Editorials
James Albert Hunt
no longer serving
[ In the May 7, 1974, Democratic Party Primary election, James
Albert Hunt carried 10 of the county's 14 precincts, and lead the
balloting to gain the nomination for county commission without a
runoff.
Hunt's popularity grew. In November of that year, he was the top
vote getter in the general election and was later sworn in as the first
Indian to serve on the Hoke County Commission.
In 1974 and again in 1978, the South Hoke trucking company
owner promised to represent all the people of Hoke County and to
perform his duties to the best of his abilities.
As a younger man. Hunt saw U.S. Highway 401 as a "death
trap" and pledged to work to get it widened to four lanes. He stress
ed a need for better working conditions in the sheriff's department,
and aired plans for improved recreation and rural fire protection.
CLIFF BLUE . . .
People & Issues
PRESIDENTIAL ... As we look
at the potential Presidential candi
dates for the Democratic National
nominees, come convention time,
1984. U.S. Senator John Glenn and
U.S. Senator Ernest Hollings could
well head the Democratic ticket.
The first U.S. Senatorial en
dorsement for Glenn came a few
days ago from Massachusetts Sena
tor Paul Tsongas. Is he jumping on
what some may say to be a centrist
bandwagon for Glenn?
Meanwhile. Gary Hart seems to
be out of it. California's Alan
Cranston has hardly been taken
seriously by many Democratic lead
ers. Mixed into the political pot.
John Anderson may well be a
candidate again. He says he will
run again in 1984 as he did in 1980 I
when he received 5.551.551 or 7% '
of the popular vote.
Reagan received 42,951.145. and
incumbent Carter received 34.663.
551: Reagan received 489 electoral
votes: Carter 49.
Anderson says he will likely run
again in 1984, hoping to build a
party as did Abraham Lincoln in
I960, with the smell of federal
money. Anderson is an independ
ent. and would probably hurt
Democrats more than Republicans.
Hollings and Askew are in a very
strong position for second place, if
either Glenn or Mondale is nomi
nated for the number one spot.
A southern moderate would be
almost necessary for the Demo
cratic Party if it hoped to carry the
South against Reagan.
Bert Lance reminded both Mon
dale and Glenn who visited him in
Georgia recently, the fourteen
states of the Southern Governor's
Conference will send more than
1200 delegates to San Francisco
next summer.
They won't favor a far-left
candidate, the Georgian warned.
That shot seems to hit Mondale
and Cranston hardest, as did the
Thatcher victory in England. This
is where Hollings and Askew come
in.
HEFNER . . . U.S. Rep. Bill
Hefner of the 8th N.C. Congres
sional District has sold his radio
station in Kannapolis for SI, 345,
000. effective June 1. Hefner has
represented the 8th District for
several years and evidently feels
pretty sure of holding the seat for
tJie fore-seeable future, having won
by a comfortable majority in the
election last November.
HIGHEST TAXES ... In which
state do residents pay the highest
total of state and local taxes? You
might have guessed -- New York
State.
But surprisingly, Wyoming resi
dents are next in line for the
dubious honor of second place. The
District of Columbia, despite lavish
financial aid from Congress, taxes
its citizens the next highest
amount.
The next most costly state and
local tax states are New Mexico,
Hawaii, Massachusetts, Montana,
Vermont and Wisconsin, in that
order. The range between the total
state and local tax. per thousand
dollars of income, is from $158 in
New York State to SI 22 in Wis
consin.
The disturbing part of the pic
ture is that taxes in most states and
localities are now going up, so that,
fairly soon, some may be paying
close to 20% of what they earn in
the form of state and local taxes -
hot figuring in the federal income
fax!
In addition to his duties on the commission, Hunt served on the
Sandhills Mental Health Board and the County Fire Board.
Throughout his tenure, Hunt has been a leader, not only for the
South Hoke Community, but for all of Hoke County.
Although he declined to comment prior to his re-election in 1982,
in a 1978 interview with The News-Journal, Hunt again pledged to
remember all county residents when making a decision.
"1 promise not to forget our main responsibility -- the people of
our county," Hunt said.
During the last six months, James Albert Hunt has not been liv
ing up to that pledge.
As a result of his apparent irresponsible handling of personal and
business finances, the South Hoke Commissioner has landed in jail
in Scotland, Hoke and Robeson counties. He also faces charges in
at least two other North Carolina counties.
Not only have Hunt's financial antics and comments like "if you
are not bouncing checks, you're not doing business," been an em
barrassment to his constituents, but they have raised questions
about his ability to handle the finances of others.
Despite his apparent inability to control his own checkbook,
Hunt has continued to cast ballots on county spending matters
which affect the lives of all Hoke Countians.
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Letters T o The Editor
Puppy Creek
Philosopher
Dear editor:
Fhere's an argument going
around that Congressmen \hould
be limited to two terms instead ol
holding on to their jobs tor life,
but I've discovered an argument
on the other side.
An ex-Congressman sometimes
draws more money from the
government than he did when he
was in office. A former Speaker ot
the House for example pulls in
S85.UOO in pensions, $20. (XX) more
than he got when he was on the
job, and over $75,(XJO more than
he'd get on Social Security.
Or take the Presidency, f rom a
tax-saving standpoint, it's now
cheaper to keep a President in of
fice than it is to turn him out.
According to an article I read
the other day. the cost of maintain
ing the three ex-Presidents we now
have on hand is $27.(XX).(XX) a
year, which comes to an average of
& *i
$y.(XXUXX) pet ex-president. In ad
dition. practically an\ ex-President
can make at least a million dollars
writing a bonk. which I don'l
understand as I've never en
countered anybody who's ever
read one.
When a President is defeated or
decides to run again or quite just
ahead ot an indictment, the
government allots him S 1.0(H). 000
lor moving expenses, which seems
like a U>i i ust to get him out ol
tow n
Also, I guess maybe to cushion
him against another one ot those
periodic rate increases, he is given
$32. (XX) a veai lor his telephone
bill.
Moreover, it costs about
SI 5, (XX), (XX.) a year to stall and
maintain ex-Presidents' libraries
scattered around the country,
which seems a little one-sided as all
the books and papers in any of
them is confined to just one sub
ject. Even a small town public
library has a wider range of books
than that.
So it appears thai once we elect
somebody to something we're
stuck with the bill from then on.
whether he's in office or out. Hie
British are ahead of us oti this.
You don't hear of l hem swapping
their Kings or Queens every lew
years
Yours faiihfullv ,
J. A.
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week.
US food inspection
is best in world
b> John Sledge
N.C. Farm Bureau Federation
Food product inspection pro
grams in this country are con
sidered to be the most comprehen
sive in the world. Clearance pro
cedures for new drugs and
pesticides are so stringent that they
discourage manufacturers from
pursuing new product research.
There also is no provision in pre
sent food safety laws for review of
research studies by "outside of
government" scientists. This peer
review procedure is needed to ob
tain the best opinions from the en
tire scientific community.
A few years ago, the FDA
sought to phase out nitrites based
on a single inconclusive study and
in the process severely hurt pork
producers. The agency later
retracted its action when its study
was discredited but, in the opinion
of producers, the damage already
had been done.
A scientific review mechanism
would prevent laully sludies Irom
raising havoc within an industry in
the future.
Scientific analysis can now
detect the most minute trace of a
substance -- one part per trillion
compared with one part per
million in 1958. This heightened
capability to find trace amounts,
combined with the increasing con
sumption of processed foods,
means there is now a greater
chance for additional food scares
and the heated regulatory battles
that usually follow.
Agricultural producers have
worked closely with government to
assure that proper drug and
chemical product application pro
cedures are followed. Cooperators
continue to monitor product usage
to identify possible residues.
If problems are found, prompt
steps are supported to solve them.
Chemicals and drugs are essen
tial tools of agricultural produc
tion.
In addition. Hunt's leadership on the board has been diminished,
and other members of the commission are having to carry the load.
Under North Carolina law, Hunts actions are not considered to
be a felony. If they were and he was convicted, he would no longer
be able to serve in an elected office.
The law also does not provide for an impeachment of the South
Hoke commissioner, and there is no provision for a recall vote by
the public.
According to a spokesman for the state Attorney General's of
fice, if Hunt wanted, he could stay in office for the next three and a
half years, and not attend a meeting of the commission.
However to do so would not be in the best interests of those who
elected him.
James Albert Hunt should resign from the Hoke County Com
mission.
His resignation would allow another person to complete the term
who would be less encumbered by outside pressures.
Hunt has served with dignity during the last eight years, but by
stepping aside now, he would be doing the right thing for Hoke
County, and the people he has pledged to represent.
Rainlessness sparks
vegetable unrest
By Warren Johnston
Before last week, it was hard to
remember when my wife and 1 had
sat in the rocking chairs on our
front porch and watched the rain.
"Do you remember the last time
we sat out here and watched ftje
rain?" my wife asked, while the"
wet wind washed our faces and the
lightning cracked nearby.
"Seems like, it was March, or
maybe April," I said. "It's hard to
remember."
Before the rains, it had gotten
more and more difficult to go to
the garden and face our crop of
drooping vegetables.
It was a little like being in a
room full of disgruntled workers,
who were considering a strike.
"You expect me to produce in
this sort of heat," the tomato
plants griped, as I pruned the
suckers from their upper branches.
"This place is a real sweatshop."
"If I don't get some rain, I'll
just die," the cauliflower moaned.
The lettuce and cabbage chimed
in that if 1 didn't do something,
"heads" were going to roll.
"Stop complaining," I respond
ed in a cheery voice.
"Why, the sun is out. It's
beautiful. If you don't believe me,
watch the television weather
reports."
Just the other night we had
watched a report from Raleigh.
The meteorologist had said that it
would be a "wonderful" week
with little chance of afternoon
thundershowers.
Oh, there might be a few light
scattered showers, but "nothing to
mess up your fun," he said.
From his seat in front of the
camera, the viewing audience must
look like a group of beach-crazed
sun worshipers, I told my wife.
"I'd like to see him come down
here and try to explain this drought
to that crowd out in the garden," I
added.
"They're getting ugly."
When my wife talked me into
planting this year's garden, she
never told me that I would have to
suffer this sort of abuse. It is bad
enough to have to pay the water
bills, hoe and weed, but then to
have to hear the complaints from
the vegetable union was a bit
much.
Back in February, when it was
too wet to plow, she had used
beguiling logic.
Attempting to appeal to my
monetary instincts, she told me a
garden was worth at least $800 a
year to a family of four.
The Puppy Papers
"But we are only a family of
two," 1 countered, attempting not
to be suckered by one of her "get
rich quick" schemes.
The money doesn't matter, the
garden will be fun, good exercise
and we will save on food costs, she
responded.
I trusted my wife. She was raised
in a more rural community, and 1
had assumed that she knew her
way around a garden. Besides, it
was obvious she had been reading
the bulletins put out by the exten
sion office.
As I was beginning to weaken,
she hit me with the hook.
"You're from Atlanta. Ralph
McGill was from Atlanta, and he
had a garden. He won a Pulitzer
Prize," she said.
Naturally, I was supposed to
make the connection.
She expected me to believe that
the late Atlanta Constitution
editor must have gotten the in
spiration for his award winning
columns while working in the
garden. If 1 worked hard tilling the
soil, perhaps 1 too would win a
Pulitzer.
Following the same logic, there
will probably also be a long line of
farmers waiting for the coveted
award, I said.
Before 1 knew it, we were laying
out the rows and planting happy
little seeds in the damp spring soil.
How was I to guess, that what
the Raleigh weatherman said
wasn't true. That things really
weren't "beautiful "
Who would have guessed that
the vegetables were quietly stewing
over the bright sunny days of May
and June.
It seemed to happen suddenly.
One day I went out to the garden,
and the entire group had become
surly. The cucumbers were par
ticularly bitter. The beans and
squash were tough.
When the showers finally started
last week, the "o-o-o-hs" and
"ahhs" coming out of the yard
were disgusting.
"I sure hope this rain keeps
up," I said to my wife as we rock
ed in our front porch chairs.
"If it doesn't, things could get
real ugly around here," she said.
That night, the weatherman
assured us that the whole thing had
been caused by a cold front.
"You don't have to worry. It
should all be gone by the
weekend," he said.
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