Hondo Anvil Herald (Hondo, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 7, 1988 Page: 4 of 24
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Pag* 4, Th# Hondo AnvN Hwold. Thuroday, July 7.1M8
Radio, television and the daily papers have been filled the
past few days with the story of an Iranian airliner shot down by the
U.S. Navy.
All the protests coming out of Teheran would sound more
convincing if we did not know that the Ayatollah has been drafting
young boys and sending them out in front of his army to clear the
mine fields. The children are promised an instant trip to Allah when
they die for the glory of their country. It would sound better if we
did not know that they ignore every bit of protocol and diplomatic
courtesy by taking hostages and holding them, and by encouraging
others of their ilk to do the same, even to hijacking airplanes and
killing Americans and Jews.
It would sound better if we did not know that they
encouraged those who were involved in blowing up the'U.S. Marine
Corps barracks, killing hundreds of our service men. It would sound
better if we didn’t know that they were actually firing at our vessels
and helicopters at the time this airiiner took off and flew right through
the battle zone.
It would be better if we could have seen more than a radar
blip, but we delayed firing about a year ago and had 37 sailors killed
when an airplane in that war zone turned loose a missle.
The maniacs who make up the Iranian government are not
above creating an incident. The pilot of the plane could have had a
kamikaze attack in mind. He could have been flying with a pistol at
his head. He ignored the warnings, which were heard by an Italian
ship, and was headed directly toward the cruiser and according to our
Navy, beginning a descent
Strangely enough, the Iranian news service had access to a
TV camera out in the gulf when the plane crashed. Were they
expecting it?
When a ship is under attack, and finds an aircraft on the
radar heading toward it-and not responding to any kind of radio
waming--the skipper is duty bound to fire in self defense.
Sadly, a lot of civilians were killed. Our cpuntry has
apologized, but there is still aefqybt in my mind as to whether the
Iranians tried to have this plane shot down, in an effort to sway
world opinion. They have wasted many thousands of other lives and
gotten less attention, and the war with Iraq was not going in their
favor.
Captain Will Rogers of the USS Vincennes did his duty,
and, even if an error was made, he should not be criticized by his
countrymen, and especially not by congressmen and candidates.
The Old
Philosopher
Dear editor
A Congressman has complained
that his $89,300 salary is too small
and explains why: "It just costs a
lot for a Congressman to live in
Washington,” he said.
That’s true. But has he
considered it costs the rest of the
country a lot for him and his fellow
Congressman to be living there?
The Congressman suggested that
all members be allowed to set their
own salary. Let each figure how
much he’s worth.
Hey, that’s a great idea, I said.
But how are some of them going to
live on the minimum wage of
$3.35 an hour?
Then I read futher. The proposal
was to set your salary somewhere
between $89,500 and $135,000.
Oh.
Shifting to another country, over
in Russia Mr. Gorbachev has
suggested that Soviet farmers ought
to make a reasonable return on their
work.
Good idea. It ought to be tried in
this country.
Mr. Gorbachev made his farm
suggestion in a speech that ran for
three and a half hours. If it came
near the tail end, very few Russians
heard it Most of them had long
since fallen asleep.
It’s hard to size up the Russians
these days. Recently they staged a
televised beauty contest, bathing
suits and all. Or less. And in one
televised shot of a crowd, I saw a
youngster drinking a diet soft drink
and chewing gum.
Yours faithfully,
J.A.
Where to Contact
Your Representatives
U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen
240 Russell Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
UJS. Senator Phil Gramm
Russell Office Building
Washington, DO. 20510
Cong. Albert Bustamante
1 lid Longworth Home Office Bldg.
Washington, D& 20515
Washington ~ (202) 2254511
San Antonio office ~ (512) 229-6191
* , f , •
State Senator BUI Sims
P.O. Box lJjjdg:;u6 :im
Austin, TX 78711
(512)463-0125
State Rep. Eldon Edge
Capitoldtattoo
Austin, Texas 78769
:’:x _•_ 1 , .
Dear Boss...
Dear Boss,
I love quotes. What people say
intrigues me to no end.
Sure, some quotes are no more
than cliches, with no substance, no
depth. But people say them with
all earnestness and while spitting
them out in various meetings, they
feel just as important as any old
philosopher who has ever spoken.
The recent Water Conservation
Summit I attended brought fourth
many a quote. In fact, the same
quote dribbled through the lips of
several who got up to say anything.
However, there was one I really
like. I doubt that it was original,
but it was good.
Dr. Jeff Roet, professor of
geography at the University of
Texas at San Antonio, was des-
cribing this area of Texas. He said
we are in a semi-arid area which
sees cycles of wet years followed by
dry years. Dr. Roet says that
people who live in arid areas where
there is seldom any rainfall are
excellent water managers...but (and
here comes the quote I liked)....
"People in semi-arid areas are
seduced by the wet years."
Meaning, of course, that we do
not manage our water the way we
should. Tis true, boss. We waste
water going and coming, never
giving a thought to what we would
do ’if the well runs dry.’
Some of the other quotes I
thought hit the target of con-
servation might not have been as
pithy as Dr. Roet’s, but they were
good.
"Conservation equals sacrifice."
"Think efficiency-use water
efficiently."
"We must impact the public on
die need to conserve."
"Conservation is an all time
effort-once we are in a drought it's
too late to start talking
conservation.”
"We must use very drop of water
to its maximum efficiency."
"We depend on the aquifer, the
aquifer depends on us."
"Conservation-developing a
water ethic--a tool that can be used
to keep from being seduced by the
wet years.”
"Conservation transcends supply
and demand-conservation cuts
demand and adds to supply. It is a
long term effort. It did not show
up yesterday-it won't go away
tomorrow."
"The Right Side of the Brain-
philosopher personna-"The aquifer
is a gift from God...Our steward-
ship is the wise management of
resources entrusted to us."
You can tell from the above,
boss, that we were certainly full of
it-conservation, that is, when we
left that summit
No, I am not poking fun at what
these people said. They were
sincere and if each quote is studied
and then practically applied we can
conserve plenty of water.
Did I learn anything? Perhaps a
quote by one of the speakers will
answer that questions. He said that
someone asked Robert Frost to
summarize all he had learned in life
and his reply was short and sweet
and to the point: "Life goes on."
That is true with this area of
Texas. Life will go on. If we
develop a habit of water
conservation, it will go on more
abundantly.
If we don't follow a conservation
ethic, then somewhere down die
stream of time someone will
certainly suffer from our neglect.
Your Roving Reporter,
BKL
'| ( Letters Policy ^
Readers are reminded that the Anvil Herald
solicits letters to the editor, and we urge the
reading public to participate in this public forum.
Letters should be on a single subject and
should be reasonably brief and to4he-point.
Letters must be signed in order to be published,
but the name of the writer will be withheld if
requested.
The AnvU Herald reserves the right to edit
letters for newspaper style and good taste.
PotentlaHy libelous material will be edited.
Letters to the editor should mailed in care
of the editor to the Anvil Herald, Box 400,
VHondo. Texas 78661. ..... JJ
Letters to the Editor
P.O. Box400
Hondo, Texas 78861
Summer recreation should last longer
Dear Editor,
I am writing to you about the
summer recreation program in
Hondo.
The program has some good
points and some bad points. The
good things about the program are:
it gives the youth of Hondo some-
thing to do during their summer
vacation besides running the streets:
it allows the children to play in a
supervised area; and it also helps
instill strong moral values that the
youth of Hondo need.
The bad points of the program are
as follows: it is too short; it is not
long enough during the day; and
when it is over, the youth of Hondo
have nothing to do for the rest of
the summer except swim and not
everyone can afford the expense
everyday.
My grievance is that the summer
vacation program should last all
summer and should be held for
more hours each day.
The main reason for my feeling
this way is that Hondo has nothing
to offer the youth of Hondo in such
that they have no places to hang
out with their friends or just some
place to go and talk without being
on the street
I hear the older generation of
Hondo talking about how bad the
youth of Hondo are, but no one
seems to be doing anything about
this.
If Hondo is really concerned
about their youth, they will help
make the program longer and help
the youth of Hondo become better
adults.
I have been in Hondo since the
sixth grade. I spent most of my
time, like many other children, at
home during the summer with
nothing to do. Now that I am
grown and attend college, I feel
Hondo still has nothing to offer its
children.
So I feel a longer recreation
program will have a lasting effect
on the youth of Hondo.
Sincerely yours,
Christopher M. Heinlein
Support refreshing
Texas Sales Tax:
Has this strained resource
reached its limit?
Texas economic history has been a constant cytle of adapting
to adversity. Since the first time Comanches, drought or prairie fires
turned a farmer into a cattle rancher, Texans have learned to adjust
their economic efforts to survive.
The prosperity once derived from oil may never be fully
realized again. Slowly, but certainly, Texans are finding new
products, service and markets to get the state's economic engine up to
speed again. Fortunately, the cycle of adaptation has a vast economic
landscape to move through.
Adaptation has also been the primary theme of Texas
government's tax system. It worked well 100 years ago when the
Legislature traded 3 million acres of state land for a new Capitol
building. Today, adaptation of existing taxation may be nearing its
limits.
An example of this dilemma is the state's sales tax. Tax
revenues from oil and gas financed state government more than
adequately for 50 years. However, as die population grew the
demand for public services outstripped petroleum tax revenues. By
1961, the Legislative enacted a two percent sales and use tax. Within
sif years, the Sides tax grew to he Texas' largest single revenue
source.
Increased eight times since 1961, the sales tax today stands
at six percent with a maximum of two percent levy allowed by local
governments. And while the sales tax originally applied almost
exclusively to personal property, in the past four years a large list of
taxable services has been added.
Dear Editor,
I want to congratulate Senators
Bentsen and Gramm for voting to
allow shareholders to vote on exe-
cutives' schemes to enrich them-
selves and perpetuate their power.
In an age when we often hear about
elected officials placing special
interests above the public interest,
it is refreshing to see our senators
voting for the little guy.
Our Senators' votes amending
Senator Proxmire's tender offer bill
(S.1323) to require shareholder ap-
proval of poison pillr ind lucrative
golden parachutes are votes for
shareholder rights. I hope that our
Senators also support amendments
to ban discriminatory greenmail pay-
ments, create a confidential ballot
in corporate elections and guarantee
a one share, one vote standard.
Shareholders own America's cor-
porations. There are 3,000,000 in
Texas. We want to be able to vote
on how our companies will be ran.
If shareholders are denied this right,
our productivity and competitive-
ness will suffer.
, , Sincerely,
T. Boone Pickens
..... ....... . hasbttMF*0
Foreign mail
To understand Texas' dependence on the sales tax, consider
these figures on the decline in petroleum tax income. In 1982, oil
and gas tax dollars accounted for more than 27 percent of the state's
revenues. This year, petroleum tax revenues will yield less than nine
percent of the state's income.
Decreasing oil tax dollars may increase pressure on the sales
tax in ways that are not apparent yet. School districts dependent on
oil tax revenues are in crisis. A court ruling declaring Texas' school
finance system unconstitutional makes education financing a more
volatile issue in die tax arena.
Court decisions on the state's corporate franchise tax and
insurance taxes could cost more than $1 billion in state revenues.
What's the answer? That's the question that the Select
Committee on Tax Equity has dealt with for 14 months of
investigation into options on making the state's taxation system as
fair as possible.
There are strong forces that would expand the sales tax to all
sorts of goods and services, excepting possibly food and medicine.
Opponents of such measures have testified that such a move would
cripple the state's economic recovery. They point to the disaster of a
similar action in Florida, a boom state.
How does the sales tax affect Texas consumers and how is it
applied in other states? Select Committee research indicates that the
tax takes its biggest bite from families with low and middle incomes.
As income increases, the percentage paid in sales tax decreases, even
though the total dollars may.continue to go up. So, while the poor
may not pay the most sales tax, in proportion to their income, they
are hit hardest in the wallet
Forty-five states and the District of Columbia have some sort
of broad-based sales tax. Seventeen states tax food. Texas doesn't
Six states match Texas' six percent rate while Connecticut and
Washington are higher.
Texas is not alone in its sales tax problems and their political
ramifications. In 1980, a Washington referendum repealed that
state's sales tax on food. Within six months, the Washington
Legislature was forced to restore the food sales tax or face the state's
fiscal collapse. The choices are rarely easy.
The possibility of a state income tax has been receiving more
attention during the last year and will be considered by the committee.
However, it is unclear whether Texans, or their legislators, are ready
for this alternative.
If Texas state government can find a solution for its present
revenue problems through the sales tax, it will have to be imaginative
and bold and will surely be a product of political high technology.
Increasing the rate of broadening the base of the sales tax, which are
the only ways the sales tax can be altered, will be hampered by
vociferous protests from consumers and businesses who believe the
sales tax has reached its acceptable limits.
The Select Committee on Tax Equity will continue its
mission of investigating the options available and will present them to
the Legislature and Governor in the fall. And while many options
may seem politically unpalatable, the sales tax may, in the end, turn
out to be the most accommodating means of adaptation for Texas'
revenue needs. Meanwhile, there remains the need for services to a
population that has grown by more than three million people in less
than a decade.
(Ed note: Mary Taulbee recently
receivedcorrespondencefromCosta
Rican guests who had stayed at the
Whitetail Lodge.)
The card said:
"{Hollo! Mis Maiy. How do you
do? I hope you are well, with the
Hondo country.
"Our trip to Canada was very
good, Hondo was better. Hondo is
grandiose.
"Our soccer team won in Canada
1-0. Our other trip is to Curacao.
"Good luck, Mis Mary.
"Mario McGregor, Radio
Columbia, Apt. 708, San Jose,
Costa Rica."
HONDO
ANVIL
HERALD
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Hondo, Medina County, Texas,
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The Castroville Anvil, EM. 1886
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Consolidated - Oct 17,1903
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Consolidated - June 1,1931
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Hondo Anvil Herald (Hondo, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 7, 1988, newspaper, July 7, 1988; Hondo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth818411/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hondo Public Library.