Hon. Shirley Chisholm 30645

August 6, 1971 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 30645 The image that we now have is partially important water pollution control is. And sumer electronics at a minus $890 mil- a result of the media. For,as William Hiatt this could spell disaster for our society. But lion. My figures from the Commerce De- notes, the people know about sewage treat- if the public is well informed, certainly this partment for 1970 show a minus $1,270. ment from two sources: TV’s Norton as will do much for our image. And it will help played by Art Oarney on the Jackie Gleason to attract to our ranks the young scientists You might have seen in the July 30 edi- show, and, for the older generation, the and engineers and technicians that we need tion of the Times that Maurice Stans Great Guildersleave on radio’s Fibber Magee today. This kind of information and the use warned that- & Molly show (and later on his own TV of publicity to get it to the public are what The U.S. might have a negative balance show). Norton is the unskilled laborer who we have in mind when we say that we need of trade for the first time in this century. works all day long in the sewers and shows public relations people in our offices. The United States’ overall balance of trade the marks of it. He is a bumbling idiot who Finally, to have a good image, we must in recent years has deteriorated from sur- does not know enough to come up for air be adequately represented in the entertain- pluses of $5 billion to $7 billion in the early now and then. He is the fall-guy who tags ment media. Very few entertainers would sixties to $1 billion to $2 billion levels since along for the fun and is the source of much think today of telling an offensive ethnic 1967. In 1971 the trade surplus may disap- of the fun because of his peculiar line of joke. It would kill their career. And yet they pear altogether for the first time since 1893. work. see nothing wrong with jokes about sewer But in the Great Guildersleave we have workers. The United States has found itself in the other end of the spectrum-manage- I think that it is time that we challenged this precarious position in part because ment. He is the head of the local water the stereotypes created by the Nortons and of low tariffs on imports. For example, works and it is obvious that if he ever got the Great Gildersleaves. The entertainment our tariff on television sets is 7 percent down into a sewer he would not be able to media have to learn that by making a joke of while Japan’s is 21 percent. Japan also find his way out. He is the primeval example our professions they are not merely hurting has a list of 123 major quotas which of the hack political appointment.He knows a segment of America, they are also holding little, but it is probably cheaper to give him back the vital work of combating pollution. have effectively banned U.S.-manufac- a good job at City Hall than to have him They are holding back from us the highly- tured products from its markets. Even on welfare. He is good at nothing but the skilled personnel that we need. For who though our TV’s cost less, they have been bumbling use of words and is the butt of wants to go to work for a joke. kept from the Japanese market. Mexico the jokes around City Hall. His main con- We have to challenge the entertainment is another example of a country which solation is that there is one lower than him media to take us seriously and to present has taken enormous advantage of our on the local totem pole and that is the our work in a light that will help us in the lax policies. That Government has im- dog catcher. fight against pollution. As H. Rap Brown in all areas which have Like it or not,this is the image that most once said: "You are either a part of the solu- posed restrictions people have of those who work to keep sew- tion or a part of the problem." And right Mexican counterparts. They will import age treatment up to date and who are the now TV is a part of the problem. It must be goods which supplement their own in- main ones working today in water pollution made aware that it has to be a part of the dustry but not allow any competition control. It is an image fostered by TV and solution. I would not be so bold as to say with its own industry. radio; it is an image guaranteed to give the how they should do this. I am sure that Foreign governments appear to have viewer someone he can look down upon. they have enough experts to do the job. But more stringent laws protecting their own It is with this in mind that we have to it must be done. The Nortons and the Great than the United States does. find the ways to upgrade the image of the Gildersleaves must be eliminated. Youth industry professional and non-professional worker,in must be challenged to see water pollution Our Government’s policy considers man- sewage treatment.I think that the first step control as one of the necessary facts of life agement profit a higher priority than has already been taken by the change of today. labor security and welfare, and its im- terms. We now speak of "water pollution These then are a few ideas on creating a port and tariff policy is based on this control" and this is a better description of new or improved image for our profession. premise. This country has been victim- what we do than sewage treatment.You may Is it really important? Well, to go back to ized more and more by dumping of for- ask: "What’s in a name?" And I would have what I said at the beginning, the Indians eign imports. Dumping-selling a good to answer "plenty"!Our younger generation of New York State had a high degree of here than in the for- is perhaps more idealistic than any other in culture but it was held back by their con- for a lower price our history. And for the first time we are stant need to move. Pollution was the fact eign country from which it originates- painfully aware that pollution of our en- of life that kept them from advancing or is a criminal violation of title 15 of the vironment could spell the end of our establishing really permanent villages. United States Code. The enforcement of civilization. The white man in America now has the that code ras been reportedly nonexist- This is a real challenge to our youth. And same problem, only compounded. For he ent in recent years. It has gotten to the if we are to recruit the necessary personnel has nowhere more to move. He must now point where U.S. companies are filing to run our complicated treatment plants learn to live with his environment and this complaints against European and Japa- and to plan new systems to meet the needs means controlling its pollution. And con- action is espe- of the future,we will need these youth. They trolling it means a well-educated, highly nese manfacturers. This are the hope of the future and we have to skilled corps of people who are dedicated to cially critical because of the thousands give them an image that befits the important water pollution control. This will come of jobs in the balance. This action is not work we ask them to do. through our efforts to educate our personnel, as contradictory to Government com- The use of terms like "Water Pollution but it will come mostly from the improved plicity with industry as it first appears. Control" and "Environmental Health Sci- image of our work and workers, an image The prosecution of foreign companies ences" are aids in this recruitment. They aid that will attract the young man and woman which dump is supported by the U.S. all of us who want to be proud of the work who is really the hope for the future. With- Government. The neglect of title 15 en- we do. Certainly, it does sound better to out them and without our efforts there well may be no future. This is the challenge. forcement is probably due to bureauc- say that we are engaged in water pollution Repre- control rather than sewage treatment. And racy more than anything else. it is more accurate! It more accurately de- sentative SILVIO O. CONTE, Republican, scribes the kind of work that we do. For Massachusetts, is a prime proponent of what we do has more to it than the digging U.S. BALANCE-OF-TRADE cracking down on the dumping practice. and cleaning of sewers. PROBLEMS He explains it this way: A change of names is the beginning. But in By cutting their prices in this country addition to this we need constant publicity. they gain an unfair advantage over our do- And this means the use of public relations HON. SHIRLEY CHISHOLM mestic companies, then these same foreign people and techniques. If Madison Avenue countries block U.S. firms from selling in can be used to sell the detergents that pol- OF NEW YORK their homelands, allowing them to jack up lute, why can we not use it to sell the rem- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the price of the same items that they sell edies that will keep us if not pollution-free, at home.

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