St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 20

6B ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1995 THE POST-DISPATCH PLATFORM I KNOW THAT MY RETIREMENT WILL MAKE NO DIFFERENCE IN ITS CARDINAL PRINCIPLES, THAT IT WILL ALWAYS FIGHT FOR PROGRESS AND REFORM, NEVER TOLERATE INJUSTICE OR CORRUPTION, ALWAYS FIGHT DEMAGOGUES OF ALL PARTIES, NEVER BELONG TO ANY PARTY, ALWAYS OPPOSE PRIVILEGED CLASSES AND PUBLIC PLUNDERERS, NEVER LACK SYMPATHY WITH THE POOR, ALWAYS REMAIN DEVOTED TO THE PUBLIC WELFARE, NEVER BE SATISFIED WITH MERELY PRINTING NEWS, ALWAYS BE DRASTICALLY INDEPENDENT, NEVER BE AFRAID TO ATTACK WRONG, WHETHER BY PREDATORY PLUTOCRACY OR PREDATORY POVERTY. Founded by JOSEPH PULITZER December 12, 1878 JOSEPH PULITZER, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER 1878-1911 JOSEPH PULITZER, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER 1912-1955 JOSEPH PULITZER EDITOR AND PUBLISHER 1955-1986, CHAIRMAN 1979-1993 NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY EXHIBIT ON FREEDOM. MICHAEL E. PULITZER, CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT NICHOLAS G.

PENNIMAN IV, PUBLISHER WILLIAM F. WOO, EDITOR FOSTER DAVIS, MANAGING EDITOR EDWARD A. HIGGINS, EDITOR OF THE EDITORIAL PAGE April 10, 1907 JOSEPH PULITZER 900 North Tucker Boulevard 63101 (314) 340-8000 EDITORIALS I If I If The Bill And Boris Show And Besides, I Wouldn't Want Him To Be Offended By Those Books About Washington, Jefferson Or Patrick Henry' LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE Continue Marching Against Racism leaders pay lip service to NATO's vitality and cen-trality. But in reality, the bipartisan unanimity on NATO has dissolved, and political leaders are deeply divided about what NATO should become. Perhaps more than any single event, the Bosnian war and its prospective peace underscores these internal American divisions.

The United States wants to be a.world leader, but for a long time it was reluctant to use any NATO forces in Now that peace may be on the agenda, some congressional leaders are squeamish about the United States living up to its financial and military obligations as the chief NATO power. The Bosnian war has also made some Americans skeptical about expanding NATO's nuclear umbrella and U.S. protection over unstable Eastern European countries. The United States has not come to grips with the end of the Cold War. It has yet to debate or resolve what the U.S.

role in Europe and in European security should be. To some extent, NATO's place in Europe is contingent on how the United States defines its place in Europe. A strong NATO is inseparable from a strong U.S. presence in Europe. The U.S.

identity crisis may be less dramatic than Russia's, but both countries are struggling to define their proper international roles. Thus, both must work to prevent this tension from undermining their agreement over ending the Bosnian war. Bosnia has suffered enough as a battlefield for greater powers. Given the strained state of U.S.-Russian relations, the camaraderie exhibited during the brief summit with Presidents Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin was welcome. Mr.

Clinton and Mr. Yeltsin deserve' credit for trying to re-establish the partnership that characterized the heady, almost giddy days after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Good will, from the top down, is essential if the stark, dramatic differences in U.S.-Russian interests are to be bridged. Still, all this warmth has generated very little of practical value. For domestic and geopolitical reasons, the details of U.S.-Russian participation in a potential Bosnian peacekeeping operation are virtually nonexistent, mostly because the two presidents did not deal with one of the most critical issues separating them: NATO.

For the Russians, NATO is a creation of the Cold War, a military and political alliance formed to contain and, in case of war, to defeat Russia. Not surprisingly, the Russians do not want to see NATO in charge of policing the Bosnian peace; they do not want to see it expand to include former members" of the Warsaw Pact; and they do not want NATO to be the vehicle for guaranteeing European security. For Russia, the conflict over NATO is really the twofold issue of U.S. dominance over Europe and Russian exclusion from the European house. Strangely enough, the U.S.

position on NATO is increasingly amorphous and ambiguous. Political Welfare, Slavery And Insensitivity African-American males, living in a society of perceived racial tensions and abandonment, seems to be one of restlessness compounded with the burdens of economic austerity. The Million Man March was not only a day of atonement for black men, but also a day of appeal to the economic and educational institutions of American society to change their policies of denied opportunities and privileges to enable the African-American male to accept a role of greater responsibility for himself and his family. The psychology behind the Million Man March of building African-American self-esteem and instilling social values that build character to triumph over obstacles is a similar mindset that guided our forefathers to overcome the shackles of slavery, to survive the Great Depression.and to fight for racial equality and equal access in a segregated America. The Million Man March, for the average black male, is symbolic of determination, for every day he marches against ignorant perceptions of himself by whites who control his access to the economic means that will help him to rise above the moral and psychological ravages of daily destitution.

Until the parents of white males teach them that they have an obligation to be charitable and to uplift the conditions of those less fortunate, then the march for improvement in the lives of African-Americans shall continue. Gregory Battle St. Louis Louis Farrakhan delivered anex-cellent speech at the Million Man March. The same day, President Bill Clinton referred to Farrakhan as a man of "malice." Anyone who thinks there was malice in Farrakhan's speech is racist. His speech was one of love.

As a member of the GOP's minority issues task force, Rep. Jim Talent of Chesterfield has been miscast. This is the same suburban congressman who has repeatedly likened welfare to slavery. In making this loose and insensitive comparison, he has cheapened one of the most horrifying experiences ever visited on humanity. How many public aid recipients have been taken in chains from their homelands and sold like cattle? How many of the rebellious, diseased and half dead among them have been jettisoned in the Atlantic? If Mr.

Talent cannot tell the difference between involuntary servitude and a social program to help the poor, then it's no surprise that he's equally ignorant of urban problems in general. The fact that Republican leaders chose him and several others who are only remotely familiar with poverty and manpower issues should prepare the public to expect little in the way of realistic recommendations. In place of well-reasoned policy proposals so far, Mr. Talent has issued a three-page press release that promises to empower the poor, then stoops to the same tired GOP rhetoric of blaming the flight of jobs from cities on "job killing taxes," "excessive regulation" and welfare. These simplistic explanations gloss over complex problems.

Not the least of them is the ongoing economic shift that has robbed urban and rural areas alike of blue-collar jobs, particularly factory-related employment. A look at Missouri's own vanishing shoe-manufacturing industry should convince Mr. Talent that problems in such industries go beyond taxes and regulations. Otherwise, industry would beat a path to inner-city industrial parks, where taxes have been abated and regulations eased. Yet, few factories have moved to these parks.

This panel also promises to help urban communities by making sure those people who take low-paying jobs earn more than they would if they received public aid. Mr. Talent and other GOP panel members seem to miss the irony. His party is trying its best to undercut the earned-income tax credit program, which gives the poor an incentive to take low-wage jobs over welfare. The panel says it will begin meeting with outside groups and crafting an agenda that "unleashes an entrepreneurial spirit', produces jobs, creates wealth, improves education, provides safe neighborhoods and provides an escape from the downward spiral of poverty and decay in our urban centers." If Mr.

Talent and others were genuinely interested in rebuilding cities and helping the poor, they would have put solving the problems outlined by the minority issues task force ahead of the party's callous attack on safety net programs, such as public aid, food stamps, Medicaid and the tax credit. On Oct. 16, Minister Louis Far-rakhan led the Million Man March of African-American men to Washington for a day of atonement and unity. They dedicated themselves to a better future by taking more responsibility for their lives and those of their families. Speaker after speaker addressed the need for a new spiritual and moral beginning and urged black men to take these positive messages back to the community and put them into action.

Other things clearly on the minds of speakers, participants and the TV audience were problems associated with racism. Throughout U.S. history, and clearly in the past few months, problems associated with race, class and racism have caused Americans to realize the enormous cost of this unacceptable practice. Indeed, it has also caused Americans to realize that we can see the same things differently. In his address to the students at the University of Texas, President Bill Clinton wove a message to encourage and begin an honest dialogue to clean our house of racism a theme with which all Americans ought to involve themselves.

A theme of the Million Man March was: Change begins with me. In our many roles as business and government leaders, we are in a unique position to facilitate this dialogue and healing. As a husband, brother, father, son, attorney, businessman and former local elected official, I intend to continue to do my part to cleanse America's cities of racism and other social ills from our communities. I urge the local elected leadership in this city to begin honest dialogue on racism and the devastating effects it has on our community. Only then can we move to a truly colorblind society.

Steven C. Roberts St. Louis Why were black men fooled into attending the Million Man March? This day of atonement was intended to bring African-American males together, showing the unity of the black community, but instead this march has caused strife and dissension. This arises from three factors: its unproductive goal, the exclusion of women and its prejudiced leaders. The march focused solely on the black male's role in the black community.

This does not help black males prepare for a racially diverse world. At a time when the nation's goal should be to build bridges between the races, the march creates another blockade. Second, the exclusion of women in the march ignores the section of the black community that has suffered the most. Black women have struggled to raise their children in a violent and often hopeless envi- ronment, usually with no support from the father. If this were truly a day of atonement, the women should have been present.

Finally, this march suffered because of its racist, shortsighted leaders. Louis Farrakhan, a bigoted and sexist opportunist, created this march to boost his own prestige. He puts down other races in an effort to build up his own, teaching hate of differences and blaming all others for the troubles in the black community. Now is the time for the black community to take responsibility for its own status. If this march really were to have been worthwhile, it would have been a march of self-empowerment and duty.

I hope that black males took away from this march a sense of identity and purpose, not resentment and self-pity. One million men with a worthwhile objective is inspiring, but 1 million men with no direction is frightening. Jenny Behm Oakville Instead of "black" this, "white" that, let's work toward unity of all Americans. Quit labeling. What is this saying to our children? As a medical professional and -the mother of multiracial children, I don't look at someone and say first "you are AsianJew." I say "How can I help you?" We all need to pull together as one people and be proud to be Americans.

Let's remember, it's our differences that make us special and unique. Nancy Carraher Ballwin While every African-American should take pause and combine in spirit and heart with the self-affirmation of the Million Man March, each should heed and revere also the march of a million black forefathers whose sacrifices and struggles have paved the way for many African-Americans to find success in American society. The social themes of the Million Man March, such as moral responsibility, family welfare and earning a respectable livelihood, are themes that may be embraced by every American in building a more humane society. The true status of Growth Industry In Pinckneyville His exhortations to black men to become better persons are relevant to all of us. Farrakhan also identified white supremacy as the cause of many of the problems of Western civilization.

We agree but feel he did not go far enough. Elitism is the problem people who feel they are so much better than others that they have a "mandate" to control our very lives. Farrakhan says that the tools for dividing and conquering are fear, envy, distrust. Is it any coincidence that the first letters spell FED? Andy and Suzanne Ninichuck Middlebrook, Mo. The prison business is booming these days, and many residents of Pinckneyville, 111., are thrilled to be picked to get their share of the benefits.

Gov. Jim Edgar's announcement Monday that the state will build its new medium-security prison in the Southern Illinois town should help ease Perry County's 21 percent unemployment rate. But no one should be satisfied with the notion that the prison industry is an economic gain. Certainly the new prison will help a region ailing badly after it lost 500 coal jobs since the decade began. The $65 million prison will create 250 construction jobs after ground is broken next spring; when it opens in the fall of 1998, it is expected to employ 450 people with a payroll of $20 million a year.

Thomas Denton who doubles as Pinckney-ville's, police chief and coordinator of economic development, said he was "euphoric" when the news was announced; Mayor Kirwan Heisner said his excitement left him "out of words." Other residents were not so speechless, particu larly those with children at Pinckneyville Elementary School, just a quarter-mile from the prison site. With memories of last week's riot at the federal prison in Greenville fresh in her mind, Kathy Funke was upset; Donna Rosenberger, another mother of a grade-schooler, said: "Murderers, child molesters, rapists that's a nice thing to do to our town." Pinckneyville officials plan to try to isolate the prison, with more land to be used as a buffer zone and possibly trees to shield it from view. Putting it out of sight is not likely to put it out of mind; still, the heavy security a prison includes should help soothe the fears of those who have safety concerns. Unfortunately, crime appears to be a growth industry. Politicians who want to be tough on criminals get more applause by" calling for new prison cells than by proposing programs that prevent crime in the first place.

The residents of Pinckneyville who earn their living at the new prison will no doubt be grateful; still, it would be better if the road to prosperity had a more positive foundation. Parkway's Wasteful Spendings Ways Must Stop Miles To Go On Efficiency Standards tion for salary and benefits. Had the district grown the salary and benefits to the total enrollment growth of 8.85 percent, Parkway would have spent $307.6 million less than the $838.9 million spent. Parkway's costs are not tied to fiscal standards, inflation nor to total enrollment growth. The district simply as policy spends all the money it can get, whether justified or not.

Stop wasteful spending! Vote no on Propositions and Q. W.B. Andrews Chesterfield The point of having schools is to educate children, and schools are not to be used for creating unneed-ed jobs, bureaucracies and excess staffing. Parkway needs to stop spending taxpayers' money to promote its image. In the Parkway process, costs do not go up and down as enrollment changes, but increase because staffing is not adjusted to enrollment.

Let us say that 332 fewer students show up in the official total enrollment at the end of September 1995 compared to September 1994, with an average projected student operating budget cost of $6,049.49 for 1995-96. With fewer students enrolled, the operating budget must be less than the projected amount. But not at Parkway. This year, Parkway's operating budget is $2,008,431 greater than it should be, since total enrollment dropped 332 students. The $2 million represents excess staffing and wasteful spending.

This practice has continued for at least 10 years. In two years, the district's enrollments dropped 510 and 332 respectively. In spite of declining rollments, the district hires as many employees as it can to the limit of available money and questionable programs. The district's Proposition and would increase school taxes 13.5 percent to continue paying for Parkway's wasteful does not tell both sides of the and tax issues. The reason it does not is there is really no solid justification for the taxes.

What the district wants is to be paid more, keep or create more jobs and do less. And, if tax increases fail, the district will make cuts to try to justify more taxes. And finally, Parkway's spending binge is well-documented in the growth of salary and benefits total for instruction and support services, which increased 83.4 percent from '84-85 through '93-94. The 83.4 percent increase is 50.5 percent greater than Missouri wage earner's inflation. Had the salary and benefits grown at the inflation rate, Parkway would have spent $238.9 million less than the $838.9 million spent.

This is an average of $23.8 millionyear spending above infla Congress is close to passing the 1996 appropriations bill for transportation which President Bill Clinton promises to accept. Unfortunately, the conference committee charged with reconciling the House and Senate versions has produced some pretty bad provisions. One, in particular, has just been decided in part due to the efforts of Missouri's own Sen. Christopher Bond. A vote by Senate negotiators led to inclusion of a provision that delays for another year action by the Transportation Department to raise fuel-efficiency standards for minivans, sport utility vehicles and light trucks.

Currently, the fuel efficiency average required for them is 20.7 miles per gallon, while the average for automobiles is 25 miles a gallon. Yet minivans, sport utility vehicles and light trucks are becoming so popular that they are being used instead of automobiles in cities and suburbs, not merely for rural or off-the-road driving. As their popularity grows, the nation's conservation of gaso line is sliding backwards, a good reason to raise the mileage standards on these vehicles. But Mr. Bond, pressing the interests of Ford Motor Co.

and the Chrysler both of which produce these vehicles in Missouri, vigorously opposed higher standards. In doing so, he neglected the nation's long-term interest in the greater fuel efficiency of its transportation fleet. Yet another provision of the bill blocks a government rule that would create new grading standards for tires, at the behest of the tire industry. Finally, and equally misguided, the bill cuts operating assistance for mass transit by $400 million, which would bring it to 40 percent below last year's level. This would be a victory for more roads and less public transit, though that policy has led to both widespread congestion and increasing air pollution.

Overall, the bill is not a good one, and many of its provisions move the nation in the wrong direction. It is not legislation Congress should be proud of. Clarification The writer of Tuesday's letter defending the safety of pesticides and herbicides, Dan Holman of Ballwin, failed to identify himself as communications manager for the crop protection unit at Monsanto Co..