The Llano News (Llano, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 24, 1995 Page: 4 of 16
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Llano Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Llano County Public Library.
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V
Editorial/Opinion
"The vitcl measure of a newspaper is not its size, but its spirit"
ft] LUno News, Thursday, Aug. *4,1985 . Arthur HayS Sulzberger*
COW POKES
By Ace Reid
No other choice
On this SOth anniversary of the atomic
booUiit of Hiroshima on August 6, 1948
and tom days later on the Japanese city of
Nagasaki much has been written about
whether President Harry Truman should
hare or should not have exercised that op-
tion.
Pres. Truman and his advisors had de-
termined early In June that conventional
bombing had not worked- the Japanese
were In no uuy ready to surrender.
During the Island-hopping Pacific war
Japanese soldiers and marines had fought
fanatically and almost no prisoners had
surrendered. Many either fought to the
death or committed suicide.
As late as wanting July 22nd Intercepted
Japanese messages revealed that Japan was
stm pursuing an alliance with Russia.
President Truman was most concerned
that the 900.000 POWs would be murdered if
the United. 8tates and its Allies Invaded
Japan.
Agreeing that Japan should be fairly
warned, Great Britian, China and the
United States issued the Potsdam Declara-
tion late In July.
The next day leaflets warning the
Japanese people about the bombing were
dropped all over the Japanese islands.
Japan could surrender - or face the conse-
quences of their own actions - actions ini-
tiated In Manchuria in 1932 and continued
In 1937 In China, actions committed on
December 7. 1941 at Pearl Harbor and lu
the Philippines.
Consequences of the atrocities committed
on the inhuman Death llaqch. and the
filthy prisons and the airless holds of the
Hell Ships.
Tokyo ignored the warnings.
On August 6 the Enola Gay made her his-
toric flight. POWs seeing the fire and smoke
from Hiroshima, thought the invasion had
begun, and that their long-promised execu-
tions were starting.
Japan was stunned. More than 40 square
miles of Industrial Hiroshima had been
leveled and 80,000 people had been killed.
Still Japan would not surrender and the
■ second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
The next day the Japanese emperor asked
for terms of surrender.
Dropping the bombs ended the war
quickly. It averted an invasion saving far
more lives than had been claimed in the
two bombings. A million American men
would not lose their lives and well as many
millions of Japanese and 300,000 POWs
would not be brutally murdered.
War Is the worst possible solution to the
world's problems between nations, how-
ever, If it must be fought then war should be
ended as soon as possible. V
President Truman had no other choice.
WLB
' *
Considerin' the market, I don't feel like
doin' much more of this!”
Guest Editorial
".i t:I h> S-i’ hoH nni'l -»it Hnitlvf
V.
•f! i»; . *1 i uvtli v'
Private Property Rights
advocates: Beware!
v
Letters to
the Editor
The Llano News
P.0. Box 187
Llano,Texas 78643
By Mike Dail
Director of Hill Country Heritage
Ammociation
Many people believe that private property
abuse is confined to rural areas, often by
the Environmental Protection Agency. Not
so. School districts, counties, states and
other government entitles do it, too.
In Texas, private property taxes pay
nearly half the cost of services used by
everyone: education; police and fire
protection; clean water; health and human
services; and parks and recreation, for
example.
Reduction in the fair market value of one
property affects everyone because it lowers
the amount of taxes it pays.
Fair market value is considered by the
courts to be the highest price, in cash, that a
willing buyer would offer and a willing
seller would accept, both being familiar
with the property and its amenities.
By law, agriculture land is taxed only on
Its ability to produce timber, crops, or
livestock. Having the right to impose
restrictions is every bit as damaging to the
tax base as the restrictions themselves. For
example: the U.8. Supreme Court June 29.
1995, affirmation of the Endangered
Species Act appreciably reduced the fair
market value of the Hill Country farm and
ranch land originally included in the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency plan to
establish habitat for the golden cheecked
warbler.
Once again, long range planning and
financing, along with viable sale and
purchase prices, are in limbo.
The high court decision affects everyone
In the HIM Country. Reliable dollar per acre
damage to value can be determined.
Fanners and ranchers are entitled to have
their ad valorem assessments reduced and
their property taxes lowered. The lost
revenue will have to be recovered by higher
levys on residential and commercial
property.
Each parcel of private property includes
ownership of the surface, everything above
and below it, and a bundle of rights. The
sticks in the bundle are the owner's rights
to own It, enjoy it. use it, mortgage it,
develop It, lease It, sell it or give it away,
and the right not to do anything with it.
Some of the sticks may already be gone.
Perhaps mineral or water rights have been
sold, or right-of-way or easements granted.
Generally, the remaining sticks determine
a property's fair market value. Any action
that removes one, or limits its use, changes
that value.
Eminent domain, the right of the state to
take or control private property for public
use by payment of just compensation, has
been accepted since the country was
founded.
The difference between eminent domain
and private property abuse Is payment of
just compensation. Abusers lack the right
to acquire or control private property
through condemnation, but can restrict its
use without any reimbursement.
Few people give that difference much
thought until their own property is affected.
For example: the river front tract they've
paid on for years is now part of a designated
wetland, or in somebody else's flood plain,
and they can't build their retirement home
on it.
For a long time, organizations like the
Hill Country Heritage Association have
been fighting encroachment on private
property rights, and their efforts are paying
off.
The last session of the Texas Legislature
passed Senate Bill 114, called the taking
bill. Beginning September 1, 1995 - for
counties September 1, 1997 - private prop-
erty owners can sue school districts,
counties, the state and other government
units for loss in value in excess of 25
percent of fair market value.
It's a start, but for the next several years
private property owners will have to stay
abreast of the forces nibbling away at the
sticks in their bundle of rights and support
local, state and national efforts to curtail
them.
When lightning strikes send, the hent sometimes fuses the sand Into long, slender glass tubes called
fulgurltmt. commonly called petrified lightning ,
A good
deal for
the LCRA
Dear Editor
Thank you for your Aug. 17
article describing LOtA's purchase
of 1,016 acres in Llano County as
the site of a natural science
laboratory for environmental and
biological education and research.
We appreciate the support we have
received for this project and pledge
to make it. a considerable asset to
the people of the area.
While your article was fair and
accurate, we cannot say the same
for a letter to the editor that
appeared the same day. In
questioning LCRA's purchase of
the. tract, the letter writer gave an
inaccurate and distorted account of
the process.
Here are the facts. The LCRA
began looking in Llano County in
mid December 1994 for potential
sites for purchase. We were looking
for a Llano tract as part of our long
term program to consolidate and
redistribute our land holdings. We
have sold off unsuitable land
holdings, much of which was in the
Lake Travis area, and put the pro-
ceeds in a special fund. When we
run across special places like the
Llano tract, we tap the fund and
purchase the land from willing
sellers. In some cases we work with
local communities to build parks
and recreational facilities. In other
cases, like the Llano site, we won't
build a public park, but will make
sure the land is protected by turning
it into a living laboratory rather
than have private developers
subdivide it
At the lime we began looking in
Llano, the 1,016 acre tract that we
just bought was already under
contract to someone else for about
$800 an acre. Local brokers felt it
v/as an absolute bargain at that
price.
Working with local brokers, we
continued looking. We idenlified
three other tracts with river
frontage, but the cheapest price was
$2,500 per acre. The new owners
subsequently offered the 1.016 acre
tract to the LCRA for $1.4 million
in lieu of subdividing the property,
which likely would have netted
them more money. A local
appraiser valued the property in the
^ $1,100 to $1,400 per acre range.
We eventually closed on the
property on Aug. 9, paying $1,373
an acre.
The real question here i? not What-
the previous owners paid for the'
property, but whether our purchase
was a good deal for the LCRA. We
believe it was a very good deal. We
‘have nof been able to Find any
comparable land with river frontage
anywhere close to the price we paid.
Llano
Vol. Fire
Dept,
praised
v.
This is high quality land that is a
tremendous natural resource for the
entire region. We will conserve and
protect this land and we will invite
participation from local citizens on
specific limited ways we will use it
in the future.
We take all of our investments
seriously and Llano County is no
exception. Considering the price of
available high quality land in Llano
County, we believe our purchase of
the Llano County property was not
only a smart investment for us, but
an excellent long term investment
for the people of the county as
well.
Yours truly,
Mark Rose
General Manager
Lower Colorado River Authority
Austin
Dear Editor
My brothers and I have a few
acres in the Rio Llano Estates.
We greatly appreciate the actions
of the Llano Fire Department and
others involved in fighting the re-
cent fire in the area.
Their actions reinforce our pride
and appreciation of the people of
the region. Having grown up in the
area we look forward to building a
home in the area in the future.
Enclosed is a check as a small
indication of our appreciation. We
would appreciate your seeing that it
gets to the Fire Department.
Sincerely.
Ted, Tom and Chester Rowell
EDITOR'S NOTE: The check
was delivered to the Llano Volun-
teer Fire Department last week. We
concur, they do a great job!
The Llano News
(USPS 316-700)
Serving Llano, Llano County and the Highland Lakes area
Since 1889.
Published weekly at 813 Berry Street, Llano, Texas 78643
Entered jn the Llano Post Office as second class, postage
paid at Llano, Texas, under the Act of Congress of 1878.
WALTER L. BUCKNER, Editor and Publisher
SARAH BUCKNER
JIMMY STEPHENSON
A.C. KINCHELOE
PATRICIA MUDD
CONNIE HENDERSHOT
RUTH PENCE
PAT LEMMON
DIANA LEMMON
RAY SUMRALL
Assoc. Editor
Ad makeup and printing
Proofreader & classified
Reception/proofreader
Typesetter
Bookkeeping
Darkroom
Mail Room
COLUMNISTS: Marilyn Hale & John Kuykendall
NEWS CORRESPONDENTS: Shirley Muery, Vera
Honig, Bernice Schuyler
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Llano and Bumet Countlaa: 1 year $19,
2 yaara $35,3 yaart $50. Elsewhere in Texas: 1 yaar $26,2 yaara $41,1 yaara $65.
OlA-ol-State: 1 yaar $40, 2 yaara $70, 3 yaara $90. All payabla In advanca. Ovaraaaa •
call or wrtta lor quota.
Tha Llano News aoliclta lattara to tha adit or concerning laauaa ot local Intaroat. Latte re
muet be aigned and no longer than two etandard pagaa, double-epeced and typed,
H poaaible. A day-time phone number muet aleo be Included.
Tha etaff reeervee tha right to add all lattara according to accepted standards
For further Information call Tha Llano flewa at (915) 247-4433.
POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGE TO LLANO NEWS,
BOX 187, LLANO, TEXAS 78643
I
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Buckner, Walter L. The Llano News (Llano, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 24, 1995, newspaper, August 24, 1995; Llano, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1140475/m1/4/?q=1966+yearbook+north+texas+state+university: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Llano County Public Library.