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142222
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Urban Policy, 3/24/78
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id
142222
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document
title
Urban Policy, 3/24/78
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collections
Office of the Chief of Staff Files
Hamilton Jordan's Confidential Files
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Urban policy
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142222
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24
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1978-03-01
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3
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1978
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24
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1978-03-01
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3
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1978
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Urban Policy, 3/24/78
Folder Citation: Collection: Office of the Chief of Staff Files; Series:
Hamilton Jordan's Confidential Files; Folder: Urban Policy, 3/24/78;
Container 37
To See Complete Finding Aid:
http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/library/findingaids/Chief_of St
aff.pdf
C
arch 24, 2978
Personal and Confidential
To:
President Carter
From:
Hamilton Jordan H.D.
Re:
Decisions on Urban Policy
You promised last year that your Administration would
have a "comprehensive urban policy and program to help
solve the problems which afflict American cities".
While I share your doubt that more federal dollars
can increase substantially the quality of life in the
American cities, the political, press and public re-
action to your policy will be determined to a large
extent by the amount of new money budgeted for it.
According to Stu, you have agreed to spend $600 million
"DETERMINED TO BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE MARKING
CANCELLED PER E.O. 12356, SEC. 1.3 AND
ARCHIVIST'S MEMO OF MARCH 16, 1983"
new Federal dollars for our urban policy. This amounts
to approximately 1/10 of one per cent of the Federal
budget.
Your rhetoric on urban policy has greatly increased
the public and political expectations of the mayors and
the various constituent groups that have an interest
in our policy. The $600 million figure will guarantee
not only a hostile reaction from all the groups, but will
not be treated as a serious proposal.
If you propose an urban policy that only contains $600
million new Federal dollars, I will predict that it will
be the single biggest political mistake we have made
since being elected.
To boot, Stu and his staff have worked long and hard
to develop this program. Their recommendation to you
did not represent a bargaining position on their part
but the bare minimum that is politically acceptable
to the Congress and the constituent groups that elected
us.
Mr. President, I do not see how we can continue to
alienate key groups of people who were responsible for
your election and still maintain our political base.
The groups that make up the urban coaltion - blacks,
Hispanics, labor, Democratic mayors, etc. - have been
waiting all year for the "comprehensive, major program"
we promised them. A $600 million program will simply
not receive serious political consideration.
If you proceed with the modest program approved, it
will be ignored by the Congress and substantially in-
creased. The full program recommended by Stu will be
a creditable position for us to maintain with the Con-
gress. The $600 million program will not even represent
a creditable bargaining position for the Administration.
I think it is probably difficult for us here to realize
how much our urban policy announcement has been hyped
up. Time Magazine is doing a cover on it for Monday
and all the mayors are going to be in town for your
announcement. And while I suspect that I would agree
with most of the cuts you made in the program, politcally
it will be devastating to announce a $600 million pro-
gram. No announcement would almost be better.