethnic.
. READERS WRITE
By Bernice Powell Jackson
T k for xample their posi-
on h Voting Rights of
1 0 E ry on of them vot
gamst it We could look at th ir
p t r cords on oth r 1 gislation
Impacting p ople of color
w 11 Th records would b irni-
e ryon, with a two y r con­
ecutiv m xirnum lirmt
standing what, it means for
th mselves.
For instance, N wsweek
D1 gazi reports that only one-
hird of all government entitle­
m nt moni s to th IX><>r
and that the Con ract with
rica would in lude radical
in farm ub idi and in
communi-
tl
o
g
H IR
educational servi to undocu­
mented immigrants and th ir
children, ev n if the children are
citizens. While white mal in
California voted 2 to 1 in favor
of Proposition 1 7,50 percent of
th African American popul r
tion in California voted for it as
well. It IDS that th -old
ta ic of divid and conqu r i
till ali nd w 11
our own
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