UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, June 21, 1995
7A
Affirmative action should be aimed at poor, says Gingrich
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Women and minorities who rely on affirmative action should take advantage of opportunities which overlook race and gender, Speaker Newt Gingrich said Thursday.
In a talk with 10 black journalists that covered race, school busing and civil rights strategy, Gingrich said he'd like affirmative action to focus specifically on the poor — provided they are willing to work hard — without putting more expectations on the institutions asked to educate or hire them.
The Georgia Republican suggested an experiment which would provide incentives such as computers or scholarship money to disadvantaged high school students in three cities if they finish school with B-averages or better.
"I am prepared to say to the poor, You have to learn new habits. The habits to being poor don't work." Gingrich said. "I'm not suggesting
there's an easy answer to this. The question becomes, 'What's the best way to create opportunity?' ... What best dissels prejudice??"
Advocates for affirmative action, however, said they were not willing to heap more expectations on the victims of discrimination while expecting less of those who perpetuate the bias.
"Our contract with America is the United States Constitution." said Wade Henderson, lobbyist for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "We expect the nation to live up to its commitment to all its citizens."
Last week, the Supreme Court placed tough new limits on affirmative action programs which were designed to help minorities.
Those who oppose such programs in hiring, contracting and education said the court ruling proved that these programs were discriminatory.
GingrichRepublicanswere interested in makingaffirmative
action work for the poor, but not in helping people solely because of their race or gender.
"In this country in 1995, if you work twice as hard, you're going to succeed," Gingrich said. "There are enormous avenues for opportunity in this society.
"I'm not sure, in the long run, you want a system that says, 'Tell me what your racial makeup is, and I'll tell you whether or not you get the next slot.'"
The flaw with affirmative action, Gingrich said, was that it was built on lawsuits, and it was a structure encouraged by civil rights activists who had used the law to break down segregation during the 1960s.
"When you create that kind of backward-looking, grievance-looking system, you teach people exactly the wrong habits," he said.
"They end up spending their lives waiting for the lawsuit, instead of spending their lives seeking opportunity."
Wilson throws hat in GOP race
The Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Seeking to calm jittery supporters, Gov. Pete Wilson said Thursday there should "be no doubt" he is running for president. He said he would underscore it, as other candidates have, on CNN's "Larry King Live."
In a conference call to several hundred backers, Wilson announced formation of a "Pete Wilson for President Committee."
And he said he would appear tomorrow on King's CNN show to talk about his Republican candidacy nomination.
He is the ninth Republican in the race.
"Let there be no doubt in anyone's mind that I am running for president," he said. "There have been a lot of rumors to the contrary put out by people engaged in wishful thinking."
The hurriedly arranged conference call appeared to be a response to increasing speculation that Wilson's presidential hopes could be dashed by his slow recovery from throat surgery, his low standing in polls and his slower-than-expected fund raising.
Wilson plans campaign trips to Florida on Saturday, Iowa on Sunday and Denver next week.
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