Bishop Mahony Backs Youths’ ‘Olympic Legacy’

A proposal seeking $6.6 million from the 1984 Summer Olympic Games surplus to fund youth activities in East and South-Central Los Angeles was endorsed on Thursday by Los Angeles’ Roman Catholic Archbishop Roger Mahony.

Speaking to about 300 members of the United Neighborhoods Organization and the South-Central Organizing Committee at St. Vincent’s Catholic School, Mahony called upon public officials to urge the Amateur Athletic Foundation, which will distribute about $90 million of the surplus, “to fully fund this legacy for our youths.”

Both organizations submitted their joint proposal to the foundation earlier this month, and are seeking key endorsements. Developed by 136 churches, public agencies and civic groups, the proposed programs would involve more than 76,000 young people in a variety of activities.

‘Your Pastor and Brother’

“I am with you as your pastor and also your brother,” Mahony told the cheering crowd Thursday night. “We are a community on the move.”

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner, who also has endorsed what the two organizations call their “Olympic Legacy” program, told Mahony that the archbishop’s backing “gives this effort the stature that it needs. We need to convince the Amateur Athletic Foundation that this program will truly help the community.”

Referring to a map showing where activities provided by the proposed program will take place, Edith Nealy, SCOC’s co-chairwoman, said the program will provide athletic activities to replace murder sites, arts to replace gang violence and education and counseling to replace rock houses, where drugs are bought.

‘Earned From the People’

“This money really isn’t the Amateur Athletic Foundation’s money,” Mahony said. “It was earned from the people who came and shared in the Olympics. We need to make certain that everyone understands that. . . .”

Rev. Alfred LoPinto, of the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Campaign for Human Development, presented a $100,000 grant to the two church-based organizations to assist in building similar groups in other parts of the county.

LoPinto said “the Catholic Church has been able to put its values into action” through partnerships between the Campaign for Human Development in the Los Angeles Archdiocese and community groups such as UNO and SCOC.

Legislators Graded

The two groups, with more than 40 member churches representing nearly 250,000 families, also issued their “legislative report card,” grading public officials on the support they provided the groups’ package of anti-crime bills in the state Legislature. Ten of the bills passed, and seven were signed into law. Gov. George Deukmejian vetoed three.

Reiner and assistant Assembly Majority Leader Gary Condit (D-Ceres) were the only ones to be marked “excellent.” Reiner was called “crime fighter No. 1.”

Twelve legislators were graded “good,” and four--including Assemblywoman Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles)--”passed.” The card commented that Waters “needs to be more flexible.”

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) was given an “incomplete,” along with Deukmejian. Brown was described as a legislator who “will deal when it’s in his self-interest.” The governor, who “incomprehensibly vetoed” three of the anti-crime bills, was given a “chance to redeem himself in January.”

Bills in the package included measures to toughen sentences for drug manufacturers and pushers.