Notable Quotables - 10/16/1989
Homeless Hype I
"Spring-like
temperatures on a Fall day made for a carnival-like atmosphere, but an
occasional chilly breeze forewarned that winter is on the way and three
million Americans have no place to call home."
- Candy Crowley on CNN PrimeNews, October 7.
Homeless Reality I
"In 1988, the
National Academy of Sciences discovered 650,000 homeless in the nation; the
Urban Institute found 570,000....In 1988, the General Accounting Office
reviewed 22 city studies and found 300,000 to 600,000 as the national
parameters. All are about one-fifth the hyped estimates."
- Economics columnist Warren Brookes in The Washington Times,
October 5.
Homeless Hype II
"They came here to
Washington from all over the country: the rich, the famous, the ordinary, the
down-and-out. They staged the biggest rally in behalf of the homeless since
the Reagan Revolution forced severe cutbacks in government housing
programs."
- John Martin anchoring ABC's Weekend Report, October 7.
Homeless Reality II
"If you will look
at the official Historical Tables of the U. S. Budget on pages 70 and 72, you
will find direct "Housing Assistance" (Item 604) has risen from $5.6
billion in 1980 to $15.3 billion in 1989, up 172 percent. And if you will look
at pages 86 and 87, you will find that total HUD outlays have risen from $12.7
billion in 1980 to $20.4 billion in 1989, a rise of 60 percent, nearly double
the inflation rate."
- Brookes, October 5.
Harvard Education
"I'm not saying I'm
a Communist, but everything I am I learned at Harvard."
- Alejandro Bendana, Secretary General of the Sandinista Ministry of Foreign
Affairs , as quoted by National Review, October 13.
Rebuffed Helms Wins
"Exasperated
Senators Rebuff Helms: His Art, Internee Amendments Lose"
- September 30 Washington Post, front page, column one.
"Obscenity Measure
Approved: Conference Panel Agrees on Diluted Helms Amendment"
- Same
paper, same day, same page, column two.
Faked Footage Stonewalling
"I can't for the
life of me understand why CBS has a policy of not commenting on stories. And
of all organizations, I think it shows a particular arrogance to assume that
your organization is immune from criticism and you ought not respond. We're in
the business of soliciting response. Why in the world Rather isn't on your
show tonight talking about this I don't know."
- WNBC-TV anchor Chuck Scarborough on CNN's Larry King Live to talk
about charges CBS aired faked footage of Afghan rebels, September 29.
Don't Blame the User
"Portland, Oregon
is trying a limited ban on cheap, fortified wines combined with more
aggressive programs to take drunks off the streets and treat them. But here,
as in other cities, the public is left to find its own solutions. The
companies that make the cheap wines take the profits; homeless alcoholics and
the communities they live in pay the price."
- Reporter Cassandra Clayton on NBC Nightly News, Sept. 18.
Capital Gains Tax Cut
"Bill Me Later:
Once again, Washington chooses voodoo economics over responsibility"
- Time headline, October 9 issue.
"Many Congressmen
bought the Administration argument that a tax cut would spur business
investment, creating more jobs and prosperity for everybody. In theory the
lure of a lightly taxed payoff will tempt investors to put up money for risky
ventures. Economists have long disputed whether that is true, but it remains
an article of faith among conservatives."
- Time Senior Writer George J. Church, October 9.
"Budget director
Richard Darman's dream of a far-reaching deal to solve the deficit crisis is
becoming a nightmare as his President leads the charge in creating a tax break
rather than confront a tax increase."
- Eleanor Clift in Newsweek, October 9.
Soviet Threat
Mike Wallace:
"Lately, the Soviets claim to have undergone a major change in their
military strategy, from emphasizing offense to defense...Then General Mosaif
made a remarkable statement."
Soviet General: "We
have never regarded the United States as the enemy of the Soviet Union. And we
do not regard any possible scenario which would involve unleashing
conventional warfare or nuclear warfare from Moscow against the United
States."
- from 60 Minutes, September 17.
Civilized Police State
Reporter Bob Abernethy:
"Gorbachev's new freedoms have revived old ethnic rivalries and triggered
demands for independence. What should Moscow do?"
Vyacheslov Styopin,
Philosopher: "If bloodletting starts, if clashes begin between people,
troops have to be brought in. That's how it's done in all civilized
countries."
- NBC Nightly News, September 19.
Labeling in Arts
"The dinner guests
rose to their feet in a spontaneous, prolonged standing ovation for the
Illinois Democrat-the foremost advocate for the arts in Congress-to whom
members of the arts community have turned for support against the reactionary
art stands of Sen. Jesse Helms."
- Washington Post "Personalities" columnist Chuck Conconi,
October 6.
Flag Amendment
"The Constitution
needs to be amended all right - not to prevent burning of the flag, but to
prevent politicians from wrapping themselves in it. Should we be surprised at
such an outlandish and all-out assault on free speech? Not really. The urge to
purge the other fellow's thoughts is rampant these days."
- Paul McMasters, Deputy Editorial Director of USA Today, in the
September Quill.
- L. Brent
Bozell III; Publisher
- Brent H. Baker, Tim Graham; Editors
- Jim Heiser, Stewart Verdery, Dorothy Warner; Media Analysts
- Allison Dyer; Administrative Assistant
