[Clipping: Insurance failure] Part: 2 of 2
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A-18 Saturday, January 21, 1989
Dallas Times Herald
3 R
Dallas Times Herald
Founded in 1879 Dallas, 'Texas
'Times
XaPulitzer Prizes
1964, 1980, 1983
John Buzzetta
Publisher
Roy E. Bode
Editor
Ray Wilkerson, Managing Editor
Lee Cullum, Editorial Page Editor
Ernest Sotomayor, Associate EditorIke Massey, President
Glenn M. Ford,
Chief Financial Officer
John A. Wolf, Sr. V.P. Marketing
Gene M. Janski, V.P. Operations
Richard R. Seibert, V.P. CirculationRationalize arms funds
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE
$1 trillion military buildup of the past
eight years has been the chaotic na-
ture of such an important development and
the fractious budget process which annually
pits one possibly necessary defense system
against another.
It is a system fostering political postur-
ing and eschewing any rational, long-range
planning which would meld national de-
fense requirements with the constraints im-
posed by fiscal realities and pressing do-
mestic needs. In the long term, it
contravenes the national interest.
And it is avoidable. Congressman Les
Aspin, chairman of the House Armed Ser-
vices Committee, has advanced a 10-year
plan for the development and funding of
strategic forces which should obviate the
partisan wrangling and myopia that have
plagued the defense system. There are two
key aspects to the Wisconsin Democrat's
proposal:.
Place all funds for strategic forces
and support facilities into one account. It
would include, for example, SDI research
and development, submarines, cruise mis-
siles, MX and Midgetman missiles, and nu-
clear attack aircraft such as the old B-52s
and the developing B-1B and B-2.
This would focus the defense debate
on the totality of the defense system. That
would be far preferable to the current mo-
dus operandi featuring isolated debates over
various proposals competing for funding.
The manufacture of radioactive materi-al for the nation's nuclear weapons, for ex-
ample, is controlled by the Department of
Energy. The mishandling of that extensive
operation has resulted in the shutdown of
the entire missile production system be-
cause of dangerously defective equipment
in the processing plants.
Congress and President Bush need
to agree that the budget for this pool will be
constant for the next 10 years, increasing
only for inflation, if necessary. Placing mili-
tary spending on a fixed budget would facil-
itate long-term planning, since funding for
expensive systems tends to begin small,
balloon in the middle, and then taper off.
"In a 10-year plan," notes Mr. Aspin,
"as one program begins to tail off, another
can be fit in and funded." The key factor in
debates then becomes the sequence of de-
velopment, not either-or.
In addition, if everything is on the ta-
ble at once, Congress has a wide range of
choices when deciding what programs it
deems vital to the nation's defense.
President Bush, in his inaugural ad-
dress, called for bipartisan cooperation to
address the nation's problems. He has al-
ready acknowledged that the enormous
budget deficit looms over all programs un-
der consideration for the forseeable future.
If the new president embraces Mr. Aspin's
suggested approach to defense, it will' re-
move that vital program from the vagaries
of political fortunes and impose a rational
budgetary and military planning process
which can only benefit the nation.Clean up state insurance mess
S OME, IF NOT ALL, OF THE
three members of the State Board of
Insurance ought to be replaced if even
a portion of the charges against them are
true. Sen. John Montford, D-Lubbock, has
asked that an entirely new board be ap-
pointed because he thinks the agency has
been "dangerously mismanaged."
Sen. Montford based his recommenda-
tions on a report by Dallas private investiga-
tor Eugene Gee, which cited "glaring" ex-
amples of the board's "inability or
unwillingness" to act on behalf of several
troubled insurance companies. Among
those insurers is Dallas-based National
County Mutual Fire Insurance Co., which
was declared insolvent last October with a
deficit of $56 million.
The company's failure was one of the
largest ever of a property and casualty in-
surer. The insurance board had been aware
of the company's problems for two years
but had be . slow to act. The board has
made person el changes in recent weeks,but additional investigations are expected.
The Gee report charged there have
been abuses of the guaranty fund, which
provides coverage for failed insurers, and
said personnel decisions have been made on
the basis of patronage and cronyism.
Gov. Clements does not intend to ask
board members to step down but he does
hope to have independent auditors review
the agency's operations. He is already seek-
ing a replacement for board member James
Nelson, whose six-year term expires Feb. 1.
Board chairman Edwin J. Smith's job
may also be in jeopardy. State Sen. Chet
Edwards, D-Duncanville; plans to use the
upcoming Senate confirmation hearings for
Mr. Smith to examine the insurance board's
management. Mr. Smith has admitted that
the board "made some mistakes."
Gov. Clements and the Legislature
must act in concert to make certain that this
state's 800 insurance companies are proper-
ly supervised.Doors close on a retail era
T ODAY THE DOORS CLOSE
on an era. The downtown Foley's
Store, formerly Sanger Harris, has
completed its closing sale and will shut
down for good. Dallas will regret the pass-
ing of this fine downtown institution, even
as the area looks forward to the new stores
and the new era ahead.
Isaac Sanger and his brothers opened
their first store in downtown Dallas in 1872.
For long years before the Trinity River fi-
nally was relegated to levees and reservoirs,
during the seasons of rain and flood, Sanger
employees who lived in present-day Oak
Cliff boarded a ferry and made a once-a-
week journey over to the other side. During
their week of labor, they slept in dormito-
ries provided by the store.History moves, and so do people. Fo-
ley's, new owners of the Sanger Harris
chain, was forced to close the downtown
store by declining sales, but the company is
opening four new stores in the Dallas-Fort
Worth area.
For all the sadness the closing of this
cherished downtown institution may engen-
der, there is hope and good cheer in the fact
that Foley's intends to invest money, not
take it away from the region. Obviously the
company sees Dallas-Fort Worth as a good
bet for the future, and that's what counts.
But on this day we may simply bid
adieu to a beloved and familiar downtown
institution and hope that the stores that re-
place it will be as successful in their era as
this one was in its own.Upward mobility
BEING A REGISTERED
voter and having used my right
to vote, I have voted myself a 50
percent raise. Since I don't even
make $10,000 a year, this would
not be an outrageous amount.
This would allow me to put
more money into the economy.
If our nation's highly paid top
officials can give themselves a
50 percent raise, maybe they
should be required to adopt a
homeless person - a person
who might notshave been home-
less when this official took of-
fice.
If the idea of a 50 percent
raise for myself sounds ridicu-
lous and self-righteous, yore
right, it is ... but this idea )did
not originate with me.
ROBERT E. JULIUSO II
alias
Wings of graft
THIS IS IN REFERENCE
to a Jan. 11 article, "Lobbyists
flock to Austin."
I have queried several law-
makers as to the difference be-
tween "lobbying" and outright
graft. Not one of them has re-
sponded - not at the local or'
federal level.
Until someone answers me, I
will equate "lobbying" with graft
and deduce that both epitomize
corruption and collusion be-
tween the self-interest group ands
the people who beg the common
man for votes then sell their in-i
fluence to the highest bidder.
DAVE TAYLOR
Red Oa
Reagan's gift
THIS IS NOT
political statement concerning
policies of a president. It is t
discuss the impact a man ha
had on a person's life - mine.
I was a senior in high schoo
with no real knowledge of pol
tics of any kind. My parents ha
abruptly changed from Carte
Democrats in 1976 to Reagan
Republicans. A friend gave me a
ticket to attend a Reagan-Bush
rally in Seattle. I made up my
mind to see live and in person
who this man was that spoke of
conservatism (I had no idea
what that was) and who perpetu-
ally irritated that goofy looking
reporter with the shifty eyes (his
name I found later to be Sam
Donaldson).The rally was moving mainly
for one reason - not the politi-
cal rhetoric, but the gleam in
those Irish eyes when the flag
was raised, and for the first time
in my life I saw someone in poli-
tics really mean it when he
pledged allegiance to that be-.
loved flag.
No matter how this man is
viewed by historians - there are
three attributes that can never
be taken away: (1) Ronald Rea-
gan loves the God he believes in.
(2) He loves his wife. (3) He tru-
ly loves the nation he presided
over.
You see, all of this talk about
budget deficits and such doesn't
mean that much to me. This
president gave me something
that is priceless - the hope that
I can be anything I want to be,
which is what America is all
about.
CEDRIC HUTCHINSON
.-. Piano
Insurance failure
WHEN THE PRIVATE
insurance company Sanus Texas
Plan discovered that the Dallas
Gay Alliance and the AIDS Re-
source Center offer aerosolized
pentamidine treatments free of
charge to persons without insur-
ance in order to save their lives,
they immediately decided to
cease covering the treatment un-
der their program. They then
dumped all of their former pa-
tients onto the AIDS Resource
Center without even a sugges-
tion of helping to pay the costs.
Is this what we mean by coop-
eration between the public and
private sector in dealing with
AIDS? Are private insurance
companies going to be allowed
to pull out entirely, leaving the
costs to struggling community
groups and the taxpayer?
BILL NELSON
Dallas
Leave market alone-
THE LEE CULLUM
column of Jan. 15 gave us hints
of a plan that would help to reju-
venate the downtown Dallas
area by "re-creating" the Farm-
ers Market to anchor broad-
based retailing.
I have heard a long series of
"world-class" ideas on how to
improve Dallas. They are all
well intentioned, but they lack
any real sensibility as to what is
needed by all our citizens.The Dallas approach always
seems to be to grab for a "hook"
to draw in crowds of people -
the "critical mass" is how devel-
opers like to say it. Quality is
seldom 'high up on the list of
concerns, and neither is the im-
pact on current use considered.
The idea of "sprucing" up the
Farmers Market is ludicrous. Us-
ing ornate ironwork from Paris
to effect the transformation is
like using lace to dress up an ar-
madillo.
Why fix something that is al-
ready working?
The worst part of the plan is
the ultimate cost to the farmers
and their loyal customers. The
space rentals would surely go
up, forcing out many farmers
with their rich harvest of nutri-
tious, organic and quality pro-
duce.
DARRYL G. BAIRD
Dallas
Teachers' reality
THERE ARE SO MANY
misconceptions about teachers, I
)stopped counting them long ago.
However, when newspaper col-
umnists are paid to report the
news, it seems to me they
should be required to do a little
research.
Such is the case of Marcia
Smith's piece, entitled "The Hol-
i ay Maze," in your Jan. 16 edi-
ti ns. She wrote: "Some workers,
schoolteachers for example, get
re than double the number of'
p id holidays, inspiring envy
aliiong the legions of us for
whom it's business as usual."
I must advise Smith that
teachers are given no paid holi-
days '.and no paid vacations.
That's right! Teachers are paid
for 175 days of teaching. In addi-
tion, we work five more days
during in-service, for which we
are paid. Like everyone else, we
enjoy all holidays. However,
save your envy, because we do
not ontinue to draw our exorbi-
tant salaries while on holiday.
First rule of journalism: Check
your facts.
M.J. INGLE
Irving
Full name with middle initial, a
daytime phone number and home
address are required for verification.
Letters may be condensed. Please
send to "Letters to the Editor," Dal-
las Times Herald, 1101 Pacific Ave.,
Dallas, Texas, 75202.Strauss prudently walks tightrope on city charter changes
I NTERESTING THEATRE
going on at City Hall these
days: Curtain rises on an empty
stage. The backdrop is a barren
wall, blank except for a large un-
framed canvas - formal oil por-
trait of Dallas Mayor Annette
Strauss, hanging right at the cen-Problem is, she does not op-
pose charter changes to make the
city council more responsive to
minorities. She created the body,
Dallas Together, that came up
with the idea, and she has en-
dorsed its findings and recom-
mendations. But she has refusedin court. There are two active
lawsuits challenging the present
city council system in Dallas, and
those suits are important compo-
nents in the so-far untold part of
this whole Dallas Together story.
Dallas Together, an appointive,
ad hoc, unofficial communitypeople believe the black commu-
nity could have had an additional
seat on the council for the ask-
ing, ever since the 1980 census,
simply by going to any federal
judge and demanding it. If any-
thing, the real mystery may be
why black leadership in Dallaseverything she says is going
straight down onto some lawyer's
legal pad.
Doesn't mean she can't have
an opinion. But she is at center
stage. If she wants change to oc-
cur - and she does - then she
can't start out by going after oneINQJ' Z.
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'Don't you think you are taking the Super Bowl a bit too seriously?'
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Nelson, Bill. [Clipping: Insurance failure], clipping, January 29, 1989; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1584040/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.