Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 70, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 31, 1989 Page: 4 of 54
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THURSDAY .UST3I. 1989
Letters to the editor
JP office figures incomparable
To the editor:
On Aug. 21 at commissioners’
court I presented some figures on
total revenue turned in by the
justice of the peace office,
Precinct 3, while pointing out
some reasons for rehiring JP 3
Secretary Belinda Rner, who was
fired by commissioners’ court
during the tax rollback cuts.
Other reasons were also pointed
out such as her seniority, her effi-
ciency and knowledge of her
work.
On Aug. 26, last Saturday mor-
ning, about 9:25, Bubba Haley in-
terviewed County Judge Wayne
Baker on KETX radio, who ex-
plained action being taken and
already taken following the tax
rollback vote.
Near the end of the interview
Judge Baker mentioned that 1
had provided some figures on the
revenue generated by JP3, which
revealed JP 3 had the highest
reported. He said I was wrong,
that he had the figures to prove it.
The figures he gave were for a
period of time this year, 1989,
showing JP 3 with $80,275, follow-
ing JP 2, which had $98,368. 1
don't argue with or question those
figures of 1989 because I did not
check them for this year. On Aug.
21,1 never even mentioned 1989 1
gave figures for a period of two
years, 1987 and 1988, which 1
believed to be more revealing
since 1989 Jias not yet ended. And
my figures were for TOTAL
REVENUE. Judge Baker’s
figur es may have induded “fine
money" only.
The tape recording of my con-
versation before commissioners’
court on Aug. 21, which also can
be checked on the KETX-TV
tape, reveals the following quotes
from the pertinent portion of my
tape.
•JP 3 in 1987 and 1988, for a
two-year period, JP 3 turned in
$344,851. Next highest was Judge
Gerard, $344,000. Nearly the
same. Judge Lilly and Placker
were much less.”
I was amazed to hear Judge
Baker sayipg on the broadcast
that my figures were wrong
because they are not. His figures
probably are correct, also;
however, our two sets of figures
have absolutely no relationship to
each other either in time or
category.
I called KETX within minutes
following the broadcast to re-
quest a correct version be broad-
cast. The announcer who
answered said both the judge and
Bubba had left; therefore this let-
ter is my alternate method of
calling public attention to Judge
Baker’s inaccurate accusation.
W.O. “Zero” Lewis
Corrigan West 5
Corrigan
USD teachers deserve better
To the editor:
To the USD school board and
administration:
Please be as fair to USD
teachers as you are the athletes.
They know in advance what the
rules of the game will be. Should
not the teachers be shown this
much courtesy? 1 was dismayed
when I read the article, in the
Enterprise, and I quote Mr. Cur-
tis Kimbro, “We won’t know who
qualifies until May or June, after
the appraisals, then we’ll have to
decide whether we want to chip in
local funds or cut people off
ithrough stricter criteria).”
Teachers have a very difficult
job, at best, but to put them under
this additional pressure is
another way of saying you place
very little value on them and the
job they do.
JewellPowell
P.O. Box 571
Livingston
Secrecy protects
EDITOR AL
THE POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE
PAGE4A
State Capital Highlights
Session may set tone
By LYNDELL WILLIAMS
Texas Press Association
AUSTIN - Gov. Bill Clements told
lawmakers to convene on Nov. 14 for
a second special session on workers’
compensation insurance which may
well set the tone for the 1990 political
campaigns.
In other Capitol events last week;
•The head of Public Finance
Authority said Texas is deeper in
debt because state agencies are bor-
rowing money they don’t need and
can’t use.
•Attorney General Jim Mattox
warned former Govs. Mark White
and Dolph Briscoe not to enter the
Democrat gubernatorial primary.
•Several current and former state
lgislators signaled they may enter
the Nov. 7 special election of a suc-
cessor to the late Congressman
Mickey Leland.
Session showdown
The special session may well pro-
duce a showdown between the
state’s two most powerful officials,
Clements and Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby.
SUPPORTING THE
CONTRP6005T
TW0U5AND6 OF
Or maybe a compromise ham-
mered out in the interim will sail
through quickly, allowing
lawmakers to return home before
Thanksgiving.
Up to now, the workers’ compen-
sation issue has been largely an
issue pitting pro-business forces
against trial lawyers and labor
unions.
But if the confrontation scenario
prevails, the issue could well be
Republican vs. Democrat come
November.
Although both Clements and Hob-
by are “lame ducks,” the results of
the session, which concludes just
weeks before spring primary elec-
tions, will doubtless signal momen-
tum for those campaigns.
Clements staunchly defends the
pro-business position, and will pro-
bably veto any bill he thinks a short-
fall.
In previous considerations, Hob-
by, a Democrat, championed keep-
ing jury trials, favored by trial
lawyers and unions.
Last week, Hobby wrapped his
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arms tightly around the ball, pro-
mising to introduce legislation he
called his solution to the workers’
comp issue.
It could be the compromise or the
confrontation, but if Hobby is carry-
ing the ball, no power short of a veto
can stop him in the Texas
Legislature.
“A1 Capone law”
Starting Sept. 1, a new state tax on
illegal drugs - marijuana, cocaine,
heroin, etc. - will become the latest
law enforcement weapon against
drug dealers.
Under the law, a new tax stamp
must be placed on marijuana and
other drugs. The stamp depicts
drugs as poisonous.
Naturally, drug dealers are ex-
pected to avoid paying this expen-
sive tax, because it would blow their
cover. But by such avoidance, they
set themselves up for tax evasion
prosecution.
Legislators call it the “A1 Capone
law,” because the law’s sponsor,
Rep. Billy Clements, persuaded
fellow lawmakers that Al Capone
was convicted, not for bootlegging,
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but for tax evasion.
Drug dealers and users arrested
with illegal drugs will be liable for *
taxes, late penalties and interest, as •
well as prosecution for tax fraud.
The taxes are high: about $1,624 •
per pound of marijuana and $00,720 *
per pound of other controlled -
substances.
Enforcement of this tax collection
will doubtless be an issue in next
year’s campaign for comptroller.
Leland’s successor
In the special election to elect a
successor to Congressman Mickey _
Leland, some leaders of Houston’s *
blade community had hoped to avoid
a blood bath.
But with several current and
former state legislators eyeing the
race, the collision may not be>
avoidable. The Houston district, .-
which contains the rough Fifth
Ward, is 40 percent black, 30 percent
Hispanic. The seat has been regard-
ed as a black seat, having been pass-
ed to Leland from Barbara Jordan.
But some fear that if too many
black candidates split their bloc, the
inevitable run-off could pit a white
Republican against an Hispanic
Democrat.
Mattox, White, Briscoe
Mattox, an unannounced can-
didate for governor, reminded
Briscoe that voters decided in 1978
that he should not be in office, and
warned White there is no “great de-
mand” for his comeback.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for
Treasurer Ann Richards said she
welcomes all comers, but lumps
Brisco, White and Mattox into “the
kind of people who got us in the mess
we are in now.”
Bonded debt
Harry Whittington, chairman of
the Public Finance Authority, said
state agencies are seeking too many
bond issues to borrow money they
don’t need.
“We went from no-deficit spen-
ding in this state, to a lot of deficit
spending, to borrowing money they
don’t need,” he said.
He particularly cited state agen-
cies for failing to monitor and carry
out construction projects.
T- Wheeler
Even as you read this, officials somewhere in
the depths of the federal government may be sell-
ing this country’s interests down the river.
THey might be taking bribes and peddling in-
fluence. Or, like Ollie North, they might be
misguided patriots conducting their own foreign
policy from the secrecy of the White House base-
ment.
If we lived in a perfect world, the higher-up
would ferret out the wrongdoing, announce it at a
press conference and mend their errant ways.
Sometimes they do.
Unfortunately, as the Watergate and Iran-
Contra scandals demonstrated, government of-
ficials are less than candid when the mischief is
politically embarrassing to an incumbent presi-
dent. *
Enter the whistle-blowers, government
employees outraged enought by the shenanigans
to tip off the media. Inside the Beltway, the press
would hve a much tougher time investigating
government abuse if it weren’t for these concern-
ed citizens.
They deserve public-service awards. Apparent-
ly, the U.S. Justice Department would rather
throw them in jail. Deputy Assistant Attorney
General John Keeney informed Congress recently
that the Justice Department would resume pro-
secuting government employees who leak infor-
mation about its criminal investigations.
The department’s officials offer some high-
minded reasons, such as protecting individuals
from damaging smears. That sounds good. But
consider what else this policy would do.
Its vagueness would allow the Justice Depart-
ment to prosecute the whistle-blowers selectively.
That’s almost certain to lead to politically
motivated witch hunts for those who made
somebody important look bad. Meanwhile, other
high-ranking officials could go right on whisper-
ing to reporters when it suited their purposes.
The news media alos might find itself under the
pressure to reveal sources if the Justice Depart-
ment starts pressing criminal charges against the
whistle-blowers. Keeping those sources confiden-
tial is vital to thorough news gathering, especially
in the nation’s capital.
Governmental misdeeds, left unchecked for
years, can wind up costing the taxpayers billions
of dollars. Huge losses in the underregulated sav-
ings and loan industry and the scandal at the U.S.
Housing and Urban Development Department
prove the point.
We simply can’t afford to muzzle the whistle-
blowers and the media watchdogs.
Voyager probe trip amazing
By ALAN MILLER
Wasn’t that an amazing bit of
television this past week as we
“saw" space probe Voyager 2 zip
past Neptune?
It’s hard to imagine receiving op-
tical images from 2,700,000,000 miles
away.
So far out in space that it took four
and a half minutes for each photo to
reach Earth. Each photo really a se-
quence of computer generated ones
and zeros that identified shades of
black and white.
Then through some technical
miracle that we don’t even begin to
grasp, those black and white impres-
sions are converted to living color
right before our eyes.
Imagine what a thrill it must be in
the astrology field for scientists to
see up close what was formerly a
bright dot in their telescope lenses.
Seeing moons that they never knew
existed. Planetary rings of dust that
had never been visible before.
Even a chance to better unders-
tand the origins of the solar system.
A little bit of evidence gathered
from so many miles that helps us
understand the cosmos a little bit
better.
Really a window of opportunity
that can’t occur again for decades,
until the planets are again in a con-
figuration that permits carom type
flybys.
And from what we read, the whole
Voyager program was reluctantly
approved by a Congress who felt it
was too expensive and of dubious
scientific value.
But early last Thursday morning,
Voyager 2 passed by Neptune and its
moon, Triton, and headed into deep
space, its camera eye closed.
The scientists tell us the atomic
engine that drove the probe on its
long odyssey could be sending us bits
of information for as long as twenty-
five years before it too falls silent.
Course there won’t be much to
report. The nearest star systems are
light years away. Where stellar
distances make Neptune just a step
away from Earth.
Voyager was no Cadillac either.
Her computers were vintage
1960’s technology. Not as com-
plicated as the computer system
that is installed in most new cars.
It was utilizing a backup com-
munication system. The primary
had malfunctioned years ago.
The one ton probe was supposed to
have “died” a decade ago, and there
was no expectation it would continue
to function, photograph and report
for twelve long years.
We think we heard one of the com-
mentators correctly the other even-
ing. He said scientists reported it ar-
rived four and a half minutes late for
its rendezvous with Neptune. That’s
four and a half minutes out of 12
years.
And it was just 21 miles off target
after a flight of four billion miles.
Mind boggling!
Scientists are pretty sure Voyager
2 was pretty battered by space
debris in her years of journey. They
completely reprogrammed her com-
puters to get around glitches that oc-
curred. Even flew her backwards
through the planet rings to try to
protect the lenses that sent back
those spectacular views.
Voyager’s epic flight was an entire
career for many of the scientists at-
tached to the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration’s Jet Pro-
pulsion Laboratory.
Some had been on board for the
earlier probe of Venus and Mars, but
Neptune must have been a special
thrill.
■
Imagine seeing lightning 10,000
times more powerful than anything
ever seen on Earth, Cyclonic storms
that could swallow Earth, and are so
vast in, size.
The two Voyagers even found 10
more moons in the solar system, and
identified rings around planets that
were thought to have none.
Truly an achievement that will be
more than an incidental footnote in
future scientific journals.
American technology really done
good this time.
Hopefully some intelligence out
there in the cosmos will intercept
Voyager in some future millennium,
and translate the etched in gold
messages attached to the body of the
probe.
Doesn’t that kind of raise the
goose bumps of your mind.
Voyager’s discoveries do make it
a little more plausible that perhaps
there are other intelligences out
there.
But then Ray Bradbury and other
science fiction writers can better
speculate on that.
POLK COUNTY
ENTERPRISE
ALVIN HOLLEY, PUBLISHER
Telephone Number 327-4357
USPS 437-340
Entered as Second-Class Matter at the Post Office at Livingston, Texas
77351 under the Act of Congress of March 3,1987.
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 70, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 31, 1989, newspaper, August 31, 1989; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth811110/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.