Bush Vows to Stop Decline of Inner Cities : ‘Your Problems Are My Problems,’ Rights Leaders Told

WASHINGTON — President Bush, telling a group of civil rights leaders, “Your problems are my problems,” vowed today to work toward stopping the decline of inner cities and making “the ‘90s a decade of urban renaissance.”

“We must create conditions for urban growth and economic revival, conditions that leave no one behind,” Bush said in remarks to the 79th annual meeting of the National Urban League.

Bush made no mention of current disputes between his Administration and civil rights advocates.

‘Striking Down Barriers’

But he said at one point: “Before I go on--I want to make sure everyone in this room knows just where I stand, just where our Administration stands. My Administration is committed to reaching out to minorities, to striking down barriers to free and open access.

“We will not tolerate discrimination, bigotry or bias of any kind--period,” Bush said.

The President did not announce plans to visit sub-Saharan Africa this fall, despite earlier speculation by White House officials.

Although Bush reiterated promises to work against poverty and racial intolerence, civil rights leaders attending the Urban League conference earlier suggested that Bush’s deeds have not always matched his words.

Before hearing directly from Bush today, several prominent civil rights advocates said the President’s record thus far has been weak, though they embraced Bush’s role in achieving legislation extending civil rights protection to disabled Americans.

‘Low Marks”

“The civil rights community would give the President high marks for accessibility and symbolism and rhetoric but low marks on substantive civil rights policy,” said Ralph Neas, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

Civil rights leaders cited Bush’s acceptance of Supreme Court rulings limiting affirmative action, his veto of minimum wage legislation and his choice of black Detroit lawyer William Lucas to be the Justice Department’s top civil rights enforcer. Lucas was rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 7-7 tie vote.

Separately, presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said today that the President is still undecided on whether to resubmit Lucas’ nomination during the current congressional recess--a process that would temporarily sidestep the confirmation process.