Sulphur Springs News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 105, Ed. 1 Friday, May 2, 1980 Page: 4 of 18
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4—THE NEWS TELEGRAM, Sulphur Springs lexas, Er'.doy May 2 1980.
■* ■
forum
■ji In our opinion
•V.. .. • ' ‘ •
Bombast lacking but
don't forget to vote
n.
Ballots for the Texas primary
elections Saturday tend to be low-
keyed in nature with only a few-
spirited contests on either the local or
state levels.
As a result, there is Jittle of the ex-
citement that usually marks the state's
most important single voter test, the
Democratic primary.
With most top offices not up for
decisions, statewide interest is focused
largely on the two hotly contested
battles for places on the powerful
Texas Railroad Commission.
Congressman, Sam B. Hall, Jr:, is on
the ballot but has no rival.
Roughest competition locally is that
between State Representative Smith
Gilley and Lowell Cable, Sulphur
Springs businessman and civic leader
who is attempting to displace him. A
third candidate, Ixmis P. MafshaH,
also is in the race. «?
Competition for county offices is
limited and creating little excitement.
Even the party’s non-binding
presidential preference referendum
featuring President Carter, Senator
Kennedy and Governor Brown is
producing little comment here.
Few Hopkins County residents
profess to be Republicans, especially
when it comes to voting in that-pafty’s
primaries,- so turnouts are always
small. ... .
Despite the lack of fireworks, voting
is both a privilege and an obligation for
every citizen. We all should plan on
getting out and speaking our piece at
the ballot boxes tomorrow.
New pattern in primaries
PITTSBURGH (NEA) A profound shift in the priorities of
Democratic voters appears to be helping Sen Edward M.
Kennedy, D-Mass. in the presidential primaries ■— but elec-
tion year geography may be working in President Carter’s
favor
Although Carter holds a wide lead over Kennedy among
delegates already selected with almost half of the primaries
now completed, a newly developed pattern of swirling cross-
currents thr’eatens to obscure the outcome of the contest
The most ominous portent for Carter is fresh evidence that
voters increasingly are casting their ballots pn the basis of
domestic and international issues rather than the candidates'
personal characteristics .
IN WASHINGTON
fl| Robert Walters
■ Kennedy's dismal performance in the early primaries was,
in great measure, the product of his inability to surmount
voter hostility-relating to his troubled marriage-, his auto acci-
dent on Chappaquiddiek Island and other elements of what has
become known euphemistically as the “character issue."
But ABC News interviews of voters as they left polling sta-
tions in the recent Pennsylvania primary found that 59 per-
cent of all Democrats surveyed said issues were most impor-
tant in selecting a presidential nominee while only 29 percent
identified personal characteristics ds their dominant concern
The significance of that division Among Issue-oriented
Democrats, Kennedy was favored by a 58-to-35 margin, while
those who placed a higher priority on personality traits
backed the president by a 63-to-32 margin.
Moreover, when asked what they perceive to be the most
important problem facing the nation, an overwhelming 49
percent of all Pennsylvania Democrats singled out inflation
-
— and those voters supported Kennedy by a 57-to-35 margin
Although Kennedy has become the political beneficiary of
. growing Voter discontent with Carter's inability to cope with
both soaring inflation rates’and the seemingly interminable
hostage crisis in Iran, the "character issue" may return to
haunt the senator „ ; •” >•
A distinct geographical pattern has'emerged, indicating
that voters' willingness,to subordinate their concerns about
Kennedy's real or imagined character flaws is confined
almost exclusively to the "Bos-Wash".corridor - the heavily
populated section of the Northeast stretching from Boston to
Washington and encompassing New York, Philadelphia and
Bajbmore .
All of Kennedy's primary victories have come in states*
within that corridor — in Massachusetts, New York. Connecti-
cut and Pennsylvania — where the approach to questions of
morality is characterized as “sophisticated'' by the region's
defenders and "permissive'' by its critics
That division was especially apparent in the Pennsylvania
primary because one of the two major cities in the state. Phil-
adelphia, lies within the corridor while the other. Pittsburgh,
is closer to ttye nation's Midwestern heartland in geograpjjj as
well as attitudes. i
Thus, Kennedy trounced Carter by 59-to-34 in Philadelphia
and 53-to-38 in its suburbs, but Carter handily defeated Ken-
nedy 49-to-40 in Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh
and many'of its suburbs
The same pattern also was evident earlier in the year in
Illinois, the only major industrial state outside the Bos-
Wash'” corridor where a Democratic primary has been held
There Carter overwhelmed Kennedy by a margin of almost 2-
to-1.
There probably are exceptions to that rule In Michigan, for
instance, Carter has presented a convenient target for victims
of the massive layoffs in the auto industry that have produced
the highest unemployment rate of any state in the country
Similarly, Kennedy could fare well in California, which gen-
erally shares the Northeast's "sophisticated" or "permissive"
attitude on issues of morality, but his "character issue" could
continue to offset Carter’s ineptness elsewhere in the country
(NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN )
Cubans find homeland
unhappy place to live
The exodus of Cubans for south
Florida and freedom in America
clearly tells of the unrest in the Castro-
dominated island. It takes great
courage on the part of these Cubans to
abandon their financial resources,
sever family ties, brave the unfriendly
waters in small boats, and gamble on a
better life in America. There will be
many hardships to face, but these
people departing Cuba in massive
numbers are hoping for a better
tomorrow.
Fidel Castro promised many
reforms and held out hope when he and
his revolutionaries began thejr drive to
overturn the government and take
control more than 20 years ago. The
thousands who have escaped Cuba and
the thousands who want to flee can
testify that Castro and his cronies have
made life unbearably worse.
The influx of the Soviets into the
island has not improved conditions
for the general population, although
the economic input from Russia has
kept Castro afloat.
The daily arrivals of Cubans without
legal documents obviously are putting
a strain on Floridians in the reception
areas. The county governments in
Florida should be given, financial
assistance from federal agencies and
red tape and rules bent to alleviate as
many hardships as possible. It is the
humane thing to do and something that
a majority of the Americans will en-
dorse.
QUOTE/UNQUOTE
What people are saying...
T run a mile I just can't
seem to look at myself
anymore "
— Peter Sellers, actor, on
how he reacts when asked to
watch his own movies. (ABC-TV)
"The person who opened
them was obviously
surprised."
— Robert W. Johnston, of
the Portsmouth Naval Ship-
yard, referring to seven
crates of human bones (for
medical use) that were
shipped by mistake to the
Maine site. Steel plates bad
been ordered for submarine
repairs.
"It wasn't a matter of retal-
iation It's simply a matter of
withdrawing entirely from
Ivan's playground "
— Red Smith, sports writer,
on his backing of an American
boycott of the Moscow Sum-
mer Olympics in response to
the Soviet invasion of Afghani-
stan. (Pasoram*)
"I think I'll get more direct
results,this way "
— Brett Weckwerth, 21-
year-old resident of Casper,
Wyo., who upon being jilted by
his girlfriend put this sign on
his front lawn: For sale Used
boyfriend. Good condition.'
“Every dentist is a comedi-
an at heart"
— Ernie I.avorini, an
Oakdale, Calif., a dentist who
arranges for willing patients
to have "tattooes" painted on
their porcelain caps.
The Almanac
Today in History
By The Associated Press
Today is Friday, May 2, the
123rd day of 1980. There are 243
days left in the year.
Today’s highlight in history:
On May 2, 1536, England’s
Queen Anne Boleyn was sent to
the Tower of Ixmdon. She was
eventually beheaded at the
order of Henry VIII.
On this date:
In 1670, the Hudson's Bay
Company was chartered by
England.
In 1863, Confederate Gen.
Stonewall Jackson was
mistaken for a Union scout and
fatally wounded by his own
soldiers during the Civil War
battle of Chancellorsville, Va.
In 1933, Adolf Hitler
abolished labor unions in
Germany.
In 1945, Berlin surrendered to
Soviet forces uv Wqrld War II.
Five years ago, Saigon radio
— under communist control —
announced the reorganization
of the South Vietnamese labor
movement as Hanoi continued
to make changes in its newly
conquered neighbor.
I^ast year, actor John Wayne
underwent intestinal surgery,
but his doctors said they had
found no lingering trace of his
stomach cancer.
Today’s birthdays: King
Hussein of Jordan is 45 years
old. Pediatrician and writer
Benjamin Spock is 77.
Thought for today: Nothing is
really work unless you rather
would be doing something else
— James Barrie (1860-1937).
TEXAS: May 3
Capital: Austin. Largaat
city: Houston. •
Population (1971):
13,014,000. Rank: 3. Percent
urban (1970): 79.7 percent.
Net migration (1970-1979):
1,414,073.
Racial distribution (1979):
80.9 percent white; 12.5 per-
cent black. Major ethnic
groups: Hispanic, German
THE ECONOMY
l ■ '
Principal Industrie*: Agri-
culture. petroleum, manufac-
turing.
Principal manufactursd
floods: Machinery, transpor-
tation equipment, foods,
refined petroleum, apparel
Value added by manufac-
(1970): $17.7 billion.
Chief agricultural prod-
ucts: Livestock, poultry,
cotton, grain, sorghum,
vegetables, fruits, nuts. Farm
income (cash receipts from
marketings, 1077): $7.1
billion. Rank. 3,
Commercial , fishing
(1979): $148 million. Miner-
als (1977): $19.9 billion, pri-
marily petroleum, natural gas
and natural gas liquids.
Tourism incomo (1977): $6
billion.
Employment distribution:
49 percent white collar; 34
percent blue collar; 13 per-
cent service; 4 percent farm.
Per capita income (1979):
$7,730. Rank: 22.
PUBLIC OFFICIALS
U.8. Senators: John
Tower, a Republican, and
Lloyd Bentsen, a Democrat.
U.8. Representatives: 20
Democrats; four Republi-
cans.
Governor Bill Ciemonts, a
Republican. State Senate;
26 Democrats; five Republi-
cans. State House: 125
Democrats; 25 Republicans.
THE VOTERS
Resistered voters:
5,681,875. (No distribution
by party is available.) Median
voting age: 41.
^ 1972 voter turnout for
Novombor general election:
45 percent of voting-age
population. 1979 voter turn-
out: 48 percent of voting-age
population
Electoral votes: 26. Votes
at 1990 Democratic National
Convention: 152. Votoa at
— i
PRESIDENTIAL
NOMINATION:
1976
Democratic: In the 1976
delegate-selection primary,
the slate backing former
Gov. Jimmy Carter received
48 percent of the vote. That
of Sen. Lloyd Bentsen
received 22 percent, that of
Gov. George Wallace
received 17 percent and oth-
ers spilt the remaining 13
percent.
At the Democratic National
Convention, Texas cast 124
votes for Carter, four for
Gov. Jerry Brown, one for
Wallace and one for Leon
Jaworski.
Republican: The slate
backing former Gov. Ronald
Reagan received 66 percent
of the vote to 34 percent for
the slate backing President
Ford.
All 100 Texas delegates
cast their votes for Reagan at
the Republican. National
Convention.
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE:
1972 and 1971
©
1072: President Nixon —
2,298,898 (67 percent); Sen.
George McGovern —
1,154,289 (33 percent).
1970: Former Gov. Jimmy
Carter - 2,082,319 (52
percent); President Ford —
1,953,300 (48 percent).
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Update on Social Security
By Harold Blumenfeld
What's new in Social Securi-
ty?
You will probably receive
some cost-of-living raise in
your Social Security benefits
this July despite new budget-
balancing efforts by Congress
and the administration.
Retirees from the federal
Civil service, the military and
the Postal Service recently
received a 4 percent increase
in benefits and may receive
another before the end of the
year
However, these new and
projected increases will not
give you any extra spending
GROWING OLDER
Harold Blumenfeld
money. You have already
been spending it in the race to
keep up with inflation.
On Jan. 1, Medicare began
charging us $20 more for a
hospital stay. That is because
of the increase from $160 to
$180 in the hospital deductible
Berry's World
C (NO by NEA Inc
%
"It’s like old times, eh, Harry — cash is back in
vogue. ’’
that Medicare patients must
pay before the government «
begins picking up the bill.
That $180 is about the cost of
one day’s stay in a hospital.
And on July 1, we will face
an increase from $8.70 to
$9.60 for Part B of Medicare,
which covers doctor bills and
other out-patient medical
costs.
Inflated health-care costs
make it even more important
to get a second opinion on sur-
gery except in emergencies.
The government is encourag-
ing this, and Medicare will
pay claims for patient-initiat-
ed second surgical opinions.
Now for some good news:
If you are between 65 and
71, you can now earn $5,000 a
year without jeopardizing
your Social Security benefits.
If you are under 65, you can
” earn $3,720 before your
checks are reduced.
If you are 72 or over, you
can earn any amount without
losing any benefits. That is, if
you can find someone who
will employ you.
This being a national elec-
tion year, it’s a good bet that
Congress won’t legislate the
recommendation of the Advi-
sory Council on Social Securi-
ty that the elderly pay federal
income tax on half of their
Social Security benefits.
And although there is
always the scary prospect
that the Social Security sys-
tem may go broke, that isn’t
going to happen this year or
next — and probably not dur-
ing the rest of the 20th centu-
But some things can be
changed now to make the sys-
tem work better.
One idea was recently
V
voiced to the National Com-
mission on Social Security by
J.D. Lewis, senior vice presi-
dent of Florida Blue Cross and
Blue Shield Plans, one of the
nation's largest Medicare
claim processors.
"Rules, regulations ' and
paperwork associated with
the present Medicare f( sys-
tem are confusing and frus-
trating to the average
citizen," said Lewis to the
panel. “They frequently are a
, challenge to us, too:"
He noted that Medicare B
now pays 80 percent of “rea-
sonable charges" for medical
services after the $60 deducti-
ble is met. The program ends
up paying about 54 cents of
every dollar in doctor charges
submitted to Medicare by
beneficiaries.
Some of Lewis’s suggestions
were:
-Eliminate the annual $60
Medicare B deductible, which
is difficult for beneficiaries to
understand and complicated
for claim processors to
administer. Elimination of the
deductible might increase
physicians’ acceptance of
medical assignments.
-Simplify reimbursements
with a fee schedule. The cur-
rent “reasonable charge”
method is complicated and
misleading. It should be
replaced with a realistic
schedule of medical fees with
a provision for regular adjust-
ments based on the Consumer
Price Index.
-Reduce paperwork. For
example, requests for reviews
of Part B claims now must be
made in writing. They could
be handled faster if claimants
could use the toll-free phone
numbers that'most Medicare
claim processors already
have.
We often complain about
Social Security and Medicare.
For many of us, our month-
ly benefits don’t seem to be
enough to live decently. We
lose some of them if we’re
lucky enough to have jobs.
And Medicare doesn’t cover
many of our health costs.
But what would it be like
without this government help7
(NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE A88N}
.... .....
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Keys, Clarke. Sulphur Springs News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 105, Ed. 1 Friday, May 2, 1980, newspaper, May 2, 1980; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth824054/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.