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     Republican Preprimary Convention, Ethics Bill In Legislature, Psychologist
    For Artists, Problems Of Starting Minority Businesses
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Good afternoon and welcome to GBH joining I'm Bill Tucker. We have two pieces focusing on state politics today one dating with the Republican pre-primary conventionality Springfield over the weekend the other contending the debates over the ethics bills in the state legislature. And we'll have an interview with a psychologist for our tastes and a discussion of some of the problems which beset minority business. We are currently in a year of political campaigning both on a local and international level. And as our United States representatives gear up for November elections local state politicians
in Massachusetts are attempting to get through all the bills awaiting their debate so that they too can head back to their regions in order to begin their re-election campaign. It's. One of the first major organizational meetings of the year so far took place this weekend with the Massachusetts Republican pre-primary convention in Springfield Massachusetts. The state's GOP party selected its ticket for the major offices up for election this fall which include the governorship and the United States Senate seat. The outcome of this pre-primary convention turned out to be one a victory for the Republican party's conservative wing. Correspondent Peggy bangs attended the convention and provides more information in this report. Republican conservatives scored a major victory this weekend in a convention held in Springfield on Saturday. A majority of the nearly 2000 delegates chose Edward F. King a conservative as their nominee for governor. He defeated moderate House minority leader Frank Hatch and liberal Middlesex County Sheriff John Buckley.
Cain is identified with the tax limitation amendment which his group Citizens for unlimited taxation will be putting on the ballot in 1980. However the conventions choices are non-binding which means king could end up losing the nomination to another Republican in the upcoming September primary. The rationale for making the conventions choice is non-binding is to allow the other nearly half a million registered Republicans in the state to choose Republican nominees for office rather than they've been up to the 2000 Republicans at the convention. All statewide Republican office holders who won endorsement in last week's convention will thus be put on the ballot in September to face any other Republican who wishes to challenge them. Senator Edward Brooke for example although Charles in the convention's nominee will face a primary challenge from conservative Republican media personality avi Nelson and Edward King. Although chosen the convention's nominee for governor will face a primary challenge from minority leader Francis hatch and possibly from Middlesex County Sheriff John
Buckley. On Saturday King told the audience that the reason the Republican Party is in such sad shape in Massachusetts is because liberal Republicans have controlled the party for too many years. When we were in the rear of the road. We are in the room where I. Was looking for. Is are you one that we we're weak. We've been the cause of we was we there was one.
King is a good example of a conservative Republican. He is opposed to abortion gun control. The graduated income tax forced busing and big government he enumerated some of these principles on Saturday. Do you know where he will. Live or what it was. Thank you. Then we must have the right to
defend his life. We should go for the no good citizen that means the snow on the fence. We remove the constitutional right to keep him her. To us. With the way. We know him and George's children. As we have shown only racism. We have to base our patience. No no no.
For those. Who are the goals. Force. The other form of reversal of rumination we reject. It remains to be seen however whether King's brand of Republicanism can attract the majority of his party state wine representative Hatch lost by a relatively small margin. And he told the audience that although he lost the conventions indorsement he intends to continue to fight until the September primary. So all Republicans across the state would have a chance to decide on their own nominee. Now I am sad that this would be very hard for a close contest. And I think all of you will agree that it just would
be since the outset that I felt very strongly that all 450000 registered Republicans from throughout the state would have to decide the final outcome. God. I know conservatives are tasting the long awaited victory. And for probably the first time in his political career Senator Edward Brooke was repeatedly booed as he tried to address the delegates although he ended up winning the convention's nomination. One third of the delegates refused to endorse him. This is interpreted as a favorable signal for avi Nelson the conservative talk show host who is challenging Brooke in the primary. Nelson says the reason he didn't place his name in nomination at the convention is that he was afraid he might win. This may sound like an odd reason but according to some Nelson supporters if you one Senator Brooke might be perceived as so
weak that a big name Democrat might decide to join the contest before the July deadlines for candidates wishing to enter the race. Other candidates endorsed by the convention are representative Peter McDowell lieutenant governor Louis Crampton for treasurer past party chairman John Sears for secretary of state and Stephen weld for attorney general. This is Peggy bangs. With. With. Another issue figuring prominently in Massachusetts politics as to do with the legislative debates on an ethics bill over the state legislature. Two versions of an ethics bill are currently being discussed in the state Senate. One is proposed by the citizens lobbying
group Common Cause. And the other is a revised version drafted by the state Senate. Substantial differences exist in the two versions of the legislation which focus primarily on the disclosure of income by state officials. An interesting point to note however is that in this age of political scandal both the common cause and Senate versions of legislation contain provisions for the establishment of independent ethics commissions. With more on these bills currently being debated in the legislature. Here is reporter Leslie clipper. Ethics legislation has been around for a while. Sick used to be exact but it is only recently that this type of legislation has been viewed with any degree of seriousness on Beacon Hill. Public reaction to the scandals which have been plaguing the Massachusetts legislature for the past couple of years has led to the collection of ninety five thousand signatures on an initiative petition which has proposed an ethics bill to be adopted by the state legislature. The citizens lobby
common cause coordinated the signature drive and drafted the proposed ethics legislation. One of the petitioned original 10 signers. Jay headland of Common Cause explained the provisions of the Common Cause at the expense. First it establish an independent state ethics commission by people who are not associated with the government who would have the responsibility for acting as a watchdog on political corruption. Who would be able to investigate charges of political corruption brought to them by the public and find civil wrongs violations and penalties for those who were violations or to turn over after an investigation to the attorney general. No violations for prosecution by the attorney general. That's a major item. Second. Major point would be required to require our elected state and county officials plus top appointed officials those officials who make more than $20000 a year to disclose their outside economic interests outside income stock holdings property holdings in certain kinds of debt.
Those are the two major provisions of the petition the House passed the common cause ethics bill by a vote of 198 to 28. Later the proposal met defeat in the state senate in place of the common cause proposal. The Senate Ethics Committee Jeff did its own version of an ethics bill which did gain the approval of a majority of state senators. Harry Greenwald staff director for the Senate Committee on Ethics points out the differences between the Senate's proposal and the common cause Bill. The first was who must disclose. On the one hand there were certain inadvertent omissions in the common cause Bill and I'm sure that they were not intentional but some key state authorities such as the turnpike and port authorities would not have been covered. On the other hand the people who would be covered would be quite extensive any state employee making more than $20000 even if that person is a technician and not a decision maker. Any state employee in a position to make a decision that has a financial impact on any citizen in the common law that could well mean
social workers making determinations of Medicaid eligibility in this first area what the Senate has tried to do is draft language. That would restrict who must file a financial disclosure statement to the key decision makers the key policy makers throughout state and county government. The second area of difference concerns what must be disclosed. The common cause Bill went beyond what seems to be necessary for a public purpose and a couple of examples might explain that in the common cause legislation. Not only would the public official have to file a financial disclosure statement but the spouse of the public official would. And the way the language was cast this would mean that the spouse of a public official would have to disclose the names of major clients. So let's take a typical middle class family where they're both working and one is a professional accountant an attorney a business consultant and the other
is asked by the governor to serve as commissioner of a particular department. Can that family make the decision that one member will enter public service if the other is going to have to publicly list all the names of major clients which may cost that that the other half of that family keen. It's professional practice and our concern was that it might be difficult in those circumstances to find people to seek public office. So what we've tried to do in drafting legislation on the Senate side is to try disclosure to a public purpose as of this airing. The Senate's version of the ethics bill is in the House of Representatives awaiting approval or rejection. It is interests appétit that the House will either amend the Senate's version of the ethics bill or substitute the text of the common cause proposal. If the latter is to occur it is expected that the Senate will vote against the amended proposal. A conference committee consisting of three senators and three representatives will then be
established to compromise on an ethics bill which would gain the approval of both the Massachusetts legislature and common cause. She is a suitable compromise not be reached. Then Common Cause will work to have the ethics bill placed on the ballot in November at which time the public can express its view by voting on this issue for GBH Journal this is Leslie clipper. A common stereotype which has crept into our consciousness is that of the artist as living on the fringes of society. But of that image bears a little or a great resemblance to reality is not as important as the fact that being the creative artist in our times can be an extremely difficult and trying occupation.
John Bayliss hears a lot about the problems and frustrations of artists since he is a psychologist at Boston's museum's school. He has identified certain patterns common to art students which include a scenario of getting little support at the outset of one's career and fantasizing about the day one becomes a respected and renowned. Problems arise however when the artists realize that they may never achieve the stature they wish for. May this disgust some of these problems when he spoke recently with reporter Vivian Duca. I am concerned about creative people because I'm concerned about society in terms of losing the Maji in us whether they are maladaptive adapted in other respects you know personally or personally. There's still something to be said for the person who. Doesn't see it that way. The way that the way the government says or the way religion says or the way whatever. And if we still squelch that then we lose a whole lot of potential
possibility. Now what that entitles you to it was a lot of things if you want to be an artist if you say I'm going to be an artist. Suddenly you do have you you hope. And begin to believe a kind of specialness therefore you can double park. You don't have to do your laundry. When you're intitled all sorts of things that are that demonstrate that you can't be bothered with the Munday aspects of living. Therefore you also get very wrapped up in how you are different from other people. And you make a mistake conceptually that your creativity is commensurate with how different you are. So if you begin to feel or act or think in any way that you are like other people you have to immediately stop that. There is also often a very if I'm special
if I'm an artist then my life has to be in some ways charmed or has to be like a Wagnerian opera and things don't happen to me in small ways they have to happen in a grand scale. Because you've already ruled out people your own age for the kinds of support that you have as a teenager adolescent disorder. Validate what's going on inside of you with you with boys or girls your own age you in the first place you're isolated from others in the second place. Sometimes people will tend to to hang out with people who are older than they are because they will be sensitive enough to understand what I'm going through the struggle and the problems that I'm having because I'm an artist because I'm a creative person because I'm sensitive because I'm different and all these things. There's a kind of a boost to you or your ego to think that these older people would be the ones that you could identify with and they would understand. And what may happen is that you would get into
sex or drugs or emotional experiences that would overwhelm you with these older people. But you couldn't admit that to them because if you did they would say Oh well if that's the case you better go back to people your own age. So you really you're kind of caught in the middle there you can't relate and gain understanding of yourself and people from people your own age and you can't do it with the older people at the same time you have to keep up a kind of front. You have to act like you know what's happening all the time. So more and more and more you're getting alienated and you're kind of creating an image which is interesting. You're creating an image because you want to be an artist. Now another another problem is that because you're trying to be an artist. You feel that that's different from what other people are doing in terms of growing up. It's not the same kind of choice you would make if you were going to be an English major or be a businessman or Barbara whatever. It's somehow supposed to involve every aspect of you so you get wrapped up in with this this
and this pressure on yourself that everything that you do in there regarding this has to be original. You get wrapped up in. How does an artist dress what kind of food do I like if I'm an artist. What do I say about a movie that I see everything. The pressure's on you for every aspect of you at some point it begins to turn out that you find yourself completely frozen. It says if you can't paint another stroke where you can't throw another pot in ceramics you can't take another photograph and you have no idea what really what's going on except you're totally frozen and locked. It's as if this mythical mythological Bank has said it's time now to pay up. You now have to pay for what you. You borrowed. And all the specialists and narcissism and entitlement that you've been enjoying all these years and using to justify yourself. Now have to be paid back justified by you doing a magnificent piece of
art. And if you don't do that then you're faced with the overwhelming possibility that you were living a total myth a total fiction and that's obviously terrifying and overwhelming to the person. So what about the image of the tormented Ares who is even more creative because of their problems or is that just a myth. I think that it we see. You see it but I think that it's. It's a myth to say that to be more creative and more sensitive you have to suffer or vice versa and that's that old idea that the more different you are the more out of sync with everything else or the more perceptive you are. If you're going to be more sensitive things but what do you have to suffer about it. You may see things in original ways but if you have some of the other skills to relate to people then then you're not going to be disturbed.
Ever since he was very young Willy Hill's has been interested in woodworking. He now owns limited Designs Incorporated in Cambridge and manufactures a distinctive line of furniture. But as a minority business person he has found it extremely hard to obtain loans to get his business established. He had accrued a good deal of management and leadership experience during his stint as a Navy officer and in his work at Polaroid and he had received an MBA from Harvard but nonetheless he was told that he lacked experience in making furniture and that he did not have enough equity or capital going to his own
company. Willie Hill's talked with reporter Greg Fitzgerald about starting limited Designs Incorporated. The ways of getting into business I guess are varied. What what were your first approaches in trying to get into trying to getting financing to start up. I start approaching base get banks lending institutions or insurance companies people who had capital supposedly for using. The SBA community development type agencies and pretty much across the board I was turned down. But there a specific reason why I returned. The reasons given me were my lack of experience in the business which I was envision having a lack of experience. I was told I was not. I did not represent a bankable deal. In addition to which I was also told that my lack of community involvement was a disadvantage to me a great
disadvantage and that if I were willing to do my same enterprise in a more visible community way funds might be made available to me in fact I was told it would be if you could explain that a bit of it but what a being more in more of a visible way in the community as well for example we run a small furniture business. We make good furniture. But. The nature of what we do is such that we don't appeal to community we don't sell directly in the black community. We sell to all comers who want to pay the freight for good furniture. By the same token the manufacturing operations in Cambridge were not set up in the black community per se. Doing manufacturing and both of those two things meant a lack of community involvement on my part and in terms of many lenders and what they were looking for was someone who had higher visibility both in terms of their name and terms that person's name. So for example I wanted to open up a small grocery store which is going to expand to a quote a supermarket.
Then they could be a big ribbon cutting ceremony in the community. The local ministers could show up and put their arms around and say what a good boy I am. Also if the financial institution could stand there shaking my hand as we cut the ribbon together with a big pair of scissors to get my name on the front page of the local black newspaper kill a publicity for the banks or the institution in question just in pictures put it in their corporate newsletter made the annual report. And that's worth something and could any way you want that's what the law did. Did being black make it more difficult to fund a particular banking relationship. Oh yeah it turned out for example that by and large. Whenever I went to some of the banks the moment I showed up and I was black they merely sent me to the minority lending officer. I said of myself. I went to one bank and I sent me to enter. Their minority. Lending officer he was way over to a branch bank while in Dorchester. And here I am in Cambridge. And I joined myself what does a guy
doing when this guy right here in Cambridge he makes loans every day but is that Sammy over there and I realize they way trying to consolidate the Blaxland in one place so they have examined them on the basis of frankly their blackness. Both in terms of the visibility to them. And also in terms of their ability to check that portfolio as a measure say okay look at all our black holes how they do it against the other branches. Rather than to be saying okay how was this black alone doing as a loan. Indifferent to this community in which it was being taken rather than how it was Willy's business doing as a business. Given its in Cambridge and measured against those things and I found something that we were all being lumped together and put over here and they held a one point one portfolio group of letters. If you were to advise another black businessmen who wanted to start up again without any capital. What would you tell him in terms of how to go. How about starting up. Tell butty the SBA will you tell about
banks and how would you advise me into getting into business. In general I would say for him. If he can. Get some money from somewhere. Get it. And finally. Get in bed with a good banker. I mean I think they are one of the keys to the whole thing. Is a good banking relationship. If you can get one. I've got one that's pretty good. We've got some upside down my banker. But realistically. If you don't have a decent banker with you. Your debt. And I think the real key is not just the money but the banking relationship where the banker really understands what you want to do. Why you want to do it. And is willing to go with you in doing it. Because in the. And as we get down to. It the bank will make a loan even with a nice big guarantee you won't get the money. And what you need is more than just I'm more than just the money at that point. His understanding of time at some point down the road.
Things are going to go up things on the down. You don't need to flexibility on his part or perhaps do some restructuring. Perhaps to help you with other sources. The people I think who know the most about the business are. Your and you're not sure intelligent. Believe it or not. Your accountant. A banker not a lawyer. And you don't have a good team of those people working with you. You're dead. And for Tuesday the ninth day of May 1978 a series GBH Journal. Producer and editor for this regional news magazine heard Monday through Friday at 4:30 as Marcia heard today's engineer my go Garrison And I'm Bill captain. Have a totally tolerable Tuesday.
Series
WGBH Journal
Episode
Republican Preprimary Convention, Ethics Bill In Legislature, Psychologist For Artists, Problems Of Starting Minority Businesses
Producing Organization
WGBH Educational Foundation
Contributing Organization
WGBH (Boston, Massachusetts)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/15-3976hsgm
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Series Description
WGBH Journal is a magazine featuring segments on local news and current events.
Created Date
1978-05-09
Genres
News
Magazine
Topics
News
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:31:18
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Credits
Producing Organization: WGBH Educational Foundation
Production Unit: Radio
AAPB Contributor Holdings
WGBH
Identifier: 78-0160-05-09-001 (WGBH Item ID)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Generation: Master
Duration: 00:29:00
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Citations
Chicago: “WGBH Journal; Republican Preprimary Convention, Ethics Bill In Legislature, Psychologist For Artists, Problems Of Starting Minority Businesses ,” 1978-05-09, WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 29, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-3976hsgm.
MLA: “WGBH Journal; Republican Preprimary Convention, Ethics Bill In Legislature, Psychologist For Artists, Problems Of Starting Minority Businesses .” 1978-05-09. WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 29, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-3976hsgm>.
APA: WGBH Journal; Republican Preprimary Convention, Ethics Bill In Legislature, Psychologist For Artists, Problems Of Starting Minority Businesses . Boston, MA: WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-3976hsgm