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warm welcome indeed to
Captain Sam Stevens, his
staff and all personnel of
Cap’n Sam’s Cruises, Inc.
Their handsome riverboat Old
Susannah has been moved up
from Savannah for permanent
service in the Augusta area.
This progressive move brings
Augusta at last into the main
stream of American on-river cit
ies which now actively uses their
water resources for pleasure and
recreation. Not to even mention
New Orleans, Memphis and St.
Louis, just look at some middle
size cities such as Nashville,
Shreveport and Little Rock.
And we would say unto captain
Sam that this extension into the
Augusta area means a huge, busy
and highly populated urban cen
ter in both Georgia and South
New report shows world of campaign
finance is largely segregated
WASHINGTON, D.C.
A new, groundbreaking report
released Wednesday, September 23,
confirms what isalready intuitively
clear -- that a disproportionately
small amount of the money that
fuels federal elections comes from
people of color. Indeed, the report
shows that the financing of federal
elections is essentially a “whites
only” world of campaign cash,
The report, titled “The Color of
Money: Campaign Contributions
and Race,” is published by Public
Campaign, a national non-profit,
non-partisan organization work
ing on behalf of comprehensive
campaign finance reform. It was
released as part of a “National
Week of Action,” during which
more than 20 states sponsored
events focusing on the link be
tween the historic struggle to win
the right to vote and the current
struggle to get private money out
of politics. This kind of campaign
finance reform is viewed by many
as the crucial next step in the
voting rights movement.
“These findings are significant
because in today’s election pro
cess, those who can afford to give
the most money to campaigns are
those who have the most influence
over our politicians and our poli
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Dr. Scott E. Sherman and Staff
The Sherman Clinic of
Chiropractic
We publish in the second largest city in Georgia. FOCUS your ads in our newspaper.
Call the Augusta Focus marketing department at (706) 724-7867 to arrange your ads.
J. Philip Waring © Going Places
Memoriald Column
Welcome to Augusta Gap’n Sam
Carolina. It has a population ex
ceeding 350,000. The climate is
mild most of the year and Au
gustais accessible to visitors. And
going further, we are located
within a few hours driving time of
two landlocked big state capitols
-- Columbia and Atlanta.
While the latter city has almost
every kind of resource, it does not
have a stretch of recreation water
such as our beautiful Great Sa
vannah River. The tiny boat on
the little lake at the Stone Moun
tain Park notwithstanding.
Now for Captain Sam -- go to
Savannah and they will tell you
that as a riverboat man he has
become alivinglegend in our time.
Now up into his seventies, he has
worked on the water for over 60
years. He started in the Navy,
but later transferred to the U.S.
cies,” said Ellen Miller, executive
director of Public Campaign. “The
world of campaign finance is as
segregated as any other area of
society when those who cannot
afford to give money are effectively
shut out of the political process.”
Comparing campaign contribu
tion data with race, “The Color of
Money” provides'an analysis of all
50 states, including comparisons
between the highest giving zip codes
and zip codes where people of color
reside, plus a more in-depth look at
the 10 highest “giving” cities (Wash
ington, D.C.; New York City; Los
Angeles; Chicago; Boston; Atlanta;
Detroit; Houston; San Francisco;
and Philadelphia). In state after
state, the same pattern is evident:
the people who can afford to “vote
with their dollars” (mostly white
and wealthy) live in certain neigh
borhoods while those who can'’t af
ford to give, including most people
of color, live everywhere else.
For example, the report’s analy
sis shows that just one zip code --
10021 in New York City -- contrib
utes two-thirds more money than
the nearly 500 zip codes where
people of color comprise a majority
of the population. The 100,000
residents of that one elite slab of
Manhattan real estate gave more
A Closer Look
The following memorial column by the late J. Philip Waring was first published for
Augusta Focus on October 8, 1987. We are republishing it so that Mr. Waring's
admirers can reminisce and those who missed his columns can get a glimpse of
recent black history. !
Coast Guard where he wastrained
and gave many years of top flight
service, including valuable assign
ments during World War 11.
After the war, Captain Stevens
went into the riverboat excursion
business in Savannah, and now
enjoys over 35 years of successful
operations.
Cap’n Sam Cruises, Inc. now
owns four boats. Captain Stevens,
one of Savannah’s leading citi
zens, whoowns and operates other
business units, also has many
important political, business and
civic contacts. His boats have
been used by thousands of tour
ists and local pleasure seekers. It
is one of Savannah’s main tourist
attractions which has helped gen
erate millions of dollars.
Yes, Captain Stevens has de
veloped an excellent boat opera
campaign contributions than
nearly 9.5 million people. For
every $86.72 that these exclusive
New Yorkers contributed, 59 cents
was contributed by people of color.
This not only goes against the
promise of political equality con
tained within the “one person, one
vote,” but it has direct conse
.quences on the daily lives of all
people - from' wages to taxes to
schools.
“We’re impacted in a negatively
disproportionate way,” said Nelson
Rivers 111, director of the South
east Region, NAACP, whoisquoted
in an upcoming issue of the
NAACP’s magazine, The Crisis.
“Since African Americans have
decidedly less income, less dispos
able money than any other people
in the country, we're at a disad
vantage when money is the decid
ing factor in whether you can par
ticipate,” he said. “Money has
become a barrier to equal access
and participation in the process,
and if it is not addressed, it will
continue to mean diminished demo
cratic opportunity for African
Americans and other people of
color.” g
“The Color of Money” serves to
illustrate the inherent inequality
in our campaign finance system,
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tion, and also has a first rate group
of officers and other personnel.
We understand that Old
Susannah already has bookings
going up into the late autumn.
Yerby symposium on
front burner ]
The symposium on “Native Son,
Frank Yerby, The International
Novelist” scheduled for Paine
College October 21, 22 and 23, is
moving ahead.
It will be the first one of its kind
about one of the world’s most suc
cessful novelists and Augusta’s
and Paine’s own son.
May we urge your attendance,
especially alumni. Call Vivian U.
Robinson, 722-4471.
This article was first published
in the October 8, 1987 issue of
Augusta Focus, on page 2.
which puts people of color at a
clear political disadvantage. In
1996, 92 percent of the House races
and 88 percent of the Senate races
were won by candidates who spent
the most money.
“It may be a tradition that only
the wealthiest candidates can run,
but it is a bad tradition, and it’s
timforit.toend.’inaidam-l‘k'
must be challengedthtroughcut the
country. [Changing the finance
campaign finance system) isa natu
ral extension of our historic battle
against injustice and exclusion at
the ballot box.”
Campaign contribution data for
the report includes individual cam
paign contributions (of S2OO or
more) to federal candidates, politi
cal parties, and political action
(PAC’s) for the 1885-1996 election
cycle, and was obtained from the
Center for Responsive Polities. The
United States Census Bureau pro
vided data for population by zip
code, including racial composition.
Public Campaign is a national
non-proft, non partisan group
working on behalf of comprehen
sivecampaign finance reforms. For
further details about “The Color of
Money: Campaign Crontibutions
and Race” or call Linda Edwards
Smith at (301)265-5386
_AUGUSTA FOCUS _OCTOBER 1, 1098
Correspondence
Reader likes Mcintyre
Dear Editor:
I am writing in support of Ed
Mcintyre’s candidacy for mayor.
The truth is that he is head and
shoulders above everybody else in
the race.
The Civic Center was his idea.
He initiated River Walk. And the
Golf Hall of Fame was hisidea. He
provided the railroad overpasses
that made long waits for trains to
pass a thing of the past.
Although most peopledon’t know
it, T, 'dMcintyre,foundedAugustans
Together, the organization that
workv lo hring racial harmony lo
EVENTS
Aslview matters, it is the media
(essentially) that keeps what should
now be ebbing away in such high
profile: “The Public Be Damned!”
(Colonel Vanderbilt, I seem to re
call.)
Someday (far from these mad
dening times) there will be a “day
of infamy” for most Republicans;
most members (and spokespersons)
of the Christian Coalition and for
more than a handful of Democrats
(and assorted folks). Ithank God
that Lewis P. (hey! that’s me!) and
fellow blacks are close to unanim
ity in sticking by our man -the
Honorable William Jefferson
Clinton.
Improper fund raising is repre
hensible. Still, when one considers
thealternative (a Republican domi
nated republic), one understands
(not approves), within perspective,
thealleged improprieties of Al Gore,
etal. “Improprieties?” Now where
did I that in print, or hear as
the noise from s Hyde (R-
Tll); you know -- “youthful indis
cretion?” For the record, Hyde’s
“youthful indiscretion” happened
in his 41st year. (I thought LIFE
commenced at 40?) On the other
hand, Rush Limbaugh actuaily
mellowed between Clinton’s pro
nouncement and Hyde’s. Why old
(‘scuse me please); why “young”
Rush never screeched amumbling
EDDIE MURPHY
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JEFF GOLDBLUM KELLY PRESTON
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GOD'S GIFT TO HOME SHOPPING.
STARTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU
our city. He is the only person in
the race who has proven that he
hasthe vision and leadership skills
to make Augusta a great city.
Ed loves Augusta and nothing
would please him more than to
provide leadership for this commu
nity once again. Moreimportantly,
Augusta needs his vision and lead
ership. He has paid his debt to
society. Let’s put the past behind
us. Elect Ed Mclntyre mayor, again,
for Augusta’s sake.
Conrad M. Cooke
word! (Once more, for the record,
“Mush Limbo” excoriated Mr.
Clinton for characterizing his “out
rageous sex activity” as “inappro
priate improprieties”).
Now let’s try to recall. Is it
“Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor” or “Thou
shalt not lie?” Not even when I'm
hiding Jews in my chicken shack
and Mistuh Hither (oops, Hitler)
inquires “who dere?” (“Ain’t no
body heah but us chickens, boss
suh!”) Andif Billy C moans “Ain’t
nobody heah but Hillary and
Chelsea? And me???”
Iwill do everything in my power
to persuade President Clinton to
not even think of resigning (unless
his adversaries have drained his
onceboundlessenergydry). When
necessary, let the impeachment
process proceed. If America is
“dragged down” as a result, so be
it.
By now, most Americans know
what it’s like in the lower depths.
Theysqsshéil,rwtflififiiédwhen
my kin were lowered irito cesspools
of slavery. Today, the stink ema
nates from the rape of William,
Hillary, Chelseaanddecency. We'’re
creatures of survival and adapt
ability. Anything others did (suf
fered) we can do better, ‘cause
we’reall God’s critters! Ain’t we?
Fr. Lewis P. Bohler, Jr.
Augusta, Ga.
9-22-98
9A