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~ - r n .,,0 -- -- .~ P. r.nL.A1 CITY HALL October 11, 1967 A'I:LANTA. GA. 30303 Tel. 522-4463 Area Code 404 IVAN ALLEN, JR., MAYOR R. EARL LANDERS, Administrative Assistan t MRS. ANN M. MOSES, Executive Secretary DAN E. SWEAT, JR., Director of Governmental Liaison MEMORANDUM To: Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. From: Dan Sweat Subject: Report on Urban C oalition Meeting, October 9, New York City The meeting of the Steering Committee of the National Urban Coalition developed into quite a stalemate on the question of whether or not public policy positions should b e taken by the group. Most Mayors pr esent - Lindsay, Cavanagh, Graham and perhaps Naftalin, as we ll as some Civil Rights , Education and Religion representatives felt the urgent necessity for the Coalition to communicate a policy position to th e C ongress on such pressing matters as the Welfare Amendments, Poverty Bill, etc. Business representatives, noteably Frederick Close and Gerald Phillippe, felt any p olicy statements is sued as a Coalition on controversial l egislation would jeopardize anticipated support for the Coalition by Business. They were greatly upset by the Coalition's statement on the Clark-Javits Amendment to the Poverty Bill. After a two hour debate the committee voted to adopt a policy whi ch states: 11 The C o alition shall take public policy positions except where a substantial or intense disagreement emerges . 11 �r. Mayor Allen Page Two October 11, 196 7 -What this all amounted to was a stalemate on the question of whether or not the Coalition, as an organization, will lobby for urban legislation. I feel that it is imperative for the Congress to have an idea of the thinking of a group as potentially powerful as the Urban Coalition, but can understand the problem of the business representatives, who really cannot speak for any business except their own. The Committee adopted a budget of $100,000 for the period August 1, 1967 - January 31, 1968. (Copy attached.) It also heard reports from the Task Forces on Local C o alitions, Communication, Reconstruction and Urban H o using, Equal Opportunity in Housing, Educational Disparities, Private Employment, and Legislation. The Private Employment Task Force noted it planned to consider setting up pilot meetings in three cities, including Atlanta to consider methods for establishing priv ate business coalitions. The next meeting of the Coalition is scheduled for December 18, possibly in Detroit. DS :fy �