European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 3, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Moon rises Over Minneapolis while the setting Sun reflects in tha mirrored Walla clothe 57-Story 103 Tower the Lii list building Between Chicago and san Francisco. Minneapolis economic Boom brings Urban problems by William e. Schmidt new York times for More than six years the Economy Olmi Neapolis has Bogn surging with 3.000 no jobs a year being croaked in he downtown area and a surge of suburban growth Hal has turned Iho rolling Prairies into a Langla of Ira tic and construction Bui anole or Sot of measures has drawn the attention of civic leaders Thoro in recent months. As in Many of her Crucs. Phase numbers show growing rates of infant mortality crime teen Aga pregnancy and welfare dependency in some of the cily s Pooi esl quarters. Of business and com Mundy leaders in Minneapolis 0 mostly White City with a Strong tradition of Liberal social intervention the worsening plight of the poor has framed a growing Public discussion Over what can and should be done la reverse the problems. Mayor Donald m. Fraser of Minneapolis a Liberal Democrat who is a former member of Congress says Hal the persistence of such poverty despite the economic Boom underscores the Lailure of traditional goof a men approaches to poverty like Job programs subsidized housing and Willare assistance. To rail against the Reagan administration and Lack 01 Federal spending Lor Urban areas does a disservice to the discussion said Fraser who has been mayor since 1980. Whal is needed is a More thoughtful discussion a rethinking o the City of Willare support and ii should begin right  no iroc ser Ozieb a professor of Urban studies at Rul Gors unt Vorsila who has worked Wilh City officials Homo. Has been heartened by the concern expressed by the local loaders Lor Tho poor he said Minneapolis represents our Busl Hopo for some kind of new and inno valve  because of Tho smaller scale of Iho problem because of the Community s wealth and because of its historic dedication to a social Agenda he said i believe that if they can t come up Wilh some solutions in Minneapolis it can t be done  in meetings his year. Fraser and local business leaders have found common ground in arguing thai slate Federal and local agencies must begin to locus their energies on Early childhood intervention by working More closely with the problems of single Parent fam is and Ihler children. My main interest is 1o make this cily work belter for  said Fraser who envisions a program that will Oiler assistance to the family of every child born in the City. Fraser also advocates reforming stale and Federal welfare programs including earmarking Public assistance so that it is used specifically Lor Young children. James a Render the president and chief executive Olicer of Honeywell inc. Which has its corporate Headquarters alongside one of the poorest neighbor hoods said private Enterprise in Minneapolis has a self interest in supporting such family outreach programs. I m not talking about socialism but our preoccupation with materialism and rugged individualism has gone Loo far to one Side Renier said noting that minorities will account for an increasing Shaie of new entrants into the labor Force in coming years we need a healthy Community to have a healthy  Renier and officials of the United Way. A Community service Agency have established a committee to study implementation of an Early childhood development program called Success by six that would concentrate Public and private resources on children Between the Ages of 9 months and 5 years. Historically the poverty rate in the Minneapolis area has been Tower than the National average. Only about 8 percent of the population of the metropolitan area lived below the poverty level in 19b3, against about 15 percent nationally. And the population of the area has been More homogeneous than most parts of the country 01 a Lota population in Minneapolis of about 370.000, minorities make up Only about 12 percent. 01 Hal about b percent Are Blacks about 2.5 percent american indians and the rest Are asian and hispanic people. Oliver e. Byrum the director of the Minneapolis planning department said recent studies suggest that White the number of poor is not growing in a dramatic Way the problems of those who Ara already poor Are worsening. For the most part the problems Here Are increasingly concentrated among minor Ilias especially Blacks and indians. For example the cily s infant mortality Rale has in recent years reversed a Long term decline. Since 1980, the infant mortality rate was about 9 deaths per 1.000 births but in 1986, the last year when full Rojala is available it Rose to 12.3 deaths. For Blacks the infant mortality Rale climbed Over tha same period irom 15.2 to 19.6. And among american indians irom 14.4 to 18.4, in addition the number of cases Olaid to families with dependent children has climbed irom 9,537 in 1982 to 11.095 in 1986. Moreover. 31 percent of the children in the cily s schools now come from la Miles receiving welfare assistance and Fraser said the number is growing. All of this is occurring at Tho same Lime the area s larger Economy has been soaring. Last year Lor example Minneapolis and neighbouring St. Paul issued As Many housing permits As d d Phoenix one of the nation s fastest growing cities. The lesson we Are absorbing Fraser said is that even under the Bestol economic circumstances there Are problems thai just Don t respond to traditional  Erma Bombeck if you Haven t made up your mind yet Aslo now you re going to vote these Are a Lew things you should Lake into consideration Michael Dukakis has an old Snow Lover in his garage and George Bush fishes Wilhour a License in Lake Erie dressed in a business suit. There you be been forewarned so now you know what you re dealing with a Democrat who would keep this country irom having the vision to move Forward and keep in in the dark Ages and a Republican who is not Only study but who would Send the Law to serve his own interests. In t it amazing How political analysis can Cut through the rhetoric and come up with a profile on a Man just by observing Little things about him they do in Wilh symbolism taking a seemingly innocent bit of his personality and applying it to his qualifications As a Leader. Ii s been going on Lor years. President Jimmy Carter carried his own garment bag on and off planes ii did t take a Genius to Ligure out that Given that fact. Carter had to be against Tabor and labor unions and would probably Cul any appropriations that would Benefit the Little  president Gerald Ford stumbled a few limes in Public. Conclusion the Man could t be trusted to negotiate with foreign leaders without making mistakes and besides he could t inspire Confidence. President Lyndon Johnson picked up his dog by tha ears. This nol Only alienated the animal lovers of the country but you could Only assume he was insensitive to the needs of welfare recipients. On tha other hand for sent a Navy boat to pick up his dog. Fala so he could join him. That was Good. No that was bad tha press interpreted Hal act As wasteful and questioned the judgement of a president who had so Ilelle regard for Federal spending. Actually knowing one candidate has an old Snowblower in his garage and one fishes in a suit without a License in t really enough Inco Malion to vote with any intelligence. With Adlai Stevenson we knew he was a Man we could relate to because he was pictured on television Wilh a Hole in his shoo. We also figured out he would keep us out of War. Wilh president Richard m. Nixon when he said he loved his Mother you just knew he was unbeatable at the polls i m not ready to make my decision yet. I want to know Dukakis sat scores in High school and whether Bush squeezes or Rolls his toothpaste in tha lube. I m sure these things will be made Public before the election. Page 16 the stars and stripes monday october 3,198b