Editorials
On squandering funds
If budget proposals now pending before local governmental
bodies are passed into law on July 1, Raeford taxpayers can
look forward to another year of paying twice for single ser
vices.
In addition, city taxpayers, who represent less than 18% of
Hoke County's population, will also pay more than 50% of
the cost of constructing a new $128,000 dog pound and land
fill building.
Under the proposed city budget for the coming fiscal year,
$32,000 has been earmarked for the new landfill structure.
That figure, which is 25% of the total cost of the building, is
in addition to $30,000 the city is planning to fork over for
maintaining the landfill.
On the surface this plan seems fair, however, the flaw is
that city taxpayers also pay county taxes. In fact during 1982,
55.2% of the county's tax collections came from the Raeford
Township, and most of that money came from within the city
limits.
During 1982, county tax collectors sent out bills for $2.1
million of which $1.2 million went to taxpayers owning pro
perty in the Raeford Township. The majority of the collec
tions from the township come from industries, businesses and
residences within the city limits.
Not only do Raeford taxpayers pay for the city's use of the
landfill and the dog pound, but they also pay most of the
^ounty burden ror the remaining 82% of the population.
In addition, Raeford taxpayers are paying the majority of
the county's costs for such services 3s police protection, rural
fire protection, garbage collection, animal control, county ad
ministration, building inspections and tax collections.
The irony is that city taxpayers do not receive any of these
county services.
Until Raeford council members stop paying the county for
services which its property owners have already paid hand
somely, inequities will continue and municipal taxpayers will
continue to be ripped off.
In order to set the record straight, council members could
start by trimming the city's budget by $32,000, and
eliminating the money pegged for the landfill-dog pound
building.
Municipal taxpayers could also save another $30,000, if the
city fathers stop paying the county 25% of the operating costs
of the landfill.
Before the budget becomes law for another fiscal year,
Raeford City Council members have an opportunity to end an
unfair tradition and to stop squandering their constituents'
money.
We encourage them to seize the chance.
The <^1 eu?4 - journal I
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NATIONAL NEWSPAPER - association
ASSOCIATION
PibttiM Every TharWay by
Dickton Pma, lac., PaaJ Dfcfcaoa, Pres.
1 19 W. Mwood Aveaae. P.O. Box 550
Raeford, N.C. 2*374
Sabteriplloa Rate* la Adrian
la Coaaty Per Year? Slt.M t Moaria ? S9.M
Oat of Coaaty Per Year? S12.M * Moatha? M.M
LOUIS H. FOGLEMAN, JR. PaMWwr
WARREN N.JOHNSTON MM or
HENRY L. BLUE rradaettaa Sapcrrtaor
MRS. PAUL DICKSON Society EMar
SAM C. MORRIS Cuatilfcatlag E Mar
ANN WEBB A<rrrtk*at Reyraaefttre
Sacaarf Claw Parage at Raeford, N.C.
(tnrs3?aw>
Letters To The Editor
ROTC essential
to US freedom
Dear Editor:
Being a rising junior at Hoke
County High School, I was very
pleased to hear the Board of
Education has asked for an ROTC
unit at the high school.
I am only one of the many male
and female students who want,
and have wanted since our
freshman year to have a ROTC
uniiat the high school..
'The so called "Vietnam Syn
drome" is over, and a great sense
of duty and pride is being felt for
our country by its young people.
With the growing problems in
the Middle East, Central America,
Europe, and various other parts of
the world, it is evident the U.S.
military must be ready to defend
this nation against any enemy
which it may encounter.
Our military will need to be
smarter, stronger and more
dedicated than ever, so that
freedom can be secured for all in
the future.
This dedication and preparation
needs to begin now.
ROTC strives for excellence in
academics, athletics, and dedica
tion to God and country.
The students at Hoke High who
are interested in ROTC possess the
qualities to excel in all three of
these areas.
It is our earnest hope that the
County Commissioners will pro
vide the funds for the ROTC unit.
It should be known that the
money for this unit is different.
It's not like the funds set aside
for new carpet in the library, or
new tables in the cafeteria!
This money, set aside for the
ROTC unit, is in reality paying for
the security of this nation's
freedom in the future..
Sincerely,
Mark Black
Puppy Creek
Philosopher
Dear editor:
Because women have long since
goi rid of wash pots, rub boards
and flat irons and are now showing
up in areas once occupied almost
exclusively by men. like business,
the professions and politics, ihe
next step, some say. is to elect a
woman President.
I got to thinking about what
abilities and habits a woman
should have to be President of the
U.S.
Based on the abilities and
characteristics of some of the last
five or six Presidents, she should:
(1) If she needs glasses to read,
have her speech writers use
typewriters with large letters.
Never be seen in public with your
glasses on.
(2) Learn how to lower and raise
the deficit at the same time.
(3) Study the past, to have it on
hand to blame for anything that
doesn't work out.
(4) Look to the future. That's
where better times always are.
(5) Learn how, when lowering
and raising taxes at the same time,
never to'do it in the same month.
Always l?l the people bask a while
in the cut before taking it away.
(6) Have a husband who will
stand at your side and beam at
whatever you're saying, regardless
of how many limes he's heard it.
(7) Appoint a reasonable
number of men to high positions in
government so you won't be accus
ed of ignoring them.
(8) Keep a diary, to cash in on
the book you'll write as soon as
you're out of office.
These are just some of the super
ficial qualities needed. There are
more fundamental ones, but the
superficial ones bring out the
crowds.
Yours faithfully,
J. A.
Cheese crisis could be brewing
By Warren Johnston
The recent turnout of deserving
residents for the Hoke County
Department of Social Services
(DSS) SI 00,000 cheese and butter
giveaway was overwhelming.
In fact the response was so good
that DSS officials gave out of the
dairy products earlier than plann
ed, and many county residents
were left hungering at closed
doors.
The giveaway program is a
Reagan Administration plan to
lessen the federal government's
stockpile of cheese, powdered milk
and butter, which is accumulating
as part of an outdated commody
program designed to keep the dairy
industry afloat.
The theory is that by buying the
products, the federal government
keeps the price of dairy com
modities high in the grocery stores,
and the farmers won't go broke.
It's the supply and demand
theory of economics. The problem
is that for the last several years,
conditions for raising dairy pro
ducts have been good and the
government has been paying a
good price. As the supplies keep
increasing, so do the government's
subsidy purchases.
During 1982, 10^o of the dairy
products produced in this country
were purchased by the federal
government.
Congress is working on new in
centives for dairy farmers which
will reduce production, but in the
meantime, enormous supplies are
building up in government
warehouses .
In order to stabilize the surplus,
the Reagan Administration began
doling out cheese in December
1981 at the rate of 35 million
pounds per month. Figure that at
S2.40 per pound.
In case your calculator is not
handy, that's Si. 3 billion for the
last 18 months.
When butter and non-fat dried
milk started building up, those
products were dumped into the
program. About 10 million pounds
of butter, along with 3 million
pounds of dried milk are given
The Puppy Papers
away each month to the tune of
another $500 million.
There has also been some loose
talk about adding honey to the list
for the fall giveaway.
Federal officials believe the pro
gram will provide 1 1 pounds of
cheese for each person below the
proverty level in the United States
per year.
It is also designed to provide
dairy commodities to persons who
can not afford to purchase them
and would otherwise be deprived
of their nutritional value, not to
mention their cholesterol, causing
high levels of saturated fats.
Although retail merchants see it
differently, administration of
ficials also theorize that, because
these persons would not purchase
the products from the stores, there
is no danger of the giveaway hurt
ing sales.
Besides, there have been some
big chunks sliced out of the welfare
programs lately, and the cheese
giveaway should slake some of the
pains of those cuts.
It also seems reasonable, and in
keeping with the starving Arme
nian children theory, not to let the
dairy products mold away in a
warehouse when they could be en
joyed by persons who can't afford
to purchase them.
However, as the farmers con
tinue to produce more, the govern
ment keeps buying more and giv
ing away more. Allocations con
tinue to increase and local officials
are forced to expand the list of
those eligible for the freebies.
Because officials believe poverty
level recipients have satisfied their
taste for cheese, the doors have
recently been opened to anyone
over 60, regardless of income.
If the program continues at its
present pace, it i$ logical to assume
that the age bracket will drop, and
soon everyone might be getting
free cheese, butter, dried milk,
honey and maybe the new non
refrigerate UHT milk.
If that happens our entire
economic system could be
disrupted, and the future of the na
tion could be left hanging with the
curds.
If the spiraling commodity pro
gram continues, there is no telling
what could happen:
?Dairy farmers could be mak
ing so much money that they will
begin living like Middle Western
sheiks. In order to diversify, the
farmers will begin buying real
estate, and local residents will
complain about all the land being
taken over by "that dairy crowd."
?Because of the massive impact
of dietary cholesterol, heart
disease and obesity will increase.
That will be OK, because the dairy
farmers, who will have all the
money, will open fat farms and
reducing clinics.
?Dairy production will increase
so much that the giveaway will be
bountiful. There will be no more
humilating wait to receive the dole.
Older persons will be overheard
telling their children things like; "I
can remember when we had to wait
three hours just to get five pounds
of cheese."
?In order to make up for the
money being poured into the dairy
subsidy program, more money will
be milked out of federal welfare
and food stamp recipients will not
be able to afford the bread to make
a cheese sandwich. Wheat farmers
will go broke.
?Tariffs will be placed on
foreign cheeses. In order to find a
Camembert, you will have to see
Honest Al, the black marketeer. A
federal Cheese Enforcement Ad
ministration (CEA) will be
established to stop illegal importa
tions of dairy product*. Mass ar
rests will be made. The courts will
be clogged with cases against il
legal cheese traffickers.
?Political campaigns will be
centered around the issue.
?Finally, people will stop eating
cheese and other dairy products.
?The dairy farmers, who are by
this time over extended because
they have built too many fat farms
and lent too much money to starv
ing ' countries, wiH have to cut
prices.
?Everything will return to nor
mal, and the cheese crisis will be
just history.
CLIFF BLUE . . .
People & Issues
HOLLINGS... Senator Ernest
Hollings is working very hard in
New Hampshire and has made trip
after trip to the state. He hopes to
surprise many who feel his chances
of obtaining the Democratic
nomination are slim.
Mrs. Hollings, we are told, is
campaigning just as hard, and is
very active with women's groups.
It may be that Hollings' fate will
hang to an unusual degree on his
showing in New Hampshire nine
months from now.
The South Carolina candidate is
not the only one, of course, work
ing the stale aggressively, but his
fiscal philosophy has an appeal in
traditionally thrifty New
Englanders.
In fact, his fiscal philosophy
would appear to be closer to that
of former President Jimmy Carter
than that of other Democratic can
didates. Carter remains committed
to Walter Mondale, his former vice
president, but we suspect there
may have been signs of disenchant
ment on Carter's part of late.
STATES AND RECOVERY ...
While the Reagan administration is
claiming signs of national
economic recovery, the nation's
governors say their own finances
are slipping into the hole without
any indication of quick relief. This
report was issued recently by the
National Governors' Association.
BUSINESS OUTLOOK. ..Ed
ward Thorlund, a business outlook
expert, says the slight increase in
interest rates in recent weeks hasn't
caused a major negative reaction in
the stock market, as this is written.
One reason may be President
Reagan's prediction, at the end of
May, that interest rates would
trend downward later in the year.
Another reason is that inflation re
mains obviously under control.
Bank interest rates - and other
rates -- are up only slightly in the
past month. The big worry among
many, that huge annual deficits
will inevitably rekindle inflation
and thus interest increases are not
yet having a major effect.
DROWNINGS. ..Already
drownings are occurring in the
oceans, lakes and streams of the
nation. A few days, ago, Phillip
Covington drowned in Crystal
Lake at Lakeview, NC.
A precaution swimmers might
observe is to swim in groups,
especially in the ocean. This pro
vides a swimmer in distress im
mediate help.
LOOKING BACK. ..One of the
desperate days of history for
Virginians and Southerners came
on June 9, 1864.
General U.S. Grant, wearing
down General R.E. Lee's out
numbered army, swept southward
around Richmond and approached
it from the south, Petersburg.
There were insufficient Con
federate troops to defend the city;
the old men and boys of that town
rallied to its defense and repulsed
the attack until regular Con
federate forces arrived.
That was 1 19 years ago.
Every year since, the graves of
those volunteers have been
decorated on June 9, although
Confederate Memorial Day is
observed May 30!
WOMEN OUTLIVE MEN ...
Women, as a group, outlive men.
Of 100 women and 100 men aged
65, 43 women -- but only 24 men -
will live to age 85.
Multiply those numbers by 1 ,000
and assume each individual is to
receive an annual pension benefit
of $1, 000 and the cost of ignoring
differences in life expectancy
becomes enormous.
By age 85, the surviving women
from the original group of 100,000
would draw $19 million more per
year in pension benefits than the
smaller group of male survivors.
CONNIE MACK...O!dtimers
will feel a tinge of nostalgia
reading the name Connie Mack ~
those who remember some great
Major League baseball teams of
the late 20s. The family -- two
generations later - now has a
younger Connie Mack in Con
gress.
Congressman Mack though a
freshman from Florida's 13th
district, took issue with Florida's
veteran Senator Lawton Chiles, in
a recent newspaper exchange in the
district's leading newspaper, the
Sarasota Herald Tribune.
In brief. Congressman Mack
disagrees with Senator Chiles, a
Democrat; and Mack is a
Republican , who believes we have
huge deficits because the federal
governinent spends too much
moneyr?;..