From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (misc.activism.progressive co-moderator)
Subject: Election 92: Urban Agendas (part 1 of 3)
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 04:26:09 GMT

* From: Stephen Smith <76150.1170@CompuServe.COM>

    The following article by former presidential candidate Larry Agran
    and [Issues Director] Stephen Smith appeared in the September 21,
    1992 edition of CITY & STATE Magazine.  It's the first of three in
    a series.


	     ********************************************
                        PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS 1992:
              COMPARING THE URBAN AGENDAS OF BUSH AND CLINTON
	     ********************************************
                    by Larry Agran and Stephen C. Smith

    The plight of America's state and local governments has surfaced
only twice this year in the presidential campaign.  The first time was
when Los Angeles imploded in late April.  The second was when
Hurricane Andrew devestated parts of Florida and Louisiana in August.

    Although the loss of life and property in Florida was tragic, more
lives were lost over two August weekends in Los Angeles County alone
from urban violence than died from the hurricane.  While candidates
George Bush and Bill Clinton rush to offer sympathy and support for
Andrew's victims, they forget that our cities and towns face disasters
every day -- the disasters of poverty, violence, drug abuse,
unemployment and dwindling fiscal resources.

    Time and again over the past decade, state and local governments
have been told by the President and Congress that no help was
available.  Federal subventions have dwindled to almost nil for many
cities and towns.  In the name of Ronald Reagan's "New Federalism,"
federal aid was cut with the implication that state and local
governments would raise their own revenue.  City & State readers know
better.

    All the while, the fiscal resources were there.  The resources
were overseas, funding American troops in Western Europe and Japan at
a cost of $200 billion a year.  With the collapse of the Soviet Union,
no reason exists to continue this wasteful expenditure, yet the
withdrawal of these troops has been painfully slow.  In fact, many
U.S. bases here at home are scheduled for closure before obsolete
overseas facilities.  The result?  Increasing unemployment at home,
and the continued pouring of critically needed federal dollars down
the military drain.

    While hundreds of thousands of American troops remained stationed
overseas to protect us from a Soviet invasion that will never come, we
watched the federal government struggle to send a few thousand troops
with relief supplies to Florida when Hurricane Andrew struck.  Their
response was so tardy that rotting food and clothing --sent by private
agencies and individuals -- had to be buried.  Military response was
also slow to the Los Angeles uprising last April.

    Bush and Clinton immediately called for emergency federal aid to
help Florida, just as for Los Angeles.  Why is the money available for
these disasters when it isn't available for the disasters cities and
states face every day -- the disaster s of homelessness, hunger,
grinding poverty and pervasive violence?

    True leadership doesn't wait for a photo op.  True leadership
would present to the American people a viable plan that addresses the
imbalance in federal budgeting priorities.

    Both candidates were invited to address the U.S. Conference of
Mayors in Houston last June.  Bill Clinton and HUD Secretary Jack
Kemp, the President's surrogate, each presented their urban agendas.
Next time, we'll compare the two proposals.

			      * * * * *

    Larry Agran served on the City Council of Irvine, California, from
1978 to 1990, including six years as Mayor.  He was a 1992 Democratic
Presidential candidate.  Stephen C. Smith served for twelve years in
local government, and was Issues Director for the Agran '92 campaign.
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,alt.rush-limbaugh,alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.elections,talk.abortion,alt.sex