Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 21, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 11, 1984 Page: 4 of 40
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PAGE 4A-THE POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, SUNDAY MARCH 11, 1984
Editorial
Don’t panic
The fear of chemicals, especially those
suspected of causing cancer, is something we will
have to live with for a long time to come. It must
not degenerate into hysteria.
Much has been accomplished in achieving
cleaner air and cleaner water as a result, in large
part, of concern about the effects of pollutants on
public health. The anti-smoking campaign, which
has convinced millions of Americans to stop
smoking, has been successful mainly because of
people’s fear of lung cancer.
In the recent scare over the carcinogen ethylene
dibromide (EDB), the fear has been kept from
becoming irresponsible. William Ruckelshaus,
administrator of the federal Environmental Pro-
tection Agency, has issued guidelines for EDB in
the food supply and suspended the use of EDB as a
fumigant for stored grain. Earlier the agency has
suspended the use of EDB as a soil treatment and
announced a phase-out by next fall of post-harvest
fruit and vegetable uses.
Some states have gone farther. Massachusetts,
in particular, decided to ban all food products
with 10 parts per billion or above. Ruckelshaus
would allow 900 parts per billion on raw grain, 150
parts per billion on baking mixes and other pro-
ducts that must be cooked before being eaten, and
30 parts per billion on ready-to-eat products, such
as bread.
EDB is a potent carcinogen, as shown by
laboratory tests on animals. But there is no direct
evidence of its effect on humans. We have been us-
ing it as a pesticide in this country since 1948, and
the residues have not caused any great increase in
the age-adjusted cancer rates, which have re-
mained stable or declined in the last 50 years (ex-
cept for lung cancer).
The Ruckelshaus order will effectively remove
EDB from the food chain in this country within
two or three years. That’s good. But in the mean-
time there is no reason to panic over odds so
minuscle that a person could eat muffins every
day for a year and still be more likely to win a
super jackpot in one play at Las Vegas than to
have ingested any EDB.
Go for gold
. • The <nd of the Winter Olympic Games in Sara-'
jevoreminds us that, five months hence, the 1984
Summer Games are to open in Los Angeles. And,
thanks to that city’s voters plus the talents of the
Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, the
v 1984 Summer Games may establish a precedent
that will sustain the Olympic movement for
decades to come.
We are talking about money, of course, and
specifically of the way in which the Summer
Games are being financed. Six years ago, the
voters of Los Angeles said, in effect, that they
wanted the Games held in their city but only if
most of the financing came from someone other
than the taxpayers.
The voters could hardly have been faulted for
their stricture. The city of Montreal had just run
up a billion-dollar deficit hosting the 1976 Summer
Games and no one wanted to risk a repeat of that
nightmare. Indeed, there were those who were
saying that the cost of staging the Games had
become so great as to threaten the very survival
of the Olympic movement.
Los Angeles’s answer was to adopt a combina-
tion of pay-as-you-go via gate receipts plus a
freewheeling approach to merchandising the
Olympics. Corporations would be offered the
chance to become official “sponsors” of the
Games. How? By purchasing a sponsorship,
which they could then use in their own advertis-
ing.
The results have been impressive, not to say
spectacular. More than $125 million has been rais-
ed through the sale of sponsorships, The previous
high for any private Olympic sponsorship pro-
gram: $10 million.
This aggressive marketing of the Summer
Games has offended purists who object to what
they see as a creeping commercialization of the
Olympic movement. But the Olympics have long
since become hopelessly “tajnted” by commer-
cial considerations.
So, if putting on a proper Olympiad costs a sum
equivalent to the annual budgets of some small
nations, why not try to shield the taxpayers by
tapping the private sector? The projected budget
for the summer games in Los Angeles is about
$500 million. Absent the money raised by the Los
Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and its
chaiman, Peter V. Ueberroth, the 1984 Summer
Games would be going somewhere other than
Southern California.
Reasonable estimates are that the games will
bring Southern California $3 billion in revenue and
68,000 temporary jobs, not to mention the once-in-
a-lifetime thrill of hosting the world’s most im-
pressive sports spectacular. If it takes tapping the
private sector to help make all this possible, we
certainly see no reason to object.
In fact, our guess is that private sector funding
is the only way to sustain the Olympic movement
on anything approaching its present scale. And in-
asmuch as the global audience for the games
seems to want just that, the financing methods
adopted in Los Angeles look more like a precedent
than a problem.
T-Wheeler
i
Can't afford to spend
By Alan Miller
We’re glad to see that the Congress is
finally trying to get a handle on the
huge federal deficit.
And they’re meeting it headon. Tax
Booze. Don’t cut the tax on cigarettes
as much as they said they would a cou-
ple of years ago. And keep the excise
tax on phone bills.
Now how’s that for some earth-
shaking recommendations?
The booze tax will be increased by
$2.50 a gallon we hear. If you comsume
a gallon a week of Old Overcoat that’s
going to put a nasty bite in your grocery
budget. On the other hand, if you don’t
drink at all, you’re sure thanking the
government for getting those drunks
and sinners right where it hurts.
Course since the government also
wants to raise the drinking age to 21 na-
tionwide, all you folks who do imbibe
are going to have to increase your in-
take, or this deficit reduction plan just
ain’t gonna work.
Now, about the cigarette tax. That
was raised a while back to find more
tax revenue. And as soon as we were
out of that little bind and balanced the
budget, the cigarette tax would be
reduced. Where have you heard that
little scenario before? Well, Congress
will reduce the tax, not as much as they
said they would, and that figures out to
a tax increase. Don’t ask the T-Wheeler
to explain that little bit of legerdemain.
Ask somebody on the Ways and Means
Committee of the House of Represen-
tatives. He thought it up.
There’s another problem to the
cigarette tax as a revenue producer.
And it all started out in California,
where most new legislation seems to
get its start. Remember Proposition 13,
the big property tax buster?
Anyway, if you live and work in San
Francisco, and you’re a smoker, you
may have to sneak outside to take a
puff. If anybody in your office or the
factory where you work doesn’t like
cigarette smoke, you’d better not light
up. Your employer gets fined, you get a
punch in the mouth, and your cigarettes
flushed down the john, and it’s all
perfectly legal. Some firms are giving
smoking employees smokeless
ashtrays, some have painted lines on
the floor to indicate where smoking is
permitted, and some have banned it
altogether. So assume that the folks in
Dime box or Dallas decide they don’t
want any smokers around, there ain’t
going to ba all those federal taxes to
pay either.
On the other hand there may be a lot
of coffee cans under everyone's desk or
placed somewhere where you can put
your foot in it. Cause the snuff dippers
and plug chewers are going to know
that’s a sure fire way to keep the
nicotine intake up to tolerable levels.
Not to mention the danger your’re in
when someone passes you on the
freeway and decides to let fly. Some
guys are nice enought to display
bumper stickers warning you of the
danger, but it’s those Sneaky Petes’ you
have to worry about.
The tax folks in Washington say the
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‘SHAA-
booze and cigarette taxes are only a
starter.
That excise tax on telephone service
has been there for so long that most of
us can’t remember why it was authoriz-
ed in the first place. Probably had
something to do with bringing the boys
from France after World War One.
Needless to say, your phone bill is going
up a bunch right now anyway, and the
government isn’t going to help bring it
down.
The other tax increases are coming at
the expense of “rich folks.” Not it’s
always handy to raise Ned with the rich
folks and how they’re ducking paying
their fair share of taxes.
But we’ve noticed something else in
this regard. Almost without exception
those talking about soaking the rich are
talking about somebody who makes
more money than they do, and they are
probably saying the same thing today
that they were screaming about the
people who made $10,000 a year 20
years ago. Or to put it another way, we
seem to get a feeling that anyone who
makes $20,000 a year is somehow rich
and ought to be soaked. So much for
elemental economics. The government
will find a way to tax it if you ever get
your hands on it. There are enough
federal forms keeping track of where
all our money comes from. Bankers to-
day spend more time reporting you and
me to the government than they do tell-
ing us we can’t have a loan to buy a new
fertilizer spreader.
The bottom line of all this tax and
deficit talk in the White House is that
we can’t afford to spend. Congress says
we can spend and spend, and we’ll in-
crease taxes to prove it.
So booze, cigarettes, telephones and
the rich are in the spotlight now, and
imbibers, inhalers and bank accounts
are going to get it in the neck.
And since that’s almost all of us, all
things come out pretty equal. The
Californians probably get it a little
worse than the rest of us.
There are more rich folks out there.
They drink more per capita than any
other place in the country. And being
Californians, they’ll find a way to con-
tinue smoking up a storm.
We’ll keep you posted on how we’re
going to continue to cut taxes. You can
read about the spending increases on
your own time.
East Texas Politics
Timber companies may look to Johnson
By PAUL FORTNEY
Enterprise staff
LIVINGSTON - The major
beneficiary of the compromise between
Charles Wilson and John Bryant on
Wilderness areas in East Texas may
well be Jerry Johnson of Nacogdoches.
Wilson was still telling his timber in-
dustry supporters one week before the
compromise was reached he didn’t ex-
pect any action on the bills this year.
And, he made the agreement with
Bryan apparently without consulting
with anyone in the East Texas timber
industry. All of the industry people I
contacted had been notified of the deal
by telephone after it was reached.
The compromise was reached just as
the Texas Forestry Association was
gearing up for a major media cam-
paign to support Wilson’s initial pro-
posal of 9,000 acres of Wilderness in
East Texas.
As one small sawmill operator put it,
“I feel like Charley has stuck a shiv in
my back.”
Small mill operators, who have no
timberlands of their own, are more con-
cerned about taking parts of the na-
Letters to the editor
Right to life only for people?
To the editor:
I am writing in hopes of bringing
some thought to a growing problem
here in Livingston and Polk County.
Not intending to point the finger or
look for a scape goat to bear the blame,
I am more concerned with the cure.
The number of pets, cats and dogs ly-
ing slaughtered upon the sides of our
highways is a disgrace to people who
ought to care.
The nights one cannot sleep due to
prowling, barking dogs running loose
throughout the neighborhood are more
numerous every year.
I don’t really believe that folks just
simply abandon their pets for enjoy-
ment - there are many different cir-
cumstances such as economics, rental
rules or simply no place to take them to.
However, just because a thing is not
right or ethical doesn’t change matters
much either way. The problem is grow-
ing worse and a cure is needed in the
most urgent way.
Mankind is, after all, the higher form
of life, having dominion over all crea-
tion, so as ordained oy Lod. It would
seem we could do better.
A solution for us could be in the form
of a non-profit organization designed to
care for and place unwanted pets,
where one, seeing they can no longer
care for their pet, can leave their pet
with at least the satisfaction that it is
not roaming free to be hurt or killed or
even starved, and just maybe find a
new home.
Surely there are enough willing peo-
ple in this part of Texas who care
enough for man’s best friend, that we
can do something.
The dog catcher is not the answer.
It’s people who care and are willing to
get involved who make the difference.
1 welcome anyone with any construc-
tive ideas to call me at 327-4504. Your
help and thoughts will be appreciated.
My 3-year-old grandson just can’t
understand why folks like to run over
dogs on the highway. Does the right to
life apply only to people?
Rev. J.F. Parker
118 Jasmine
Livingston
Citizens should be proud of firemen
To the editor:
We wish to express our deepest ap-
preciation to the Livingston Volunteer
Fire Department for their very prompt
and efficient handling of the fire which
virtually destroyed our home on Feb.
23.
They not only showed compassion for
our safety, they went about their work
In a highly-trained manner. We par-
ticularly are grateful to Mr. Guy
Rasberry, a’ member of the depart-
ment, who fortunately spotted the
flames and radioed his cohorts even
before a telephone message could get
through.
We are also greatly indebted to the
people of Hardwood Hills subdivision
and the surrounding neighborhood for
their moral support and their very real
concern about our plight.
We would also like to thank Corky
Cochran and his paramedics for com-
ing to a neighbor’s home where we had
found shelter and checking and caring
for those of us who had so narrowly
escaped.
Livingston can be justifiably proud of
its excellent fire department and the
brave men who operate it.
Mary Francis Dameron
Francie and Red Barker
P.O. Box 512
Livingston
tional forests out of production because
they rely more heavily on them for
timber supplies.
The timber people were not mollified
by Wilson’s contention the hill would
contain “release” language to place the
rest of the national forests in Texas in
multiple use management and end the
constant haggling with environmen-
talist groups and lawsuits over
wilderness areas.
However, Bryant’s office said the on-
ly release they will agree to will have a
time limitation probably until the next
forest service master plan Is developed
in about five years.
John Sieberling (D-New Jersey),
chairman of the Parks and Public
Lands Subcommittee which will handle
the legislation, has always opposed
release language and no wilderness bill
containing release language has ever
gotten out of subcommittee.
The proposal (supported by Wilson)
to increase the payment from the forest
service to counties and school districts
from 25 percent to 50 percent is given
virtually no chance of passage because
of its impact on the federal treasury.
What it boils down to is the timber in-
dustry, while they probably won’t open-
ly oppose Wilson or endorse Johnson,
may decide to remain neutral.
One major company is already con-
sidering the possibility of having its
Political Action Committee contribute
to both men while favoring Johnson.
And one independent sawmill
operator who is a leader in the TFA’S
Wilderness Task Force has initiated
contacts with the Johnson campaign.
Johnson’s stand on wilderness makes
him the logical choice of timber com-
panies looking for an alternative.
POLK COUNTY
ENTERPRISE
ALVIN HOLLEY, PUBLISHER
Entered as Second-Class Matter at the Post Office at Livingston,
Texas 77351 under the Act of Congress of March 3,1897.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Barbara White, Editor
Grace Holman, Family Editor
Beatrice Hall, Special Correspondent
Van Thomas, Sports Editor
Greg Peak, Area News Editor
Don Hendrix, Special Sections Editor
Linda Farber, Darkroom Technician
Paul Fortney, Reporter
PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT
Pressroom Personnel
Mike Sims, Production Supervisor,
Adrian Dunn, Paul Holley,
Beamon Goodwin, Ricky Taylor
Composition Personnel
Dorothy Wilson, Composition Supervisor
Debbie Gay, Eve Bowen, Valerie Lenox, Sharon Threadgall
CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT
Felicia Fiscal, Emma Robles
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT
Linda Dickerson, Ad Manager
Linda Jacobs, Carrolyn Vaughn,
Mary Jo Watson, Patty Hankard
BOOKKEEPING DEPARTMENT
Sue Holley, Manager
Diane Holley
SUBSCRIPTION RATES - $13.00 per year, In county, $14.50 per year,
out of county. $15.50 per year, out of state. Published semi-weekly,
Sunday and Thursday at 506 Tyler St. In Livingston, Texas by the Polk
County Publishing Co.
Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or reputation
of any person, firm or corporation which may. appear la this
newspaper will be gladly corrected upon being brought to the attention
of the publisher.
Opinions expressed in columns are those of the writer and not
necessarily those ofiKls newspaper.
Opinions expressed In editorials are those of the Enterprise.
Postmaster: Please send form 3579 to P.O. Box 1276, Livingston,
Texas 77351.
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 21, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 11, 1984, newspaper, March 11, 1984; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth811010/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.