Editorials
A $14,000 rip-off
During 1982, Racford city taxpayers got taken to the
cleaners.
In return for the bucks they forked over to enforce the
municipal leash law, Racford taxpayers got less than two
animah packed up a week.
In addition to shelling out $14,000 in municipal funds for
animal control, city taxpayers also paid Hoke County for the
same service. No animals were captured by county officers
within Raeford boundaries during the year.
For $14,000, city enforcement efforts netted 1 IS dogs last
year. That was a cost to taxpayers of approximately $120 per
*nim?i snared.
Although Raeford residents paid for the service through
county taxes, county enforcement officers maintained a ter
ritorial respect for the municipal limits and did not pick up
any animals in the city during 1982.
County funds were not clearly earmarked for animal con
trol, however, officials probably provided the service for
about the same cost as the city and should be praised for their
efficiency.
For the same money, the county picked up 1,200 animals,
maintained the pound to house them and paid for the exter
mination of over 1 ,300.
That's about $1 1 per animal or $109 less than was spent by
the city.
County officials were also more efficient in efforts to
register pets.
Only 41 pet owners in the city bothered to register and pay
municipal dog license fees.
In the county 1,500 owners paid the tax.
City Manager Ron Matthews admits that registration fees
collected did not pay for the city's cost of the tags.
As members of the Raeford City Council begin to consider
the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, they might be wise to
take a look at the animal control program.
Out of a $1.6 million municipal budget, $14,000 paid for
animal control might seem insignificant, but in light of the
service rendered, the cost is a high one.
Perhaps the entire business could be turned over to the
county, and residents living in the city could begin to reap
some of the benefits from their tax dollars.
A question of service
Despite the poor value provided by the city to enforce its
leash law, it is a better deal than county taxpayers living in the
Raeford limits are getting on some other services.
In addition to animal control, Raeford residents also pay
city and county taxes for garbage pickup, the sanitary landfill,
police protection, fire protection, building inspection and the
general government, but only receive the municipal services.
During the last fiscal year Raeford residents paid over
$584,000 in city taxes for the services which are duplicated,
but not provided, by the county.
County funds, which went for the same services, topped the
$808,000 mark during the period.
As both Raeford and Hoke County grow, the problem of
paying twice for single services will compound.
County officials are now working on a plan for a coun
tywide water system, and much of the bill for that service will
be paid by city residents.
In addition, one of the plums used by city officials to at
tract industry to locate within the municipal limits is water
and sewer service.
Thus far industry has not objected to paying municipal
taxes in addition to county taxes in exchange for the services
provided.
Once a countywide water system is in place, there will be
one less reason for industry to locate within the city limits.
Paying for services not received may idso make the city
limits less attractive, and without additional expansion
Raeford officials will find it difficult to provide adequate in
expensive services.
Short of merging municipal and county governments, one
solution to the dual tax question might be for county officials
to issue tax credits to city residents for services not provided.
Dual tax inequities are not unique to Hoke County and
Raeford. They plague cities all over North Carolina and in
other states.
However, the inequities have been solved in some southern
states, and it would be prudent for North Carolina and Hoke
County to address the question before it becomes too late.
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Letters T o The Editor
Apology offered
Editor's Sore: Hoke C "unty
Board of Education Chairman BUI
Cameron delivered the following
statement to fellow school board
members last Tuesday night during
a regular monthly meeting.
Cameron has shared the message
with us and asked that we run it as
a Letter to the Editor.
Before we get to the agenda. I
have a few remarks:
I. On behalf of the BOARD,
and in view of the fact that tonight
is our present superintendent's last
meeting with us. let me express to
him ALL of our best wishes in his
upcoming retirement. We want to
commend him for the numerous
contributions he has help make for
our school system.
We are among many who have
appreciated his leadership on many
occasions during his service as our
superintendent.
II. As for me personally . in view
of recent circumstances. I ?ant to
say I regret the obvious misinter
pretations of the recent article
which appeared in the Fayetteville
Times. While I respect the media
and the job they have to do. as in
any profession, from time to time,
the facts are sometimes misinter
preted. This was the case regarding
the article.
I did MM make aay statement
referring to letting "him chew off
his mouth". The statement regard
ing replacing Mr. Autry appeared
totally out of context.
Raz and I have had
disagreements in the past but ?e
have always been able to work
them out and I have never had to
use the press before as a forum for
my personal opinions. This time
was no exception.
Raz. I also wish you a happy and
pleasant retirement whether it be
raising peaches or raising grand
children. As a matter of fact. I'm
glad now. you'll even get to go to a
lot more car races than 1 will.
BEST WISHES TO YOU.
Bill Cameron. Jr.
Rate hike questioned
Dear Editor,
I write this letter looking for
response from Jones Intercable
and/or the Raeford City Counsel
which approves rate increases for
Jones Intercable.
Raeford's cablevision has
undergone several changes since
they began several years ago. The
most recent being a 1 5*? rate in
crease in bask service to take effect
next month. But, what do we get
for this increase?
First lets look at the networks we
get. ABC, CBS, and sometimes
NBC. We get ABC on 5 and 8 (15X
we get CBS on 11 and 13, and
wmrtima we get NBC oa 6. We
used to get NBC on 28 but Jones
dropped that. We used to get NBC
oa 36 but Jones dropped that too.
Now we get NBC only on 6 when
they hf portrait network program
ming. Take a look at the irhtihih
for Ftidfty, March II, im
At 7 p.m. the ACC Tournament
^If"* awl wil broadcast on chan
nel 6 among others. 11m mm
that people who would rather
because JoJeTtoo^the other NBC
ftatinaa Boa us. Sorry afcout that
bright Rider, scad my ngmti to
R<Anoth? Mno?t was taki^
Channel IS off. My 11* i * mn
that one during the day . ai&l I miss
the nightly ukwks.
Leaving at tike same dene as IS
was CBN. which gawc us old
western dkn ie buffs a never ending
source of pfcasare.
Of course we got ESPN and
CNN. ESPN may be a good sports
station but is not watched at ay
bouse. My children prefer the
Afternoon Express (of the late
channel 18).
CNN was just what we dndnt
need. More news.
Every other channel has news
except for PBS* whkh notes
around the dial fran 4 to 7 on
Jones hands. At least two stations
carry CNN2 whkh is bur far better
than CNN.
Another problem with Jones In
tercabte is then inataSty to get my
Showtime Guide to me before the
first of each month. I usually get it
around the fifth of CKh month.
Four days of wondering what's on?
1 fail to understand a I5*? in
crease in rates with at least a JO**
decrease in service over the past
few years.
Sincerely.
George S. McGuire
Bingo support unfed
Dear Editor.
Raeford citizens, we need your
support of our Bingo games, which
are hefcl at the Civic Center each
Saturday night in this month.
This past Saturday, our dub
gave away St 05 to tuefcy &ceo
winners.
Our nightly jackpot CM SSi> could
be yours. Or you might win any of
the lesser games during the 30
games played.
In order for our dub to support
Hoke County charities and pro
jects in a meaningful way . we atusj
have your support.
Please come out this Saturday at
7:30 p.m. at the Civic Center
Have fun. enjoy the games Bran*
a friend. You bo<h might be win
ners.
Sonya Falb*. Pubbaty
Raeford ir. Woman's Club
Puppy Cn.k
Philosopher
Dea~ editor:
jKkiatcs out over the country
are always saying: "Let's send a
message to Washington."
Weil, it has fuuly worked
According to a? article 1 read
last night. 22 states nave developed
huge deficits for 19S3 and 13 more
are bordering on it.
Washington has got the
message: if deficits are what the
people want, wel show them *hu
a real deficit looks like.
TVb r the federal govern
aeat's S300.000.000.000 deficit
this year and no telling what the
year after that.
The states have got to be monr
careful about the kind of message
they send to Washington.
1 goc to wondering, if three
fowrths of the states are faced with
big deficits, two-thirds of the cities
and about S0*? of the countries of
the world. what happens if the
whole world declares bankruptcy*
Who'd be the receiver?
One explanation of the world**
financial pfctght is that it's caused
bv the colossal military expert -
datures of about S400.000.000.000
a year, although this won't cover
the pteght of states and cities, as
few of them maintain standing ar
mies and guided missiles.
For a while I thought perhaps
the world could cover its deficits
by putting up its armaments as col
lateral. but I've been told that
most of the armaments have been
bought with borrowed money and
are already heavily mortgaged
Banks that have already loaned
roooey to countries to buy ar
maments aren't going to be in
terested in taking a second mor
tgage on the stuff, and if they did
and then had to foreclose, what
would thev do with it?
A banker could maybe beat a
sword into a plowshare or hire it
dooe but what could he beat a
nuclear bomb into?
And as for more plows, farmers
already have so many they 're going
broke over-producing.
I turn the problem over to you
and will wash my hands of the
whole matter if 1 can buy a bar of
soap on credit.
^ ours faithfullv.
J.A.
Letters Potto
Letters to the editor are
encouraged and welcomed
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addresses and telephone
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Names will be printed,
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wfl be kept confidential. We
reserve the tight to edit letters
for good taste and brevity,
letters should be received by
The Aews-Jonmaf by noon on
the Moathy of the publication
week
CUFF BLUE...
People & Issues
ENCOURAGEMENT... Robert
S. Qndtastr of The WmK Street
Corp.*s 1
atwoi
>00 of 1.400 workers
laid off last jar. h> little Rock.
Ait.. Teletype Corp.. a Uteiai
tk* cqppvM las u Lfinthd to
the 533 ?oilya> dianed earlier.
Aad m laiKaa^inii, BDP CO.. a
UaM Tockaolopcs subsidiary
tbat aakcs kaiai aad aar coodi
tioaiag eqaipacat, recently
back 300 of 360 laid off
da abo?e is across the
i Cafiforau, we hope it is
for better times across
md tbat it be soon
rtb Carobna.
BIG INCOME TAX REDUC
TION ? Nortb Garofcma legislators
approved for themselves a big state
tax redattioa Moaday mght.
l>bruaay 2S. up to S50 a day.
seven days a ?eek during die ses
Tbe tal inaM also free
records mam required to receive
Tbe bd ineM alow lawmakers
to daa daily deductions of $50.
tbe drily aioatd federal
employees. $23. or S35 the daily
Dedacboas could be made for
each day. mrbarbng Saturday and
Sanday, aatil tbe Ceaeral
Assembly adjourns. Tbe deduc
tions apply only to lawmakers
wfeose bomes are SO auks from
House members voted 97-9 for
tbe bid and tbe only person to
speak agaiast it was Rep. Howard
Coble. R-Gudford.
BOB SCOTT. ..With Bob (
Scon's appointment as President
of the Community Colleges in
North Carolina, it brines to mind
the name of other statesmen who
have followed similar appoint
ments after serving well in other
pasuxw of leadership.
General Robert E. Lee, after the
dose of the War between the states
in 1965, ?ts then chosen as head
of the Washington College, later (
named the Washington and Lee
CoAege.
General Eisenhower, after the
dose of World War II, was named
President of Columbia University
before being elected President of
the United States.
William Friday was elected
President of the North Carolina
University. Friday was picked
from the hne of outstanding men
rather than from that of an '
educator.
Terry Sanford was picked as
governor who led for better
schools and for the community
college establishment during his
administration. After returning to
his law practice, he was then pick
ed for the President of Duke
University.
GREEN STANDS TALI Lt.
Governor Jimmy Green appears to 1
be standing tail in the aftermath of
his opponents who have been try
ing to keep him from running for
governor.
Green's rebuttal in the Chorion e
Observer to those who were
against him appears to have given
him the stature of a statesman
rather than that of a "peanut
VEHICLE THEFTS DECLINE
... The cost of buying a new car
any be going up. but the chance of
having it stolen may be coming
down.
The ?tin of motor vehicles
stolen in N.C. Ml 9% from 10.651
in 1SS1 to 9,627 according to the
N.C. laiuranrf Service.
Only Cam inn County did not
have a mgk vehicle theft reported
in 19t2.
One of the best anti-theft tech
niques is caching your Social
Security or other significant
number onto the vehicle, a practice
which has caught on wefl in Ken
tucky. says Lloyd Letterman. ad
Dept. of Traaoportutiou.
STATUE OF LIBERTY. One of
America's most fanoat
?mi in the "Statue of Liber
ty EnSgftaeaaag the World," has
uood as a symbol of freedom in
New York Harbor uane IS86. A
gift to the U.S. from the people of
Ftancc^riie 22S-aou oatue arrived,
from Rouen, Fi am i . m June,
1??S- h ?olt 16 moths to assem
CV if land Mated h on October