Springsteen has Reagan dancing in the dark

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It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need, and the Navy has rants, shopping centers, and hotels. The waterfront, which used to service shipping and provide jobs for longshoremen, builders, and other blue-collar workers is now a tourist playland.

When low-cost housing is torn down and replaced by high-rent condos, bluecollar workers are forced to look elsewhere for housing. The high cost of rents in this city has forced many workers to live in the outskirts of San Francisco and to commute to the city to earn their living. Workers who do live here must double up to afford the $800 to $900 per month for a two-bedroom apartment.

Single women with children are in the worst position. Despite a rent measure designed to stop discrimination against families with children, discrimination still exists. When children are involved rents jump higher, or these families are simply denied apartments.

The Western Addition, which used to be primarily a Black neighborhood, looks like it has been stepped on by Godzilla. Whole blocks of housing were torn down to create Japan Town, which was supposed to provide jobs and upgrade the area for the benefit of the citizens of the Western Addition. Instead this giant commercial hoax provided no jobs to Blacks, destroyed housing, and forced Blacks to leave their community for other areas.

Special treatement

Children in San Francisco get "special" treatment too. Most children of school age are "latch-key" children. Their parents must work to provide them with food and housing, while the children are left unattended for the day. The waiting list for childcare numbers in the thousands, while the cost of private childcare runs to $300 per month and more.

We have dozens of underused school buildings and thousands of unemployed teachers with early childhood training credentials, while our children are left to roam the streets. Yet the politicians VOTE Every election has its share of distortions and lies, but Ronald Reagan was really dancing in the dark with this one. A Reagan press aide recently told the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, perhaps hoping to counter some negative criticism regarding the "age" factor, that Ronald Reagan listens to Bruce Springsteen's records all the time.

Can't you just picture it? The lights are low, a couple of empty six-packs litter the table, the chandelier swings from the ceiling, Bruce Springsteen's latest hit, "Dancing in the dark, blasts from the stereo as Ronnie and Nancy dance up a storm at a late-night party for two.

Sound far-fetched? Then again perhaps this late-night carousing explains Reagan's fondness for a little afternoon snooze during cabinet meetings. Maybe it also explains why Reagan can't seem to make it to church on Sunday mornings, contrary to his stated excuse that he was forced to give up church-going because he fears a terrorist attack.

Yes, like a bolt of lightning from the great campaign manager in the sky who, despite conservative assurances, actually may not be a Republican. I must confess, however, that I am willing to take Reagan at his word since I too, when I was younger, tried to avoid church by citing my fear of a terrorist attack while singing hymns. But I'm afraid Reagan got further with this excuse than I ever did.

Reagan likes the beat In any case, maybe Reagan just likes a song with a good beat, because it is hard to imagine he would care for Springsteen's lyrics. A more likely explanation is that Reagan admires Springsteen's popularity, and hopes that ACTION SOCiALiSE BOARI 10 1 SUPER' VISORS by invoking the name of one of the most popular musicians around a little of Springsteen's aura will rub off and bring a few votes his way.

Reagan's campaign aides apparently got the idea of enrolling Springsteen in the re-election campaign after conservative columnist George Will described Springsteen as an example of a hard worker dedicated to old-fashioned American values. Will thinks American workers could do themselves a favor by applying themselves to their work as hard as "Yankee doodle Springsteen" does.

Of course, Will got it all wrong. Anyone who listens to Bruce Springsteen knows that he sings about an American dream shattered by injustice. Springsteen's musical vision is far removed from the cherubic America existing in Ronald Reagan's brain.

But Reagan was not deterred as Springsteen declined an invitation to appear at one of his campaign rallies. On Sept. 19 Reagan said in a speech in Hammonton, N.J.: "America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside our hearts. It rests in the message of hope in the songs of a man so many young Americans admire: New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen. And helping you make those dreams come true is what this job of mine is all about."

Reagan's favorite album?