THE SUPREME COURT: Votes Against the Poor

THE SUPREME COURT Votes Against the Poor

In its latest strict construction of the Constitution, the Supreme Court last week went a long way toward hindering the movement of blacks into white suburbs. It ruled that residents of a community may block public housing projects by voting them down. Although a disproportionate share of the poor are black, and public housing is often the only kind of decent suburban housing blacks can afford, the court saw nothing wrong with antihousing referendums. Mere economic discrimination, the court ruled in effect, is not unconstitutional.

The 5-to-3 decision was the second in two weeks that...

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