European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 10, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 10 the stars and stripes tuesday january 10,1989 William f. Buckley Congress failing to stand up to responsibilities president Reagan has announced that he will not veto the pro posed and in my opinion overdue raise in the salary of congressmen and judges. That Means Brace yourself this is complicated that the raises go through provided both houses do not veto said raises and on the understand ing that neither House has the Liberty to propose a modification of the proposed raises As recommended by a commis Sion established at some Point along theline by Congress. This action by the president came a week or so after another commission s recommendations having to do with the closing of unnecessary military installations in diverse states. That commission was authorized by Congress. To authorize Means something a Little differ ent from the usual even As its findings will now be authorized. It Means de Clines to  the Point Here is that closing a base in a particular state is a dangerous thing to do. There Are howls of protest by the afflicted Community and the Congress Man within whose constituency that Community lies is anxious to be Able to say that he voted against the composite closing. The idea obviously is to Rig the situation so that the congressmen who vote against the closings of the discrete bases can t add up to enough Congress men to torpedo the whole act. So con Gress will raise its wages without taking the initiative to do so and will close Down some bases without taking the initiative to do so. Now next year the budget Defi Cit by Law must not exceed $100 Bil lion. That is so because in 1986 the Gramm Rudman Hollings Bill was passed. Nobody knows How Congress is going to leave social Security and the other entitlement programs untouched and come up with $50 billion or so to save the savings and Loans which we Are informed need to be saved because the alternative letting them fail is More costly in the Long run because Congress has insured the depositors against harm. And there is the matter of a United states with no nuclear weapons facilities and a lot of unmanageable nuclear toxic waste material. And you peer out Over the landscape of 1989 and find that people Are getting Carl Rowan ornotsan1aeven exists fidgety about the matter of abortion. What will the new supreme court Rule on the matter As Mike Dukakis warned the next president of the United states is bound to make important judicial appointments. By this is meant appoint judges whose opinions lie in this direction or in that direction. In theory it would not matter what judges you appointed inasmuch As their responsibility would be to interpret As Best they can legislative intent under the restrictions of the Constitution. But the question whether a 6-month-old fetus is entitled to the protections of a baby or to those of a Tomato is not a question Congress wishes to have to answer. The most significant legislation of the past generation has been done by the supreme court. In 1972, having just received the democratic party s nomination for president of the United states George Mcgovern was asked whether he believed in compulsory busing. His answer the supreme court has not yet ruled on compulsory  that was t really the answer the reporter was seeking. He did t want the supreme court s views he wanted the views of the Man who wanted to be president. But no one seemed to find that answer evasive what does it matter what Are the views of Mere presidents and congressmen on busing when the supreme court is going to decide whether busing happens or does not happen the other Day historian Arthur Schlesinger or. Was lamenting the very institution of the vice president on the grounds that he was not really elected by the people rather he is a Vermiform appendix of the presidential nominee who comes to life Only when the presi Dent Dies or is shot. The professor was affronted at the Lack of democratic integrity implied Here. But democratic integrity is manifestly coming apart at the seams. Congress can reduce spending Only in Pursuit of an abstract requirement imposed by an old Congress. Congress can raise its own Sal Aries Only by getting a commission to raise its salaries suggesting the appropriate level. Military bases Aren t shut Down on recommendation of the Rele vant committees of the House and the Senate but on those of a specially deputized commission. The president can not order the special prosecutor to drop the Case against Oliver North it Al. Be cause the president says the court has t the authority to govern the actions of the special prosecutor. Some say this is division of pow ers. Others say it s spinach and the Hel with it. Universal press Syndicate Jack Kemp Likely to be an unlikely Liberal hero Shl Nowlon dry t for inf a am in a 1ti./n  in in Washington Don t count e among the Blacks and other minorities and Urban officials who have cried that Jack Kemp is the wrong Man to become Secretary of housing and Urban development. I applaud president elect George Bush for his nomination of a certified but pragmatic and visionary conservative who just May be what our bedraggled cities need. I wrote in 1985 that As conservatives go Kemp is More unbending than a redskins linebacker. He remains addicted to Supply Side economics even when most republicans have gone boo Hoo Over that  but i Learned that Kemp is a social healer rather than a Polarizer. He is going to make a lot of people look silly when they Swallow two terrible cliches As far As the interests of Black people and the poor Are concerned any Black Cabinet member is better than any White Cabinet member and when it comes to racial Justice any Liberal in Power anywhere is Bette than any conservative. Consider cliche no. 1. Ronald Reagan put a Black Man Samuel Pierce in As Secretary of Hud in 1980. Pierce presided Over a disgraceful attempt to get government out of housing As appropriations for Low income shelter fell from $33.5 billion to $15.1 billion in seven years. The problem of the homeless became a National disgrace. While the Black Man Pierce was too timid to fight the cuts and earned the title silent Sam it became obvious that he was speechless out of the knowledge that neither Reagan nor anyone else in the Whitehouse was seeking his advice. Kemp has broken the silence Barrier Long before confirmation. He said monday that America can t wipe out the budget deficits on the backs of the cities and the anguished people who live in them. I expect Kemp to shout loudly and Sway a lot of conservatives to the truth that we can rail against the spread of drug abuse the threats of violent crime the appalling num Ber of High school dropouts but nothing will change unless the government and private Industry join in his Long advocated Enterprise zones through which eco nomic vitality and Overall Hope might be restored thinner cities. As for cliche no. 2, Blacks and others Are going to find that conservative Kemp in Power at Hud is a Damn sight preferable to Liberal de Koch serving a mayor of new York City. I wrote in 1984 that Kemp makes his conservatism palatable. By displaying an affability that stands out convincingly against the galling haughtiness that propels so Many republicans to walk on their hands to be sure that everyone else can see the Blu veins in their noses. U i.08,1 of Kemp s Wing of the gop seems to think that Blacks Are people to whom you give either f m�5 a Doorman s uniform Kemp seems As comfortable with Blacks in a social setting As he was setting up behind the big Black linemen in Buffalo who protected his  Jack Kemp in t going to raid fort Knox to build a/_1 Elf Lvi a is Inoima. A of 1. It j /., -. A " 5 ii Elf Tell in 1guu11ucities and lift up the hopeless people who live in them. Hasten to 1" a use the Congress wil1 this hard headed conservative but fair and honest Man just might become the Best Hud Secretary the nation has Ever had. North America Syndicate the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons we a k86 re Ese those of the authors and Are in no lhlderttrtentil8 the it is of theand stripes or the United states government