thumbnail of Debate 1988, President, Democrat; Iowa Brown-Black Coalition; 
     Bruce Babbitt, Michael Dukakis, Richard Gephardt, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and
    Paul Simon participated.
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Major funding for this program was provided by friends of public television. Babbitt Dukakis. Jackson. Simon. Their campaigns for the White House faced the first test of election in 88 in Iowa in less than one day. Earlier tonight in Des Moines the candidates faced each other in a Democratic presidential candidates debate focusing on minority issues. The forum was organized by the brown and black coalition. Good evening ladies and gentleman and welcome to the second black presidential forum. We're pleased tonight to host five Democratic Party candidates. This is the only nationwide forum that concentrates on black and Hispanic issues. You know I well there are less than 30000 Hispanics. However Iowa's Hispanics are representative of the problems facing us Panix nationwide. Our population has grown faster than the general population in Iowa. This is in keeping with a national trend that
indicates that by the year 2010 is Panix will be the largest minority in the United States. Over 11 percent of violence of Spanish children live in poverty and over in our total Iowa population and poverty reflects closely the National Hispanic poverty rate of 40 percent in education Hispanics are disproportionately represented in both dropout and suspension rates in nine Iowa cities. These rates are comparable to national figures. However we are making progress with the election of our first Hispanic in Iowa Alderman Gilbert S. out of Davenport. It's the not just enamel to kill I think they spawn up whether or not a lot of loss loss program must get in there most no simpler than a spit out of collateral can last me that it's a los estados leaderless and this is seething escucha out of the way spinal cyst on needles and west that I spent on saw the struggle for justice is our hope. And now
I'd like to introduce my co-chair Mr. Wayne Ford. In the spirit of Martin Luther King I welcome you in 1076 minority leaders from the state of Iowa came together to organize our first minority presidential forum. Democratic candidates sent their representatives to discuss minority issues in 1994. The brown and black coalition was formed to continue to expand upon that tradition. Four candidates appeared in person and that form was a tremendous success. But no what you from across the nation had a chance to assess those candidates on the basis of their minority viewpoints. Howard has one of the smallest minority populations in America. But we what we are about to experience today is a clear example that when brown and black people work together the impact can be just as great as any other segment of the American society.
We are sure in the season of Martin Luther King's birthday that if he was with us today that he would be very proud of this historic event. I hope that you the audience statewide and national view us to judge these candidates on their opinions about minority issues. Martin Luther King once said we must never lose infinite hope and I will form is a clear example of that. Ladies and gentleman I was present the second Brown in Black Coalition presidential forum Thank you. Well it's not just. The way I'm going to be this. CYNTHIA. We welcome you tonight to our forum in our forum it will be as follows. The opening remarks will be made by each candidate. They will be given one minute a piece that will be followed by a question period where there will be questions from the panel is given. Each candidate is asked the first direct question will have one and a half minutes to answer it to the other four
candidates will be given one minute each to respond to that same question. Then we will question each candidate will ask one question to another candidate which has been pre-determined. 30 seconds to question the question will be one of the topic to the candidates and on the minority the candidate answering the question will be given one minute to answer. Then we will have a piece on Harry flipping one I want to share with you our palace for this event. We have Dr. Alan Somerville assistant professor and I will state university next to her we have Mr. Alfredo who is service coordinator for the Department of Human Services. Next to him we have Mr. Don who is attorney for Babbage Bennett and next to him we have Miss Soto's Hansen who is an attorney and public practice. We also have our timekeepers Mr.
Landa and Mr. Villa Lobos on candidates on behalf of the coalition. In your presence tonight is evidence that our concerns are important to you. The five Democratic candidates who are presidential candidates who are with us tonight. To my left will be Reverend Jesse Jackson. Ah. And am Congressman and. Congressman Richard Gephardt announced. GOV. Am now Senator Paul Simon. I am
now former governor of Arizona Bruce Babbitt. I am. We also asked at the audience this time and we are a tight schedule. We also asked that the candidates remarks to the time to cut off your closing statements. We will begin with Reverend Jesse Jackson opening remarks limits thinks in the light. The chance to share in such a forum that will have an impact upon this campaign and upon the nation. I met Dr. King in 1955 appealing to us to end racial violence in this country as as a matter of low extent to which we have public accommodations and the right to vote that is now a fact. He left us in Memphis asking us to and as a nation
economic violence and that is why black and brown forums are important. This while black and brown and small farmers must come together because there are still barriers yet to be broken down. The most fundamental a shift not just an attitude. We must in a pattern of discrimination and lack of opportunity for black and brown people with mobility. We must shift our focus from jail care. And welfare on the back side to hit soft and daycare on the front side. Let's educate our children. That's the key to a new America. Thank you Reverend Jackson. Next we'll have Congressman Congressman Richard Gephardt. A very real sense this debate tonight goes to the heart of what the Democratic Party is really all about the powerful and the privileged. They don't really need a president to speak for them they can take care of themselves. Our Democratic Party has had a different cause and a different history. We can be
proud that this civil rights struggle of the 40s in the 60s really started within the Democratic Party. We can be proud that we moved the American conscience but now we've got to regain the ground that's been lost. The climate of the Reagan years have stirred again the winds of prejudice. We can see it all across the land and the echoes of things said and in the results in things left undone. So we must wipe the stain of injustice away from the Justice Department. We need an attorney general that goes to court to enforce the civil rights laws not to explain whether or not the attorney general has broken the conflict of interest laws. Thank you Congressman Gephardt. Governor Michael Dukakis. A woman in my state I'd like to talk to you about this evening to start this discussion. To me she personifies the American dream and what this election is all about. Ruby Sampson was the oldest of 13 in the family of a Georgia sharecroppers. She never went beyond the seventh
grade she married came to Boston had three children was divorced was on welfare for 14 years thanks to a employment training program for people like Ruby Sampson. She was given the opportunity to get real training for a real job daycare for her children extended health benefits. And today Ruby Sampson that woman was on welfare for 14 years as a surgical technician in one of the finest teaching hospitals in the world. To me that is the promise of America. We didn't offer Ruby a make work job or a minimum wage job herself or her kids we gave her an opportunity to be independent and self-sufficient. That is the promise of America and that is what this election is all about I want to be a president who extends that promise to millions and millions of Robey Sampson's. That's the kind of president we need and with your help. Thank you governor had already told you we're on a tight schedule. Senator Simon look at where we have been at the record not just what we say. I was a young state legislator
fighting for civil rights with Martin Luther King. I was a chief sponsor chief author of the black colleges University Act held the first hearings for a spandex in higher higher education help the handicapped. Number of ways chief author of the privately controlled community college act. But more than that I oppose the Reagan tax act of 1981 that has caused this huge deficit the loss of millions of jobs. I support legal aid to the poor. Supported the minimum wage. Civil rights in a very real sense in 1988 is composed of two things jobs and quality education. And I'm a leader on both. Look at the record not just the speeches and commercials. Thank you Center site. And now we have given every spam. This is the first time I've ever been asked to dream in precisely 60 seconds.
I believe that that dream has to be translated into reality. And right now the Reagan administration is using that budget deficit to destroy the commitment that we've already made. And I think we have to start fighting back. We need to understand that that budget deficit is being used to break up the commitments we've made to children and our parents and others. I believe we start by addressing the budget deficit by talking about reducing expenditures not across the board but on the basis of targeting according to needs tests. And I believe we must raise revenues I propose a progressive national consumption tax because I believe that dealing with that deficit directly humanely preserving programs for people who need them and raising the money to provide programs for people who need them is a way to translate that dream into reality. Thank you.
Let's move now to our questions from our panel starting first with Dr. Lynn all of Ellen Somerville to Reverend Jesse Jackson Reverend Jackson the struggle for educational reality and security has been and continues to be a long battle for ethnic minorities expression of black Americans. The NAACP and various committees report that approximately 40 percent of minority youth are functionally illiterate. A greater proportion of minorities drop out of school achievement test scores are declining and achievement gaps regarding skills are widening. As president what will be your Fatta role as agenda for ensuring educational access equity and excellence for ethnic minorities. First of all blacks and browns need more than a balanced budget. Need a commitment by a president to end this from a nation based upon race and based upon called and based upon language. That's what we must resist and English on the proposition that's designed to
be deceitful and mean to a Hispanic speaking a looking peoples. That's why we must not support schools with federal monitors that discriminate against people just because they are black because they are female. We must have a commitment to day care. There must be a commitment to adequate nutritional program because if you do not have an adequate foundation in the early years a decent house and the parent cannot make minimum wage in the legs a call before they even start the last of these universities how much stayed away if they can recruit young black Americans to play ball and entertain them and also recruit young blacks in the fields of science literate and become teachers and coaches as well. Less cool a yawn just playing ball together. Let's also teach together and it minister together and then let us grow together.
Thank you rep. I think the first thing to say is that our commitment to education in the last seven years especially education of disadvantaged youngsters and minorities has been lessened and lessened by a great deal. I could just read the number of programs that have been cut and that in the last budget the president requested be eliminated Immigrant refugee education migrant education vocational education women's educational equity civil rights training and technical assistance follow through public library services college work study and the list goes on. It is obvious our commitment to education of minorities and education of disadvantaged youngsters has been broken by this administration so I would start by trying to restore the programs that have been eliminated or the programs that have been cut back. Second I think we have to do something about the disparity of funding between districts.
I've co-sponsored legislation to ask States to give incentives to states to equalize funding between districts so that the disparities that occurred in a governor to cause. If I don't like the present United States I will have three fundamental priorities. The first has to do with teaching. We're not going to educate our youngsters minority youngsters and all youngsters when half of our public school teachers are going to be retiring in the next 10 years and we have very few young people interested in teaching. As president I want to be the number one advocate for good teaching and good teachers. I want to work to make teaching a valued and honored profession once again we've got to provide scholarships to young people wait willing to make a commitment to teaching. We've got to revive that National Teacher Corps and I hope we could encourage lots and lots of minority young people to go into that. Secondly I believe in a fundamental principle and that is that no youngster who finishes high school and is qualified to do college work ever should be denied that opportunity because of financially that's basic That's fundamental.
And finally we've got to do something about adult illiteracy in this country. Nearly 25 million Americans are functionally illiterate. And I think we should organize a citizen volunteer literacy Corps across this country that for relatively little money. Your governor said it will make it possible for millions to become literate. So I join Mike in saying one of the priorities has to be adult education. We ought to be able in a seven year period to massively assault this problem. A hundred and fifty eight nations in the United Nations were 40 nights in our literacy rate. We can do infinitely better than that. Number two we have to recognize precisely what you said is correct. And I can give you statistics that are even grimmer than the ones that you just gave me intensified preschool education programs in disadvantaged areas really payoff payoff in a
dramatic change in the dropout rate. Teenage pregnancy rate and crime rate. We know it's not theory. We're not doing anything about it. And third we're going to have to do things to attract and keep good people in the teaching profession. Teachers in Japan are paid approximately the same as lawyers doctors and engineers in the top 10 percent. I don't need to tell you where teachers are in the United States of America. I agree with Paul and for that matter with Dick and Mike and Jesse I agree with all of them. I think there are two things that I can add. First of all Dick Gephardt talked about the civil rights issue of equal funding among school districts. I take that a step further I believe that equalization of funding and the lack of it is a constitutional issue and if I'm president I will request the Congress to mandate basic fundamental equality of funding in every district in this country because it's a civil rights issue. Secondly we're
losing our kids in the first grade because the first grade isn't soon enough in this society. As president I will advocate a uniform national system of day care assistance for working parents because that's an incentive to work. And it's the beginning of the education process. Let's follow that up with universal head start and say we can have an education system in which we get kids started so that they're not lost by the time they enter the first grade. Thank you Governor Bev. Mr. Elkins the next person Gephardt I want to thank you first for being the first candidate to commit to our form. My question is that the American judiciary has seen the appointment of the first black on the United States Supreme Court and more recently the first woman. In October 1987 over 100 Hispanic leaders represented elected appointed civic professional and business members met and drafted a document called the National Hispanic agenda. The NHL advocates the next president
appointing a Spanish to US Supreme Court. Will you publicly commit to appointing a span of to the high court. I have often said that I would want my appointments to the Supreme Court and my appointments to the Cabinet and other high official positions to reflect the diversity of the American people. It was said a moment ago here in one of the statements that by the year 2000 Hispanic Americans are likely to be the largest minority population in the United States. It is obvious that this administration has not made a commitment to appointing people who are flecked the diversity of the American people. I would do that because I don't see how the American people can look at their leaders whether they're on the Supreme Court or in a cabinet and see people who don't look like them who don't come from their backgrounds at least in enough cases and feel that they can lead and inspire and
motivate the country. So that is my pledge and my commitment and I would do that with the court. I do that with the cabinet. I do that with all the appointments that I would have to make as president. Let me get back Governor Dukakis. Well I agree with Dick and let me go one step further. I've been a chief executive now going to my 10th year I've appointed 100 and 16 judges for life because in my state the governor has the same authority to appoint judges that the president has. And I've done so with the help of the Judicial Nominating Council which by the way includes Hispanic and black citizens who screen every candidate for a judgeship and recommend three finals to me from which I pick one. And we've been able to appoint firstrate people from a wide diversity of backgrounds black Hispanic male and female. And I'm very proud of those appointments. That is precisely the kind of attitude in the kind of approach I would bring to the presidency. And let me say one other thing when I get those three finalists I interview every single
one of them personally before nominating one for a judgeship. I can't imagine that nominating somebody for a judgeship and especially a position on the Supreme Court of the United States. Why it only met five minutes before the press conference. And that is what happened in this administration. Thank you given your caucus Senator Simon. I agree with Dick and Mike we have to have representative appointments whether they are to the court or where they are. But in terms of the court one of the things that has to be done first is to appoint an attorney general of the United States who sensitive to minorities and that calls for a substantial change from what we have right now. One of the best votes I cast was voting against Ed Meese his confirmation for attorney general of the United States. But people ought to be able to look to the
federal government and say this really represents us whether US spandex or blacks or Asian Americans or people with disabilities or who they are. They ought to be able to look at that government and say this really represents the people of the United States. Thank you Senator Simon governor Babbitt thank you during my time in Arizona. I think it's fair to ask people not what they intend to do only but what they've done. I appointed blacks at all levels in state government in twice their percentage in the Arizona workforce. I've doubled the percentage of Hispanics employed in state government. I pointed blacks and Hispanics to the court. Twenty five percent of all of my judicial appointments were minority groups and women. There's one more thing that I think is important and that is that all of our appointments reflect a commitment to civil rights because if there's a sense of
despair and frustration in this country it's that at all levels of government. People seem to be unwilling to stick up for affirmative action for hiring for placing for enforcing civil rights laws and I think we all need to commit that no matter who we appoint. The bottom line qualifications to reverse the neglect of civil rights enforcement in this country. Thank you Governor. Reverend Jesse Jackson in 1984 when some of my competitors turned to Reaganomics Gramm-Rudman Hollands I turned to registration. So I asked him how the black in the brown those who had been locked out leather drive in nineteen eighty one Mr. Reagan tried to curtail a Voting Rights Act to keep them powering the black the brown the poor it was all about work laws by eight or six where the majority US Senate Democratic. We defeated booking at a seven. As it is not enough of this feat less recommand in
the span of all the Supreme Court. So as a make it specifically more representative I am can last we must make a judgement not just have a from the top down as Alvarez but from the bottom up. For years full time college scholarships for black on the span that you have less than $30000 for us full time going to tender scholarship one hundred twenty thousand dollars less to education on the front side and not going to teachers on the back side. Judicial from the bottom up as well as the top down. Thank you Reverend Jackson. I move now to the last question to Governor Dukakis going to the caucus. The National Urban League recently published its report concerning the status of blacks in America. One vital concern of that report was crime in America and its disproportionate effect on blacks in terms of victims and perpetrators. Some of those statistics refer to blacks in 1986 being touched by crime
27 percent of all households were 12 percent of the population. Yet 27 percent of all FBI arrest arrests tracked by the FBI I should say. For four American males at large you've got about a one in one hundred thirty three chance of murder death by murder of four black males one in 21 chance of dying by murder. OK now how do we decrease the number of perpetrators the number of victims. How do we set a new tone a new agenda for eradicating crime in this country. Well I think you have to begin by analyzing what are the fundamental reasons why people commit crimes. What is it about their community their hopes their aspirations or the lack thereof that make it necessary for them to resort to crime. In my state we've cut crime in the last four years by more than any other state the country with one exception. The homicide rate is the lowest of any industrial state in
America and our unemployment rate is 2.9 percent I think there's a relationship there. And I have no doubt that there's a relationship when people are working when they're going to school when there is hope when there is economic opportunity when there are good jobs at good wages when people know that the schools they go to and the training they're getting are going to lead to economic opportunity and to a decent life and an opportunity for themselves or their kids to grow and expand their horizons and live a good life. The chances of their engaging in crime the chances they're resorting to crime are much much reduced. And that is why it seems to me the single most important priority for the next prez the United States has got to be to build an economic future in this country in which there is genuine hope and opportunity for every single citizen in the land of a guy who they are where they come from what the color of their skin. I happen to believe in tough law enforcement. I believe that we must go into our schools and
begin drug education early so that our kids will be spared the scourge of drugs and drug addiction and there are a whole range of things that we must do but thank you if there is an opportunity out there. SIMON And we will continue to confront the situation and it will continue to be very very serious. The key word is hope. The great division in our society is not between black and white not between Hispanic and Anglo not even between rich and poor is between people who have hope and people who have given up. And we have to give that spark of hope to people. And there are two things that can do it. One is seeing themselves move ahead educationally are seeing their children do it. And we have to do that. We're not providing that for too many people. And the second is to deal meaningfully with this whole problem of what some call the underclass structural unemployment. And I have offered a jobs bill the the only program that really
deals with this in a meaningful way and the distinguished sociologist William Wilson I'm pleased this praised my proposal. What we have to do is to give people hope and we can do it if we're creative. Thank you Simon. I don't think there's any question that jobs is the issue. Decent jobs first of all we raise the minimum wage so that people have some incentive to work and they can support their families. Secondly we have to deal with those school dropouts by finding some way to target employment opportunities conditioned upon finishing high school. Now third we have to get this economy going and we don't do it by widening the deficit with a gigantic public works program. We get it going by recognizing that real economic growth depends upon dealing honestly with that deficit that means reducing expenditure not across the board but by reducing expenditures by
targeting benefits so that people who don't need the benefits are the ones who have them reduced. And if we believe in getting this economy going we must have the courage to say the T-word to say we're going to deal with that deficit with a progressive tax increase. Thank you government rejects. I think a fact is missing in these analysis about jobs. It Black and brown youth is more likely to go to jail because he or she is black and brown. There's a racism factor in the judicial system and the class. Fact then it is like when the rich when the poor calls they go to San Quentin the rich presidents go to San Clemente and there's a double system here and then another level less less defined crime I was in Miami this past week meeting with the Coast Guard officials. They cut 10000 pounds of cocaine and ate a six £25000 and
ate a 7 and they were cut by a hundred million dollars. Two thousand workers cut to stop drugs from coming in. Now they want to spend forever through the hundred million dollars to go to the Contras in Central America. There is no greater act today that is more criminal in its nature. The couple hundred million miles from the Coast Guard and sent a hundred million dollars to the Contras in Central America. That's real ugly Thank you Reverend Jackson. Let's go now to the president of the FIA. I would agree with what's been said and I won't be repetitive but I think there's another factor here and that is that the top leadership of the country has to provide an example to people about crime. This administration is this this administration is given the words sleaze factor. A new meaning. We have an attorney general ladies. We have an attorney general that spends more time in the courtroom as a defendant than as a prosecutor.
And we have had an administration whose top officials including Michael Deaver who was a top adviser to the president who winds up using his influence after being in office to try to enrich himself and to make money. Now with that kind of an example how in the world can we hope to deal with the crime problem and give people hope and give people an example and a role model so that they do live a life that's free of crime. We got to have it I would ministration it moves in a different direction. Senator Simon the Reagan administration has been openly committed to the elimination of minority businesses set aside programs and to the emasculation of agencies such as the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency. Hispanics and other minorities share traditional American values of economic development. Competition and growth. What initiatives or incentives will you propose as president to stimulate entrepreneurial growth among
minorities. Specifically please discuss enterprise zones tax incentives loan guarantee programs or the negative impact upon minority economic development of us contracting. I strongly believe in retaining the Small Business Administration that you want to do with that in addition to set aside the great growth in jobs in this country is going to come from small businesses. And as you look at the untapped talent that we have in this country. You have to come to the conclusion that minorities and women really are the groups that we ought to be encouraging most. And so I want to do everything I can both by example through federal contracts by set asides through the SBA to see that we move in a constructive direction right there that it seems to me is basic. And then what use other agencies in addition to the Small Business
Administration. We have the Urban Development action grant program. We ought to be using that. We ought to for example be using the Department of Defense much more. Last year the Department of Defense spent nine billion dollars purchasing things outside the United States. I think we can make a lot of those purchases right in the United States. And I think we can encourage employment in areas in pockets of unemployment and encourage minorities and women at the same time. It can be done it takes leadership. Thank you for understanding Governor Babbitt. You know I think we should all support ask the loan guarantee program. They've certainly proven successful. I think as Democrats we've been a little slow to support the enterprise zone concept. I support it strongly you know there is an interesting example of an enterprise zone that really
works. The problem is it's not in the United States. It's in Mexico and it's an enterprise zone which gives incentives in it which is created 300000 jobs right across the American border. Now if we can set up those kind of incentives to create jobs in Mexico which I support surely we can create incentives to put those jobs in cities where unemployed kids are standing on street corners without a chance in life. Lastly the best way to help small businesses to get interest rates down on the way to get interest rates down is now recognised that we have to do something about the budget deficit and we must have the courage to get real economic growth going get interest rates down by cutting expenditures and raising revenue and maybe not ban it. Thank you Reverend Jesse Jackson. The Enterprise on the Mexican side has more to do with allowing cheap labor on the cut organized labor and those raising sand that live in
far from Mexico's on one side of the border and far Americans on the other. As I stated previously by going the Babbitt for example Zenith left Chicago and skipped to Texas on the way to Mexico not to have twenty plants except on the Mexican side four thousand workers and less on dollar an hour went on the American side for workers with a billboard one taught to in Mexico. That's not Joe but the example of an enterprise zone. Because people in the zone must be developed and not exploited. Secondly we must have business set asides for government contracts. Three businesses that get government contracts must set aside money are the contracts so as not to subsidize discrimination. Last I abuse consumer power to get 7-Eleven and coke and but mas and Burger King to open up the mine are the businesses and workers I use Thank you major resource. Congressman Gephardt we need to fight for set asides for minority businesses.
This administration for seven years has refused to enforce the laws that we have tried to pass so that they would be a reality. The Small Business Administration has been him an important source of capital for minority businesses. This administration has tried to get rid of it and the Congress has saved it. Probably the thing small businesses need most is capital. And I want to be a president who pays attention both through the budget and through what we do with the Federal Reserve to get capital for minority businesses. Finally trade is a big issue. We allow weight of products made by slave labor in other countries to be sold in this country and often those are the products that are made by small growing businesses. We need to enforce the trade laws in the trade treaty so that doesn't happen. Thank you Congressman Gephardt. Governor Dukakis you know all of these things make sense and I support them. But a few weeks ago we had a debate in Edinburg Texas down in south Texas the Rio Grande Valley
where unemployment is 25 and 30 and 35 percent one out of every three adults looking for work and can't find it. It's the next prez in the United States doesn't know something about how you rebuild economies how you bring growth and prosperity to those regions and communities the country that are hurting and hurting badly. And all of these things are going to be worth very much. And I hope as president that I can bring the kind of investment of public resources private initiative bring minority entrepreneurs into the process early and build that kind of growth in those parts of the country. If we don't do that if we have whole counties and regions of this country that look like the Depression and there isn't going to be much opportunity for a minority or for that matter any other entrepreneur. But we can do it I'm an optimist I think we have tremendous possibilities ahead but we're going to have to take public resources and combine them with a private initiative. The minority community and and build that kind of opportunity all across the country. Thank you given your caucus.
Let's move now to panelists Dr. Leona whiling Somerville governor about it. We'll expand on the economic issue. One of the Democratic presidential candidates has identified a radical economic polarization as part of a two fold problem facing our country. And we know blacks are twice as often unemployed as whites and nearly 50 percent of all black families are born in poverty and nearly 40 percent of all black teenagers are unemployed or on employable lack of skills as well as minority entrepreneur as single heads of households. The agent in females documented bipolar inequities as well as expanded needs. How would you address the economic polarization problems in ways that would best improve the quality of life for minorities. The first thing I do is raise the minimum wage the quickest anti-poverty
program we can put together is to raise the minimum wage from three forty five an hour to 450 so that people struggling at the bottom end will have a decent income. I reject protectionism as a way to create jobs I think in the long run it's going to weaken our economy. I reject what I call the Hong Kong economy. That's corporate executives who are creating golden parachutes for themselves while they're handing out pink slips to employees who are raising their bonuses while they're cutting wages. It's no way to build an economy. I advocate building this economy by what I call workplace democracy by saying to those managers you've got to bring employees in. Give them reasonable working conditions motivate them to work and share the profits so that we can begin to create real productivity create an American workplace that is a exactly the opposite of IBP of the Hong Kong economy where people try to compete by cutting wages by lowering working standards. That's not
the way to do it. And we can do better and presidential leadership is what's required. Thank you. Now the Reverend Jesse Jackson. What is so very basic and clear to me about the economic development as has it has a double measure. One measure is we must face the fact of discrimination based upon race and sex in this administration. I want to enforce the law and inspire Americans to the point that they realize the advantages of opening up to make room for black and Hispanic and female people. When we consider that will one third of the same Assyria and two thirds of our nation's neighbors are Hispanic speaking peoples. It isn't. It is in our national interest to bring down language barriers that we lose genius by closing these doors of the Dr. King holiday means in a thing.
It means that we can we can die together on foreign soil and pay taxes together. April 15th in play ball together during the big playoff season. Let's open up and remove all the errors for everybody here Reverend Jackson. Move now to Congressman Gephardt about a year ago I announced a plan for stopping poverty and the polarization that you talked about. The first step is affirmative action which has been forgotten by this administration the only way we're going to stop discrimination in employment in education is through affirmative action that that needs to be brought back. Second we need welfare reform. It's got to be different than it is today we've got to encourage families to stay together. The present welfare system doesn't. We've got to give people real education and training options which don't exist today. We have to do something about giving working mothers the chance to have Medicaid follow them into a new job. We need a head start for more youngsters one of seven youngsters
eligible for Head Start can get it. We know that early childhood education works. We need to do something about parents as first teachers. We have a program in Missouri that tries to help educate parents to be the first teachers of their children. It's a program that works we can do it nationally. There are other parts of it I think we've got to attack this problem head on. Let's go to Governor because well let me follow up on what I said just a few minutes ago. It's our right to talk about enterprise zones not a bad idea except nobody wants to go to an enterprise zone if there is an enterprise and activity there. And it's important to do all of the things that we've been talking about by way of education preschool education and headstart in these kinds of things very important. I remember visiting a head start program in Marshalltown a wonderful program a preschool education and I said to the director I said how many of the parents of these kids are working and she said very few and I said how come she said there aren't jobs there aren't any jobs.
And those of you who have lived through the past seven or eight years and are here in Iowa in the Middle West know what that means. So the next president has got to be somebody who can create and build jobs. And I've proposed a national economic development fund of a half a billion dollars one seventh of the cost of Starwood which we don't need by the way can't afford one seventh the cost of Star Wars to invest in jobs and economic development in communities that need those jobs. That's where you have to begin. Otherwise all of these things just don't work. Let's go to Senator Simon now. I agree on the need for jobs but we're going to have to do more than simply have half a billion dollar proposals to get there and I don't say that that's not a significant thing but we have to do much more than that we have to deal with this whole question of the underclass. We have to lift the opportunity that adults have in our society to do more. And then you're going to see this nation coming
together as it should with a president who appeals to the noble and us not the greediness. I was on a call in radio program in Chicago talking about my jobs program and a woman called and said you know why I'm not working don't you and I said No ma'am I really don't. And she said the blacks are getting all the jobs. We are pitting group against group age against age ethnic group against ethnic group. We as a nation have to move ahead. We didn't we have to have leadership with a vision an understanding of where we must go. Thank you sir. Mr. Alvarez. Reverend Jackson Cuba was expelled in 1961 from the Organization of American States under heavy U.S. influence in November 1987 at all people called Mexico. Eight member nations met and agreed to try to modify the OAS which would include allowing Cuba back into the organization and once again becoming linked with other Latin American countries.
In light that the nations will again meet in April. What is your position on admitting Cuba into the OAS and under what preconditions if any it would be wise to let Cuba back in as we move toward broader communications and try to resolve tension and conflict. If Nixon can go to China it Reagan can host Globex off an American president to meet with Castro Cuba. I did. It was all theirs I brought Americans and Cubans back home of the Castro the church for the first time in 30 years. They had these church state tensions. Got him to agree to Contador a process for them to agree to return Marial prisoners. A key factor in peace in Central America is Cuba's influence in that region which is the powerful influence. We would do better through negotiations and diplomacy than through a attempts at assassination or a blackout that is essentially in effect it. I'm for expanding communication
if we can talk with South Africa and we ought to and go but shop and we ought to and we can talk with China and we ought to begin talk with Cuba and our own hemisphere. It is a key to peace in Central America is sound and good judgment. Better we talk talk talk than fight fight fight. We have everything to gain and virtually nothing to lose. Thank you Reverend Jackson. Congressman Gephardt. I would not favor their readmission at this time. I think that it is something that can be seen down the road. But I think that in order to make it happen we have to begin adopting a different policy ourselves in Central and South America. I think we have to cut off contrail I've led the fight on that eight times in the house and I think that's important. We have to begin negotiations of the arias peace plan. I think that's important in lessening tensions in the region. We have to
change our policy with regard to what Cuba is doing in Africa. And I think if we would adjust some of the policies that we have been following that maybe the Cuban influence in Africa could be abated. If some of these things were done and if Cuba adopted different positions than they've often had then I think we could begin to talk about the possibility of being able to negotiate with Cuba again and maybe even down the road being able to adjust the present circumstance. Thank you Congressman Gephardt. Governor Dukakis I think we're making some progress in our relationship with Cuba the new immigration agreement I think is a small step forward but I would like to see some clear evidence that Cuba is committed to the principles of the Organization of American States and especially human rights and freedom in an open and pluralistic society before they return to the OAS. I think there's a much more serious question Is the United States committed to the principles of the Organization of American States.
And if so why are we violating the charter of the OAS and what we're doing in Central America. Because our effort to overthrow the Nicaraguan government is a clear violation of the OAS charter of the Rio Treaty. It's a failed and it's an illegal policy. And I want this country to begin respecting the law and not breaking it. That's the kind of country I believe and I think that's the kind of country the United States citizens believe. We are doing everything we can to wreck the arias plan. We're doing everything we can our best hope for peace in Central America to stop the killing and begin the peace process. This administration is doing everything it can to destroy that plan. I would reverse it stop conver aid get behind the Ares plan to begin to live up to the principles of a chart of the ore Bank of America to its future. Senator Simon national policy should serve the national interest and not the national passion. Our present policy toward Cuba serves the national passion but does not serve the national interest our national interest
is to see to it that Cuba moves away from being a satellite of the Soviet Union. And we ought to see what can be done to change that. I think that could include initially for example selling food and medicine to Cuba at the same time the president ought to appoint an advisory committee of Cuban American citizens to advise on the future relationship and stand up for human rights. People snickered when Jimmy Carter stood up for human rights but it's a strange thing you go into a small village in Latin America or Asia or Africa. They know about it. If we stand up and we say we would welcome change. I think there is a possibility of change. Thank you Governor Babbit. Well I don't see how we can effectively oppose Cuban entry into the OAS if and when the other Latin American countries decide that that's in their interest. How is it that we hold ourselves up as a more
effective judge of the interests of the Latin American countries than they themselves so I would listen to them. That's exactly what I would do in Central America with the audios peace plan. I would attempt to get the Cubans out of South Africa. You say we're on the wrong side of history in South Africa because we are supporting South Africans as proxies in the fighting in Angola. And that's wrong and we ought to stop it and get on the right side of history in South Africa by extending liaison recognition to the African National Congress and the South African Trade Union Congress withdrawing our support from the White South African mercenaries and saying to the Soviet Union we expect you to withdraw your support from the Cubans and get on the right side of history in South Africa. Thank you get about it. Let's move now to Mr. Dunne Nickerson Governor excuse me Congressman Gephardt this is my last question so I want to keep this international and try to make it best I can. South Africa talked about by Governor Babbitt. OK. What
should be our position relative to what we're doing or not doing in South Africa we've got a policy of constructive engagement. The president calls it whereby we hope to persuade and and by soft pressure change the apartheid system. You believe in constructive engagement. Is that enough should we be doing something more. I don't believe in constructive engagement I think it's a policy that has been shown to be failed. I think we have to have a new policy and we tried to describe that in legislation we passed in the House Democratic Caucus and on the House floor it was a bill sponsored by Representative Ron Dellums and Representative Bill Gray. It was not a soft approach. It was a hard approach. It sent the strongest possible message to South Africa that we demand change in their immoral immoral policy of racial separation. It completely divest American businesses in South Africa.
It cut off trade with South Africa in every way. It was a clear statement. It was the kind of bold statement that we need to make. Unfortunately that was watered down by the Republican Senate and it's been further watered down by what this president has done. Let me say one other thing. You know back in the 60s there was a big difference when we had presidents who said segregation is wrong. We need a president in this country a country who says apartheid in South Africa is wrong and a president who will lead. A president who will lead our allies to work with us to send the strongest possible message to the South Africans that the world will not put up with that policy anymore. Thank you as well now to the medicals. Well constructive engagement isn't a failure as a matter of fact somebody suggested the other day that we try constructive engagement in Central America to boycott South Africa not
vice versa. And I agree with him. I think we've got to be much much tougher on South Africa. I think we've got to join with the international community in imposing tough sanctions. I think we've got to work with the front line Southern African states to help them grow and expand their economies and their futures and reduce their dependency on South Africa. I think we've got to get serious about the independence of the middle and I think we have to put them full moral force of this nation behind that effort. I would also in this absolutely bizarre policy in Angola where we have with the United States providing weapons to a rebel force supported principally by South Africa that rebel force attacking the Cuban army which is defending American oil companies. If you can figure that out let me know. I think it's an absolutely bizarre policy and I can tell you if I'm president it will end immediately. Thank you Governor. Of these senators by choice I serve as chair of the African subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Four
years ago I spent half a day with Bishop Tutu. He said South Africa is headed toward unbelievable violence and there is only one country that can prevent it because of your economic muscle and that's the United States of America. And he is right. Apartheid is going to go. The only question is whether it's going to go peacefully or violently. And we ought to be on the side of rapid peaceful change and unfortunately we are not i help to override the president's veto on on sanctions but we have to do much more than that. And goal of Mike is right. Our policy is wrong. United Nations instead of vetoing resolutions we should be leading the charge on resolutions. We ought to be asking our friends in Western Europe and Japan to stop buying South African coal. Last year Japan bought 1.6 billion dollars worth of South African coal. We can be much much stronger than we now are. Thank you Governor. Back in 1965 I went to the streets of Selma Alabama
in the days right after an event that we now know was Bloody Sunday. It was the beginning of two years that I spent in the civil rights and anti-poverty movement in America in the south fighting for a simple principle that every single American is entitled to the protection of the Constitution and the right to vote. We are now supporting a government in South Africa which explicitly denies those principles which is engaged in resegregating and uprooting people brutalizing them and denying of their them of their rights and imprisoning children. It's a totalitarian racist society and I don't understand how it is we can continue to recognize a government which is the antithesis of our own principles. And it's for that reason that I would say to Pretoria you're no longer the sole representative of South Africa and begin extending liaison to the
blacks the aggregate National Congress the South African Trade Union Congress and start standing up for referendum Jetson of the wrongs that are being inflicted upon that country. Number one we need to have a policy on Africa. South Africa is an employer whose tentacles extend 3000 miles to the north Cuba's not in South Africa Cuba is in Angola. Not my and Asian but by invitation. Protecting American interests there. Chevron oil depot in commend it. Well do four things one have a summit meeting with Frontline African heads of state as we've done with Western European heads of state. A second that sanctions against South Africa as strong as those against Libya all the all American companies out by a date certain
last open free and fair elections. Third in the security front line states need defensive weaponry to the fam themselves from South Africa's destabilization tactics. And fourthly it Development Plan so Zimbabwe and Zambia can trade out of the Mozambique and not have to go through South Africa. Thank you ever this handsome Your next question. Governor to do a caucus in examining welfare reform always popular at election time. A popular issues considered include work fare programs job training programs and daycare. The federal government and some businesses are offering days daycare services to their employees. The Federal Tax Reform Act allows some corporations to provide an important day care benefit to their employees which effectively serves to reduce taxable income. Unfortunately many studies demonstrate that these services and programs where in
effect actually impact on are of primary benefit to the middle class employee and not to the low income employee or to the welfare recipient who desperately wants to work but cannot without the benefit or because of the lack of daycare services. What legislation would you propose to provide daycare services to the individuals that are most in need. The welfare reform recipients and the low income American. Well some of us I think most of us have been working on welfare reform now for a lot more than just this election season and the 50 governors of this country Republicans by the way as well as Democrats have now proposed a plan of the Congress and the House of Representatives of already passed snow in the Senate which will fine.
Series
Debate 1988, President, Democrat
Episode
Iowa Brown-Black Coalition
Episode
Bruce Babbitt, Michael Dukakis, Richard Gephardt, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Paul Simon participated.
Contributing Organization
Iowa Public Television (Johnston, Iowa)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/37-1615dzfh
NOLA
DEB
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Description
Episode Description
Reel 1, This was the second forum held. The Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum, the nation's only presidential forum in which all candidates have an opportunity to answer essential concerns of African-Americans and Latinos. Photos and history are available on http://www.bbpresforum.org/history/1988/photos.html. MBR-60
Created Date
1988-01-20
Asset type
Episode
Topics
Politics and Government
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Media type
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Duration
01:01:27
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Iowa Public Television
Identifier: 41-D-31 (Old Tape Number)
Format: U-matic
Generation: Master
Duration: 01:30:00
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Citations
Chicago: “Debate 1988, President, Democrat; Iowa Brown-Black Coalition; Bruce Babbitt, Michael Dukakis, Richard Gephardt, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Paul Simon participated. ,” 1988-01-20, Iowa Public Television, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 28, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-37-1615dzfh.
MLA: “Debate 1988, President, Democrat; Iowa Brown-Black Coalition; Bruce Babbitt, Michael Dukakis, Richard Gephardt, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Paul Simon participated. .” 1988-01-20. Iowa Public Television, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 28, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-37-1615dzfh>.
APA: Debate 1988, President, Democrat; Iowa Brown-Black Coalition; Bruce Babbitt, Michael Dukakis, Richard Gephardt, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Paul Simon participated. . Boston, MA: Iowa Public Television, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-37-1615dzfh