Press enter after choosing selection

FW ïlCdCl cont. f rom page 7 But this a...

FW ïlCdCl cont. f rom page 7 But this a... image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
February
Year
1975
Copyright
Creative Commons (Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-alike)
OCR Text

FW ïlCdCl cont. f rom page 7 But this as is would be an unwieldy instrument of government. We need an ordinance to deal with people who don't even live in the city and own hundreds of rental units in the city. They're the guys in the outfits who are really gouging and taking advantage. This proposal is just not the right way to do it. SUN: What about the child-care proposal? Wheeler: This was a harder one for me because I have a very deep personal concern for children, particularly those from poor and low to moderate income families. I think our commitment to child care is evident in the Democrat's CDRS proposal for $400,000. But this ballot proposal says you have to take at least 1 .7% of all city revenues and set it aside for child care. If you interpret that to be just the general fund, that would provide $300,000 as a minimum for child care. But if you added all the other budgets and bond issues, then you're talking of some $700,000, and the wording allows this. My concern is that there would be a year in which our health service perhaps needs more money- but this proposal gives a priority that binds you in a position where you don't have much operating room to meet different kinds of needs. Now I feel that if you keep the present Republicans in control, it might be a good idea to have an amendment that forces you to put some money in there. But I would prefer one that would set aside let's say 7 or 10 percent for health and child care, legal and handicapped and so forththen it gives us a flexibility to deal with real situations. I have no reservations on these proposals in terms of principies. You see this goes back to the whole question of local charter revisión which we need so ballot issues can be passed without remaining inflexible day to day. Let me say that on fundamental grounds, there are greater agreements between HRPers and Democrats than there are between (Republicans and anybody. We're going to agree a lot on fundamentals, but disagree on how the heek you do it. SUN: One issue that's bound to come up is your relationship to the Catholic Church and your stand on abortion. Wheeler: I've worked with the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit since 1970, when I was asked to come in and work with the department of Christian service, which with my help became a social service program which covered six counties and a million and and a half folks. We also implemented an affirmative action program which says that except in particular áreas where the training of a priest or nun is required, there will be no discrimination on the basis of color, race, sex, age, or religión. On the issue of abortion, let me say that I have a very personal opposition to it, formed long before I became a member of the church, which comes from my own culture and background. A few years ago, an opinión research firm found that in the black communities of Michigan, 65-70% of the people were oppo'sed to abortion. See, if there'd been abortion in the black munity fifty years ago, there probably wouldn't be many of us around. I also have a deep concern on the misuse of abortion. I don't believe that physicians should coerce people into it on a non-informed basis, which happens right here still. Just a couple of weeks ago Nader accused University Hospital of a non-informed consent type of sterilization. This goes on a lot with poor people, because somebody, generally v.ery conservative people, decide who should and shouldn't have children. I believe city funded programs should not only counsel on abortion but on real alternatives. SUN: Where do your personal views on this fit in with your city duties should you win? Wheeler: It's not my job as Mayor to try and change people's religious beliefs. There is a law in the state, and through the Supreme Court decisión, on what is legal and what's not in the abortion issue. As an elected official, 1 would uphold the law, and would not use the office of Mayor as an active or abortionist. SUN: Could you generally sum up for üs your experience in Ann Arbor? Wheeler: I carne to Ann Arbor in 1937, and when ï got here it was impossible to find a place to live. There were a couple of areas where blacks were expected to live- that was due to tradition, attitude, real estáte people and banks. There were no black schoolteachers in this community, in fact there were no Jewish school teachers. Blacks couldn't borrow money, and the job situation was that there were no blacks, not even a custodian in city hall. In the University, there was no black faculty-I was the first one on a permanent basis. I think there were three blacks at U Hospital, and they were maids. It's very difficult for people to believe that, but that's what this city was, and I happened to get involved after deciding to start ihere and do something about these situations. Also at that time, there were less than a hundred blacks registered to vote, and the Democratie Party was a shambles- the councilpeople were almost all Republicans. In 1950 we reorganized the Demócratas a civil rights party. I've worked to get blacks hired in the public schools, to set up the human relations commission, and end racial discrimination wherever I found it. I was there every day and night during the BAM strike in 1970-1 was the oldest cat there supporting those demands as part of that group. As Chairman of the board of OEO and then Model Cities I've helped start daycare centers, legal and health care programs some of which are still thriving, like the Model Cities' dental clinic which serves 5 ,000 people a year. I don't apologize for anything I've done in this community in terms of trying to promote changes. I'm not responsible for all those changes, but I was a catalyst in this town, a mover, and a shaper-and I paid for it. But you have to make that decisión, if you're going to try and change the status quo, you're gonna pay for it. Ed. Note: Next issue features an interview with Carol Ernst, HRP Mayoral candidato. "In this city the pólice get the largest cutout of the overall budget than any other city department, 3% million dollars a year. Personally# I think that's out of proportion."