Levin Criticizes Milliken's 'Talk'

Gov. William Milliken was accused yesterday by his Democratic opponent, Sander Levin, of "trying to talk away Michigan's problems rather than acting to solve them." Speaking at the Michigan State Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs conference at Webers', Levin took issue with some of the remarks made by Milliken Thursday night before the same group of businessmen. Levin told Chamber officials "You had a remarkable demonstration from the governor of his technique of talking away problems." The governor has said he wasn't to blame for the sluggishness of the national economy and, besides, Michigan's economy has enjoyed remarkable growth under Republican administrations, Levin quoted Milliken as saying. "That remarkable growth,' Levin declared, "includes an unemployment rate that has gone as high as 9.1 per cent this year in Michigan. It now rests at 8.5 per cent and it has consistently been 50 per cent above the national rate of unemployment this year." Levin said that despite rosy predictions by the governor, the rate of unemployment in Michigan for this year would average 4.8 per cent, it has never been below 6 per cent. ''That remarkable growth under Republican administrations," Levin said, "includes real wages for Michigan factory workers that went down $5.84 a week in 1969, while they were going up 33 cents a week nationally. "Gov. Milliken talks away a straw man when he says he isn't responsible for national economic policies. No one has said he formulated the policies, although his party did. But what we have said is that he could use the political clout he has in being governor of the nation's seventh largest state to try to change those policies." Levin told his audience Milliken could have tried to develop programs such a manpower training, vocational education and industrial diversification that would have lessened the impact of the national economic recession on Michigan. "All these grave economic problems are piling up in Michigan worse than almost anywhere else in this country and. where is the governor? Is he out trying to mobilize government and people to get at the urgent economic problems I faced by the people of Michigan? No, he's telling them there aren't any problems. He's talking about how Michigan's economy has enjoyed remarkable growth under Republican administrations." Levin said what is lacking in the present state administration s a sense of urgency about what is happening in the economy . Unemployment among young people and blacks, as well as generally, underemployment, and reduction of real wages are some of the many facts. "You and the rest of the business community have an investment in my pledge for a greater sense of urgency. "Where is the sense of urgency in the state government about the drug problem when there is a Goose Lake in almost every high school in the state?" Levin asked. Levin said the state is behind in what it should be providing by way of vocational education. In a question period following his presentation, Levin said he was tempted to talk about the United Automobile Workers strike against General Motors because he thought government leaders should get involved. "But I don't want the strike to become part of a political campaign." Levin criticized Milliken for not wanting to talk about national and international issues during the campaign. Vietnam and the Middle East do have an effect on Michigan; they eat up state dollars and divide its people, he said. Levin also criticized the present state administration for not developing programs to attract industry, such as using tax incentives.