Law in the news; Housing and urban development

The National Education already own network presents a law in the news with Professor Joseph R. Julan associate dean of the University of Michigan Law School. The president has quite clearly shown his concern with putting the District of Columbia back in order. His recent tour with D.C. Mayor Washington and Housing and Urban Development secretary Romney leave little doubt as to the priority he assigns to this project. But now as the state legislature is prepared to meet for the first time since the riots they generally meet once every two years as you perhaps know where are we outside of Washington in the Housing and Urban Development dilemma. With me once again Professor William J peers the president of the Commission on uniform state laws. Bill what is the status of Housing and Urban Development from a legislative standpoint. In this post riot era.

The present time there's a great deal of interest in a number of states and creating at the state level new Department of Community Affairs or urban affairs. A few such departments exist in individual states at the present time are adjuncts of the governor's office but in most situations these offices are purely advisory in nature and make studies and recommendations. The problem is one that must be confronted head on with respect to what to do about our cities. As most of our states have major Urban Urban conglomerates that cause a great deal of difficulty and new ideas must be brought into being so that many of these problems can be resolved. Now the problem is that state government has been traditionally are going nighest of along functional lines for example there's a department of helpers a Department of Mental Health a Department of Agriculture department of labor.

Well all of these have things to do with the urban areas but their major interest is focused on the function and the underlying difficulties that derive in the urban centers in the United States. The same time we have federal monies pouring into the cities we have state monies and locally raised monies out trying to do things about various problems. But many of our urban areas are. Confused by the fact that their fifteen hundred for example different kinds of government special districts local governments etc. within a large metropolitan area. This leads to a great deal of confusion and therefore the states are now beginning to move with what can be done about this. For example some of the things around are study now are to create a Department of Urban Affairs who undertake to try to find out what can be done about consolidating police functions. Why should the police functions be split up among several separate

police agencies with no inner communication and whatever training programs from any other. What can be done about the taxation problem. For example education in one part of the urban complex is supported by over 100 times as many. Tax assess dollars in the terms of property assessments and then other school districts and either break this down to make sure that there are more dollars available to the underprivileged where there are low tax dollars available. Another whole problem is the whole new cities idea that legislatures are beginning to consider shouldn't we create some whole new studies right now and wide open where nothing now exists how do we go about this planning of a whole new urban complex and what would that new city be would we just build the same thing we have. Or what kind of ideas would be put be putting in and developing a completely new city in our states. Finally of course there's the

whole problem of planning. Most states at the present time don't have any state planning agency that is working. And of course it has statewide planning for all the services essential what the state services will be as well for all local services and the general type of life that will be led in our states. So the states are facing a big problem and they have many new innovations can be expected this session. I've been talking with Professor William J pierce the president of the Commission on uniform state laws. Professor Joseph Farr Julan associate dean of the University of Michigan Law School has presented a law in the news recorded by the University of Michigan Broadcasting Service. This is the national educational radio network.