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NATIONAL NEWSPAPER association
ASSOCIATION
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LOUIS H. FOGLEMAN, JR PwMbittf
PAUL DICKSON Editor
HENRY L. BLUE Production 9?tr?isor
BILL UNDAU Asaaria* EdHor
MRS. PAUL DICKSON Society Editor
SAM C. MORRIS Coatrikvtteg Editor
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THURSDAY. AUGUST 5. 1982
Balance in House
Barring an upset by the Republican candidate in November, the
representation for twelfth House District in the General Assembly
the next two years should be balanced, though not perfectly, but far
better than it has been in nearly 10 years.
We are referring to Danny DeVane's victory in the July 27
Democratic runoff primary involving the district's three seats. The
district is composed of Robeson, Hoke and Scotland. DeVane is a
Hoke County businessman. The representation since Hoke County's
Neill McFadyen left the house has been all Robeson County, by
virtue of superiority in voter numbers.
The June 27 runoffs were won by DeVane and two Robeson
County men -- Sidney Locks and John Hasty.
Though candidates pledge themselves to represent the entire
district, and work for the interests of the district as a whole, not just
their home counties, there's no place like home, when you get down
to it.
We're sure the winners in the November election will not play
favorites when they get into the legislature's sessions.
But nevertheless, let's pray that Hoke County's citizen makes it to
Raleigh. The fact is, above all, however, that DeVane is qualified for
the job through his experience in local government as a county
commissioner and with the whole district through his business
activities.
?BL
Change tberuiipff?
Word from Raleigh is that some changes in the state's political
primary system will be offered to reduce the expenses of the runoffs
for the taxpayers.
One change would have candidates gaining 42 per cent of the vote
in a primary involving more than two candidates being declared the
winners. This would apply to certain contests taking in more than
one county. The present system states a majority vote, which saves a
candidate from being forced into a runoff, consists of the result of
applying this formula: the total number of votes cast for all
candidates is divided by the number of positions involved; then this
result is divided by two. and that total is increased by one vote.
The runoff primary has been embedded in North Carolina politics
since 1913.
It's cost many a leader of the first primary the nomination.
For a few examples, if a simple majority decided the nominations,
then Howard Lee, the black former mayor of Chapel Hill, would
have been North Carolina's lieutenant governor, instead of Jimmy
Green, and Richardson Preyer would have been governor instead of
Dan K. Moore. Preyer went on to become a congressman, serving till
the 1980 Republican uprising swept him out of office. (If he had
been elected governor, would he have run for Congress?) Those are
just two examples selected at random.
Locally, if a simple majority had decided, then the Democratic
nominees for the State House district of Robeson, Scotland and
Hoke counties would be three Robesonians - the incumbent, State
Rep. William Gay, Sidney Locks, and John Hasty. Hoke County's
Danny DeVane would have been eliminated in the first primary (he
ran fifth in the nine-man field in which no one received a clear
majority in the contests for the district's three House seats).
At least two of the Democratic nominees, and probably all three,
will be elected in November, since there is only one Republican in the
contest, in a heavily Democratic district.
On the face of it, risky as it would be for one's favorite candidates,
the most efficient and economical way to decide a party's nominees
would be by simple majorities in the primary, with the runoff system
eliminated.
This would be unfair to the candidates losing by very narrow
margins. In these cases, then, a rule could allow a candidate
finishing, say, one per cent behind the leaders to call for a runoff.
The trouble with the runoffs has been the winners have been
decided by minority vote -- that is a majority of the minority of
registerd voters who went to the polls. The records show that the
percentage of registered party members have turned out for the
runoffs than fof the primary. In Hoke County, for example, about 52
per cent of the registered Democrats voted in the June 27 primary --
and about 36 per cent in the July 27 runoff.
The records also show that the runoffs have benefited far more
also-rans than front runners. (It so happened, however, that the
candidates who finished second and third in the June 29 primary for
the Hoke County commissioners' nominations also won the runoffs.
The third nominee, John Balfour, got a majority in the June 29
primary, but one candidate received 407 fewer and the other 125
fewer votes than they did in the June 29 primary.
Some change in the runoff system should be made in the interests
of economy, for the candidates who must run a second time, as well
as tfcc taxpayers, and efficiency.
-BL
A cloud no bigger than a man's hand
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It's a Small orld i
By Bill Lindau
The Puppy Creek Fire Depart
ment has a unique tribute in its fire
station.
It's a memorial to the volunteer
department's first fire chief. Chuck
Helbling. He served for 16 years,
and was still chief when he died last
January. He also was the first
president of the Puppy Creek
Community Watch.
Helbling was a fireman before he
moved to the community. He was
with the Fayetteville Fire Depart
ment.
The memorial is set up on a wall
of the fire station. It consists of a
large picture of Helbling. head and
shoulders, a flag, and a plaque
given by his fellow volunteers in
appreciation for his service.
^ The memorial was pointed out to
byvAbc- present Puppy Creek
' chief. Buddy Newton, when I went
out there to get some information
about a fire the volunteers had
fought a few days before.
I was planning to get a picture of
the memorial. But Buddy Newton
and I couldn't work out a time that
was right for both of us at the same
time.
* * *
Somebody complained to the dog
catcher about the dog named
LuLu. The complaint was that
LuLu dug holes in the complainer's
property. After paying the magis
trate for LuLu's efforts, I went
around looking for the holes she
allegedly dug. 1 know LuLu likes to
dig holes, because the earth under
the surface is cool, and she likes to
lounge in the cool dug-out places
on hot days.
I found only one hole.
It was in my yard.
Incidentally, LuLu isn't even my
dog.
But her owner didn't have S10 to
bail her out. His job doesn't pay
enough for that. In fact, he didn't
have enough to get her a rabies
shot. (But she got one, and she also
got spayed). Or even a collar. But
she got one, to hang her rabies tag
on.
But the main thing is something
money can't buy. He loves her, and
she's nuts about him.
Knowing that makes it no big
deal to put out SIO to keep LuLu
out of jail.
? ? ?
Last week's News-Journal was
supposed to have a picture of the
rising Fifth through Eighth
Graders in "Kids on Broadway"
which will be played Thursday and
Friday in the Upchurch Junior
High School auditorium.
I took their picture and one of
the high school students in the
other act of "Live on Broadway"
the week before. But the film met
with an accident. I went back and
got picture of the students to run
this week though.
The picture of the Faberge
employees with perfect attendance
on the job was on the same roll of
film with the pictures of the kids. I
called the plant to see if we couldn't
do it over, but it was out of the
question as the people work on
different shifts and it would have
taken a great deal of time and
effort to get them together again.
But at least 1 can give you the
names of the people, including one
who couldn't come for the picture
taking. That was Kipling Maroney.
with a year's perfect attendance.
The others, who were in what
'would have been the picture, are
Larry Sanders and his sister. Sheila
Sanders, each with three years'
perfect attendance; and, each with
a year's perfect attendance -- Linda
Cherry. Harley Caulder. Malcolm
McMillan. James Adams. James P.
Edwards. Valerie Hollmond. War
ren Anderson. Louis Chester.
Florence Williams, and Aline E.
Daniels. August Zitzman. the
plant's general manager and the
corporation's vice president for
manufacturing, was with them for
the picture-taking.
Photography can be a nuisance
.because of all the thitgs that-jean
happen. In Anson Coulty one day f
took some pictures of a guy
showing and explaining his home
made solar energy machine to a
bunch of Bowman High School
students.
Later that day. a guy wanted to
use the same camera to get some
pictures of his own.
"Wonder if there's film in it?" he
asked himself, but not me. So he
opened the camera. Sure enough,
there was.
But after he found out that way.
there might as well not have been.
Another time 1 spent a day
wandering all over the Cherokee
Reservation taking pictures with an
old time Speed Graphic camera. 1
got some colorful scenes.
Unfortunately, no one ever saw
them.
I'd shot all the pictures with
something called the focal plane
shutter engaged. That was fine for
fast action pictures, but the setting
was wrong for my still life.
Then a staff photographer of The
Charlotte Observer once spent a
wasted day at Myrtle Beach, taking
pictures for the paper's Vacation
Edition.
When he got back to his dark
room and developed the film, he
found he had absolutely nothing
but clear blanks.
He'd forgotten to remove the
cover from his lens before shooting.
Puppy Creek
Philosopher
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CLIFF BLUE ...
People & Issues
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CIGARETTE TAX? ... When I
first heard about Senators Helms
and East voting in the U.S. Senate
to increase the cigarette tax from 8'
to 16' I was opposed to it.
I have been writing all along that
the Federal budget should be
balanced, and 1 still cling to the
hope that it soon may be.
But, it is my thinking that an
eight cents tax increase in the cost
of cigarettes is just a beginning
toward this goal.
Even though 1 don't like the sug
gestion of doubling the tax on
cigarettes, I cannot offer a more
acceptable product to tax. I don't
say it is a good tax because no tax
is good for all the people.
All in all, the cigarette tax may
raise as much money with less
harm done than a tax on some
other product.
While cigarette taxes will hit
many citizens of North Carolina,
we are thankful it is not an essen
tial item. Obviously many
sacrifices will have to be made in
order to get this country on a
sound course again.
BALANCED BUDGET ...
President Reagan is advocating a
balanced budget amendment to the
U.S. Constitution.
We wonder why he does not pre
sent a balanced budget to the Con
gress and press for its adoption in
stead of waiting on Congress and
three-lourths of the 50 states to
ratify an amendment requiring a
balanced budget!
It now looks as if the debt will be
growing by at least one hundred
billion dollars each year, or more.
Then it would be up to congress
to balance the budget or fail to do
so. That has been the situation in
the past, with a big deficit!
DEFAULTING ... Last week,
Education Secretary, T.H. Bali
barred more than 400 colleges and
trade schools with defaulty rates of
25<Vo or more from receiving new
federal aid money. The action af
fected the following schools in
North Carolina: Barber-Scotia
College, Concord; Blanton's
Junior College, Asheville;
Elizabeth City State University;
Hamilton College, Charlotte;
Kite's College; ?utlegge College,
Greensboro; St? Augustine Col
lege, Raleigh; Shaw University,
Raleigh; Winston-Salem Universi
ty; and a half dozen from South
Carolina.
PROTECTING
THEMSELVES? ... It seems that
the House of Representatives in
Washington where the Democrats
are in majority, decided not to
challenge the House appropria
tions bill. Democratic Chairman,
Dan Rostenkowskie of Illinois said
the committee used the unusual
tactic to avoid a bruising election
year floor fight and possible defeat
of the tax bill, which he said was
vitally needed to help shrink loom
ing budget deficits.
PRESS CONVENTION ... Like
many other newspaper people I at
tended the annual N.C. Newspaper
convention at the Hilton Hotel in
Wilmington July 22-24. I attended
the breakfast meeting of the Past
President's Saturday morning.
Frank Daniels of the News &
Observer, immediate past presi
dent asked the group around the
table who they thought would be
the next Democratic nominee for
governor. Several names were
mentioned. Most seem to favor
President William Friday, but
questioned whether he would run.
Several other names were mention
ed, Commissioner of Insurance,
John Ingram, Attorney General,
Rufus Edmisten, Charlotte Mayor
Eddie Knox, Lt. Governor Jimmy
Green, Congressman Charlie Rose
and others.
It was an "off the cuff" ques
tion, as were the answers.
HOLLINGS & EAST ... Last
week a reporter asked Senator
Hollings of South Carolina
whether the Carter legacy was hurt
ing his chances as a Southerner
running for the Democratic
nomination for president in 1984.
Hollings said there was no doubt
about Carter's "brilliance and in
tellect". But he said Carter chose a
weak White House staff, so weak
that "with that team I would fall."
U.S. Senator John East said last
week that he is growing so peaved
at his own party that he was even
thinking about leaving it to
become an independent.
East's comments were printed in
the Charlotte Observer. East said
later his cofnmppts were ."hyper
pole to make a point" and that as a
Republican he was seriously think
ing about leaving the party.
Letter To The Editor
Editor,
The News-Journal
I have a few observations and
comments to make about the recent
Democratic primaries.
It is unfortunate that in the race
for County Commissioner little
attention was focused on what the
candidates proposed to DO about
the problems facing the County.
The problems are real and will not
be solved without great effort. As
you know, our county is poor, one
of the poorest in North Carolina;
we have high unemployment and a
high rate of incarceration among
our citizenry; we need industry and
jobs, especially for our poor, and
we need a plan to attract such
industry; we need to improve our
school conditions and provide more
money for recreation; we need to
put people in jobs and get them off
the public assistance rolls; we
desperately need to deal with the
issue of controlled growth and
adopt concrete, workable plans
that will protect Hoke County from
the blight of urban sprawl that is so
evident in Cumberland County.
These are just a few of the issues
that I'm concerned about. I'm sure
you could add to the list. It would
have been nice in the recent
election to have had public dis
Dear editor:
You can't believe everything you
hear from Washington -- if you did
you'd lose your mind ?? so I don't
know what to make over the trouble
with Congressional pages, the
youngsters who run errands for
Congressmen and Senators and
make $8,000 a year for the part
time work.
Some say the fault lies in the fact
the pages don't have a government
financed dormitory, where they can
be better supervised. But I say the
blame goes further back than that.
It starts in the home. Any
parents who'd turn a 14-year-old
child loose in the midst of Con
gressional politicians is just not
thinking straight. Don't they know
that a kid's environment, his
associates, in his formative years
has a lot to do with the develop
ment of his moral character?
Why, there are grown men who
can't maintain much character in
Congress. How do you expect a kid
to do it?
I have never understood the need
for pages in Congress. I understand
course and debate about how to
solve these difficult problems.
Incidentally, 1 was disappointed
that The News-Journal never ran an
article on the County Commis
sioners' race featuring the candi
dates' ideas and positions on
county government. Nor did 1 see
any editorial comment on the race.
This is unfortunate because, given
the importance of the race and the
magnitude of the issues facing our
County, the candidates' positions
certainly seem newsworthy.
One final comment: In cam
paigning for Tom Howell out in the
county, 1 got the impression that
many of our people don't feel they
are a real part of the local
government process. One reason
for this is that several sections of
the county are unrepresented on
the Board. It seems to me that a
districting plan wherein each sec
tion of the county elected its own
representative to the Board would
be bcneficial. We could still have
some at-large candidates.
At any rate, I offer my con
gratulations to all the winners and
certainly hope their terms in office
will be marked by notable achieve
ment.
Sincerely,
Warren L. Pate
they run errands tor members, like
bringing them newspapers or going
after an absent-minded member's
bifocals or a glass of water or
carrying messages like where the
poker game is tonight, etc.
I have seen Congressmen on
television and a lot of them look
like they ought to be running their
own errands just to get the exercise.
When you can buy meals at
half-price in the Congressional
restaurant the tempation to over
eat is hard to resist, although
members have established a safety
valve. They can go to a .govern
ment-financed hospital at greatly
reduced prices. Congress has whip
ped the high cost of food and
medical care. For Congressmen.
I have a notion that Congress will
attack the pages' moral problems
by voting to house them in a
multi-million-dollar dormitory,
with strict supervision. If it works,
you reckon a supervised dormitory
for Congressmen would be worth a
try?
Yours faithfully,
J.A.