Hondo Anvil Herald (Hondo, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 9, 1993 Page: 4 of 20
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Hondo Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Hondo Public Library.
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Page 4, The Hondo Anvil Herald, Thursday, December 9, 1993
\
THE FIRST AMENDMENT
Congress shall make no law re-
specting an establishment of re-
ligion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging
the freedom of speech, or of the
press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.
CRUiSinS ON A 1,000 CllANNtL MoRFUTioU SUPER RAHWAY
HAN PROVES he is DEFINED g>Y UlS EXISTENCE...
A/^/5^V.c6.
Fiscal hypocrisy
Dear Editor: prevent juvenile delinquency.
I see by the paper that the Medina Someone needs to expose this hy-
County Commissioners Court, that pocrisy. Folks whocontcnd to be such
great bastion of fiscal conservatism, guardians of die public treasury don't
is rushing to spend $17,000 before flinch when getting $700 a month in
December 31, and is justifying the car allowance,
purchase of a two-way radio system Jim Ferguson
and another computer as necessary to I iondo
Hondo: duplicitous and basically hostile
Dear Editor
Last week's paper contained a letter
from somebody called "Concerned
Hondo Merchants." The gist of the
letter was to implore your readers to
"Buy Hondo; don't buy San Antonio."
The same issue had a page 1 story on
Hondo's needs to "recruit additional
apartment construction in the city."
Oh, Hondo! Are you really so du-
plicitous? You want to keep what
you've got away from the folks in the
big bad city, but you want the big city
folks to come up with construction
money for your growth?
As someone who lives in San Anto-
nio and has already invested in the
"Hondo apartment industry," I would
like to see more honesty than we are
seeing today. I can't let the propa-
ganda go unchallenged, uncorrected.
There was the time I tried to "buy
Hondo” and got put off by a Hondo
merchant. When I asked why my
order had been delayed, I got told that
"someone I have known for 20 years
has a job which came up." So Hondo,
which way do you want it? Do you
want outside investment or do your
want to take care of your own first?
Then there was last year when I
considered expanding. I inquired
about zoning limitations on my apart-
ment complex, to see if an add-on was
feasible. Since my apartments arc in a
rcsidcntail neighborhood (and where
else should they be?), I was told I
cannot build apartments. Oh, they
said I can beg with the City Fathers,
who make these decisions on a "case
by case” basis, but if I want to make a
business decision on my own about
my own business, I can just forget
that. So this is the business climate
which you want outsiders to invest
in? There is a basic hostility here.
Some may remember me as the
licensed contractor (from outside, I
know, I know) who delivered the
lowest and best bid on a county con-
struction job last year about this time.
In the end, they made a decision to
hire someone "we all know."
So, in the four years I have owned
and operated a business in Hondo, I
have learned her people and their
ways. 1 made it my business to do that.
I accept Hondo and I am proud of
being "Pro-Hondo." Everybody likes
to help people who want to help them-
selves. Many Hondoans fit that bill.
Unfortunately, every town has people
who want something for nothing.
Hondo is no different.
When your letter-writers are bash-
ing San Antonio and preaching isola-
tionism, and I know that I LIVE IN
SAN ANTONIO AND THAT 1 AM
NOT THE ENEMY, it makes me sad
and angry. I am sad about some of the
unfortunate business experiences
which I have had here, but my anger
is because Hondo won’t face herself,
which is what is going to have to
happen for the city to "grow up." And,
who is going to point this out from
within Hondo?
Outside investors and potential
businesses arc watching you, Hondo.
We sec the fear of outsiders and,
among ourselves, call it what it is:
puny thinking.
In the end, it isn't San Antonio
which Hondo has to fear. And it isn't
San Antonio which is going to pro-
vide what Hondo needs. Since there is
no free lunch in Hondo or San Anto-
nio, why don't the "Concerned Hondo
Merchants" quit belly-aching and
start working harder and smarter?
Maybe we could all get back to work-
ing for what we want!
It is possible that next week, we
will read somebody's "answer" to my
"complaint." Just remember, while
you arc reading all of the reasons why
Hondo is perfectly right and totally
good, that no person and no city gets
to grow wilhoulgrowing pains. These
pains all come from inside Hondo and
belong to Hondo; it isn't anyone's
fault. Growth will come when you
local merchants start to stretch their
own reality instead of looking out-
ward toward neighboring towns with
a blameful attitude.
David Morris
San Antonio
WEEKLY REPORT
Henry Bonilla
Congressman, 23rd District, Texas
The first steps in the fight against crime
This year, Congress placed a great
deal of focus on gun control as a
"solution" to the crime problem.
Now we all know that a lot needs to
be done to combat crime. It's a sad
fact that the social, moral and ethical
fabric that makes us Americans
needs a bit of repair. This is at the root
of our crime problem, and it's going
to take more than simply passing
laws to tackle it. However, when
your elected officials move to fight
crime, they should be concentrating
on criminals, not the rights of citi-
zens, and they should be doing things
that will work. If we're servious
about fighting crime, then let's talk
about a real solution. Part of the that
solution includes:
Keeping criminals in jail - Amer-
ica has more violent crimes per cap-
ita than any other developed nation.
However, violcntcriminalsarcbcing
released after serving a little more
than one-third of their sentence. The
Department of Justice says the
average sentence for violent offend-
ers is about eight years, but offenders
usually serve less than three years.
Repeat criminals cause most crimes.
Making them serve their full sen-
tence will help reduce our crime rale.
If it means building more prisons to
make our streets safer, then we
should doit. Military bases slated for
closure could be converted to pris-
ons. In addition, I plan to introduce
legislation to house convicts in tents
if the jails get too crowded.
Helping the police - More police
on the streets arc a deterrent to crime.
Unfortunately many local govern-
ments don't have the money to hire
more police. A bill before Congress
will allow off-duty and retired police
officers to carry firearms. This train-
ed reserve force can help protect our
neighborhoods, families and homes.
Setting mandatory minimum
sentences - If a person is prepared to
commit a crime, they better be ready
to do the time. I have co-sponsored
the LIFER bill which provides for an
automatic life sentence for third-lime
violent offenders. One, two, three
strikes and you're out.
Death penalty - Expanding and
enforcing the death penalty so that it
applies to murders connected to drug
deals, rape and child molestation.
It's lime to gel serious about fight-
ing crime. By enacting the above, we
can attack crime without infringing
on anyone's rights. Congress needs to
remember that our system of justice
should work for the law-abiding citi-
zens, not the criminals.
HONDO ANVIL HERALD
Publixhcd every Thursday ai 1601 Avc. K, Hondo, Medina Coumy, Tcxn
by Associated Texas Newspapers. Inc.
l-nlercd at the Post Offioe, I Iondo, TX as Second Class Mail
SUBSCRIPTION RATI-S:
In Medina Co. - S15 per year, In Texas - $20 per year. Out of Texas - $25 per year
ISSN 249-280
William I:. Berger and Jeff Berger, Co-Publishers
Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or reputation of any person, firm or corporation
which may appear in the Anvil lltrald will be corrected upon being brought to the attention of the
publishers.
i ■
No charge is made for publications of notices of church or other public gatherings where no admission is
charged. When admission is charged or when goods or wares of any kind arc offered for sale, the Anvil
Heralds special advertising rates wiU apply.
POSTMASTliK: Send address changes to The lloado Anvil Herald » O Box 400, Hondo TX 78861.
Telephone: (21014”*' , .u
ft.
By Bill Berger
SPARKS
Pearl Harbor Day has come and gone this week, and perhaps fifty-
two years is long enough not to keep on writing long dissertations about
it each year.
Somehow, every time I sec Mitsubishi, Toyota, Nissan and similar
names proudly displayed on the back of a pickup truck, Pearl Harbor
Day comes back in my mind.
Wouldn’t it be nice if our government thought as much of our own
farmers and workers as it seems to do for our former enemies?
##
Did you see that the military leader Aidid in Somalia has suddenly
transformed himself? A few weeks ago, his troops shot down our
helicopters, and dragged the dead body of one of our soldiers through
the streets of Mogadishu.
We offered a bounty for him, but no one could find him except
television cameramen and reporters for big time U.S. media.
Now we supply a military airplane to fly him to Ethiopia so he can
meet with other African leaders.
How do you explain that to troops facing danger in Somalia? Do you
suppose that our former president Roosevelt would have hauled
Hirohito to Berlin, so he could confer with Hitler?
Answers to last week's Sparks quiz.
1. Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; Red sky in morning, sailors take
warning.
2. All that glitters is not gold.
3. Two's company, three's a crowd.
4. Clcanincss is next to godliness.
5. The early bird catches the worm.
6. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
7. Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.
8. Folks who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
9. Haste makes waste.
10. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
11. Don't cry over spilled milk.
12. Rolling stones gather no moss.
13. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
14. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
15. Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread.
(Approximate wording - some versions may differ slightly, but if they
come close to the same idea, they would be OK.)
###
We had six correct entries to the quiz from last week, which involved
translation from govemment-speak into the well-known phrases
above. We didn't know if anyone would get them all, but Medina
County folks are more intelligent than the average American.
The first correct entry came from Hondo City Councilman Greg
Baldasarri, and wc will award him with a one-year gift subscription,
which he may send to anyone he chooses.
The other five "runners-up," including Jerry House of Hondo, Billie
Ann Burrell (she can compete, since she hasn't worked here for acouple
of years) of D’Hanis, Rodney Wheeler, Elva Krenmueller, and Esther
Johnson, all of Hondo, will receive six-month gift subscriptions.
CAPITOL
COMMENT
U.S. SENATOR
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON
Stop awarding Pell Grants
to undeserving criminals
ix years ago, a police officer and bis wife living in Colebrookdale, Pa.
adopted a 15-year-old daughter. But with their late start, Dana and
W-J Amanda Dotterer weren't able to save adequately for college expenses.
Under current law, since the Dotterers have a combined annual income
of $46,000, their daughter can't qualify for a federal education stipend known
as a Pell Grant. So they borrow to pay tuition, and their daughter lives at home
and commutes to the local Penn State campus to save on room and board
expenses. The borrowing strains the Dotterer's family budget, but. like
millions of American parents, they are sacrificing in order to give their
daughter the best possible start in life.
Patrolman Dotterer was outraged recently when he learned the criminals
he puts behind bars can get the Pell Grant that his daughter can't. While the
Dotterers and other parents struggle to pay for their childrens' college
educations, some of their hard-earned tax dollars are being used to give free
educations to convicts.
Last year, even after Congress boosted funding and reduced the maxi-
mum grant amount, more than 1 million income-eligible applicants were
denied Pell Grants. This number doesn't include millions more who, like the
Dotterer's daughter, weren't eligible because family income exceeded pro-
gram limits by a few thousand dollars.
Pell Grants are intended to help students from families of modest means:
95 percent of Pell Grant recipients have family annual incomes of less than
$30,000, and 70 percent have yearly incomes less than $15,000.
But Pell Grant funding for prisoners has exploded recently, from about;
$1 million in 1980 to the estimated $200 million last year. This $200 million!
could have provided education assistance to more than 100,000 additional;
law-abiding students. Pell Grants are awarded on a needs basis, and because
convicts have no income, they go directly to the front of the line.
A recent series of articles in the Pottstown (Pa.) Mercury depicted a huge
anay of Pell Grant abuses and outrages. Scores of trade and technical schools!
have sprung up with curricula aimed directly at prison inmates with Pell
Grants. Some schools inflate tuitions so prisoners collect maximum Pell
awards. Until belated reforms last year, some schools applied for and;
received Pell funds for prisoners' living expenses -- which were, of course,!
already being paid by correctional institutions.
The Pennsylvania newspaper series also described a number of particu-;
larly brutal murders of college students (while working at their summer jobs).!
Their killers - "summa cum laude murderers” - were subsequently convicted!
and earned college degrees, thanks to Pell Grants, while behind bars.
As a recent Texas newspaper editorial stated, "The bottom line is that the
honest and the hard-working are being elbowed out of the way by the
criminals. This blatant misuse of the grants needs to be stopped."
I agree, and that is why I offered a Senate anti-crime bill amendment to!
prohibit the U.S. Department of Education from awarding Pell Grants to
anyone behind bars. I was pleased that my amendment was subsequently j
incorporated into the Senate version of the anti-crime legislation. Now it falls ;
to a House-Senate conference committee to negotiate differences between the
two chambers' bills. I am very hopeful the measure will be accepted by the !
House of Representatives and will be included in the final bill.
Putting an end to these practices is not a matter of turning our backs on j
those who want to pay their debts to society and rehabilitate themselves. The j
federal government spends some $100 million now for this purpose, and states j
add to that. Instead, it's an issue of preserving opportunities for young people !
who have worked and studied to have an opportunity to go to college. It is also j
a matter of standing up for those who, like the Dotterers, make sacrifices so their
children will have a better education than they were able to have.
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Hondo Anvil Herald (Hondo, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 9, 1993, newspaper, December 9, 1993; Hondo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth817801/m1/4/?q=music: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hondo Public Library.