Evening Exchange; Mayor Marion Barry

So. Draconian is the word often heard most to describe the extent of the Reagan budget cuts. Anyway you say it. October 1st tomorrow the start of the 1982 fiscal year will mean change and pain for many American cities including our own Washington D.C. Good evening and welcome to evening exchange. I'm your host. Rudolph Brewington Mayor Marion Barry is the man who like his counterparts all over the country will have the unenviable task of making do with less for Washington D.C. less means cuts in social services health services Medicaid aid for dependent children see the public jobs housing and a myriad of other areas. In dollar terms we're talking about $17 billion or more in cuts. Mabury is our guest tonight. We're going to be talking to him about the extent of those cuts

their effect and more importantly what the city can or is able to do about lessening of cushioning their effect on its citizens. And we want you to be in on this conversation our phone line is open the telephone number here is 6 3 6 5 7 to 8. Hello Mr. Merrick. It's a real pleasure to have you here. Good to be here with you even exchange. Pleasure to have you. Well it the moment has arrived. You know it was coming. And you let the citizens know just how much change tomorrow will make in their lives. Well first of all I've tried to do all I could to express. Everywhere I go including the president my dissatisfaction with the way the budget is being balanced I believe that the national budget ought to be balanced because it affects the economy on a number of other things. But the budget should not be balanced on the backs of poor people blacks and senior citizens and the handicapped and women and others who need this kind of help. So I just want to set the tone for what I've been saying and what I've been expressing.

Unfortunately my view is in the minority black mayors around the country all one hundred ninety four of us has been has been working on this problem. And so we knew it was coming. Even though we didn't like it I released a report two or three months ago which indicated that the district would probably lose approximately six to five million dollars out of a possible three hundred seven million dollar federal grant program that at least 12 million dollars of it would be nice to see the program. We're feeling the pain of it. Two weeks ago I review proposed spending for 82 and I see the program there were a hundred and one hundred and ten of innovations that apply for various levels or see their participation and they said they could only fund 20. So you can begin to see the massive impact already on just to see the program on October 1st which is tomorrow. I

knew AFDC guidelines go into effect in my view these new guidelines. Punish those who work because it limits the deductibles which will make you at all possible for AFDC. It probably will encourage the 3500 family members or heads of families now who are now working on not to work because there are no advantages under the new guidelines to work. We will lose a significant amount of money in our Medicaid program. And so the pain has come. I don't like it that a lot of our citizens are going to be hurt. On the other hand the city does not have 65 million dollars that it can substitute for the federal money. It means it would mean an increase in taxes which a lot of our citizens are opposed to. I'm opposed to basically because I think we're taxed enough already and we all know it ought to have tax increases on them. Just the most extreme circumstances even though these circumstances on

train. There are other options. Secondly we have to cut reduce 65 million dollars out of some of the budget. So we going to help out. We're looking now we think we can identify some amounts of money there's not a lot. That the local government can substitute for some of these cut programs but it's going to be rough. It's going to be painful. And I think people now are beginning to understand the reality of the Reagan administration cuts. Our cities are suffering. Therefore we ought to know that Mr. Murray this money that you say you've identified. How far can you spread it to cushion the effect in other areas. Again ideally if you had 65 million dollars then that's what you would have to substitute for the Reagan administration's reductions. Obviously we cannot identify 65 million dollars of revenue monies to spend in Gaza. How bad I want to do that. And we're not yet sure how much. That's why I.

Don't want to give a firm figure because we weren't sure what I eat it to budget would look like because it's still in the Congress. We don't have either two budgets yet here we start our fiscal year tomorrow without a budget. And we just have to spend. At the same level and some aid it to as we finish spending the one which is a handicap to us. We have some good friends in the Congress and their motto has worked off the hard to try to get our budget through. Congressman Dixon But again it will probably be the latter part of October or the middle part of it will be for the district itself. We'll have a budget demonstrate again why we ought to have full of tough government. We don't need the Congress to approve our budget. We pay the price in the bill. We ought to be able to make that at least 80 percent of this is. But what will you be able to say to those citizens Mr. Mayor who as you know will come to you and say look I need help I need support I need services. What can you tell I would do all we can. We'll make every effort. I've instructed my department heads and administrators to do all they can to make every effort

to serve people who come who've been cut off and cut out. This Adonis and all with the plumbing plumbing services is working to try to figure out how we can increase our job bank how we can increase the kinds of services that people out of work can come. I left a very sad situation this afternoon over the Community Service Administration CSA. Has been abolished as you know over nine hundred and eighty people themselves out of work one in Portland. The functions are going to be the diminished because even though we get a block grant through Human Services that block grant will be 25 percent lower than 81. So again we're not going to be able to provide services for people but we're going to keep work and I'm not going to give up. Give out give given we have a responsibility to be vigilant and to do all we can to make sure that our people who need help. Get as much as they can from us.

OK. Mr. Mayor are a number of your constituents our viewers are going to be asking some questions we're going to take our first one right now. Good evening. Anything in exchange for the Mayor Ryan happening to justify a trip to Las Vegas because he recently first about the various cuts down in the district. Me every. Opportunity for years. Why. Because we're very proud to be there. And another reporter said that they captured a quieter culture of trust and word of here. I'm curious as to what were the results of that trip. OK thank you. First of all I think that a lot of people have been duped by the media. Some parts of it out of all of the things we do. We have about 7000 new housing starts going on. We had a very successful job training program this summer over 19000 young people

work and they got paid on time. We read about it on page 15 some place in the back. We are helping we feed over 4000 senior citizens every day. We are working also hard to bring jobs to the District of Columbia. We have been successful in attracting a number of businesses here and keep businesses here because part of my goal and part of my effort is to increase the welfare and welfare and sense of welfare payment but the welfare and well-being of these citizen. We've done that very well. In 1980 I went to New York as chair on board. We were able to bring the soccer ball here. Well with 50000 people came to the stadium providing jobs for our people. I had an opportunity just to get the District of Columbia and the national ABC. Posture. I have been to Chicago to try to get the merchandise mart to come here. They signed an agreement just

yesterday with Ariella relay board where they are going to employ some 500 people with the requirement that at least 30 percent of them will be minorities. They go on to work on 180 jobs so I don't have to. I think we have to be very careful about how you take one incident out of the context of all I do everyday in my 14 15 hours that I work. And if we are successful and get in any amount of publicity any amount of boxing here of the $900 or so costs will be miniscule compared to the kind of money is in the kinds of jobs that D.C. residents can get as a result of that. I mean can imagine us having a national television program a closed circuit television program. When I was in Las Vegas it was estimated that over a hundred million downloads was brought into Las Vegas because of the fight. So I would urge all of us to get some time led astray by an isolated incident in the media. If we were in New York or some other places we would not even be in the news. All of a sudden the mayor a lot of people want

to fail including some members of the media I then have this front page story. I would put something about housing on the front page of The Washington Post about our job training program about our efforts to balance our budget and those kind of things that to me is the important issue of the day. And I'm not going to get all be defensive about that. I think it's it's a mammoth part of standard operating procedures and I know there's someone from the Army Board would go in when you have a big fight like this would go and attempt to lobby these promoters to bring the fight to the army. Right. Any other city the mayor. Go on Coleman Young go on some place try to bring a fight as he did to Detroit or Jane Barron in Chicago. Ed Koch in New York will be just normal operating procedures all of a sudden in Washington D.C. We let one newspaper go carries off into left field someplace above 7 which is insane. OK let's take another call. Good evening you're on even the exchange. Hello. Yes. I actually. Because I live in a regime that does not have prior

restraint here I would like to know if the mere thought that it could have left your area. Safer And he wanted to get credit for that call for contributor power. For an act like that with credit and proper. Money. Right. OK. Thank you for that call me. That would be fantastic if we could get. If you're talking about a dollar if you could get six to five million dollars some people give in like that would be just great. Get out churches. It'd be great. But again I think that's a temporary solution. Sixty five percent of all of our monies that are raised not only in Washington but in cities and counties and states around the nation goes to the federal government. Sixty five percent of every dollar. And locally we only keep

35 cents of every dollar we were 20 years ago just reversed. Thirty five percent wants the federal government 65 cents state local and I think it's the federal government's responsibility to take taxpayers money to redistribute it and give it back to the states and counties and the cities to solve a lot of our social problems. On the other hand I appreciate volunteerism. I think people ought to give of themselves to volunteer an hour or two a day in the community or doing some things to help people out and contribute and some money. So I think we need both but I don't think we ought to lose sight of the fact that I think the federal government's responsibility to provide aid to our cities and aid to our people. We spend more money and one day on some crazy missile system that we don't need because we have enough guns and mis housing and submarines to kill us all over. 5000 times. So I appreciate that effort. We ought to have volunteers to come in and help us out. But why are we getting

that done. We all saw it insists that the federal government do is share OK Mr. Mayor I like to talk with you and explore with you some other possible avenues of help to the city in its budgetary crisis. And we will continue we'll be back with more Marion Barry and be back with your calls. Again the line is up the number here is 6 3 6 5 7 2 8 right after we take this look at the community. College. How would. Diversity diversity prompt an auditorium close to Washington's finest gospel voices to benefit the United planning organization. There are two performances on October 3rd 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m.. Contact

Mr. Wilbert Miller at 2 9 1 7 1 9 1 for further details. The original Hebrew Israelite nation of Jerusalem will sponsor a cultural day on Sunday October 4th from 3 to 6 p.m. at the All Souls Unitarian Church 16th and Harvard Streets Northwest. Contact. Fuller at 3:9 75000 for further details. Prince George's County seat of programs excepting for training in the building and construction trades and machinist training applicants should be residents of Prince George's County Transportation and be at least 17 years of age. For further information call 3 3 6 8 9. We're back now in our discussion on D.C. issues with the mayor of Washington D.C. The Honorable

Marion Barry. Mr. Mayor just before the break we were talking about possible other sources of revenue avenues. A lady called up about volunteerism donating a dollar. How about looking toward the private sector president of United States Ronald Reagan seems to place a lot of stock in the ability of the private sector to. And again I use this example all boats rising with the tide isn't it. Can you look to the private sector or are they having their own pains. Well I think we ought to look to the private sector but the economy is really in pretty bad shape right now. A number of business people have in difficult times trying to keep their businesses going. But even if they were healthy the business community and my philosophy is in the business of making money or making a profit. Of surviving and succeeding and even in good times I don't believe that the business community is going to take on all of the social needs of a community if a business person has to choose between a person who comes to work at eight o'clock dressed properly who

answers the telephone in a courteous way and gets along with his or her employee. Please Contrast that with someone who comes at 8:30 maybe getting and maybe at 9:30 who comes in maybe a little disheveled maybe who's had a hang. You know all these kind of problems the business person will take that person to the court because that means the production would get out more than likely much quicker. And so the business community is not equipped mentally or structurally to take on all of the social needs on the other hand. They need to do more in our own community. They are fifteen or sixteen thousand firms who employ four or five minimum four or five people just think of each of them where I have worn these resident and some can have more than that as opposed to a mirror on the video resident who's equally qualified. That's 15 16 17000 people who will be working who are D.C. residents there are 27000 people in that town who are unemployed and drawing unemployment compensation. So the business community needs to do a lot

more. We have to insist that they have collaborative cooperation with us that they sit and figure out what they can do and what the government can do and do it together. I believe in a public private. Partnership and our business community unlike other business communities has not had to participate as much as others so they're not quite yet accustomed to this new level of participation. There are a lot of them who want to participate and we want to find ways to get them to take on some of these low. It helps them too because when someone is out of work or someone has a problem and they get involved with crime or other kinds of things it cost us $23000 a year to keep selling it. LUDDEN it seems to me that when $3000 could be used better for job training and other kinds of programs in the business community can help themselves by helping us help people. OK Mr. let's go back to our live right now. Good evening. Evening exchange of letters to is a collection of some

group from South Africa performing at the Kennedy Center. For sharing about the apartheid government over there. OK. Thank you very much opposed to the apartheid practices of the South African government. We've always spoken out spoken against it. I was opposed to the rugby team coming to the United States perform anywhere. I don't know enough about the situation to Canada so I tried very diligently to follow everything which has happened in our town and it just happened happened in that country. But this is why I don't know about. I want to apologize for that. But philosophically I'm opposed to that government where a minority government probably less than 70 percent. Control the majority. South Africa is an outlaw kind of government that needs to be taken care of and needs to change its practices and its policies. The same is true in Namibia. We need to have that country liberate it from South Africa. That's my

philosophical approach to it. OK that was the State Department Of course the granting of visas to get here. Right. So that was sort of your idea. But again we didn't we to speak out and speak up on those things that affect our brothers and sisters in Africa. OK Mr. Mayor you you always have your share of issues. Let's deal with one of the recent ones that has hit the city. Talking about the action by Virginia congressman Stanford piracy of course recently amended that the city's appropriation bill to forbid you to hire more police any more firemen by using the lottery for those in the know. This came after you threw out the lottery just before it threw out the test results before it decided to use a lottery to hire police officers like to get your reaction do you think this is the death knell of home rule do you think Mr. Paris was justified. Or do you think are you practicing as some people may claim racism of your own in doing such a thing. Well I'm not going to be mayor and participate in any situation on me which discriminates against anybody whether it's discriminates against blacks or women. And they

kept the elderly homosexuals and I'm not going participate in that. And my personnel officer my corporation council my police chief all three books and the penult of each other and collectively came to me with a recommendation that we change the way we were doing business the police chief said this test does not indicate the ability to be a police officer based on just numbers alone. A corporation counsel said this violates Title 7 the Civil Rights Act and my purse officers say it violates the 80 percent rule which means that those three people came to me. I had no choice except to agree because I basically do agree. We did it on the other hand I don't think Congressman Parrish or anybody else ought to be for political reasons involving themselves in the affairs of the district Columbia government. We are capable of running ourselves or managing ourselves with capable of making our own laws. In

my view addresses are astute politically we're just as smart as people. The politician in Virginia Maryland New York well they are. So we ought to have an opportunity and opportunity to do that which we want to do and that's local people. If local people disagree with my approach to trying to make sure that that there's no discrimination and they want to continue them practice and policy of discrimination they have a forum to come to they come to me and to my administration. So the council members expressed themselves I don't believe that the majority of this district. In fact I know they don't want us to discriminate. They want to have equity. They want us to have equality in hiring and promotions and everything else. And I want to do that. Notwithstanding what Congressman Parrish in the Bible says. My own view is that if people in the Congress we have some very good friends in the Congress our congressmen is certain has been a great friend of all of us on issues. Even when they were personally ones he would not necessarily agree with. He was for us most of our suburban neighbors. Michael

Barnes sent them a fine. Senator Sarbanes has been supportive and I would hope that maybe Congressman Parrish would see the light and get back into the fold where we used to be where prior to his getting involved the way he had we had a very cooperative relationship with our neighbors and in Maryland and Virginia it worked very very well. And I want to get back to that. We don't need these confrontations. We need collaboration we need cooperation and the coordination of all of these kind of things to make our city even better and we're going to survive the onslaught of over Congressman powers because we do have friends in the Congress who are going to try to look out for us and try to protect our interests. Mr. Mayor one of the other things that you've done is you crack down pretty hard on the drug pushing in this city. A lot of people are complaining now that the police are only arresting the small guys the little guys the the users on the street. And you know it's really tying up the court system and you're not really going after the distributors the real big pushers.

Your reaction sir. Well you try to do all you can. We are going to arrest the police department is going to arrest everybody they can. Who's pushing and selling drugs for the little bit I like. I guess my size taught me that the sum of the parts equal the whole. If you get enough little ones you can add up to some big ones. And it's often difficult. The drug trade trade trade for traffic and trade is a very lucrative business. It's been estimated that it's over a hundred billion dollars a year spent. And so people at the top are insulated from all of the scrutiny of the police. They don't ever touch this stuff. And it is often difficult to get them and to arrest them. If anyone has any idea how to do it. We want to know if they know how to catch these guys or ladies who are involved with millions of dollars of drugs. Let us know because we want to get the case make the case and put them in jail. But we're going to clean the streets up. Whether people like that or not I think most citizens do. They don't want people

three or four hundred people congregated at 17 14 and you can't walk on the sidewalk. They're going to do it legally. They're going to do it lawfully. So I think we need to crack down on everybody who's involved with drug trafficking. The unfortunate part of it that drug addicts get caught up in this they can't help themselves in the sense that they have a medical problem because once you are addicted it's often difficult psychologically and physically to break that habit. We look at expanding our treatment centers so we can get into those treatment center. But I want to make sure I don't stay mad at you. We want our streets safe for people to walk on when our homes are secure and our business is protected because the majority of the citizens want that. And we're going to make sure that our police department does that. Our chief agrees with that. We're going to continue our crackdown on drugs and all congregations and other people just just everywhere. I talked to some ex-convicts last night. Looking for a job who want to help them very much and they agree with

me. If people don't want to be arrested at 70 or 14 and you or mom with the king and Tarbert of 15th and independence or he's captured them so that you don't go over there and they won't be arrested. Well we're running short on time Mr. Mayor but I'm curious to know with the with the cutbacks and all of that's going to bring you looking at a raise in crime are you looking at hiring more police officers you look for crime. What. Well we've been very fortunate in my thirteen point crime reduction in crime prevention program is working. I've seen some analyses with some which we were 10 percent below the same period last year. That's one in the seas that we're working very very hard. I think by August figures I have not seen him yet appear to be almost equal or below last year's August figures and so crime reduction crime intervention program is working. We're going to continue to be vigorous and efforts to make our streets safe. On the other hand we're going to do all we can to find jobs for people who need them because

you can't just clean the streets up and down trying to find ways to provide jobs for those who really want to work and those who pay their dues to society they deserve to work. And this administration will do all they can to make sure we get them working. OK Mr. Are we going to end it on that note thank you once again for joining us. Always a pleasure always. Thank you for joining us. Thank you. Those who call that on behalf of the staff change. Offerings and wish you. A. Pleasant