Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 99, No. 40, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 17, 1981 Page: 4 of 30
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,Y MAY 17, lMl
tutorials
President Reagan’s proposal to sell five radar
planes to Saudi Arabia is destined to face stiff op-
P<^»0pIanw>w^WACS Airborne Warning and
Command Systems and would greatly enhance
Saudi Arabia’s surveillance abilities in the
strategic Persian Gulf region.
The AWACS would also give the Saudis the
capability of monitoring all of Israel. The Israelis
say this might rule out the potential of a pre-
emptive first strike by the Israeli air force, such
as the one that caught the Egyptian air force on
the ground at the start of the 1967 Mideast war.
The AWACS sale would be canceled if both the
Senate and the House voted against it. And at the
present time only 28 senators are in favor. Senti-
ment is much the same in the House.
The measure shouldn’t be approved, of course,
AW/" “
if Saudi Arabia intends to use AWACS in offensive
action against Israel.
But the Saudis have a legitimate interest in pro-
viding for their own defense. Their oil wealth
wouldl
I be a great prize for an aggressor, and they
know it.
Also to be considered is the U.S. interest in pro-
tecting the oil-rich Persian Gulf region from the
intruding '
to—m threat of the Soviet Union. The collapse
of the government of the former Shah of Iran has
weakened the region’s defenses. But the gulf is
still the most important foreign source of
petroleum for the economies of Japan, Western
Europe and the United States.
Saudi Arabia provides the United States with 1.5
million barrels of oil each day. And Saudi Arabia
shows its friendship by maintaining surplus
petroleum production and seeking reduction of oil
prices among OPEC nations.
At the present time it appears the strategy of
the Reagan administration will be to wait until
after the June 30 Israeli elections to present the
measure to Congress. It hopes that by that time
opposition will fade.
The AWACS deal also includes Sidewinder air-
to-air missiles and long-range fuel tanks for 62
F-15s already on order from the United States by
Saudi Arabia. Israel also is purchasing F-15 and
F-16 aircraft, and Israel continues to receive
more military aid from the United States than any
other country.
But our national interest dictates an effort to
build up the defenses of the Persian Gulf oil na-
tions which ars friendly to the West. If assurances
can be obtained from Saudi Arabia that the
AWACS will be used only as a defensive weapon,
congressional approval is in order.
Right idea
Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. has
put the issue of human rights in foreign policy in
much better perspective than was the case in the
Carter administration.
Haig says the United States should oppose all
human rights violations, “by ally or adversary,
friend or foe,” but be more critical of totalitarian
regimes than authoritarian ones.
“The collapse of a bulwark against aggression,
and the replacement of an authoritarian regime
with a totalitarian one” could produce “the
ultimate failure,” Haig said.
Actually, the Carter policy did produce ultimate
failure in Iran, Nicaragua and other nations as it
often more strongly opposed human rights viola-
tions in authoritarian regimes of our allie than it
objected to the total crushing of these rights in the
Soviet Union, Cuba and other communist coun-
tries.
It was evident all through the Carter years that
he and members of his administration were
unable to get their priorities straight on human
rights. Under Carter, the State Department was
seeking to punish friendly rightist authoritarian
governments for not meeting human rights stan-
dards while doing little or nothing about the brutal
suppression of virtually all human rights by the
leftist and communist countries.
The record shows that there is a far greater
chance of persuading an authoritarian regime to
grant civil and political liberties than there is
gaining any concession from a communist or
other totalitaiian government.
The latter almost always have come to power
with the idea of holding onto the reins by suppress-
ing rights and denying any political opposition.
The latest example of this was seen in Nicaragua
where the Marxist Sandinistas have decreed they
won’t allow elections until 1985, and it is doubtful
that they have any serious intention of honoring
this promise.
In El Salvador, by contrast, the authoritarian
junta is constantly granting more human rights
and has set up an election commission to pave the
way for an open election in about a year.
The statement on human rights that Haig gave
to The New York Times has not yet been made of-
ficial Reagan administration policy but it seems
to be in line with what President Reagan has said
on a number of occasions. It would set the proper
priorities and put more focus on the primary
danger to human rights in the world the almost
complete suppression of human rights in nations
taken over by the Soviet Union and its surrogates.
State Capital Highlights
I Debates setting records
By Lyndell Williams
AUSTIN- Both the House and the
Senate may have set new approprui
Uons bill records last week - but in dif-
ferent directions.
The House took only three days of
floor debate to give final approval to the
proposed state budget. 1-ast session the
House budget debate lasted well into
two weeks.
At the same tune, the Senate Finance
Committee reported out a proposed
budget that is $170 million higher than
the consUtutional limit. The Senate
panel’s unorthodox move came after
li. Gov. Bill Hobby, concerned about
foot-dragging, appeared before the
committee and told i* to “get this bill
finished.”
The Texas Constitution forbids Jcficit
spending, or expenditures in excess of
available revenues.
Additional cuts to the Senate version
will be made on the Senate floor. The
House budget bill is $47.2 million below
the expected state income.
The final budget will be shaped later
this session in a joint House-Senate con-
ference conuuittee.
House Version
The House added more than $100
million to the bill originally prepared
by the Appropriations Conuuittee for a
proposed total budget of $26.55 billion.
House members overrode the com-
mittee bill to give pay raises to teachers
and state employees.
In House debate, teacher pay raises
were kicked up from 26.6 percent
already in the bill to 27.7 percent over
tlie next two years, an added $24
million. The Senate bill provides for a
26 percent raise
House members approved an amend-
ment by Rep. Dan Kubiak of Rockdale
which added $19.5 million to a pay raise
for state employees. If given final ap-
proval, it ensures that low level state
employees receive a 9.2 percent raise
this year.
Also included was a 35 percent pay
raise for statewide elected officials,
from $51,000 now to $65,700 in 1982 and
$69,000 in 1983.
The proposed bill also includes an ad-
ditional $3.4 million for higher salaries
to Department of Public Safety officers
and narcotics officers.
House speaker Bill Clayton has been
adament in hurrying the appropriations
bill to a finish before the legislature
begins voting on the redistricting bill.
Debate on redistricting will probably
begin the third week of May.
New Bills Signed
At the end of last week Gov. Bill
Clements signed into law a bill raising
the state’s minimum drinking age to 19.
The new law goes into effect on Sept. 1.
"Where are all the 18-year-olds?"
Clements quipped at the signing
ceremonies.
“They’re all out drinking while they
still can,” responded Rep. Henry Alee,
a House sponsor.
Clements also signed a bill requiring
competency testing and certification of
public school teachers. The new law
will require college graduates to meet
standards set by the Texas Education
Agency before they can receive teacher
certificates. Currently certified
teachers are exempt from the testing
•Copley News Service
program.
Scalping Bill
A bill outlawing ticket scalping for
school sports events was approved in
the House.
Sponsored by Dallas Rep. John
Bryant, the bill prohibits buying or sell-
ing tickets for more than face value to
any athletic event for high schools or
colleges. Bryant sidestepped attempts
to include professional sports, explain-
ing he did not want to pick up over-
whelming opposition.
A similar bill was approved earlier in
the Senate.
Primary Election Changes
The Democratic state steering com-
mittee endorsed a bill moving primary
elections from May back to July, a
schedule used in Texas until 1959 when
the law was changed to help Lyndon B.
Johnson’s presidential hopes.
Party chairman Bob Slagle won
kudos for pushing the endorsement of a
bill sponsored by his hometown buddy
Rep. Bob Bush, D-Sherman.
If passed, the bill will considerably
shorten the political campaign season.
Primaries will be held in late August,
and general elections will remain at the
front end of November.
Proponents argued the current long
season is too much for both voters and
candidates. A shorter campaign season
makes for a higher voter participation
and less expensive campaigns.
Slagle won praise for his pragmatic
approach to this and other issues, which
some believe is healing the rift between
the liberal and conservative factions of
the Democratic Party.
*
Letter to the editor
TDC sentence supposed to be 'as' punishment,
To the editor:
In my continuing effort to enlighten
the public to the plight of the Texas in-
mate, I fee) compelled to write this let-
ter.
B.K. Oates and I seem to have a runn-.
ing argument about the TDC and the
rulings of Federal Judge William
Wayne Justice. In any and all penal in-
stitutions there are violent and non-
violent inmates and the non-violent
need to be protected from the violent. If
this calls for an inmate-to-guard ratio
of six-to-onc, then so be it. This ratio is
not only for the protection of the in-
mates, it also will serve to protect the
TDC guards.
The preparation of food determines
the quality of the meal. I have had the
misfortune of having been raised on
commodity food. Yet my mother did
such a superb job of preparing that food
that 1 actually enjoyed eating it. The
food the guards at the Ellis Unit is not
prepared the same as the food the in-
mates eat. I would like to invite the
citizens of Texas to sample the food that
the inmates are served.
When Warden Billy McMillan told
these inmates at the Ellis Unit that he
was going to put these televisions on the
wall in front of the cells, he said that he
would have the sound connected to the
already existing wall-mounted
speakers in the cells. If this had been
done, no one would have room to com-
plain about the undue noise. This wasn’t
done and those of us who do not wish to
hear the televisions are left with no out.
Receiving the elementary education
that anyone needs is an asset to the
TDC. What these inmates really need
are sociologists. Those who commit
crimes are in dire need of psychological
help. 1 consider myself fortunate to
realize this fact. Elementary education
is required, why not have counseling by
a trained sociologist required also?
1 really do wish that the two guards
who I saw on the television were the two
“bad apples,” but this is not the case.
Those two men were two honest TDC
employees telling about the other
guards.
As far as spending some of my time to
write to schools, churches, editors or
any type of organization warning young
people of the punishment and anguish
they can expect to receive if they
foolishly choose a life of crime, I would
be more than happy to do this. Any pro-
gram that would help deter the children
of anyone from a life of crime is needed
very badly. I would be the first to talk in
front of a bunch of kids if it would help
keep even one of them out of this place!
If you are serious in your statement
of buying some stamps so that I may
help keep some kids from taking up a
life of crime, write to me and I will send
you an Inmate Trust Fund deposit slip.
I don’t want to see anyone in this place.
You have to start with the children if
you want to stop crime. Maybe I can
help bridge the communication gap bet-
ween the courts and the TDC. Whereas
the courts send us down here “as”
punishment, the TDC seems to think
that the courts have sent us down here
“for” punishment!
James W. McGee
Ellis Unit No. 298119
Huntsville
rflHH
POLK COUNTY
ENTERPRISE
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ALVIN HOLLEY, PUBLISHER
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Entered as Second-Class Matter at the Post Office at Livingston,
Texas 77351 under the Act of Congress of March 3,1897.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
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Marc Gibson, Darkroom Tech.
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 99, No. 40, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 17, 1981, newspaper, May 17, 1981; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth781839/m1/4/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.