Rolling Out
The Barrel
Opinions
mm
-
Governor Martin asked too much when he called on the at
torney general for a review of each of the 1,400 local ap
propriations in the so-called 1S85 "pork barrel" bill. Attorney
General Lacy H. Thornburg properly has turned down the
governor's request.
However, Martin would be on sounder ground to ask Thorn
burg for an advisory opinion on any specific item about which
the governor has strong legal doubts. Thornburg's reply to
Martin says that the appropriations are presumed to be
lawful, but he also implies that he's ready to examine any
"evidence" that Martin offers to rebut that presumption.
In other words, the attorney general has returned the ball to
the governor's court. It's possible that every one of the 1,400
appropriations meets the test that state funds be spent for a
"public purpose," as the General Assembly's legal staff has
determined. But Martin is the state's chief budget officer and
an elected official who must answer to all North Carolinians.
He is not off base in questioning any item that he suspects
strongly would be spent outside the "public purpose" defini
tion.
The legislature's legal staff has agreed that "public pur
pose" can be stretched to cover many activities by a wide
variety or organizations, including some normally considered
private. These community recipients include a Masonic lodge,
fraternity and various groups that legislators want to boost a
Certainly, many of these organizations qualify as worthy
recipients of public funds. But the "pork barrel" bill has taken
on an increasingly distasteful flavor in recent years. The
system has come to work as follows: "Here's your money,
legislators. Choose how you want to use it in your county."
And, of course, the appropriations are more readily made for
districts of legislators who have remained in the good graces
of the leadership in the General Assembly.
But if the process needs to be changed, the fact remains that
the governor has to mail the checks unless he can show they're
an unlawful use of public funds. If Martin and his staff can
beack their caution about any "pork barrel" item with convin
cing legal objections, they should get back in touch with
Thornburg promptly.
bit.
-The News and Observer
August 18, 1985
? i
The News Record
Serving The People Of Madison County Since 1901
P.O. Box 369 ? Marshall, N.C. 28753 ? (704)649-2741
KENNETH F. WILSON, Publisher
ROBERT T. KOENIG, Editor
CHERYL W. KOENIG, Advertising Manager
WAYNE NAGLE, Advertising Representative
BRENDA C. PARKER, Office Manager
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MEMBER Norm CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
Deadline for all Community Calendar announcements is Mon
day at noon for publication in our next edition.
PRESENTING
The Largest
Selection Of
Business Cards
1 Letterheads
1 Envelopes
'Labels
1 Matches
1 Memos
Wedding Stationery
E. Y. POND1
The writer of this
tending congratulai
the J. Edgar Hoov*
Wars in ceremonies
is the highest honor I
nation.
Lack of space prohibits this writer from fu
many accomplishments of this Madison County man who hi
never taken a vacation in the 31 years of service as sheriff!
have often wondered how Elymas can keep going day aft
day, year after year, with so little rest. At 75 years of age, h?
on the go from early morning to late at night, seldom takij
time out to sleep.
I have know E. Y. since both of us were quite yoing ax
have never seen him agitated or impatient. His friendl)
disposition has always impressed me and adding to his many
favors while I served as editor of this newspaper and 10 years
of fire chief of Marshall, he would always assist in time of
emergencies and fires.
He deserves this national honor he recently received.
SATURDAY'S EVENTS HALTED BY RAIN
The citizens of the Greater Ivy and Beech Glen communities
are active in planning events which will benefit their projects.
A number of events were scheduled for the community center
1
many outdoor games and
a checker tournament. But
Continuous showers halted all
market and checker tourney
were brave enough to attend,
was set to try again. I cont
orts made and hope that the
around.
SATISFY
for any lenght of time.
weeks ago everyone was wishing for rain. The
general comment was that if we don't get some rain real soon
our gardens and crops will bum up. Then, a few days ago we
were blessed with plenty of showers and rain. The comments
quickly changed to complaints about too much rain. We've
had too much rain lately and if it doesn't quit, our gardens and
crops are going to drown. That's par for the course, I guess.
Everyone seems to agree that the public is hard to satisfy for
any length of time. The weather is not controlled by the public,
thank goodness. The good Lord know what is best and we
should be grateful for the way He gives us sunshine and the
rains.
1
SOUTH AFRjCAN
SOOTH AFRiCAKT
Know Comm
BY JOSEPH GODWIN
It is too bad that you did not know
Snowball Snell. He was a very fine
human being; I never knew a person
who knew him who did not like him.
Snowball was a good farm worker
who tended to his own business and
never caused anyone any trouble. His
skin was as black as that of any of his
ancestors or relatives in Africa-and
his teeth was as white as his skin was
black. Snowball very frequently
showed those teeth becuse he was
warm and frjendly, and he greeted
everybody with a ready smile.
One Friday afternoon. Snowball
and I finished the necessary part of
our week's work on the farm and
decided to go fishing
This meant getting the catfish lines
ready, checking the weights, putting
lantern, packing
the
to cut small
And. at
ttebait
Almost quicker than I could see
what was happening. Snowball stop
ped, dropped his snack bag and bait
can, lifted his hat from his head with
both hands, turned it a half turn to the
right, and, leaving it in this backward
position, lowered it to its place on his
head.
With no hesitation nor pause, he
placed his left hand open, palm up.
against his chest and spat into the
palm of his hand. Still, as if by
automatic control, Snowball balled
up his right fist and hit his left palm
quite hard-spattering spit in ad
directions!
Still delaying not a second, he again
lifted his hat with both hands and
completed the turn, restoring the hat
to Ha proper position Than he stooped
over and picked up his snack bag and
bait can and started walking on
Done like rapid clock-work, this
"Didn't you see that rabbit cross
the road in front of us and us on our
way to go fishin'?"
"Of Course 1 saw him." I replied
"But so what?"
As Snowball explained: "When the
rabbit crosses betwixt you and the
fitb, he throws a hex on you. And if we
don't throw off the hex, we won't get
nary fish tonight-not a single fish all
night long. I done that to throw off the
hex. We's all right now. C'mon, let's
go fishin' I"
We say that Snowball was
superstitious And, of course, he was
But let us not with our amused or
smug smiles assume that s i; i mi
died on a Post Oak farm with the
passing of that ton of slavery.
I have also know people who would
not fly on the thirteenth day of
time I have walked under a ladder, I
would have been gone years ago.
All of these things-and many more
you and I could mention-are pure
superstition.
Sometimes, superstition puts on its
Sunday clothes:
"Clem made a promise to God
about a year ago aed didn't keep it, so
God took him."
"Mort is really taking the death of
his son very hard. But he's got no
complaint against God. God just took
the boy because Mort abused Mm
so."
"If you live for God, he will bless
you, and you won't ever have to want
for nothing."
'God took my wife because I refut
ed to obey him, and I didn't ap