Laserfiche WebLink
<br />fJf)J35:~ <br /> <br />40 <br /> <br />3. SUMMARIZED EXCERPTS FROM THE PUBLIC RECORD <br /> <br />National Association for the Advancement of Colored People <br />(NAACP) - Western Region <br /> <br />While the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce acted in con- <br />cert with most Chambers of Commerce in opposing the slowdown <br />of water resource development, the Western Region of the National <br />Association for the Advancement of Colored People issued a state- <br />ment opposing water resource development as it is currently <br />handled. The main thrust of the statement was ". . . that the <br />allocation of billions of dollars for water projects is at the expense <br />of other federal programs (such as model cities, urban mas s <br />transit, public housing, and education) that are directly designed <br />to ease the crushing burdens of the urban poor and to correct past <br />social and racial abuses. " <br /> <br />It is the contention of the NAACP that the following areas of <br />the Principles and Standards should be revised. The discount rate <br />should be set no lower than 10 percent. "... Obviously, any <br />project that would be viable at a rate of 100/0 would have to demon- <br />strate a wide range of benefits to broad segments of the public. <br />Social and economic programs that would deliver benefits only to a <br />small sector of society would have to be rejected. " <br /> <br />It was additionally held that water projects provide short- <br />term employment while the need in urban areas is long-term <br />works such as urban renewal and mass transit projects. <br /> <br />l. <br /> <br />Recreation as a benefit of water resource development does <br />not apply to urban poor. Reservoirs are generally in nonurban <br />areas and no transportation system exists to link the two. The <br />suggestion was made ". . . that recreation benefits be disallowed <br />for reservoirs outside metropolitan areas unles s and until the <br />recreation needs of metropolitan areas first have been amelio- <br />rated. At the very least, recreation benefits for otherwise <br />inaccessible reservoirs should be allowed only if the project <br />includes provision for public transportation linking the p1"ojects to <br />one or more significant population centers. " <br /> <br />~}:**:,~~~ <br />