July 4, 1969 Twenty-Five Cents A Journal of Free Voices A Window to the South The Texas Observer Helping Texas' Migrants Washington, D.C. Disappointment comes regularly to Mexican-American farm workers of the Southwest. They live in crowded labor camps when there is work, and in miserable patchwork shacks when there is none. They leave families behind to travel thousands of miles in search of work, often in vain. When they are on the road, no one cares much what happens to them, and when they return home — 143,500 migrant workers call Texas home — they find their home state hadn't missed them. But one of the biggest disappointments affecting Texas farm workers and those who care about them has been the performance of the Migrant Division of the Office of Economic Opportunity, now Bill Hamilton nearly five years old. Equipped with a bold mandate and provided substantial — though certainly not excessive — finances ($27.3 million was given the division for national grants during fiscal 1969), the office has been timid and sloppy in its approach to assisting migrants in Texas. Consider housing. In fiscal 1969 (which ended June 30) $2 million of division funds were earmarked for that vital concern. Lest one think that a small sum for housebuilding, it should be explained that the Migrant Division is rarely in the business of building houses directly. The money usually is spent not on loans, materials, carpenters, and so forth, but on the administrative and training costs of organizing poor people to qualify and to build under the federal housing laws used by more-affluent Americans. Thus, an 0E0 dollar can be stretched over a considerable number of houses. The Migrant Division likes to think of itself as the "missing link" between migrant farm workers and their Photo by Bill Bridges HOME IN TEXAS — Texas is home of more migrant agricultural workers than any Mr. Hamilton is an Observer con- other state in the nation. Here, some children of migrant workers play at their home in tributing editor who lives in Washington, the Chamizal section of El Paso. D.C. participation in federal housing programs. his wishes, because of his close relationship Migrant Division, and a Texan, says In Texas, however, the link is simply with then-President Johnson. something could develop in the future but missing. Only one housing program has So the money was granted, a retired nothing is being considered at the moment. been tried, and it was scrapped, a dismal Army colonel was hired to direct the Money is short, and no applications for failure. The project died in the office of project, and work began. Four months housing programs have been filed from then-Gov. John B. Connally. The project later, after lots of bickering at every level, Texas lately, she added. OEO has some came to Texas OEO late in 1966 when the the project was abandoned. Six houses had fairly successful migrant housing programs governor's office applied for and received a been built. No one in Washington today in California and elsewhere, but in Texas — grant of $346,241 to build 132 homes and recalls exactly what those six houses cost, where migrants are most numerous — there three community centers from materials but they probably weren't cheap. Unspent is nothing. obtained at Stinson Field, an abandoned funds were transferred to OEO manpower air base near San Antonio. It was to be a activities in Texas. Col. Fred Deyo, self-help project poor director of the ill-fated project, told the WHAT, THEN, does OED's Mi- Mexican-Americans building their own Dallas Times Herald that "political fear and grant Division do with its money in Texas? houses with donated materials and expert bigotry" among Connally's OEO watch- The Educational Systems Corporation of supervision. "It was ill-conceived from the dogs led to the death of the program. In Washington, itself a Migrant Division very beginning," said one of the OEO Washington, an OEO spokesman admitted grantee ($758,833 in fiscal 1969) has just officials who processed the application for "I don't think the reasons [ for killing the published a summary of the division's funds in Washington. "We tried to program] are particularly clear." programs — 96 of them in 35 states, eight discourage it," he said, "but they [the Ill-conceived or not, the San Antonio in Texas. Of the eight Texas programs, governor's office] insisted on it." It should program was a housing program, the only most of which include more than one be remembered that in those days a special one that the Migrant Division has dared to activity, seven operate job-placement type respect was paid the governor of Texas,and fund in the state. Ruth Graves, chief of the projects, six conduct adult education ?axed: ce Re6o,tot Austin The legislative leaders, Barnes and tax (most probably by removing some Texas liberals have their best oppor- Speaker Gus Mutscher, compounded the items now exempted) and, perhaps, such tunity in years to begin reforms of the fiscal failure by permitting lawmakers not things as a tuition (or "building use fee") state's misshapen tax structure, a complex to consider a serious tax program. To write increase. The lobby people are justifiably that puts a disproportionate share of the a serious two-year budget would, after all, worried now; they know that the political tax burden on individuals and lets business have required a business tax of some climate will not likely permit extending firms off far too lightly. If the liberals and impact, since individual Texans are, at last taxation further on individuals — not with- some of the moderates of the Senate will wearying of carring most of the burden out dire cost to many of the legislators' determine to work together during the when new taxes are required. Three tax and some state officials' political futures, upcoming special session of the Legislature increases have been voted by lawmakers in anyway. this summer, they can have the crucial less than two years now, and most of these say-so in this vital matter. have fallen heavily on individuals, primarily Also at issue is whether Lt. Gov. Ben by extending the state and city sales taxes. Barnes is, in reality, a progressive. If so, he It is heartening to see Texas government 4'd Wevra will aid the liberals — if the liberals come at last beginning to accept some of its 9 up with some sensible, long-overdue, and responsibilities in providing services, in not fair business taxes. shrinking from spending the vast sums of In this day of intensifying concern about Perhaps, in the early going of the 30-day money that are indeed necessary — and the problems that narcotics pose for special session, we may see Barnes leading long have been necessary. Yet it will not do society, it seems strange that the federal an effort to have both houses vote to to continue to burden individuals with the government would be considering closing a override Gov. Preston Smith's veto of the load while corporations get off without Fort Worth hospital that serves the western half of the country in treatment of nar- one-year appropriations bill, which was, meeting their social responsibilities. cotics addicts. Sen. Ralph Yarborough mostly, Barnes' and the business lobby's Texas consumers paid $807 million in thought so, anyway. He won a promise, in way of avoiding a tax increase this year. If taxes during fiscal 1968. The oil and gas March, from Robert Finch, the secretary of that effort fails, as it should, then liberals industry paid $240 million. And the only the Dept. of Health, Education and Wel- must be ready with their tax program. general tax on business, the franchise tax, fare, not to close the hospital until hearings Otherwise, we shall probably see an exten- yielded $63 million. This is the present could be held on the matter. sion of the sales tax and, perhaps, a shape of Texas government's thinking on Dr. James Maddux, head of the Fort sprinkling of minor business taxes. tax matters. Worth hospital, said he believes informa- tion was developed in the hearings that HERE WAS widespread evasion AISING taxation on oil and gas T R Yarborough conducted that had not pre- of responsibility on the question of state (which were taxed at 5.4% of the value of viously been available to Finch. Witnesses spending and taxation in the legislative their production in 1968), upping the session recently ended. Governor Smith franchise tax, instituting a state income tax testified that the Fort Worth hospital and proposed a taxation program that no one (which 36 states now have, and which another federal institution at Lexington, ever took seriously. He then sat back while provides one-seventh of revenue to Amer- Ky., are the only large hospitals in the the Legislature hemmed and hawed and ican states) — these are the things legis- nation for treating narcotics addicts. scratched. When the one-year spending lators, particularly the Senate liberals and Because of Yarborough's hearings, the plan was resurrected, Smith made no bones moderates, should these days be consider- hospital is now to remain open. in private conversations that he would veto ing. The U.S. political system works if it is the scheme. But he failed to say so The business lobby, evidently frustrated manned by dedicated people who have — publicly, an irresponsible act. now by the governor in .its hopes for and employ — highly developed social avoiding new taxes this year, can be ex- consciences.