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,/ THE URBA t-:J COALJTION A CTIOl'-J COUNCIL J O HN W: G AR D NER C H Am M A N I B l !l H S TR EET , N . W. J une 27 , 1968 W ASH IN G TON, D . C. _20006 Honorab l e U. S. Hous e of Re pres e n tat ive s Wa shi ngton , D. C. 20515 Dear r ·am wr i t i rg to y ou out of personal coriviction and a d e ep conce rn for t he futu re o f our cou n t ry . But also I write on the express in stru ction of 38 promi n e nt Ame r ic ans who f orm the Urba n Coa l it i on Act i o n Coun c il. A l is t of t h eir n ame s is attached . We a r e unit e d in the cer ta inty tha t this n a tion is going t h rough a n u nprecede n ted cr i s is - - a c r i s i s that -could tear i t apart . No o ne h as a perfect u nder sta n ding o f t he c ris i s . No o ne kn ows all the a n swe r s . Bu t ther e are some p osi ti ve measur e s that we can take a nd it i s of s u preme i mpor ta nce tha t we t ake the m promptly . We canno t allow t h is gr~ a t n ation to fa l t er whi l e things that can r eas on ab l y b e don e go u ndone . We: mu s t n ot bi c k e r and equ i vo c,;:i t e wh e n the n a tion ' s fate h ang s in the bala nc e . .. We must act . And we must act i n a constru ctive spiri t . It i s unthink ab l e that we wou ld tu rn our b acks on this na t ion ' s gr ea t tradition of positive p r obl em- s olving a nd retreat into fearful in act ion. We mu s t tac e forward. We mu st do the t h ing s we c a n do now to so l ve real probl e ms , correct rea l in j us t i c e s, _ alleviate r e a l suffering . T E L EP H O N E: 202 293 ·1 530 cC>@ �- 2 - At this writing no group more surely holds the key to the nation's futur~ tha n the Congress of the United States. Uniquely, Congress has the power to take i~nediate . ind eff ec tive action. It must not l eave undone the significant thing s it can do. · The nation watches. This is not just any year. This is a year of sorrow, of confusion, of explosive anger. Congress must lead, and the only path · compatible with our future greatness as a nation is thG path of constructive act ion t o combat .known evi ls -crippling poverty , in adequ a t e hou sing, educational disparities, discrimination and all the conditions that blight individual lives·. There are some m~as ur es that see~ t o us espec ially critical. The proposed $75 mill ion s upplementa l appropriation for sum.mer j obs is one . Another is the $25 million supp l e mental for Head Sta rt. The Congress should cr ea te at this session a public service employment program with the furiding to make it effective . It should pass the Administration ' s housing bill . Budget cuts should not be made in ~rograms aimed at h e lping the n at ion's deprived with jobs, housing and e ducation. The men who make up the Urba n Coalition Action Council repres e nt many diff erent segments of Amer ican li fe . They are r ea lists who know the cos ts of the programs they are asking you to support . . But they know the far greater costs to the na tion of unproductive human beings and decay ing citie~. They appreciate as you do the vast range of require~e nts which you must consider as you set the priorities a nd a llocate the resou rces of this country. But they b e li eve t h at this is a time for e xtraordi n a ry meas ur es i n behalf o f the nation. Sincere ly, John W. Gardner Chairman Att c1 chment ,~r' ! ' i I I I I I

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