A CITY IN CRISIS : Brown, Jackson Say Inner Cities Need Economic Justice

Long-term solutions to peace in Los Angeles and other cities must involve economic justice for those who are prone to rioting, two Democratic political leaders said Saturday.

But a conservative Republican challenged that view, declaring there has been “not enough sympathy for people in Los Angeles whose homes were burned and whose shops were destroyed” in the rioting that occurred last week.

The opposing viewpoints were expressed on CNN’s weekly “Both Sides” show by the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, its host; Democratic presidential contender Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr., a former California governor, and by Republican presidential candidate Patrick J. Buchanan, a conservative former commentator.

“Without justice, there is no peace,” said Brown, who has spent the past three days in Los Angeles seeing the destruction at close range. “You don’t need thousands of troops here if you have the right policies.”

Speaking with visible anger, Brown said many black youths who joined in the rioting “have been living in subhuman, degrading situations, and the way to cure that is upstream, by stopping the breeding ground.”

Jackson said the disorders have resulted from “a rage that must be stopped by taking action” to improve economic opportunities for minorities.

Buchanan, appearing by satellite transmission from North Carolina, where he has been campaigning, disputed the view that poor economic conditions led to the rioting.

He attributed “the looting of a great American city” to what he called “an outbreak of anarchy by hoodlums and thugs.”

“That action cannot be condoned,” Buchanan said. “Superior force should have been used from the beginning.”

Brown, however, said, “The problem is the top 1% of this country now has more wealth than 90% of the rest of the country.”

Jackson interjected, “The challenge is, how can we, as leaders, get beyond name-calling and find solutions?”

Brown said federal investment in the nation’s cities has been curtailed by the Reagan and Bush administrations over the objections of many mayors, and contrasted that situation with “the millions we spent pursuing the Persian Gulf War.”

But Buchanan asked, “Why is it Washington’s problem? Why is it the fault of federal taxpayers? About 90% of the people who come from broken families turn out to be strong, law-abiding citizens. We simply cannot take the 10% who turn out wrong and blame middle America for not spending enough tax dollars on them.”

Buchanan said the federal budget “already is $1.5 trillion, but the problem is . . . the character of people.”