78-03-B3
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Neighborhoods
TranscriptLast December, President Carter named the 16 persons who, along with four members of Congress, serve on the new National Commission on Neighborhoods. Now, it is no secret that Presidential commissions have, as often as not, been devices for either generating support for a President's existing policies or for sweeping unpleasant issues under the rug for awhile. But, this new commission just may turn out to be different. We all know the importance of preserving strong urban neighborhoods. For millions of city residents their neighborhood is far more than just the location of a home or apartment. The neighborhood scale is a human scale--a place where the real spirit of a community can develop. Many neighborhoods are rich in tradition and memories. And, in many, there is a mixture of generations and functions, so that activity is continuous. This, in turn, works to keep crime down when, as one urban planning critic described it, there are "eyes on the street"; eyes of grandparents and shopkeepers who watch the passing parade. Neighborhoods can provide a sense of roots. It is the home of the fraternal lodge, the church, the deli, the corner pub, the street festival, the Fourth of July celebration. The legislation that created the Neighborhoods commission recognized all this and more. It recognized that foolish government policies over the past several decades have often worked to undermine, even destroy established neighborhoods, building codes, zoning laws, highway construction, urban renewal, federal mortgage insurance, the so-called model cities program, forced school busing--these and other factors have often combined to depress the value of neighborhoods and undercut the fullness of their life. Wisconsin Senator William Proxmire, a member of the new commission, commented on this at a Senate hearing when he said to a witness, "You would probably have better neighborhoods today if there had been no federal programs at all!" Amen to that! Congress has given the new Presidential commission the responsibility for assessing the impact of all this governmental activity on urban neighborhoods and to make recommendations for sweeping away the obstacles that face people who try to keep up their neighborhoods. Quite a few of the commission's members seem committed to that point of view, including its chairman, Massachusetts State Senator Joseph Timilty. A particular target of commission disapproval is likely to be H.U.D.--the federal Housing and Urban Affairs department. What America's neighborhoods need, of course, is not a massive "delivery of services" from government, but a massive rebirth of opportunity. That could begin with the new national Commission on Neighborhoods. Let's hope so. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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