Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 60, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 9, 2005 Page: 4 of 22
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Page 4 • Cedar Hill Today • Thursday, June 9,.2005
_OPINION
Tic-tac-no: French, Dutch cripple EU
Do two “no” votes in
Europe — a “non” in France
and a “nee” in The
Netherlands — have any
impact for America?
Short answer — yes and
no. More no than yes, as the
confederated Europe has
already started affecting
America.'
• Voters in the two countries
recently rejected the new
constitution for the European
Today Staff Union. Because of the size of
the EU, especially with world
globalization continuing merrily apace, that
alone should make Americans sit up and be
STEVE
SNYDER
interested.
The EU, in its current 25-member incarna-
tion, has a population of about 60 percent more
than that of the United States and an economy
about 20 percent greater. Given that money talks
in America when nothing else does, that last fact
should say something.
On the economic side, the European Union
has already been acting like a single country,
and not a weak confederation that would make
the 1777-1789 Articles of Confederation-era
America seem unified.
Last year, for example, EU trade and monop-
oly regulators slapped serious fines, roughly
$500 million in all, on Microsoft for its alleged
stifling of competition. U.S. courts considered
even a breakup of the computing behemoth, but
higher-level courts trimmed penalties down to a
small fraction of that.
Before that, in 2002, the EU killed a mega-
merger already approved in the U.S., the
General Electric-Honeywell union. The EU said
it could see short-term fiscal benefits but long-
term problems. ^
A year ago. The Nation magazine pointed out
just what this all meant:
“Over the past decade, EU member states
h$ve ceded governing and enforcement authority
to Brussels in areas ranging from environmental
regulation to food safety, accounting standards,
telecommunications policy and oversight of cor-
porate mergers. As a result, US companies that
do business in Europe — which remains
America's largest export market — are quickly
learning that ‘old Europe’ is now wielding new
world power. “
Chemicals, cosmetics and more, on both
sides of the Atlantic, have already been influ-
enced by tight new purity and'toxicity regula-
tions from Brussels.
Some American companies initially resisted
compliance. Others opted on “dual-market”
policies — meeting the more stringent require-
ments for mascara, rouge, foundation and such
in Europe by removing dozens of chemicals,
while keeping old formulations in America.
However, after negative PR, at least one compa-
ny, Revlon, decided to meet the European stan-
dards in its American product^
See FRENCH, Page 5
Discuss finances before, after honeymoon
CHARLES
PEYTON
It’s June - a popu-
lar month for wed-
dings. If you're plan-
ning on getting mar-
ried this month,
you've got a lot of
things to think about:
guests, flowers, honey-
moon, etc.
However, there’s
one factor you won’t
want to overlook: how
you will handle
Financiai Focus finances as a couple.
It may not be as much
fun to talk about as the food you will have
at your reception, but as your marriage
progresses, it will be far more important.
In fact, financial troubles are often
cited as one of the leading causes of
divorce.
And. as you go through life, you’ll find
that you can't prevent every type of finan-
cial woe, such as a job loss, an unexpected
medical bill, and so on.
But there’s a lot you can control - if
you work together.
Before the wedding: Open the books,
B'efore you get married, you should
already know your fiancee’s temperament,
likes and dislikes and favorite activities.
But do you know how much money he or
she makes? How about debt? How large
are his or her debt payments each month?
What amount of savings will your future
spouse bring/into the marriage?
It may feel strange to talk about these
issues before you “tie the knot.” But it will
be valuable conversation.
Try to conduct it when you both have
plenty of time, and aren’t stressed out over
wedding plans or other issues.
And don’t keep any secrets: Bring out
all sources of income, all debts, all savings
and investments - everything you both
will bring into the marriage.
Once you’re married, neither one of
you should be surprised at what the other
owns or owes.
After the wedding: Chart your course
Early in your marriage, you’ll want to
make some long-lasting financial deci-
sions. Here are two to consider:
• Joint or separate checking? Should you
maintain a joint checking account, two
separate accounts, or a joint account plus
individual accounts?
There’s really no one right answer for
everyone. You might want to use a joint
checkbook to pay for the mortgage, utili-
ties, car payment and other major expens-
es that you incur together, while keeping
individual accounts to pay for personal
expenses or purchases.
However, if you do keep a joint
account, you should both agree on what
it’s to be used for, and how much you will
each contribute to it.
What are your investment goals? Talk
about those goals for which you'll want to
invest, such as a house or a specific retire-
ment lifestyle.
If you have children, you may want to
save for college. In any case, once you
know what you're saving for, you'll be
able to establish appropriate investment
strategies, possibly with the help of a
financial professional.
Keep in mind that you and your spouse
may have different tendencies that is,
you might favor aggressive investments,
while your spouse may be more conserva-
tive.
You'll need to reach some common
ground if you’re going to invest in a way
that will satisfy both of you.
Communication is key
Ultimately the biggest factor behind
your financial success as a couple isn't
how much you make or how cleverly you
manage your money - it's how well you
communicate. If you're always on the
same page, your story will likely have a
happy ending.
Charles Peyton is an investment representative with
Edward Jones based in Cedar llill
A special
present for
i
a special man
I ’m a
horrible
gift-shop-
per. My
wife
always
gets a
candle of
some sort
and a
SAMUEL pieci;of
lewelry.
SMITH It’s not
Today Staff that 1
don’t
care or anything, hut I’m just
not very good at knowing what
people will like.
In that respect, 1 am the
polar opposite of my stepfa-
ther, Robert .1. Vokurka. He
came into my life when I was
10 years old and three years
out from the most traumatic
event of my life, my parents’
divorce.
I spent every other weekend
with my dad. My mother had
built a house for she and my
sister and I to live in thanks to
FHA loans.
But it was hard growing up
without a man in the house. 1
have always been bookish by
nature, and not having a man
around to show me how to
shoot free throws or explain
the infield fly rule to me left
me at a distinct disadvantage.
I loved my dad, hut I need-
ed a man in the house to show
me how to be a man.
Such was the state of affairs
on Jan. 21, 1986, when Bob
walked into the driveway of
our little house in Jena, La. At
the time, I was amused that he
was carrying a 4-foot tall
teddy bear for my mother. The
Chicago Bears, his hometown
team, had just won the Super
Bowl. My mother, a natural-
born contrarian with a wicked
sense of humor (like me), had
rooted for the Patriots because
she knew Bob was a Bears fan.
Now Bob was just rubbing it
in that the Bears had tri-
umphed 46-10.
I thought he talked funny,
being from Wheaton, 111. I
thought he looked a little
funny because he wasn’t as tall
as my dad and had a lot less
hair.
1 thought my mother was
giving him a lot more attention
than he deserved.
Until 1 got to know him.
He was (and is) extremely
quiet and more than a bit
quirky. But he was also kind
and giving and absolutely silly
about children, especially me.
The guy would eat ketchup on
his ice cream to make us
laugh.
That May, he took us to our
first Major League Baseball
game. The Cubs lost to the
Astros at the Astrodome. I am
thankful that Bob introduced
me to the wonders of the
national pastime. The fact that
he passed on his love for the
Cubs has been a mixed bless-
ing.
Between January and
September, Bob bought my
mother 132 teddy bears. The
guy has a knack for finding
something that works and
sticking with it. Bob married
my mother Sept. 20,1986. I
was ecstatic.
Over the course of the next
few years, he played basket-
ball, played catch with me,
made me wash the cars, cut
the grass and rake pine straw
in the front yard. I enjoyed the
former activities more than the
latter.
But when my computer is
crashing continuously and I’m
working on the paper until 2
a m. on Tuesday, the ability to
do what I don't want to do that
I learned from him comes in
handy.
He loves to travel and to see
See STEPDAD, Page 5
“Just Ask” is written by a member
of our staff who fields questions from
members of the community ranging
from politics to social etiquette and
from sports to better grooming habits.
If you have a question you can’t
answer, just ask.
If we don’t know the answer, we’ll
research it and print it once we have
gotten to the bottom of your problem.
Need to know the best way to
make Bermuda grass grow? Just ask.
Ever wonder why the city manager
doesn’t vote or why the mayor does?
Just Ask
Just ask.
Are you just dying to know what
ever happened to (fill in the blank)?
Just ask.
Whether your question is specific
to your community or on a general
topic that can benefit anyone any-
where, all you have to do is ask and
our staff will print your question with
the answer.
Call 972-298-4598, ext. 220 and
leave a message or e-mail
manager@todaynewspapers.net
So get those questions coming in.
After all, the old adage still holds
true: The only stupid question is the
one not asked. And if you don’t ask,
who will?
Go ahead. Just ask.
YOUR LETTERS
Send letters to Cedar Hill
Today, c/o News Editor Loyd
Brumfield, 1701 N. Hampton, Suite
C, DeSoto, TX, 75115, or P.O. Box
381029, Duncanville TX 75138.
Fax letters to 972-298-6369 or e-
mail them to eedarhill@todaynews
papers.net.
Include a home address and
daytime phone number for verifica-
tion purposes only. Only your name
and hometown will be published.
Letters may be edited for brevi-
ty, clarity, style, taste, grammar and
libel. Any change that may materi-
will be confirmed with the writer.
Today Newspapers reserves the
right to accept or reject any letter
without cause
*
Cedar Hill Today Information
Cedar Hill Today Staff
Richard Collins
Publisher
Robin Gooch
Managing Editor
Kim Petty
Advertising Director
Ron MidldlT
Circulation Coordinator
Loyd Brumfield
News Editor
Brian Allen and Justin Jones
Staff Writers---
Chris Hudson and David Goodspeed
Photographers
denlse marie
Retail ad sales
Heather Hawkins
Classified ad sales
Troy Peoples
Distribution Coordinator
Betty Bell
Lifestyles Editor/Typesetter
Deadlines
Classifieds:
Display classified ads — 5 p.m.
TXiesday. Line ads — 5 p.m. Ttiesday.
Retail Advertising:
5 p.m. Monday; 5 p.m. Friday for
People. Advertising rates may be
secured upon request.
Editorial:
School news — 5 p.m. Friday
General news — noon Monday
Deadlines are subject to change due to holi-
days and will be published in advance
Subscriptions
Subscription rates - $25 per year in
city, $34 per year elsewhere m Texas. All
subscriptions payable in advance and non-
refundable The publisher reserves the right
to change advertising and subscription
rates at any time
General Information
Today Cedar Hill is an independent
newspaper published weekly in (he interest
of Cedar Hill. Any erroneous reflection
upon the integrity or reputation of any indi-
vidual will be corrected if brought to the
attention of the news editor
Digests run on a space available basis.
Letter Policy
--The Opimon Page of Today News-
papers is an open forum for all viewpoints.
Ldters to the editor and guest columns are
encouraged
Deadline is noon Monday in person at
1701 N. Hampton in DeSoto, or by mail to
RO. Box 381029: Duncanville, TX 75138.
Letters must have an original signa-
ture. with a home address and daytime
telephone number for verification purpos-
es only.
The content of all letters will be pre-
served within guidelines of clarity, style,
taste, etc. Letters should be of interest to
local readers and should be limited to 300
words. A complete list of editorial policies,
including the submission of guest
columns, is available at the above location.
Call 972-298-4211 for further information.
Publication in one newspaper does not
guarantee a letter will be published in any
other town.
How to Contact Us
Location:
DeSoto Office — 1701 N. Hampton Road,
iliili Ci PiSito) If Hi .........
Phone: 972-298-4211
Fax: 972-298-6369
E-mall: cedaihill@todaynewspapers.net
Postage Information
Today Cedar Hill (USPS 095640,
ISSN 0704-0428) is published every
Thursday by Today Newspapers, 1126
Explorer, Suite A Duncanville, Texas
75137. Second class postage paid at
Duncanville, Texas 75138-1029. Post-
master: Send address changes to Today
Cedar Hill, P.O. Box 381029, Duncanville,
Texas 75138-1029.
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Gooch, Robin. Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 60, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 9, 2005, newspaper, June 9, 2005; Duncanville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623447/m1/4/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Zula B. Wylie Memorial Library.