The Hereford Brand (Hereford, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 118, Ed. 1 Sunday, December 16, 1984 Page: 4 of 30
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O.G. Nieman
Viewpoint
Page 4A-The Hereford Brand, Sunday, December 16, 1984
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Doug
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Word
O.G. Nieman
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The Last Word
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Letters to
the Editor
As the Years Turn
U.S. Chamber Voice of Business
Less spending said solution
WASHINGTON - According to the ment or purchases of houses and
cars find less credit available and
bid up the price of credit, the interest the private economy.
equipment. Similarly, consumers culprit, then they will realize that tax
that lies below the sea
1984
%
« -
Bootleg
Philosopher
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
authors of "Trivial Pursuit," eight-
ninths of an iceberg are below water.
the total amount of government
spending that threatens to crowd out
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Talk not cheap
Who was it that said, “Talk is cheap”?
Well, a lot of folks don’t charge anything for advice,
and that’s probably what it’s worth. However, if you go
to an “expert”, a consultant in a specialized field,
you’ll pay a hefty fee for the advice.
As taxpayers, you and I foot the bill for a lot of ad-
vice to people we’ve elected to do a job. Besides paying
salaries for elected officials and bureaucrats, a big
hunk of the state’s budget went to about 16,000 private
consulting firms last year for their expert opinions.
According to a report from the state comptroller’s
office last week, state agencies spent $59.7 million last
year for professional advice from outside consultants.
I shudder to think what our consultant bill is on the
federal level!
In the state budget, more than 60 percent of the con-
sulting fees went for engineering, medical and ar-
chitectural services. Advice on education cost $3.2
million while outside legal help amounted to only $2.3
million.
In this complex society of ours, a lot of our tax
money is used to make sure we don’t violate someone’s
civil rights, that’s where we’ve been hit the hardest on
the local level-outside legal aid has increased tremen-
dously the past two years.
The county, for instance, budgeted $60,000 for legal
services in the 1984-85 year. Commissioners have
already had to spend $85,000 in just two months for the
fiscal year! The Hereford School District has also been
hit hard for legal fees.
And, the majority of those legal fees have come as a
result of the county and school defending suits filed by
the Texas Rural Legal Aid. It’s no wonder that local
citizens started asking questions about the process and
demanded an investigation of the TRLA office.
The Legal Services Corporation sent one of their at-
tomeys to investigate the situation here, but his fin-
dings may not be reported for several months. Some
local citizens feel that a “slap on the wrist” might be
the most to expect from the sC.
With that in mind and with Congress looking for
ways to trim the budget, maybe taxpayers will urge
their Congressmen to start the budget cutting by
eliminating the Legal services Corporation.
Editor’s note: The Bootleg
Philosopher on his Deaf Smith Coun-
ty grass farm finds a new problem in
Washington this week.
Dear editor.
I have lived in Hereford for the
past seven years and have grown to
love the town and its people. I notice
each year at Christmas Hereford
merchants plead with people to keep
Hereford dollars here so they en-
courage people to shop with the
Hereford merchants.
I firmly believe in shopping in
Hereford because it is those mer-
chants who are supportive of the
community in every respect and they
deserve our business. Recently,
however, I called a local store to
place an order. The employee who
answered the phone replied. "We're
busy right now, can you call back""
On another occasion within the
same week. I tried to redeem a
coupon that was sent to me by mail.
One clerk informed me that I could
redeem the coupon when I picked up
the layaway purchase Later when I
went to do just that. I was informed
they could not accept the coupon.
The stipulations reported to me by
both the clerk and the assistant
manager were not written anywhere
on the coupon. Coupons should not be
printed if the merchants can not or
will not honor them.
Perhaps I am from the old school
but I was taught that we must please
our customers, and without the
customer, we have no business Most
local merchants are helpful, cordial,
and I am proud to shop in their
stores; they will continue to receive
my business. As for the others, I will
not bother them by shopping in their
stores.
wi
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We Sell Fertilizer of
a Different Sort
Than Usually /
Seen In This /
MERRY "8
CHRISTMAS N9
To All of You 5
From All of Us At
Summerfield
Fertilzer!
This column is not really the last word. It carries
that title in response to Doug Manning’s weekly col-
umn, “The Penultimate Word,” which means "next-
to-the last.”
If you’ll notice in the columns below and to the right,
there is an advertisement in the space normally used
for Manning’s column. We had several offers to pur-
chase that space this week, and we just couldn’t turn
them down. Manning explained it in his column last
week:
“I feel quite fortunate that I don’t have to pay ‘Old
Skinflint’ for the space in his paper. Speedy prints all
the news that will fit around the ads. Somehow he
makes room for me each Sunday. Fortunately he has
not yet had to choose between my stuff and an ad. If the
choice comes, old Penultimate will become gone."
Doug was right. The choice came and I had to choose
between his stuff, which I publish free, or a paid adver-
tisement. That’s the reason readers will see an ad in
the space reserved for The Penultimate Word.
We could probably get a premium rate for his space
every week, but there are a few readers who like
Doug’s column. It will return next week...I think!
Sincerely,
Jackie Hammett
606 Avenue J.
Hereford, Texas 79045
dahts*
Lvbboer
Avelenche-Juene
WEST
TEXAS
LEGAL-,
SERVICES V.
Space Each
Week
75 YEARS AGO
Thirty states are hit by the new United States criminal code which
limits C.O.D. whiskey shipments.
E.E. Ramsey, who owns a well unproved farm just west of town,
while somewhat inclined to keep the "odds and evens" even on the
boosting proposition, easily makes a record on the combination of
milo maize and hogs.
As a result of feeding, he has recently brought to the market three
porkers whose total weight dressed footed 1,290 pounds. These hogs
were 19 months old
Sil
f v
2
\pB5>_
59 YEARS AGO
Without a cloud in the skies, the sun was all but obliterated from
view by a sandstorm yesterday that raged from shortly after 9
o'clock until late in the day. Coming from the west on the wings of a
strong wind, the dirt-mostly New New Mexico soil-filled every nook
and cranny. This was the second sandstorm during the past week.
Last Saturday the same thing happened. Skies were overcast all day
long. So dark was the day in both instances that lights were
necessary indoors
Canyon High School's boy and girl basketball teams will be guests
at the high school gymnasium Friday night for games with Hereford
aggrevations. New uniforms are expected to be worn by the
Whitefaces when they take the court.
25 YEARS AGO
Except for a few finishing touches, the new Hereford Community
Center should be completed this week,a ccording to announcement
issued by City Manager. Dudley Bayne. Finishing work on the
1107,MO project will culminate a year-old dream of youth and adult
residents of Deaf Smith County
10 YEARS AGO
Associated with the better sales during the holiday season are the
problems of shoplifting and hot check writing. Most store managers
in a spot survey Friday. agreed they had experienced some of both.
Ten thousand hunters, it is estimated, took to the grain fields and
lake bottoms in a three county area around Hereford Saturday mor-
ning to try their hand at one of the most challenging of game birds,
pheasant Deaf Smith, Parmer and Castro Counties were the focal
point of hunters from as far away as Georgia and Tennessee
I YEAR AGO
Pat Ferguson of First Realty was named "Realtor of the Year"
Thursday evening at the annual installation banquet of the Hereford
Board of Realtors.
Harvasting of major crops in Deaf Smith County is complete, with
sugar beets the only commodity not affected by the drought and ear-
ly freeze.
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Dear editor:
I hadn’t thought about it oefore,
but one of the problems facing the
U.S. Treasury, in addition to being
head over heels and a trillion or so in
debt, is how to stay ahead of pro-
gress.
Inventors have just about
perfected a copying machine that
can copy a dollar bill so accurately
you can’t tell it from the real thing.
You can see what the unscrupulous
can do with that. They'll turn out
dollar bills wholesale that are
cashable and spendable but aren’t
worth anything, in comparison with
the genuine dollar bill which is worth
a full 49 cents.
After the crooks succeed with
reproduced dollar bills you know
they'll graduate to 10s, 20s, and 100s.
That would of course take the coun-
try's only supply out of the hands of
the Federal Reserve and cause
widespread unemployment at the
government’s printing presses.
To head this off. Treasury officials
are now trying to perfect currency
that can't be copied, by using exotic
shades of ink, invisible threads and
such like. I suppose somebody in the
copying machine business is waiting
to get hold of one of the new bills to
see if he can tinker his machine into
thwarting threads and exotic ink.
This type of progress is a nuisance.
People haven't got time to examine
each dollar bill they get to see if it's
genuine. Most people, following the
leadership of the government, spend
their money as fast as they get their
hands on it.
Well, they don't follow the govern-
ment's leadership altogether. The
government, you know, spends it
faster than it can get its hands on it.
About 200 billion a year. Washington
is now trying to decide whether it
should spend less or grab faster
Yours faithfully.
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SkANTrESDING
US. • J
Let’s remember here just what the raises the cost, or interest rate, for spending,
deficit is. It is the difference between borrowing. This discourages invest-
what the federal government spends ment by businesses and borrowing
and what it takes from us taxpayers, and consumption by consumers. This
It is the portion of the federal budget reduces output, jobs and leads to a
paid for with borrowed money rather recession.
than with money taken directly from
the taxpayers via the 1040 statement. This scenario is all well and good
We are told to fear the deficit except that it starts from a false
because it threatens to raise interest premise The deficit doesn't crowd
rates and choke off economic out private economic activity,
growth. How is this supposed to hap- Federal spending does. All the
enuinenezaarargedanaedetsgs
into the credit markets and borrow taken in taxes directly out of the
money. This money borrowed by the pockets of the American people, is
federal government is no longer money denied the private productive
available for private borrowing economy. The deficit is simply the
needs. top of the iceberg. It is highly visible,
Private borrowers looking for cash but it is the entire iceberg that
to invest in new plants and equip- threatens shipping lanes just as it is
Now, the one-ninth of the iceberg rate. Higher interest rates will then The focus of attention is important,
that appears above sea level can be slow down economic growth by rais- If the politicians believe that the
quite impressive, but the business ing the cost of capital and reducing deficit is the 'real problem,' then
end of the iceberg-the part that rips the amount of investment businesses they are likely to argue for higher
open the hulls of ill-fated ships like are willing to put into constructing taxes. If they understand that total
the Titanic-is the bulk of the iceberg new plants and the purchase of new government spending is the real
I am reminded of the qualities of who face these higher interest rates increases simoly replace the
icebergs by the obsession on the part will borrow less and buy fewer cars crowding out of borrowing with the
of many politicians with the federal and fewer houses. This reduces the crowding out and disincentive effects
deficit. How many times have we demand for autos and homes and of taxation,
each heard politicians tell us that the puts workers out of work
federal deficit is the "most impor- One hopes that Congress will then
tant issue of the day.” Thus, to summarize: Big Deficits come to grips with the only known
Poppycock. crowd out private borrowing. This cure for too much spending: less
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Parsell, Reed D. The Hereford Brand (Hereford, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 118, Ed. 1 Sunday, December 16, 1984, newspaper, December 16, 1984; Hereford, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1477857/m1/4/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Deaf Smith County Library.