His speech at the closing session of last year's U.S. Congress of Cities is still widely circulated and considered to be the closest indication yet of the next step in the evolution of local government toward greater, not less, political responsiveness on the part of city managers and toward more public participation in management decisions. He has always been in the forefront of the movement to involve local citizens in government by dividing cities up into communities and having the residents themselves make up their local Community Planning Group for long-range planning in their own areas. Assigned staff assistants from the manager's office, these groups function with the equivalent of their own city manager-something they could never have if community services were standardized for all areas of the city. Due in large part to his foresight in carrying out the policy of advance purchase by the city of freeway rights-of-way, long before the state could afford it, San Diego was able to acquire the land at less cost, predetermine the freeway routes, zone consistently, develop with prior knowledge, and, in the end, possess one of the finest freeway systems in the world. Mr. Chairman, I could go on enumerating the instances of imaginative progressive local government instituted by Mr. Fletcher, but I will stop here by simply commending his record to the study of those interested in what can be done about urban problems by the energetic use of foresight such as Mr. Fletcher has demonstrated. Our Nation's Capital and Mr. Washington deserve his assistance in these trying times. The CHAIRMAN. I am going to recognize next Mr. Ivor Dekirby, city councilman from San Diego, Calif. He has come a long distance to testify and I want to recognize him just in the event we do not happen to complete these hearings today. I am going to try to, but I do not know what the floor situation will be. Mr. Councilman, I am going to recognize you now. STATEMENT OF IVOR DEKIRBY, CITY COUNCILMAN, SAN DIEGO, CALIF. Mr. DEKIRBY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the U.S. Senate District of Columbia Committee, I am Ivor Dekirby, city councilman in the city of San Diego, Calif. I have served in this position for the past 6 years, and I have known well the gentleman I commend to you today during and prior to that time. Mr. Thomas W. Fletcher was the city manager of San Diego from 1961 to 1966, when he left us to enter private enterprise. He is recognized and acclaimed as one of the outstanding municipal government professionals in the Nation today, and his return to local government should be widely heralded. Mr. Fletcher earned his undergraduate degree in business administration at the University of California, and later did graduate work in the field of political science. He served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946, and then developed his professional career in municipal government, first as assistant to the city manager at San Leandro, Calif., and then city manager at Davis, Calif., and then assistant to the city manager at San Diego, starting in 1955, and finally, city manager in our city beginning in 1961. As city manager of San Diego, Mr. Fletcher became recognized and respected as a management innovator. He did new and original things in budget and finance. He accomplished a unique citizen-government partnership program in San Diego which resulted in immediate, tangible results for our community. He developed a communitywide attitude of pride and spirit that resulted in a bootstrap program of economic growth unprecedented in the Nation today. When Mr. Fletcher became city manager in San Diego, unemployment was at a high of 8.9 percent. During his 5 years in office, that rate went to 5.3 percent, and it is still going down. This steady growth in the city's economic well-being can be attributed to his imaginative approach to community problems, and to the partnership involving local, State, and Federal agencies which worked together to reverse the employment trend and encourage new sources of private capital to invest in San Diego's economic future. San Diego's skyline began to change dramatically in 1962, sparked by the construction of the new community concourse. This project resulted in the investment of more than $150 million in private money since then, and major construction is still underway, under design, and in feasibility planning. More than 14 citizen participation community planning programs have progressed in San Diego as a result of the foundation he established, and active community relations programs currently emphasizing human relations and public relations activities are the ongoing result of organizational efforts early in his tenure as city manager. He and his staff worked actively in the area of human relations and minority community liaison. He developed new understanding in the field of communicating with the total public and its many facets. He listened, and he acted. He identified with people, and understood their problems. Mr. Fletcher is motivated by service to the people of the community, and understands well the role of public officials in the context of that philosophy. In closing, let me point to some of the interesting statistics which point up Mr. Fletcher's responsibilities as San Diego's city manager: San Diego is the 15th largest city in California with a population of 670,000, which, incidentally, is about 83 percent of that of the District of Columbia. It is fourth in land area with 378 square miles, and it has the lowest property tax rate of the eight major cities in California. The city's annual budget is $90 million, and the assets of the municipal corporation are valued at $1,250 million. San Diego's crime rate of 15.6 per 1,000 population is the third lowest in the Nation today; and its fire loss per capita is $2.29, which compares with a national average in the country's 787 largest cities of $4.24. Mr. Fletcher's accomplishments in municipal government are significant and impressive. Honorable Chairman and members, I urge you to take the required action to confirm this outstanding professional in his appointed position as Deputy Commissioner for the District of Columbia. In so doing, our Nation will have acquired the services of one of the outstanding men in the field in our country today. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today on behalf of Mr. Thomas W. Fletcher. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Dekirby. Very kind of you to come this long distance to testify on behalf of Mr. Fletcher, and I appreciate it. The Senator from Oregon? Senator MORSE. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. We will now proceed to the first witness on the nomination of Walter E. Washington. Is Mayor Lindsay here? He is listed as a witness and I do not know whether he is able to come or not. I heard he had another hearing and might not be able to personally attend. If he does appear, we will hear him. If he does not, we will have his statement filed at this point in the record. (The communication received is as follows:) Hon. ALAN Bible, THE CITY OF NEW YORK, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, New York, N.Y., September 29, 1967. Chairman, Senate Committee on the District of Columbia, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The loss of a valuable member of one's administration is a vexing problem. It is particularly difficult when the person leaving is one so remarkable as Walter Washington. But instead of complaining I want to thank the City of Washington for having loaned him to us for ten months. In that short time his performance as Chairman of the New York City Housing Authority has been nothing short of extraordinary. He put new life into an important program that had languished-the leasing of privately-owned apartments for public housing. He assembled a very successful program of summer activities for Housing Authority tenants. And he sparked studies of new concepts for low-income families, such as the turn-key program he developed so successfully when he was in Washington, D.C. Walter Washington is also an expediter as well as an innovator. With his administrative skill, he speeded the processing of funding applications and budget requests. And not the least of his accomplishments was the settling of a public employees strike in just 32 hours. Walter Washington's departure from New York after such a brief stay is a loss to me personally and to the city, but nevertheless we are proud of his accomplishments and proud of the national administration for having chosen so wisely. Sincerely yours, JOHN V. LINDSAY, Mayor. Our next witness is Hon. Walter N. Tobriner, President of the District of Columbia Board of Commissioners. STATEMENT OF HON. WALTER N. TOBRINER, PRESIDENT OF Mr. TOBRINER. He will make a separate statement. Mr. TOBRINER. Mr. Chairman, Senator Morse, the new post of Commissioner in the District of Columbia's reorganized government ranks as one of the Nation's most challenging and demanding public service assignments. It calls for fine judgment, solid experience, unwavering perseverance and patience, a crusading instinct, imagination and-perhaps above all-rapport with the community. Walter Washington more than meets this demanding list of requirements. He brings such additional qualities as warmth, humor, and personality to the chief executive's position. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I have known Walter Washington for more than 10 years. During most of that period I have worked closely with him-mainly in my roles as President of the Board of Commissioners and Chairman of the Board of the National Capital Housing Authority-in the difficult field of public housing, and on other matters. With this preface, let me say that I am most eager to offer my enthusiastic and unqualified endorsement of President Johnson's selection of Mr. Washington for the new commissionership. Walter Washington's achievements, his stature, and his unquestioned personal and professional integrity make him a superb choice for the first "major" in the new municipal government for the Nation's Capital. I respectfully urge that his nomination be confirmed. I have had only slight contact with Mr. Fletcher. But, based on his fine record and reputation, it would seem that the President could have had Mr. Washington and Mr. Fletcher in mind when, in transmitting the reorganization plan to Congress, he wrote: the machinery of the District's government, no matter how modern, cannot realize its highest purpose unless it is infused with the most experienced, informed and able leadership The best talent available must be found for the key posts of Commissioner and Assistant to the Commissioner. Mr. Chairman, I am also authorized to state that Engineering Commissioner Robert E. Mathe fully concurs with me in this endorse ment. Thank you very much. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Tobriner, and I would not want this opportunity to go without paying you a personal tribute for the fine service that you have rendered to the District. You and I have become very well acquainted over the past several years in your position as President of the Board of Commissioners, and I think I know just about as well as anybody some of the frustrations and the trials and tribulations that have gone on with the position that you have filled so very, very well. And whatever your next post of duty is, my best wishes go to you in that and I would commend to both Mr. Washington and Mr. Fletcher, when and if they are confirmed, that they do seek your advice because I think you have found many of the doors, some of which open easily and some of which are a little more difficult to open, and some of the areas and problems that you have encountered. The benefit of your experience over these years would be very, very helpful to them and I know that you are going to stand ready, and willing, and able to give them the best advice possible. I again want to commend you for working in one of the most difficult areas, I dare say, at least in the United States. Mr. TOBRINER. Thank you. Senator MORSE. Mr. Chairman, I want to take just a minute to join you in expressing, as a member of this committee, my sincere thanks to Commissioner Tobriner for his dedicated public service as the President of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia. This morning I conducted a hearing through my subcommittee dealing with the medicaid bill and Commissioner Duncan appeared before me. I thought that probably would be the last time that he would appear before a District of Columbia committee in his present capacity, and the probability that this may be the last time that Mr. Tobriner will appear. I paid tribute to Commissioner Duncan this morning for the cooperation and dedicated services he has always extended to this committee and I want to say to you that this committee in my judgment could not have had finer cooperation from the President of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia than you have given us. I judge a man by his works. I have had nothing but unstinted cooperation from you and we have had some controversial and ticklish problems that we have had to work on together, you in your capacity and I in my capacity as chairman of the subcommittee, and Chairman Bible as chairman of the full committee, and I want you to know that you are leaving this post as far as the senior Senator from Oregon is concerned, with my highest respect. I have already made clear to the President of the United States that I have this high regard for you and I hope that depending upon your pleasure and your pleasure alone, this Government will continue to have the advantage of your service in some capacity or another. Mr. TOBRINER. Thank you, Senator Morse. Senator PROUTY. Mr. Chairman, 1 wish to aline with Senator Morse in paying tribute to Mr. Tobriner and the other members of the Board of Commissioners. They have been most helpful and I am sure their advice and counsel will be available to the man succeeding you. The CHAIRMAN. The next witness is John B. Duncan, member of the Board of Commissioners. STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN B. DUNCAN, MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I know nothing that would give me greater pleasure than this opportunity to testify in behalf of Mr. Walter E. Washington for Commissioner of the District of Columbia. Therefore, I thank the committee for this privilege. I have known Walter Washington for some 30 years; and I have had the privilege of working with him in countless endeavors. My acquaintance has involved us in social and business relations. Our common interests have involved us in the civic life of the community over a period of 20 or more years; and we have worked closely together in government for an equal length of time. In addition, I have had the privilege of conferring with Walter Washington on countless matters affecting government in general and government administration in particular. Mr. Chairman, it is out of these and other experiences that I appear here today to urge the approval of Walter Washington as Commissioner of the District of Columbia. He is a man who has clearly demonstrated his loyalty and dedication to the governments of Washington, D.C., New York City and the United States of America. He has demonstrated his devotion to duty as an employee of extraordinary integrity and competence as a lawyer, civic worker, and official of government. He is also one who enjoys the good fortune of a very fine family. Of equal importance, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, this is a man whose basic philosophy of public service will lead him through a successful tenure. Similarly, his basic social philosophy will lead him to the solution of many of the social ills and other problems which we all know exist in this and other cities of the country. In both Washington and New York City, he has demonstrated his comprehension and understanding of these difficult modern-day social prob |