June 23, 1966
Page 14115
FEDERAL-STATE-LOCAL RELATIONS
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations has provided State and local officials, the Congress, and the executive branch with an impressive array of studies, recommendations, and follow up action in the field of Federal-state-local relations. Because this subject cuts across such a wide area of problems and programs, however, and because it seems more academic than real, the work of the Commission and its excellent staff many times escapes the attention of the Nation’s press, Members of Congress, administrators, and the public at large.
This is unfortunate, because improved intergovernmental relations are the key to surmounting the urban challenge and the problems of the Great Society programs.
The success or failure of our basic programs and goals -- education, anti-poverty, housing, economic development, manpower development, crime prevention, civil rights -- depends directly upon the total impact of joint efforts of Federal, State, and local officials. How these officials use the resources available to them, how they plan, how they interrelate programs to get maximum benefit, and how they monitor the effectiveness of their administration, can make the critical difference between a tense, unhappy and even violent community, and a peaceful, hopeful, viable one.
There is nothing academic about the riots of Los Angeles and Chicago; the poverty of Appalachia; the illiteracy of many of the. disadvantaged everywhere. They are real. They are caused in part by the shortcomings of individuals, groups, political systems, and national attitudes. But they are also caused by inadequate and ineffective inter-level governmental administration to meet public needs.
We must press and press with every resource, use every idea and device to encourage and support our State and local governments to strive toward economic and social development in the critical areas on a broad and effective basis. This involves, among other factors, a modern approach to the real problems of contemporary federalism and modern tools for better intergovernmental administration.
The Advisory Commission is and will continue to be a leader in this effort. Its fine work is exemplified by a comprehensive, educational, and thought-provoking lecture delivered by its Assistant Director for Governmental Structure and Functions, Mr. Norman Beckman, at the Catherine Bauer Wurster Memorial Public Lectures, sponsored by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, last March. This address provides an excellent description of the changing roles of Federal, State and local governments in light of the challenge of accelerating urbanization.
I feel that it should be brought to the attention of all Members of Congress, and I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Beckman’s paper be included in the RECORD following these remarks.
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