.NDI3NA.NDI3NA

3:·i i ) /..' ,\/ /J 1\i:lanta' s Grcat, ,}'{c7d v ~ ~--- -· · ~ 7L .. , , / r · I! ·· ,~'. - ·) I,! I ' / , I • . ( •• • I Cl' 'li':S, we regrcl lo st:lte/c·..111 ;_peel little · o:· 111)U1ing from the sti1lcs ira which they , ,\ LL 01•' A'l'f..>..'f l':\ \\'i ll bl~ ::i rrectcd by tlic arc localed. ~100 milli on "d emon ~! ·al ion cilics" projWe li\'c in an urb:111 society and the great rd annou1H:cd 1'11csd.iy , \\' hich will l'llcornp:1 ss problems ,111d challenges .ire in our urban

i.ono acres , 10 per Cl'ill of lhc cily's people

areas. Ilcrc our people have congregated. ' :rn d l!l pC'r cent of its offici all y designated Hrrc arc the opportunities for the young and -1 "punrty households. "

ir.1bilious.

This is more than just a bi ggrl' ve1·sion of

rn mb;rn rcncw::il project; more th:111 just

.-\ las . here also are thC' condi tions which breed cri me :md illnesses. Here are the slums. ; rJiysic:il improvement c,f a bl ighted area. ,I IL' cn\·isions a com0in:it ion of physic:il imCi ties do not ha\'C enough money to do the ! ~on 'mcnt and soci:1! s c r vi cc s directed thit gs that need doing in ordC'r to rn :ike them '. l,e:dthicr and more pleasant places. These , (,11r;; rd bell ,'rmc-nt o( the pe,1plc themselves. It ,-.·ill invc,l\·c not onl y housing b1Jt also em1.::n;s must be done. But the cities do not ployment., educa!inn. hc:i lth and welfare :,er)1~1\·c the re ources to finance these civic viccs. Emphasis 11·ill not be upon removing i:1,pro\'cmc nt programs, and the states · people but im proYing their lot. 1 co~! ldn"t care Jess. ' J: The result has been a cutting of the ties 1 which oi1ce bound states and cities and a new' o:-icnta:ion of the cities to Washington. I I i\\1shington understands the problems of ; the citi:?s. Washington is more responsive to l th:?se needs than are the states. Washington ! also h::is the money. II ln the last few years Atlanta would have .I been lost without tra nsfu sions of · federal ' money. These funds ha\·e gone into slum clearance and rebu ild ing programs. They h::n·e been used to tra in the un skilled, and , to im pro·;e the quality of educa tion in sub- I st,rnda rd schools. They h:1ve gone into recreation areas in parts of town where the streets furnished the only recrea tion. They have gone to meet m::rny pressing human needs. I \\'ithout this direct federal aid, Atlanta v:ould be in sorry shape. Atlanta is counti ng on more federal aid to 6ct it over some big hump tomorrow. Portions of the city ought to be rebuilt. We must continue to train people for jobs and there are other human needs which must be met. THE PRESIDENT'S budget contains many items to aid urban areas. But the President is having a hard time mustering voles for his bu dget. .'.lretropolitan Atlanta is represe nted by two senators, and congressmen from the Fourth, Fift h, Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Districts. This is a nice block of voles. We trust these representa tives understand Atlanta's need for federal urban aid. Of these congressmen, two especially represent Atlanta and we assume understand this problem an d the needs of their constitu_ I ents. These are Fletcher Thompson of the Fifth , rind Ben niackhurn o[ the Fourth. They are Rcpublic:rns and some might expect th em to ' vole again st the ad minislration for political r cnson s.

Surely the nee d for big and fun d::imental r.ew approaches is evident at a time when the inner cores of n:.ost bif; cities have the kind of rot and human deprivation that ieads to a waste of children and possible tun:10il. It i;; a sad irony that the congressional representatives of many of the areas · most needful of this kind of approach opposed the program. There was a time when it seemed that it had died. As usual. a chief threat w:J s the votes and the power or numerous backwa rd-looking Southern representa tives in Washington who were oblivious of the situati ons of their own cities . But President J ohnson mustered ihe votes required and the program; several times on the verge of death, survived. IE it had not been passe d before the 19tiG elections put more conservative and r eactionary r epresen lati\'cs ihto Congress, it surely would have been put aside for a long time to come. So Atlanta (and other Georgia ci ties, fo r oth ers al so apparen tl y will pa rticipate) have had a lucky break in timing. We are gl ad to see thi::: hopeful unclerlak- i ing moving ahead. >I< ~OLl'fl~S is politics. But r epresenting their constituents is more important. The 1_1eeds of these two districts should outweigh pressures to vole the party line.

..

. . -.; /)I-I fa9../?.I Mnyor Ivan Alle n nnd other cit, o/fic ia ls went to the pe ople lo s t Wedne sd ay and Thur sday 1 ni ghts to explain the m ode l nei ghbo r hood pro, posal for the areas south of the Sta te Capi tol , Overflow crowds. at Br yant E leme nta ry Sc ho ol . and the Grant Park Pre s byteria n Church heard the officials exp re ss their hope s t hat A tl a nta will become one of the " Demonstration Citie s ." If Atlanta becomes ll Oemon s ration City, the ared south of the Capito l, co mp ri si ng s ome 3,000 acre s and n tenth of the city' s popu lation, would be upgrnd ed to s tem the t ide of dc teriol ration, or as one _ob se rver ou t it , " prevent the area from turnin g into a vast s lu m." I The official s did much to d ispe l th e dou bt s ! of the re s ide nt s stemming from rumors that . j the area was to be cle ared for mo te ls , hi ghri se a pnrtmeot s and pa r:.:i og lot s, Suen rumors, it is said , cau s ed so me pr ope rt y owners not , , to bother to repair thei r ho mes, T he :--1ayor

1

1 told the audience s thnt he hoped not one fam ily · Thi s ~,11-encompa s:-: ing n:it.u:·e is the unique feature of the $1.2 billion demonstra tion cities · I ,,ct which Congress approved as one of Presi- 1 dent J ohnson's most far-reach ing proposals , 1 for curjng basic ills of ,\mcrican cities. Under ; ' th;,t federal act Atlanta is certain of 80 per cent federal fin ancing for t:1is development, with the city providing 20 per cent. And a shifting and refin:incing of some related programs may bring this r atio to 90-1 0. In effect. in thi s ende avor Atl an ta and its federal partne r will he Lying together every kind of ava il ::iblc scn·icc of city, county, st.ale and federal govern ment. The "dcmonst ra:.ion" ad.iccl.ivc m cans w!i at it says. H this kincl of project is successful, tl1c idea probably will be extended. 7·- _.1..,.;f,J ;';.,· ,J f (,..; ,:~ {' i~ M143.215.248.55A~]v s·a , / } . ,.. , A·: Jc,~·-, ta' s ' Dc rnonsi: ra1·t1on----1 ( ! •• - •• I i ',' I would have to be moved outofthenci ghborhood. City official s s tr essed th a t the ci~i ze ns will

be

1· consulted as pla ns a re made nnd that thei r needs will be con side,red fir s t. This is a healthy si gn s i;;ce so man y times decisions involving the people &r e ma de wit hou t consulting the people the deci sion will afiect. 'vVe want so fer vent ly to see A tlanra continue to grow and to mature so t hat it wil l r eally become Lovel y Atlanta and we hope th at mo r e such meetings are in the plnnning sta ge$ so that our leaders can be .in tune with their followers. · �