WASHINGTON REPORT: The Reality of the Budget:
Sisyphus
(who meanwhile had become Patriarch of Jerusalem) Jerusalem. Mrs. Meir reacted with utmost courtesy ("I soon established a friendly modus vivendi and for the certainly did not invade...
...and military planners are now Sixties, in the inner cities, where at best joblessness is planning not, as in the past, for a capacity to wage normally high...
...WASHINGTON REPORT THE REALITY OF THE BUDGET The federal budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 national objectives and a plan for achieving them," as is now before the Congress-all 1071 pages of it-and the opening sentence of the budget summary states...
...estimates are that individual income taxes will account The obvious premise underlying the budget-be it for 42 percent of revenues for that year...
...Not unnaturally, Rome was accused of anti-Semtion to respect the rights of Christians and Moslems to itism, and the whole long story of old and recent griefs their holy places, was deeply resented in Israel and was against the Church was retold...
...men and women, often the large majority of community blockgrants of federal monies rather than of their village, who had been bombed, tortured, the existence of a variety of individually funded pro- imprisoned, and tormented in so many ways, but who grams...
...Last year it was `take it or leave it.' This year porters: the mood is one of conciliation and compromise . . . Reporter, inquiring about the health budget: "What Gone now is the harsh budget language of a year ago shall I do with this (specific) outlay figure...
...publican Administrations, but mostly during the Nixon There are sectors of the budget that deserve mention, years...
...it could then, subsequently, under existing Congres- nation has entered a period of prolonged restriction of sional procedure, appropriate only $80 million for neigh- supply of energy and accompanying high prices...
...A few years ago, in an article on Jerusalem and On Jan...
...home on public view...
...Often, a committee will seek to verify current fiscal year (1974...
...Meir reacted with utmost courtesy ("I soon established a friendly modus vivendi and for the certainly did not invade the Vatican," she said mildly), time being the subject of internationalization was quietly but the press and public opinion in Israel felt bitterly dropped...
...For example, headCommonweal: 5 lines inform newspaper readers that the budget contains forest of terms...
...Holy See had cordial relations with all Arab countries, HENRY TEN KORTENAAR and particularly insisted on "the native and inalienable (Henry ten Kortenaar is Commonweal's regular correrights of the three monotheistic religions" concerning spondent in Rome...
...Much earlier in our history, the to discover that permanent authorizations comprise about Congress played a dominant role in budget-making, al40 percent of the recommended expenditures for the though not always efficiently or coherently...
...The Nixon Administration, however, worries are now restoring their homes, measurably improving some municipal officials because of its declared intention their own welfare, and fiercely proud of all they had to rely almost exclusively on an operational block-grant mastered-as well as what they would yet do if reprogram by July 1. Difficulties in transition, combined newed war demanded...
...Francois Delpech wrote: "The remarkable event, for the Vatican had never recognized role of the Church is not to defend rights, but to live the State of Israel, and no head of the Israeli govern- the Word of God and to witness to it...
...I just want not be an idea whose time has come-not so much for to help my town survive-keep the taxes down, keep cost as the plan's reliance upon a larger role for govern- the factories going, add a few more new buses, and let ment in policing the medical sector...
...such urgently needed city programs as urban renewal Second Reporter: "Last week (HEW) Secretary Wein- were `not working,' and the stern notice that the Conberger testified that the NIH (National Institutes of gress must accept a budget ceiling...
...ment...
...This is a bit like telling someone he is no the total of impounded funds now aggregates more than longer sick, because he has become permanently stricken $11 billion, a result of actions by Democratic and Re- and that now this is his natural way-of-life...
...Examples of these are monies already tively recently, committee chairmen would send back committed to be spent by past Congressional actions, legislation sent to the Congress by officials of the Execsuch as that for road-construction projects financed by utive Branch with the curt reminder that the Congress the interstate highway trust fund, social security pay- is assigned the responsibility of devising legislation...
...if not notoriety...
...Our troops are not committed to combat in spond to aggravated adult unemployment, it may be a Indochina...
...Only the re- day, committee chairmen have been known to complain maining 60 percent of the proposed budget, an estimated publicly that their committees can't legislate because the $197.7 billion, is subject to actions during this session President hasn't sent them any legislation...
...There is at least one replay of last year's efforts at GABRIEL KOLKO writes of a recent visit to South Vietcurtailment...
...The Congress could authorize an expenditure Administration officials seem to be saying, in effect, that of $100-million for neighborhood legal services in fiscal the so-called "energy crisis" has passed, because the '75...
...At a time when mized its importance in what was easily the rudest state- others are making the first serious efforts towards peace ment ever released after an audience...
...Isn't that the to blunt a severe recession that some foresee already on figure you just told us to ignore...
...She must not was immediately contradicted by Alessandrini, who mini- cause scandal to the whole world...
...More antiseptically the most sincere of intentions, the federal budget may stated, the federal budget is "both a statement of our be, often is, statistically misleading...
...It is shot through with ambitions, tendencies, activities labeled "national defense...
...met by a firm refusal of the government...
...SISYPHUS industry that Senator Kennedy says is already enjoying "windfall" profits of approximately $7-billion a year without providing satisfactory, comprehensive coverage COMING for Americans regardless of incomes...
...Nobody had forgotten how easily the Church The situation changed again radically in 1967, when had adapted to the Jordanian occupation of the holy the whole of Jerusalem was occupied by Israeli forces...
...second largest that drafted by a Democratic or a Republican adminis- source is from corporation income taxes, 16 percent...
...dismantlement of OEO, the anti-poverty agency, being After the budget proposals were released, representa- one...
...HEW Secretary Weinberger has not given nam: up his efforts to terminate numerous programs of assistance to individuals and institutions, programs that en- "The dynamism and spirit of the people of Quang joy support within the health field: the long-standing Tri, whether peasants or leaders, as well as their Hill-Burton hospital construction program, community keen sense of organization and their accomplishmental-health centers, regional medical program, and ments to date, quickly justifies their total confidence training grants for researchers...
...effectiveness of the Administration's actions in the face There are other understandable confusions not always of rising prices of energy fuels and accompanying ecomade clear in accounts of who is spending how much nomic disruptions seems less reassuring, however...
...Pio Laghi, the Apostolic Delegate same period, however, the Osservatore Romano contin- in Jerusalem, has certainly had the most unpleasant job ued to insist on the necessity of internationalizing Jeru- of his life, when on Jan...
...It disputes over its orientation and apportionments are is, of course, both more and less than that...
...and tious terms, notably in his message to the Islamic con- if the Arabs may now prefer internationalization to the ference of Rabat (1969), when his careful avoidance Israeli administration, there is no reason to suppose that of the word "internationalization" was taken by many to to Israel the Pope's intervention is any more acceptable indicate a change of tactics, if not of policy...
...Yet the budget rises...
...places, and it was also a well known fact that it had The old project, which had been dormant for almost never protested against the prohibition for Jews (one of two decades, was at once revived by Pope Paul, who, "the three monotheistic religions" the Vatican had so even before the ceasefire, demanded the internationaliza- much at heart) to visit the Western Wall of the Temple, tion of the city...
...She must not aim at power...
...offended...
...As visitors they pose cheerfully with their doubling of funds for energy research and development Senators and Representatives...
...I want the 'Feds' to believe that Senator Kennedy is working with Rep...
...in fact, it probably will be, acand one-half...
...As the United tives of the various departments held individual briefings States Conference of Mayors and the National League at which they were to describe in detail their respective of Cities phrased it in their analysis of the fiscal '75 budgets...
...in their testimony they (R&D), most of it to increase existing programs and use the correct exhortatory prose before committees on mostly concentrated in the nuclear-fission area...
...Although press reports describe the talk spun by over-educated supposedly `best and brightaffair as one of Kennedy vs...
...2 he carried out the instrucsalem and published periodic attacks on the Israeli tion to explain the Vatican position to the Israeli governauthorities for the "Judaization" of the city...
...Newspaper stories about budgets often refer years, particularly last year, the Nixon Administration to an "authorization," which is the legal ceiling beyond fought beyond tolerable limits to dissolve or budgetarily which a particular department, agency, or branch may starve a number of programs they were hostile to-the not spend...
...In the arcane terminology of federal budgeteers, "Flexibility" is the slogan, as the Deputy Director of the word "outlay" has a specific connotation-the num- the Office of Management and Budget, Frederic Malek, ber of dollars the Nixon Administration states it intends emphasized at one briefing in early February...
...prejudices, private-sector pressures, campaign commit- One other fact to keep in mind is that, even with ments and post-election compromises...
...Toments and payments to disabled veterans...
...tration-is that it is not only an economic but a political And, as to where it goes, 29 percent will be spent for document...
...Unlike $13.7 billion (16.4 percent...
...In the follow- The diplomatic activity of the Vatican after the Yom ing years the Pope referred to the problem in more cau- Kippur War shows that its aims are still unchanged...
...The President is asking Congress to The budgeteers themselves often get lost amid the approve a military budget of $92.6 billion, the largest 8 March 1974: 6 peace-time budget in our history and higher, even, than pede local improvement programs, according to one East any of the Defense Department budgets during the Viet- Coast mayor...
...This year, overall, the tone differs...
...But she must reherself spoke rightly of a "historical occasion," but she main poor...
...He pointed out in the Middle East, the danger of scandal is greater that the Prime Minister had not been invited, that the than ever...
...The as her tea party...
...Until relanext fiscal year...
...reminiscent of the saw about the two housewives arguing Revenues to keep the budget afloat, it should be over the back fence-they disagree because they're noted, still come from you and me...
...The a person can still recognize the faces of his neighbors...
...The business about "outlays" and "authoriza- budget: "If the budget shows the Administration's directions" led to this exchange between an official of the tion remains essentially unchanged, its tone is strikingly Department of Health, Education and Welfare and re- different...
...Everywhere I met children who had lost Administration also pertains to urban affairs...
...Some for what...
...There is some reason the old folks walk the streets in peace...
...to help me...
...The committees of the Congress have total outlays of $304.4 billion during fiscal 1975, or denied themselves an effective, independent system of nearly $30 billion more than that recommended for the budget analysis...
...The Kennedy bill may selves," said one visiting mayor recently...
...Meir that she should desire basic freedom...
...lay...
...of the 93rd Congress...
...A good many of them are quite Another increase, in keeping with the times, is a near- competent...
...Wilbur Mills, chairman of the Ways and Means Com- The mayor continued: "I once read about someone mittee, to which such health plans in the House are saying that an ideal community is one of a size in which referred, in an effort to devise a Kennedy-Mills bill...
...However, one is obliged to a budget item by sending it back to the originating Execbe persistent and read further into the budget text itself utive Branch agency...
...now more than 5 HEW briefing officer: "Yes...
...Unlike previous fiscal years, the Nixon AdministraNotice, too, that the aggregate budget of $304.4 bil- tion, under siege for a variety of extra-legal transgreslion is described in the budget explanation as an "out- sions, is noticeably unanxious to fight with the Congress...
...In previous to spend...
...percent of the labor force, which indicates the non-white Alice would have enjoyed that press briefing as well rate is at least 10 percent of those seeking jobs...
...Whatever happened to that members of Congress, they cannot buck problems to "peace dividend" talked about as a result of closing the another layer of government...
...Msgr...
...Health) budget would show an increase of 8 percent The thrust of the proposed budget is described as one and he was basing that on outlay figures...
...Nixon plan helps in terms of catastrophic health insur- Why, I can't even recognize the faces of the people who ance, with a basic reliance upon the existing private-in- work for me on my floor at City Hall, ther're so many surance industry to provide the goods and services-an of 'em...
...They're right there at store in Vietnam...
...there has been an agreement reached on "long, hot summer," to resurrect a phrase of the late strategic arms (SALT-I...
...the basis of rising unemployment...
...15, 1973, Golda Meir visited the Pope-a the Holy Places, Prof...
...There's less talk of a rebirth of cities itself in the health sector to offset an election-year drive than simply talk of holding-the-line...
...This hasty intervention, at a moment nor against the looting of their synagogues and cemewhen the government had already announced its inten- teries...
...that was peppered with the unsupported judgments that HEW briefing officer: "Ignore it...
...Nixon, there are indications est' urbanologists or whatever the hell they call themit is something other than that...
...Most one or both parents, but were now in school and mayors welcome the insistence on further development cared for...
...the Administration's budget presentation, the actual in- Mayors passing through Washington these days in crease in basic, routine military appropriations comes to quest of more funds deserve some sort of award...
...The Nixon budget may well be increased simultaneously "two and one-half" wars, but only "one measurably as a result...
...with what they regard as insufficient financing, will imCommonweal: 7...
...for a national health insurance plan put forward by "I'm tired of all this glamorous urban renewal vista Senator Kennedy...
...As the Mayors' Con- cording to Congressional funding committee staff memference and the League of Cities point out, "contrary to bers...
...Off-stage they're discouraged, but stoutly The Nixon Administration has also sought to position stick to their last...
...and the President could decide having become the norm, ergo, there is by definition no to spend only $50 milion in fiscal '75 and not spend crisis but a constant state of affairs of high-prices and (that is, "impound") the remainder...
...It is quite normal ment had ever been received by the Pope...
...that they can and will master the problems of reconThe "good news-bad news" character of the Nixon struction...
...During the than before...
...As a matter of fact shortages...
...Fiscal year 1975 arguing from different premises...
...this borhood legal services...
...Because the budget is inadequate to renam war...
...urban affairs...
Vol. 100 • March 1974 • No. 1
