Fleer : Citizen Involvement Does Make Impact In Gov erniiw^
What would you cko if so
meone came to your door and
said he had the power to take
25 percent of your income and
to send your children ? or
you, if you're the right age ?
to war?"
That's the question Dr. Jack
Fleer put to the audience at
Haywood Technical College's
Tuesday night forum, explain
ing that the federal govern
ment holds both those powers
over the individual
"Would you Just tit back and
wring your hands, maybe cuss
a little bit and then say, 'Go
ahead ?" Fleer asked "1
think not. These are very im
portant questions, and you
want to have your say."
"Having your say" is what
the forum was all about. Titled
"How to Get Government to
Stop Long Enough to Listen to
What I'm Saying," the session
covered the range of citizen in
volvement in the political pro
cess and examined the apathy
which often surrounds govern
ment.
"Americans are turned off
and turned on to democracy at
the same time," Fleer said.
"These are really two sides of
the same coin. Each of them is
a way of acting on dissatisfac
tion, either through passivity
or participation."
There's even evidence that
Cat Can Get Rabies
You thought only dogs could
get rabies, right? Think again.
Cats are susceptible, too,
and should be included in
Haywood County's Rabies
Clinic this week, according to
veterinarian Dr. Mack Setser.
"State law doesn't require
cats to be vaccinated for
rabies, but they should be,"
Setser said. "They do get
rabies. They're out in the
woods as much as dogs ? and
they're nxJre vicious than
dogs when they do get it."
One cat rabies case was
reported last week in Clover,
S.C., a fact that alarms
Haywood health department
director Dr. Stuart Roberson.
No cases of rabies have been
reported in cats here, Robin
son said, "but Clover, S.C., is
getting mighty close. "
A Clover woman is undergo
ing rabies treatments after be
ing bitten by her cat. The pain
ful series of shots is spread
viral disease which affects the
central nervous system, is
almost always fatal if un
treated.
Setser said he heard of two
more cat rabies cases while in
South Carolina over the
weekend. "I believe they were
in York and Aiken counties,''
he said.
"I was listening to Uie news
on the radio, and they said
that brought it to 25 cases (of
rabies) this year,'' he said.
"They told people not to be too
alarmed, that they'd just had
25 cases all year.
"That many cases ? or
even one ? that would tear us
out of the frame up here,''
Setser said.
Kittens may be vaccinated
once they reach the age of four
months, he explained, and the
rabies shot only lasts one
year.
citizen involvement in politics
increases at tbe same time
apathy mounts. "Tbe decade
of tbe '70 s saw citizen aliena
tion, distrust and withdrawal
from government," Fleer
said. "But there's also been an
explosion of citizen interest
groups in an effort to make
government more accessible,
more accountable and more
responsive to the people."
Citizen participation
assures better communication
of needs and desires to the
government, he explained. It
also serves as an educational
device to broaden the perspec
tives of individuals in the
political system. And there's a
personal benefit from the in
volvement, Fleer added.
"One's self-esteem is damag
ed if there's no participation in
the decisions that affect one's
life."
Decisions made on a
political level influence every
other aspect of a society.
Fleer said, from housing and
health to recreation and
education.
"Politics is always con
flict," he added. "That means
you've got to try to find a solu
tion that will please the
greatest number of people,
and in ao doing, you'll pro
bably displease everybody a
little."
There are aeveral way* of
becoming involved in politics
without hitting the campaign
trail. Fleer said. There's
voting, working in a cam
paign, contacting public of
ficials to express your views,
serving on advisory boards
and banding together with
other individuals to work
toward a goal.
'There are numerous op
portunities for citizens to
become decision-makers,"
Fleer said. "And citizen ac
tivity does make a difference
in what public officials do.
Input is particularly effec
tive when individuals work
together and provide informa
tion to back up their sugges
tions, he said. Voting, by
itself, communicates little in
formation in a high pressure
situation, he explained. "But
combining voting with other
information leads to more
responsiveness (of elected of
ficials) to the public.
"What governments listen
to and what they hear depends
on who they 're listening to and
what they're saying," he said.
Fleer encouraged educational
programs to train youngsters
for involvement. "It's curious
and unfortunate how little
time our education system
spends helping people become
effective policy makers," he
said. "We need these people to
enhance the stability and
vitality of our political
system.
"We need to do more as a
society to prepare our young
people to be informed,
enlightened and interested in
public policy making.''
During a question session
moderated by Dr. Ralph
Feichter, Fleer said he op
poses the concept of initiative
and referendum as outlined by
United Taxpayers of Haywood
County.
Ted Skaggs, secretary
treasurer of the taxpayers'
group, defined initiative as a
bill drawn up by the voter for
popular vote, and referendum
as the right of the people to
petition and vote to accept or
reject a bill passed by govern
ment,
"1 don't support it," Fleer
said. "I think too often in
itiative tends to simplify
issues (that's what I think was
done in California's Proposi
tion 13), and you can't have a
responsible rupnnw to most
contemporary problems in a
simplified way. They deserve
better input.
"Initiative is a concept
that's good in theory, bad in
practice," Fleer concluded.
United Taxpayers president
Gerald Games disagreed.
"It'a been too long that
lawmakers have made laws
for lawmakers and not for the
people," he said.
"The people who wrote the
Constitution objected
specifically to the idea you're
talking about," Fleer respond
ed. "They wanted represen
tative government, not a
direct popular democracy . "
"I do not think we elect the
type of official we really want
in office," Dr. C.J. Overbeck
said. "We're very careful
when we choose a doctor or an
electrician, but we work on
except whether a person's
Democrat or Republican whan
it comes to electing men 'to
represent us.
"And the only solution I eta
see to that is a slow one. We
need to educate our future
voters so we don't have these
problems."
The role of the media in
political campaigns, ad
ministrative regulations pass
ed down by bureaucrats and
the benefits and drawbacks of
one-term elective offices also
drew the attention of the 90
forum participants.
"Whether throt?h voting br
more active participation, n4y
feeling is we need to increase
the number of people w6o
have power," Fleer said.
"And that's you."
Washington
Report
by Congressman
Lamar Cudger
Eleventh Dist., N.C.
The wisdom of the aged was prevalent about the halls 6f
Congress recently as two Western North Carolina senior
citizens joined about 300 contemporaries for a two-week
stint in Washington.
Mrs. Lucille Burnette of Marshall, a retired
schoolteacher, and Ellsworth Rathburn of Columbus, 'a
former aluminum-company official, represented the 1 1th
Congressional District in the Senior Citizen Intern Pro
gram. Both are chairmen of their county's Council on Ag
ing, and they represented planning-council regions B and C.
The intern program proved to be a great success, and we
plan to make our sponsorship of Senior Citizen Interns an
annual affair. Next year. Regions A and D will select in
terns to participate. Lucille and Ellsworth will be relating
their Washington experience to many senior citizens'
groups in the district over the next few months, and they
welcome inquiries from interested persons about applying
for one of the internships.
Lucille Burnette may be contacted by writing Rt. 7, Bar
nard Rd., Marshall 287S3. Ellsworth Rathburn's home ad
dress is 11 Holly Hill Dr., Columbus 28722.
JACKSON AIRPORT: Jackson County officials got the
best news they reasonably could expect to hear last week
when they met with Federal Aviation Administration of
ficials over plans to shore up the county airport.
While FAA representatives stopped short of promisifig
$785,000 in funding and approving the county's preap
plication for the project, they did pledge to expedite the
application and to try to free funds in the fourth quarter.
Given the current fiscal climate in Washington, the neks
was good.
The county is seeking to stabilize the mountain on which
the airport is constructed and to revamp the drainage
system.
LAND PURCHASE: Testimony before and Interior
Appropriations Subcommittee last week sought release of
Land and Water Conservation Fund monies for a planned
39,000-acre purchase of Jackson County forestland. ?
The U.S. Forest Service acquired an option on t(te
Balsam Bonas-Defeat Lands early this year. The privately
owned land lies within the boundaries of Nantahala Na
tional Forest.
The Forest Service was set to proceed on the purchase,
but funds were impounded by the Carter Administration.
The Appropriations Subcommittee will decide on whether
to release funds for the transaction, which appears to have
the support of many local groups and individuals.
BUDGET CONFERENCE: Congressional budget con
ferees agreed last week to a narrowly balanced budget for
fiscal 1981, including large increases in defense spending.
The action came after the House approved by 338-to-$2
a vote to authorize $6.2 billion more in weapons spending
than sought by President Carter. There is some concon
that the conference report will receive opposition in f$ie
House, where many Members have decried cuts in sodpl
programs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION om these or otfcer topics, wife
m at 421 Cm mm Howe BMg.. Washington. D.C. 2SSI3, or cdl.
loll free, 1-806-452-2X21, to oor Muriel Office.
BEGINNING JUNE
DR. LEROY ROBERSON WILL
EXTEND HIS OFFICE HOURS FOR
THE PRACTICE OF OPTOMETRY
EVERY MONDAY 9 TO 3
2ND AND 4TH WEDNESDAY 9 TO 1
ROBERTS BUILDING
MAIN STREET, MARSHALL. NC