Before I say anything else I want to extend congratulations to a number of people. They are the people, along with everyone in this room, who deserve congratulations for their effective work in preserving the Community Action Movement in our country. Millions of Americans have already benefitted from their work. I am sure that all of the leaders of Community action are highly regarded wherever they live. Nevertheless, today is a special day. We meet at a time when leaders of both Parties in the Congress are now, finally, working together in support of Community Action programs. It has taken thirty-some years to reach this point, but, friends, we have finally arrived. When Newt Gingrich decides that Community Action deserves special treatment financially and otherwise, there is no longer any doubt that Community Action has won a long and hard-fought battle.
So, first of all, I want to congratulate our good friend and leader, David Bradley. No one, I repeat, no one, so far as I know has done more, intellectually and personally, to preserve the integrity and mission of Community Action in our nation. May I suggest to everyone here that we all join in a rousing ovation for David Bradley for his many, many contributions to Community Action.
Obviously, David Bradley could not have achieved these results working alone. No one could! Even though it is usually dangerous to mention some names when it is practically impossible to mention all those who should be commended for their long-term, successful efforts on behalf of Community Action, I would like to draw public attention to two of the men who have made possible the huge success and wide-spread acceptance of Community Action.
Charles Braithwait, your President and Bob Coard, Executive Director of ABCD in Boston.
What has made this triumph possible. In addition to the persons I have just named and many others like them are responsible. We all know that. But today I think it is worthwhile to recall just a few of the unusual elements as well as the people in Community Action which have probably been crucial to our success.
First, let me mention the unique character of our Community Action local Boards of Directors:
1/3 elected local officials;
1/3 representatives of the private sector, and
1/3 poor persons who truly understand the problems of their fellow
Americans struggling at the bottom of our economic ladder. This tri-part structure of our local Community Action Boards of Directors has proven to be a source of great practical and psychological strength to everything we do. It proves that Community Action is a hands-up, not a hand-out, organization. It provides representation for all segments of society. United efforts are necessary to deal successfully with the problems of poverty in our country.
Secondly, Community Action has succeeded in mobilizing thousands and thousands of Volunteers to work, to combat the problems facing poor people in our country. Community Action now has as many volunteers, or maybe more volunteers than any other Government program. That’s a triumph just by itself.
Third, the cost of administration, or may I say, the cost of bureaucrats, in Community Action Agencies averages less than 10% of the total budget. Newly elected representatives in the last session of Congress, for example, were astonished to find the Job Corps had only 150 bureaucrats working in the Department of Labor to manage the program nationwide. No, they just were not astonished, they were speechless. When that news finally penetrated the Congressional atmosphere, the Headquarters of the Job Corps in the Department of Labor here in Washington was preserved.
Not one Governor of any State in our Union opposes Community Action today. That’s a miracle just by itself. In the first days of Community Action, not only Governors but Mayors of many, many cities felt threatened by Community Action and opposed Community Action vociferously. Some even came to Washington and protested in person to President Johnson. One Governor, a very close friend of President Johnson, came to Washington, spent two nights in the White House, and one afternoon at War Against Poverty Headquarters. He demanded that his State Government be given control over Job Corps Centers in his State. He made that demand face to face with me and my associates at War Against Poverty Headquarters, but we didn’t give in, and neither did President Johnson. This Governor was not alone. I have vivid memories of being denounced by the highest Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Three of them were exceptionally outspoken, even vitriolic in their comments about the Community Action Agencies in their cities. My breakfast meeting with them was not a happy event in their lives but within the next year, the three Mayors who were most vociferous were all indicted in their home States, subsequently convicted, and sent to jail. Community Action Agencies in their towns, however, never stopped work and continue even to this day.
I could go on and on, but you know better than I that your leadership has made Community Action the great success it now enjoys, and extraordinary political support involving leaders of both Parties which Community Action has achieved.
Sad to say, the incidence of poverty, however, the number of poor people in our country, is larger today, by far larger, than when we started the War Against Poverty in 1965. From 1965 to 1971, we reduced poverty in the United States from approximately 33.2 million persons to 25.4 million. That’s the lowest percentage level of poverty our country has ever achieved since 1968. With Nixon’s election and with Reagan and Bush, the number of poor people in our country has escalated to 39.3 million. So, the need for your work as individuals and for Community Action as a force in our society is greater than ever. We pride ourselves as a nation that we led all nations in the struggle against communism. We were victorious in that effort, even though it costs trillions of dollars. We were united in the effort to defend democracy.
Let us pray for the day when regardless of politics in our own country we can become equally united, and successful, in a renewed War Against Poverty here at home. We could reduce poverty from 39.3 million persons at least by 2/3 and maybe even by 90%. That would be an unprecedented peace-time achievement. It might also be the first time in human history that the most powerful nation, militarily, on earth concentrated its attention on the poorest people within its own borders, rather than spend money against possible enemies far from home. Our most important enemy remains the enemy within our own borders, namely the 39 million Americans who are not part of our prosperity, whose lives continue to be darkened and almost hopeless. We should never give up our efforts to rescue them from the forces, both personal and public, which condemn them to poverty even here in our own country which is without doubt the most generous and self-sacrificing group of human beings on earth.
Congratulations to each and every one of you for the leadership you continue to give in the struggle against poverty here at home.
The Declaration of Independence says that our country is dedicated to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all its citizens. Only because of you do the poor in America today have any hope they will be able to pursue happiness.
Let’s not forget that even life and liberty don’t fulfill the American dream. A successful pursuit of happiness is still the as yet unrealized objective of all of us.
