The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 116, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 26, 1991 Page: 4 of 18
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Opinion
Page 4-A
Thursday, December 26,1991
The AJban
41
The Albany News
Since 1875
Oldest Journalistic venture west of the Brazos
Editor/Publisher
Donnle A. Lucas
Managing Editor
Melinda L. Lucas
Advertising & Business Manager Betty Viertel
Composition
Betty Balliew
Moran Correspondent
Audrey Brooks
Office Assistant
Betty Law
Office Assistant
J ana McCoy
editorial
Have a . . .
Happy,
Prosperous,
Safe,
Fulfilling,
Prayerful,
Secure,
Exciting,
Peaceful,
Thoughtful,
1 and
Purposeful
NEW
YEAR!
policy
THE ALBANY NEWS
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at Albany. Texas. POSTMASTBW: Send address changes
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AFFILIATIONS
1991 MEMBER: Texas Press Association,
West Texas Press Association.
letters to the editor
— Lion fan commends team -
Friday night's football game,
second half of the game, I go
To the Albany Lions Football Team:
I want to express my thoughts on last
11 game. During the
[ got so mad at
the Schulenburg team because of the
way they were doing our boy. on the
field. I was booing them, which I don't
normally do at a football game.
Schulenburg does not need or deserve to
be State Champions after their conduct
on the field. They showed very little
sportsmanship.
I could not believe that the referees
just watched what the Schulenburg
players were doing and let them get
away with it. If that is what it takes to be
State Champions or win a football game,
I don't care to watch.
The Albany Lions played a darn good
Same and should be very proud of
lemselves. You may not be "official"
State Champions, but you are to all your
fans. So hold your heads high. You boys
have nothing to be ashamed of at all. You
had a wonderful season!
Sincerely,
Edwina Richey and all your loyal
fans in Albainy.
Albany native wants details
Dear Sirs:
Am enclosing my check for $18.00 for
a subscription to your paper. Being an
Albany native, I have been following the
football team in the local paper (Houston)
but only get the scores.
I called my brother Henrv in Wichita
Falls last week and asked him if the
team was as good as the scores indicated.
I also asked if there was anyone on the
team that might be a descendant of any
of the boys we played with in the early
1930s. He sent me a copy of your De-
cember 5 edition that I really enjoyed.
There were some familiar names but
they would have to be grandchildren or
great grandchildren.
The column by Bette Townsend
brought back a lot of semi-forgotten
memories. We played on the same teams
as the Butler boys an4 "Iron Head"
Stockton. Also Mr. Joe Kendrick and his
passion for football and the help hegave
us at that time were remembered. There
will never be a cheerleader better in my
mind than Erline or a drum majorette
better than Pollye.
If I do not get on your mailing list for
the State finals against Schulenburg,
please send me a copy. I know they are
going to win, but would like to read the
details rather than just the score in the
Houston paper.
Sincerely,
D.M. (Monroe) Todd
Lake Jackson, Texas
Lion supporters express pride
Dear Editor:
We are so proud of the Albany High
School coaches and the football players.
They may not have won on the score-
board Friday night, but they did in
sportsmanship.
Thank you Lions for an exciting sea-
son! Remember Matthew 5:5, "Blessed
are the meek, for they will inherit the
earth."
We love you, Ed, Judy, Kristy and
Melissa Compton.
Lions are 'Best in the West'
Dear Editor,
The Albany Lions went down in defeat
last Friday night in Waco, Texas as we
know,'although they are not losers by
any means. Our District 7-2A,bi-district,
area, regional, quarter-final and semi-
final champions are definitely winners!
This can't be denied.
The Lions beat the best of both North
and West Texas.
Our team created camaraderie among
the students, community, region and area
with their determination to get to the
state championship game.
This come-from-behind team has all
the qualities and character of an all-
Sincerel
The Bill King Family
Texas business today
Dear Commissioner Nabers: I just
heard that there is a law in Texas which
requires employers to give all my em-
ployees a signed earnings statement each
month. Is this true? What am I required
to do?
O.S.
Houston
Dear O.S: It is true. The Texas Mini-
mum Wage Act requires employers to
provide a signed earnings statement to
all employees.
However, this requirement does not
apply to employers who are covered by
the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Employers not covered by FLSA must
comply with the earnings statement re-
quirement, but it does not have to be
cumbersome. Many payroll checju i
elude a perforated printout of all deduc-
tions taken from the paycheck.- In that
case, the signature on the paych
satisfy Texas law. Employers must]
sure that deductions from the ch
itemized.
Dear Commissioner Nabers: I read the
article on the Texas Payday Law in the
August issue of Texas Business Today. I
wasn't sure what the law states con-
cerning unused sick time. Is the employer
obligated to pay an employee for sick
leave that has not been taken if the person
resigns?
S.L.
Houston
Dear S.L.: This is an important item
to address in any company policy. Ifyour
policy specifically states that no unused
sick leave will be paid upon separation,
then it is not necessary to pay it. But if
your policy is silent about payment for
unused sick leave, the answer is not as
easy. Until Texas courts provide guidance
in this area, employers could possibly be
at risk by not paying, but I believe even
that possibility is weakened by the res-
ignation.
Under the Texas Payday Law, sick
pay is considered wages only if there is a
written agreement or polity from the
employer to pay it To sum it up, there is
$
< )
state capital highlights
state football squad and these young
men showed the kind of true sports-
manship throughout the contest thpt
would qualify them as an All-American
team. /
That team from East Texas may be
the state champions, but the 1991 Albany
Lions are the Best in the West!
Thank goodness for Faith, because
"we believe and know our sportsmanship
is Number One in Class 2-A, Region I
and II football.
Yes, the Albany Lions are winners
without a doubt.
no concrete answer un less your company
policy is specific.
Dear Commissioner Nabers: I received
two weeks' notice from one of my em-
ployees that he was leaving to take another
job. I would rather not continue his em-
ployment now that I know he is quitting.
Do I have to pay him for those two weeks
if I dismiss him today? Also, if I terminate
him now, could he claim that he was fired
and draw unemployment benefits?
N.L.
Richardson
Dear N.L.: You are not obligated to
keep an employee after a two weeks'
notice of resignation. It is a good idea to
request a resignation letter that states
the reason for quitting. If you are later
notified that he has filed for unemploy-
ment benefits, you can attach a copy of
that letter to snow proof that it was a
voluntary quit.
You are only obligated to pay wages
for hours worked. Unless you have an
agreement to the contrary, you would
not be required to pay him for the two
weeks if you dismiss him now.
Dear Commissioner Nabers: My boss
makes all of the drivers in this company
take a drug test even though no other
employees are required to take one. On
top of that, we don't get any warning
about the test. Is he allowed to do that? It
doesn't seem fair.
M.H.
Laredo
Dear M.H.: Any employer is free to
establish and implement a company drug
test policy. But, this policy must be en-
forced uniformly and in a non-discrimi-
natory manner. That does not mean,
however, that employers must require
all employees to submit to a drug test It
only means that all employees within a
particular category or classification
should be required to submit to the test
Therefore, asking only drivers in the
company to take a test would be lawful,
as long as all drivers were required to do
so.
By Lyndell Williams
Gov. Ann Richards' call for a January
2 special session to redraw Senate and
House districts prompted some state
officials to predict a delay in the Texas
presidential primary.
House Speaker Gib Lewis said it will
be virtually impossible to hold the pri-
mary March 10, meaning that all con-
tests, including the race for president,
might be delayed until May.
Postponement of the March balloting
would move Texas out of the 12-state
Super Tuesday presidential primary.
Meanwhile, Democrat lawmakers
hope that when they convene no hard-
won compromise will be necessary.
And they will draw more attention to
the fact that their unbridled political
greed is unnecessarily costing taxpayers
$1 million.
The partisan house of cards that
Democrats built to protect their incum-
bents was sent crashing down last week
by the Texas Supreme Court.
The Court ruled 5-4 that Gov. Ann
Richards and her Democrats stepped
outside the Constitution when they po-
sitioned Attorney General Dan Morales
to remedy the federally-scuttled map
weeks earlier.
Morales Wanted SeMion
Morales had publicly requested then
that Gov. Richards call a special session,
but she adamantly refused, saying it
would cost taxpayers $1 million, while
the court could settle it cheaply.
The court still can settle it cheaper,
but it's a GOP-appointed federal court.
Of course, the governor had the
Democrat-dominated state courts in
mind when she made that statement, so
now it's back into an expensive special
session.
Scurry to Court
It's not Morales fault: he publicly
warned Democrats the plan probably
wouldn't work, just as he now warns that
despite what the Legislature does in
January, the federal court may still draw
its own boundaries.
Democrats must now scurry to get the
Legislature to pass the anti-Republican
plan so that Morales can hand-carry
them to the three-judge federal bench,
whereupon sits three Republicans.
Redistricting is a political battle in
which no quarter is given and none asked.
Settlement Struck Down
Whatever the Legislature adopts, it'll
be better than the Democrats' settlement
plan, which some observers said was a
disgrace to any common sense of fair
play and smelled of "judge shopping."
The substitute plan was crafted post-
session by 19 Democrat senators, plaintiff
minority group lawyers and Morales,
who submitted it to Edinburg state dis-
trict judge Mario Ramirez.
The fact that 12 senators were shut
out of participation, including all (h?
Republicans, made it smell even wane-
Democrats tried to pawn it off ,a*
having the Legislature's stamp of
proval, even though 19 votes wouldn't;
get it to the floor under Senate rules, but
the High Court snuffed it. ,;1
Supreme Court Opinion
In its majority opinion, the Coprt
spanked the hand of Judge Mari?
Ramirez for abusing his authority when
he adopted it:
•Prior to any court ruling, other thari
his, the original plan was invalid^ arid !
•The plan was approved without
hearing any evidence for or against the
settlement plan.
Supreme Court Justice Raul Gonzalez
called the plan a "back room deal" and
said it "sets a bad precedent"
1 in 5 Tezans Uninsured
The Washington-based Public Citizen
watchdog group said census data reports
one in five Texans lacks health insurance,
compared to four percent nationwideV
Only New Mexico had a higher raw pf
non-insurance, even though the number
of uninsured Texans dropped 200,TOO
between 1989 and 1990.
Gov. Richards, who rode the health
insurance issue to the Governor's Man-
sion in 1990, said some weeks ago she
will call a special session on health in-
surance sometime in 1992.
Other Highlights
•Speaker Lewis said he does not want
the special session to delay his January
27 trial on misdemeanor ethics charges.
Community Calendar
DEC. 26
DEC. 27
DEC. 30
JAN. 1
JAN. 2
JAN. 6
JAN. 8
JAN. 13
JAN. 20
Nutrition program meal - Youth Center, 11:30 am
Lions Club luncheon - Cookshack, 12 noon
Community Action program - Depot, 10 am-3 pm
Chamber of Commerce luncheon - Ft. Griffin,
12 noon i
Writers' Group - County Library, 2:30 pm
Nutrition program meal - Youth Center, 11:30 am
Hospital board - Clinic board room, 1 pm
Bridge games - Jackson Warehouse, 1:30 pm
Co-Dependents Anonymous meeting - FCC, 6 pm
NEW YEAR'S DAY
Nutrition program meal - Youth Center, 11:30 am
Kiwanis Club meeting - Ft Griffin, 12 noon
Deadline to file for county office in Marcy primary
School classes resume
Task Force meeting - First Christian Church,
12 noon
City council meeting - City Hall, 6 pm
Commissioners' court - Courthouse, 9 am
Hospital board meeting - Clinic board room, 1 pm
School board meeting - Supt.'s office, 7:30 pm
FIRST
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Lucas, Donnie A. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 116, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 26, 1991, newspaper, December 26, 1991; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth412511/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.