8096 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 28, 1982 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS SECTION 504, CIVIL RIGHTS FOR these revisions through without draw­ servations on our economic woes as re­ THE HANDICAPPED ing the attention of the disabled com­ printed below. munity, civil rights groups, or other MONDALE IGNORES ECONOMIC FAILURE OF THE supporters of section 504. However, CARTER YEARS HON. DAVID E. BONIOR they have misinterpreted the organi­ <By John Kolbe) OF MICHIGAN zation and strength of these groups. In an age when satellites and microwaves IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The impact of these changes would be and cable television and computer data Wednesday, April 28, 1982 devastating and the millions of citi­ purple the air with more information than zens in these groups will not stand by the boggled brain can absorb, it's positively e Mr. BONIOR of Michigan. Mr. and allow the administration to con­ amazing how some people never get the Speaker, today is the 5-year anniversa­ tinue taking from those who have the word. ry of the implementation of section least while they are giving to those Take poor, benighted Fritz Mondale, for 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. who already have the most. example. Here it is, 18 months later, and the These regulations guarantee equal op­ ex-veep still hasn't heard about the 1980 In light of this shortsighted ap­ election. portunities in employment and educa­ proach by the administration, I urge tion to our Nation's 36 million handi­ Well, that's a trifle exaggerated, of course. my colleagues to join in my personal Strictly speaking, Mondale does know some­ capped citizens. Because of the signifi­ commitment to the goals of section thing happened that dark November, be­ cance of this anniversary, I would like 504. I intend to continue to use my re­ cause his government paycheck stopped to vocalize my support for this critical sources to help end discrimination coming a few weeks later <he traded it in for set of regulations and draw attention against individuals who are blind, a much bigger lawyerly stipend). He just to the administration's attempts to deaf, retarded, learning disabled, men­ doesn't understand what it was. weaken its effectiveness. Listening to him as he oozed his way artic­ In my mind, the enforcement of tally ill, mobility impaired, or affected ulately through Phoenix the other day in these regulations is consistent with by another handicapping condition. his four-year quest for the holy presidential the basic principle of respect toward These individuals are most often vic­ grail you'd think he only lost a seventh individual dignity and the preserva­ timized both consciously and uncon­ grade speech contest. tion of civil liberties. While needs and sciously in our society and they must And he's positively incensed that the guy be protected through the conscien­ who won it, little Ronnie Reagan, now interests differ among the 36 million thinks he has a right to run the whole class handicapped citizens in our Nation, tious enforcement of strong and mean­ ingful regulations.e differently. they all share a common history of Changing economic signals is especially discriminatory policies and practices irksome to Mondale. The "worst policy in which affect virtually every aspect of KEEPING ECONOMIC PROBLEMS modern economic times," he says, is "radi­ their lives. A lack of full and equal IN PERSPECTIVE cal," not conservative, "a disaster, a failure" citizenship, pressure of stereotypes, that has led to "trouble, and suffering, and and the existence of prejudices has unemployment, and bankruptcies, and dis-" created a society which does not HON. JOHN J. RHODES appointment" and created a "recession that always consider the human potential didn't need to happen." OF ARIZONA Other than that, one supposes, he thinks of disabled people and does not always IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES allow disabled people's participation. Reaganomics is just fine. Wednesday, April 28, 1982 Don't you suppose, he was asked, that just The goal of the disability rights move­ a teensy bit of all this trouble might be at­ ment and disability rights legislation is e Mr. RHODES. Mr. Speaker, the tributed to the administration of which to overcome the historic effects of dis­ economy continues to be the subject Walter Mondale was a part? crimination and segregation and to of many news reports and analyses by Nosireebob, said Mondale. "I don't take a secure a meaningful equality of oppor­ columinsts. My very good friend, John penny's worth of blame for Ronald Reagan tunity in the future. Kolbe, a political writer for the Phoe­ or Reaganomics." Of course, no one had ac­ However, the current administration nix Gazette, recently published some cused him of siring Reagan, but you get the is working against these basic princi­ economic commentary which I highly point. Some reporter with an unpleasantly long ples by rewriting the guidelines for recommend to the many vocal critics memory recalled the economy wasn't exact­ section 504 implementation. The Bush of the President's economic policies. ly hunky-dory back when the ex-vice presi­ Regulatory Task Force and the OMB What is being lost in much of the dent was whispering in Jimmy Carter's ear, have incorporated these changes in a current critical dialog, is the fact that and wondered why he shouldn't don the draft which literally destroys all civil our country's present economic prob­ same sackcloth and ashes for that period rights protections which have been lems did not begin with the Reagan that he's now demanding of the Reagan ad­ hard won by the disabled community administration. In fact, the main ministration. over the past 5 years. The underlying thrust of the President's economic re­ "You have to remember we got hit with the highest increases in oil prices in histo­ concept contained in OMB's opinion is covery plan is an effort to undo the ry," he said. "That blew all the fuses in our that implementation of section 504 fiscal folly of the years preceding his economy. We had bad circumstances." will be completely dependent on arrival at the White House. There you have it-the unassailable alibi, whether or not it costs too much. John Kolbe's article, occasioned by the unreturnable political serve: Don't These cost considerations are of the Hon. Walter Mondale's remarks on his blame me-ain't nobody here 'cept us bad top priority in deciding applicability. recent visit to Phoenix, provides an ex­ circumstances. The considerations are in actual dollar cellent refresher course for those One is reminded of Alexander Haig's as­ amounts and have nothing to do with whose memory may not be serving sessment upon learning of that infamous 18- social value of individual worth. Per­ them well, and for those who may minute gap in the Oval Office tape. He chalked it up to a "sinister force." Nowa­ haps most disturbing about the draft want to obscure the facts, as some of days, that ole debbil circumstances does 'em revisions is the absence of any consid­ my friends on the Democratic side of in. eration for equal opportunity. the aisle lately seem to do. In contrast naturally, Reagan has been It is my belief that the administra­ To my colleagues on both sides of blessed with good circumstances, such as a tion has been trying to quietly move the aisle, I commend John Kolbe's ob- leveling off of OPEC prices and a record e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. April 28, 1982 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 8097 food crop. But in spite of all that good stuff, In particular, the past few months IN OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL he went and screwed it up with his econom­ have seen frustrating stagnation in VOLUNTEER WEEK ic policies. the Middle East peace process, grow­ To be sure, reasonable men can-and plenty do-question Reagan's economic re­ ing worldwide insensitivity to contin­ covery program, which started phasing in ued Israeli vulnerability, and diminish­ HON. PARREN J. MITCHELL seven months ago. Certainly, the results so ing American understanding of the OF MARYLAND far leave plenty to be desired. challenges facing its most reliable ally IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES But must we put up with being lectured in the region. And yet, in the midst of on the subject by someone with Walter Wednesday, April 28, 1982 Mondale's track record? these disheartening events, we have just witnessed a monumental gesture e Mr. MITCHELL of Maryland. Mr. When he ascended to Number Two, the Speaker, I am proud to acknowledge consumer price index, our most commonly of commitment and cooperation that used measure of inflation, stood at 5 per­ fills me with a great sense of encour­ that during this month, National Vol­ cent. Carter beat Gerald Ford over the head agement and hope. unteer Week has been observed. As a with that "ravaging" figure. Four years cosponsor of Congresswoman BARBARA later, it was 12 percent. On Sunday, under the terms of the MIKULSKI's volunteer mileage bill, and The prime interest rate, which Mondale Camp David Agreement, Israel re­ as a community resident, I cannot correctly tagged as the primary obstacle to turned the last of the Sinai Peninsula overemphasize the value of the serv­ recovery, was 6.25 percent in early 1977. By to Egypt, ending a 15-year occupation ices rendered by those whose efforts 1981, it was a robust 21.5 percent. Treasury and hastening a new era in Mideast di­ go unrewarded with money.