The real eastern Kentucky; 6; Muffle Voices of the Poor

Lady my. Wife. And I. Celebrating the people part in the war on anyone listening. Right. Maybe here in the.

Back of. A cop. For that I have a lawyer. And evidence. For that. And. For that a liar or. Visit the case or book or birth of the non-poor the politician birth of the nonpolitician Young who was winning in the war on poverty. We have only the poverty in a nation that had mountains of affluence. This is a fact. There are pockets of blight in urban and rural America. They are there and we can't hide that. But it's important to remember that they do not represent America yet and perhaps even more significant that we have started to take action through eliminate poverty.

Our federal government has made a start in that direction although it is still poor on the list of priorities. Eastern Kentucky live in the heart of Appalachian during the path with go you're 54 million dollars with Ben in Kentucky for the war on poverty. If you take the attitude that the money were the payment to the poor then you probably think it with too much. If you take the attitude that it was an investment and you probably think it was too little the Nixon administration have not made it perfectly clear on where it stands in the battle. But it has hit on a division by cutting budgets and pruning poverty programs. Throughout the country. Our objective in the program was to obtain comment from the folk old violent majority young twit of a band in the battle one of their criticisms of the war on poverty. They found study give you a chance to listen to some of the responses. Eastern Kentucky and we have to examine one of the most controversy over Grm issue them a poverty work in the state of the duration which is being

carefully monitored in Washington as well as Kentucky. Our starting point was to determine whether the poor had any difficulty in getting their opinion aired to the proper individuals where their voices being muffled do the poor find themselves at a disadvantage if they are made member of the Community Action Committee in their area. I think that when I go back there they're that way. That they are people that will not be embarrassed because of a few people that that large I think there's many. More people realize that they don't have the education the verbal deal that professional people have. They're never hear. How professional people feel about them. I think that I think that this can be over

coming through that. Education part or whatever their number might be and bar. Sharing and they never. Get big with greater authority on his own problem. Than a professional birth. Good. But that will give the kid a problem. Never. Ever dominated the meeting that I'm bored. I think when it happens. After professional very. Often kind of the poor are in a committee for example when matched with I'm not a poor person tends to be at a fantastic disadvantage he doesn't know about the language. He is probably not a skilled person in language or in parliamentary procedure.

He's probably not a kind of a forward person that entrepreneur a judge or somebody would be in now. So he always had a good vantage and you know very difficult I think I think to involve the poor in things like that. It put it through that the poor become a member of the committee had rather reluctantly than how can we ensure that we are getting the true opinion aboard the more affluent on the committee the claim that they have broken with the poor and know the needs and the good guy or the people get the non-poor really understand what a poor person feel what he experiences. In many ways. I think the poor are unwilling to see what it must be like to look through the eyes of the poor. You know it's not it's not hard in many ways as people begin to think it

is if the matter of being willing to change sides if the whole change of attitude. How are the those who have made it look down on the poor or somehow think they are inferior and you know if you go at a mammoth way you block them that dog you know that he is inferior. You know he doesn't that you don't think he had right. And then immediately you turned him off. And then. Quote The second thing is you know that the apartment keeping Well one of the poor want one of the poor want. And they want money. You know you can do everything in the world for the poor but if you don't have running career you're always going to be poor you're always going to have poor education you're always going to have. The inability to travel for example and to see what's going on in the world and inability to share with the other kids who are you know why don't we see that

the very simple fact. Of the poor don't have the money to do what I can tidy you know required about three weeks. The fact that the voices of the poor are muffled in the war on poverty if but one criticism that I've heard about it. There are others others like me that spread. Honestly among the genuine complement that are given the effort here are several viewpoints about the effectiveness of our country's program to eliminate poverty ranging from positive because somewhere in between the negative. This probably a problem the minute they get help to the country. I mean I think people here if it hadn't been for that and what they know they. Could've made in a way they could have went out and found it down somewhere and I have been turning grant over. Half on it. And if I have a bank in God. I think I want to go along year after year. There have been a little bit of

resentment. On the part of. Some people who. Are Considered. Party line according to the survey I made by the federal government. Yet they're working and. I thank you out of what they might. I got resentment on their part not that they really. Haven't. Thanked me when I think they've made it because they don't understand the problem. But over and over our faith in the people. Understand what's going on and try to understand problems go along with. I hope that we can gather a few. That. Can. You're. Very. Right. And the poor people and I believe that

that that is really the direction and the moving control. I think a lot of the government program that we're targeted area could help the people in their case and. Paid them away for that. While. There are not. Permanent. It doesn't make that family. Economically independent. It helps they work and there are training programs that help to train them. For. God. Probably the biggest problem with that when there are no forum to fill when they graduate from their training program because we lack the faculty and me and me and for them to go. Back with. Continuing program they think they're developing. Trying to bring factories in the area.

Trying to develop little local economic development. Part of. That training can't pay off and they're about to go when you have accounting of the poor people right now you can have programs who people get on it and they think you go to when we got out of the program where are you going to look a lot and going to want to run the power politics and they tutor they think I don't we don't regard who they need in my own heart. And. Thank each person who bought what they think they are having. But the way I feel about a program on the Internet I think being a parent works that it's regular programs. We find that when you hear him you know probably predominately black primary day when your people want to be poor I want to welcome you here. With women it we got a back up in the end that this is not true. They haven't had the opportunity to be anything but welfare women do you want to work and they want to go you know something that's going to be

good for them and I look back I think of something that people are pragmatic I'm going to take their day. What about Mormon I mean when people are now that person you're not really what they may be are you happy get to know a person in a place where the community and and they're looking behind me before I mean really the internet they really feel this is why they're important not to come you need be the ability that I put the money into into a real project going to be defeated it would be 30 we actually what we. Help program not not that I want to know that a problem but the biggest problem so much and have gotten little that they're part of popular math programs any kind of a program. We have every game we don't park with the people that may be impervious and permit that we're going to carry through and we're going to carry after them thinking I'm on the board of the Kentucky Housing Development Corporation which is you know you know been off trying to develop housing in the four

county area. And we hire men to work on repairing the homes of aging people who are on welfare. They get a $500 grant from Social Security. If they own their own homes and can't don't have the money to fix them. And of course many of these old people who are on welfare who own their own homes just live in shacks really and are unable to ever to fix them. Well these men can spend the $500 for material and then the families can get up to life with a thousand dollars in in labor from these men who are hired under this program to do this work their men over 52 which you know they're over the hill in terms of job market many of them are functionally illiterate or are on the verge of not being able to pass a physical anyway but here are men who are doing constructive work who are not welfare recipients. They're working for it helping their own people. Have better housing and I know

just at our last meeting a couple of the supervisors were there the work supervisors of the crew and they were saying what a tremendous spirit these guys had how and truly AFAIK they are about what they do. Wow you know how much better could be in 30 actually because you're contributing something than to be on the dole sitting around. You know contributing nothing. My criticism of the poverty programs is that. I don't see. Any real life in benefit. To the program. I think the programmer need to alleviate poverty. But I. Pray that. It will not be of any permanent benefit. It seems to me that it is possible. That the money could be better fan to encourage industry. To enter the party area to provide that. And Foreman in private industry. And I think there could be more future to it if you couldn't do that.

Perhaps the best and only way to make changes in the war on poverty is through legislation. But to do that grappling with the individual who deal with legislation the politician Webster defines a politician as one who was interested in a government office or the property from them as a source of private gain. Can we apply that definition here. Can we even ask if anyone is using the war on poverty for private gain in eastern Kentucky where politics has become almost a religious experience. Politicians are given a rather high regard. But on second glance it goes deeper than that. After all if a man indirectly controlled the supply to your family and have some say over who receives a job in his county you'd be more inclined to speak highly of him to come here have patience with a person who is standing.

PM. He or she thinking of people he cannot discriminate between individual and should know better. You want to happen again. John I got out of the way they couldn't understand I will play at the. Things. We have and you have got to give me any here. And you're taking a dime I am on that committee and there are many of the gown and you're going to have and that they were I would know who. They were now you understand they have. Been arguing that a vote or. You know wanting to know how to manage a good lot of their big daddy would be anything but if. You got in there out of Manning I want a virus out of Africa I want to get a gun grabber then our bravery not accounted to. Partake and I thought how not to do it. I'm just speaking for me than for your people grab. Their thing local officials are stationed now for. Reaping in benefits from me. Any part of the problem. When actually.

I don't think they are. I think the main problem is the lack of change of always inherent in progress. But how much change are we willing to accept in a program but is slowly eradicating the terrible blight of hunger poverty the Nixon administration claimed that it is merely eliminating the inefficient programs across the country. Those that are not meeting the guidelines as originally thought down by the Office of Economic Opportunity. Now they are toying with the idea of more state control of community action agency. Several members of Congress advocate this position and are pushing for administration action. Could they control help or hinder the program. I benefit from it being a real benefit to the people. Who give over control the Community Action organizations to the state. The lack. Of convection program produce probably been

better under local control. I think there is a general. Right. That. Had to fade away and I agree that. They I think this has come about. Great information. Area dog director. Of the Kentucky River area though they are correct or. The Creating roll out of the ATV is. Where. I believe that. I drink. A large portion of the federal dollars comes in that area I think that the only way that probably can't go back. And become great will be through the local.

Notably promote yours. You might go down in your community. That would be progress in Kentucky efforts are already underway to bring the community action agencies under its control. These efforts are subtle and indirect but clearly evident in 1989 governor vetoed an olio grant of one hundred seventy eight thousand dollars destined for the middle Kentucky River Development Council. The little Kentucky agency focuses its efforts in an area that is among the poorest in the nation. Rabbit Lee and elderly counties according to the last census 74 percent of the families here live on income of less than $3000. The director of the middle Kentucky River Development Council is pre-booked Turner

considered to be the heir apparent to a 40 year old political dynasty in this region. Now.

I would like. To write. They think that if they proceed. And. Kill and Walker in. The back of a. Limb Frasier the director of the state Office of Economic Opportunity is one of the key figures in this political skirmish in eastern Kentucky. Break your statement at a public hearing in the matter was the only participation he would agree to. He refused to present the case against the middle Kentucky River project in public. He was willing to present evidence behind closed doors in an effort to protect his witnesses from any reprisal by backers of the Turner family. He felt that

some of those who would testify might possibly lose their jobs or good for their children if they were named openly. The attorney for the anti-poverty board immediately attacked these claims. Edward preacher Jr. ridiculed the actions of state officials. That I can't believe it. Well it may be that they know they have it back on it. Live in the rain. Man will be. Right back. Well

the people up here know whether that. They're here. I've been in an alley. Where I live here and I don't even think I believe it. If people want to get credible they can come and give them. The ticket you think you want. Yeah man without

giving it a second language that they use one might let the people in the back of your revolution one of the people crapping on the revenue level down the enemy is a problem you hate it not rated them that probably the same way you thought that what people in North Korea or somebody else and I think that and exactly would've been heard. To have an egg that before any America back governmentally whether it be a deal admitted by any other athlete the hotly contested election of Mr. Powell as director of the anti-poverty program came in January of 1999. Evidently tempers became overheated in reaction to the results of the contest. The opposition to the PIRA family claims that questionable tactics were used to think Mrs. Powell as executive director and they claimed that the program is being used to for

the political motives of the Turners. We got out this is how old were additional questioning after the Office of Economic Opportunity hearing. We asked for her evaluation of the walkout by state officials. I never meant that I didn't. I think. It's always been recognised that they really cannot thank you wait their character. And way. Their only way of getting out. What is your reaction to the charge then that the voices of the poor are not being heard in the middle of every development. We recognize any one area and our poor people.

Their innate ability and very. Being heard they are heard. And. I think our program we were getting ready to go in here when it came it came as a complete surprise. Governor Nunn met with a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6 1969 calling him the spokesman for the poor. He produced a four inch stack of affidavits and photos which he said documented his case one week later. This is how it was called before the same committee. And she too brought affidavit which she claimed proved her case confusion

accusations charges and countercharges. Truth is a hard virtue to find. But in the meantime it is abundantly clear that the poor are caught in the middle. They are still suffering. Why the political forces go on with their vocal disagreement. Both the Nixon and Nunn administrations may be publicly embarrassed by the whole uproar but the fact remains the poor will remain poor while the non-poor serve their needs and the politicians seek out private gain in the so-called War on Poverty. Right.

We are. This programme was produced by Morehead State University in cooperation with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the studios of WUOM K-Y FM Morehead Kentucky. This is the national educational radio network.