LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (10/06/96)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Political spin and earmarks

Dear Editor:

Even after 26 years in Washington, the art of the political spin still amazes me. That some politicians believe facts can be spun to deliver any message to any constituency astounds me. The exchange of correspondence between Representative Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.) and President Bill Clinton regarding assistance to Ukraine printed in The Ukrainian Weekly (September 1) is a case in point.

Though he served on the International Affairs Committee, Rep. Torricelli has been, at best, strangely silent over the years on U.S. aid to Ukraine. I hope that Rep. Torricelli's newfound support for Ukraine is more than just a campaign stunt and that, if elected to the Senate from New Jersey, he will emulate Sen. Frank Lautenberg in his support for Ukraine.

Even more astounding is the response of the president. For Fiscal Year 1997, the president requested $640 million under the Freedom Support Act. In the budget justification, submitted to the Congress and a matter of public record, the president stated he planned to provide Ukraine with $167 million of assistance. The Senate earmarked (mandated) $225 million for Ukraine, or $58 million more than the president requested.

In his letter, President Clinton states that in FY 1996 his administration provided "$330 million in grants under the Freedom Support Act and other accounts" to Ukraine. This figure reflects the undelivered assistance mandated for previous years. According to the President's own State Department, as of March 31, 1996, the administration had spent only 51.33 percent of the assistance mandated by Congress for Ukraine since 1993, one of the lowest rates of expenditure for any NIS nation. In other words, having failed to thwart Congress's mandate of increased aid to Ukraine, the Clinton administration chose to simply not spend the funds allocated by Congress in a timely fashion.

The president claims that the earmark is "unnecessary." Over the past four years, the president has requested, under the Freedom Support Act, $432 million of assistance for Ukraine. The Congress has mandated $900 million, or more than double the level of assistance. Mr. President, the earmark is necessary.

Eugene M. Iwanciw
Arlington, Va.

Congratulations on special issue

Dear Editors:

Congratulations on your best edition ever - August 18! Note I write "editors" in the plural form. Judging from the content, all of you spent countless hours on research, interviews and editing.

Your articles on Ukraine's fifth anniversary of independence are super and an ultimate source of information for our younger generation. I also need to mention your excellent editorials, news briefs, sports items, previews, etc.

I shall cherish and safekeep the edition as a unique memento and a valuable source of historical and present-day data on Ukraine.

You have a knack for renewing (and maintaining) one's pride in being a Ukrainian American.

Zenon George Izak
Warminster, Pa.

The writer is a retiring public high school teacher of foreign languages and social studies.

Editor's note: Our thanks to Mr. Izak, but, in all fairness, we must note that the bulk of the credit for the August 18 issue, and the second special issue dated August 25, goes to Dr. Lubomyr Hajda of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute who coordinated work on the independence anniversary sections in those two editions.

Everyone can do something

Dear Editor:

I read your September 22 editorial, in which you express frustration with a caller who bemoans the decline of a major community event while himself admitting to not having been the least active for the last decade, with a mixture of amusement and sadness. Unfortunately, this caller is not alone (although, I suppose that he at least deserves some credit for caring enough to register his concern by calling The Weekly).

I have always found it difficult to understand those within the Ukrainian American community who complain about the state of the community or criticize it relentlessly, yet never lift a finger to contribute themselves. Often, they have the "let someone else do it" mentality, forgetting that the overwhelming majority of those who are involved - the so-called "community activists" - volunteer their precious time and often their resources. Nobody pays them to do what they do, and while many of them find their work in the community important and fulfilling, at times they are subjected to petty and unwarranted criticism or to unrealistic expectations.

People like the caller referred to in the editorial are often quick to come up with excuses why they themselves are not involved - too busy with career demands, family commitments, "my spouse is already active," etc. - oblivious to the fact that most community activists face similar demands: challenging careers, families with growing children, sick parents, a whole variety of other important commitments.

This is not to minimize the reality that many Ukrainian Americans are, indeed, pressed for time and that, frankly, the level of commitment of those of us born here will probably never match that of our parents and grandparents who were born in Ukraine and understandably have a deeper-rooted attachment to the country.

Nevertheless, the editorial hits the mark in noting that everybody can at least do something to concretely support the community, including, at the very least, to contribute monetarily to worthwhile community organizations or projects, or to attend conferences, concerts and other events. There are many opportunities for involvement, whether through professional organizations, Ukrainian schools or youth organizations, churches, or charitable, cultural and other organizations - if one is not suitable, surely another one will be.

Obviously, no individual can be involved in every Ukrainian American organization or project - this would be a sure prescription for ineffectiveness or burnout - but every individual who cares even in a small way about the future of the Ukrainian American community in the United States has the capacity of contributing in some way. Who knows, helping out could end up being rewarding and even enjoyable!

Orest Deychakiwsky
Washington