The Llano News (Llano, Tex.), Vol. 99, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 15, 1988 Page: 4 of 21
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COWPOKES
By Ace Reid
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No reason
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Llano News, Thursday, December IS, 1988
Page A-4
THE
Wanderer
O<
From the Sidelines
own.
By Fred Taylor
Is it really worth it?
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The LLANONEWS
There is still time for a responsible ethics bill
By Congressman Lamar Smith
dngidemeseflecal
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TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
Membei
enjoyed i
So, it has been with interest, to say
the least, to report some of the
events that have happened to me in
the past four months in an effort to
get some health insurance coverage
with a well-known and reputable
firm here in Texas. I don’t mention
their name because it just was one of
those things where a very efficient
company hired a new computer
MEMBER
1000
FRED TAYLOR......
ANN MILLER.......
HAZEL LONG.......
A.C. KINCHELOE ...
BARBARA BURFORD
It’s going to be an interesting
session.
(g
I had the necessary insurance — at
least I though all was well.
Now the insurance company wan-
ted permission to bank draft my
monthly payments and I refused. If
there are going to be any bills paid
out of my checking account, I want to
be the one to write the check. The
reply was a notification that I would
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what he was doing, according to
reports.
But back to the beginning. I wasn’t
a bit pleased with one insurance
company that refused to take another
member of my family along with my
policy. We were honest enough to
list all recent ailments. They found
one they didn’t like and refused
coverage. That didn’t please me in
'the least. So, after some searching,
we found another company that was
a little more considerate. The forms
were filled out. The first month’s
payment made an there was the
proverbial sigh of relief knowing that
Publlahed weekly at 813 Berry Street, Uva, Texas 78643. Entered te
the Uaw Past (MBaa as eocend elaaa, postage pald at Liane, Texas,
under the Act of Cengrees ef 1878. USPS 316-700.
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SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Lamo and Burmet Couten 1 year 814, 2
years S27,3 years 839. Eleewhara hi Texaai 1 year >22.50, 2 years Ml,
3 years 855. Out-ef-atate: 1 year 840, 2 years 878, 3 years 990. Al
payable la advance. Overees ■ col er write ter quete.
personal letter from the one in
charge apologizing for all of the
trouble. What tickled me was the last
sentence, saying that my quarterly
bill was enclosed. It wasn’t. The next
day another envelope arrived and
this time the statement and amount
due was there with one slight
exception...it had another man's
t gul __
—,,2
That is why introduced legisla-
tion this year that would have,for
Bob Bullock may have his faults,
and some people don’t like him, but
he’s a heck of a good comptroller,
and The Wanderer is inclined to take
his word over that of the budget
committee: Governor Clements, too,
seems to think the budget committee
is all wet, and he has vowed to veto
any tax bill that is passed. The first
thing any legislator does on going to
Austin is to say, "Now what can we
tax?”
4
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Servimg Llame, Llame Ceumty •md the Highlamd Lakea area
mimeelaso.
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an influential Member of Congress
to leave government for the private
sector, and turn around and try to
influence, for private gain, past staff
members—even ones that member
has hired.
In future ethics legislation, we
need to recognize the role of Con-
*gressional staffs.
WALTER L. BUCKNER, Editor and Publlsher
SARAH BUCKNER
T.H. CUNNINGHAM, Publiaher Emeritus
There's an interesting hassle
going on among our glorious leaders
in Austin, not that that’s anything
new. A short time ago State Comp-
troller Bob Bullock reported to the
governor that the state would wind
up the year with a purplus of one and
six tenths billion dolt-.- Now the
3.
The bi
country is
excess as
inches. 0
less, but i
very than
Peggy
Streeter
last weel
illness of
present.
scerned. loud and clear Cdhgreas practices
Problems arise when former what it preaches.
CLII
8:30
8:30
Editorial/Opinion
"The vital measure of a newspaper is not its size ■
hut its snirit" . . . Arthur Hays Sulzberger
VACCIN
pet call
While it is difficult to legislate
another’s actions, we may at least
ask that lawmakers live up to the
laws we make.
-- --*n-,
—- "--*,-,--*4,
One thing we Americans value h
most of all is the integrity of our
leaders.
Throughout my first term in 8
Congress, ethics has been of special
importance to me. Leaders must set
an example for those looking to 4
them for guidance.
borders. Previously their policy has
been to conceal such occurences,
even from the Russian people.
Gorbachev himself has been in
trouble at home. He had announced
a lot of proposed reforms to the
Russian people that would improve
their lifestyle. But such reforms take
time to implement after decades of
hardship, and the natives are
restless. The worldwide response to
Russia’s time of need may strengthn
him at home.
For the first time ever, in
appealing for help from abroad,
Russia gra..ted permission for relief
planes to fly directly to the disaster
area. In previous years/ if anyone
wanted to help Russion people with
relief supplies, the problem was to
get them into Russia.
Of course, it isn’t the communists
that the world is hastening to help. It
is just people responding to help
other people who are in distress. It’s
the spirit of compassion that governs
almost every human being —
compassion for other humans in
distress.
Hopefully, when the crisis is over,
and everybody settles down to
normal living again, both Russia and
the rest of the world can remember
how it took sheer disaster to bring
the Russians and the rest of the
world to treat each other fellow
human beings.
"You’d think the County Commissioners
would have made a curve In this road
jist to break the monotony!”
legislative budget committee is
uttering loud cries to the effect that
the state is going to end the year
with a two billion dollar shortage.
Obviously somebody goofed, and
that’s no new thing, either.
Two billion dollars is a lot of dollars.
If you don’t think so, try just
counting to two billion. You won’t
live long enough to make it.
-Ma
Washington
Update
r ■
- a
c 4
3.3.
These pay increases would establish an an-
nual salary of $300,000 for the president,
$172,500 for the vice president, $149,250 for
cabinet members and $136,000 for members of 2
congress and judges.
The president deserves an Increase. The rest
of the group does not. The president receives
$200,000 a year now; his salary has not been
raised since 1969. The others have had eight
pay raises since then. I see no reason for the
raises. I’m not sure most of the folks we send
to Washington are not paid too much already.
WLB
POSTMAST SEND ADDMHSS CHANGE TO LLANO NEwS, BOX
187, LLANO, TKAS 70043.
By Hal Cunningh
some corporations and groups now pay
Congressmen and Senators simply for
showing up at a breakfast, touring a plant or
participating in a weekend retreat at a resort.
will apply equally to the legislative ... It is supposed to set a standard, government employees wrongfully Dy passing an ethics bill in the
and executive branches. J That standard, is noticeably ab- capitalize on their government ex- ngM Congress, we can go a long way
The veto, I think, was ill-adviM& fs sent in the current law. perience in a way that violates the toward changing the perception
Prior to it, the press repon0 I j What does It means public trust. ' that Congress is not willing to abide
heavy opposition to the bill among that Congress has traced restric- Imagine how easy it would be for by the laws it makes.
.......................NewsEditer
Editor's Aariatant and Llfaatyte Editor
...........Prntma Dept. Superviaer
.........Typesetter and Beokkeeper
I see in the papers that a presidential com-
mission is expected to recommend a gigantic
pay raise for more than half of the members of
Congress, federal judges and top ad-
ministration officials including the president.
It is estimated that the big raises will cost
the American taxpayers as much as $300
million a year. It is explained that members of
Congress would be asked to renounce what in
recent years has become a highly lucrative and
controversial source of income: honoraria
from special interest groups.
Members of Congress received a record $9.8
million in honoraria during 1987 (that’s what
we know about), most of it from big lobbying
groups seeking special consideration in
Congress. Reports say that most of this
honoraria is paid for speeches. However,
Their expertise in a narrow issue
area is relied upon for important
decisions, making them prime tar-
the President’s advisors. Yes, there tions on the executive branch and lobbying abuses. These
the first time-restricted Members were: technical problems with the now refuses to place those same gPPduauyundermincourrepresn-
of Congress from lobbying col- bril. I pressed for language changes restrictions on its own members. tative government.
leagues and staff members after that would have lent carity to the While White House officials are. One way to remedy this is to
leaving government service. The legislation. appropriately, barred from lobby- focus legislation on specific areas of
executive branch has been operat- - But, as I told the President, the ing their former staffs, members of f making it unlawful for a
ingunder similar restrictions for ten technical flaws were not great Congress are free to lobby indis- formermember tolobbystaffmem-
ycars. - Plough to warrant a veto. criminately. bers who are directly concerned
Over Thanksgiving the Presi- I told the President what you A working knowledge of govern- with his area of interest.
dent vetoed our Ethics Bill. This - have been telling me: that you want ment is highly valued outside of Passage of this year’s ethics bill
was disappointing, but not daunt- the Congress to apply laws equally Washington, and the “revolving would have sent a powerful policy
ing. to itself. door” between private and public statement to the Asetian people.
I will renew the effort for another The bill would have been what sector is often beneficial to all con- That statement would have been
bilkandiamoptimisticabouttesiampocal a “policy Statement in
dent Bush’s support for a law thaf"Washington.
COLUMNISTS: Hal Cunmigham, Mariya Hate and Mn KnyksudsR.
NEWS CORRESPONDENTS: Ruth Daal, Eritea Kowlerachke, Lattfe
Wychett, Jamio Patel, Janet Harran and Sna Rhondes and Nettie Jean
N
Every once in a while I just have to
get into a little bit of mischief,
especially on the topic of insurance. I
know insurance is important. More
than once, I have been very glad to
have had certain types of insurance
because it made it a lot easier to
recover or I should say help pay what
would have been some very expen- . . .
sive bills that would have flattened then have to pay my insurance on a name on the atatemsnt —
my billfold comsiderably. quarterly basis and while that meant
a much larger check, I figured I could By now, I think my agent is ready
‘ ‘ handle that a lot better. to change his telephone number.
The first month went by and I Just prior to hearing from me, he
was notified that they hadn’t re- had a call from the man whose name
ceived the balance of the other two was on my statement wanting to
months. Lo and behold, the check know who it was that had their name
had been lost somewhere between on his statement. After checking and
Llano and Houston. No problem, just double checking, photo copies and
write another check. more checking the payment was sent
Another month went by and in with the corrected name and a
another notice came that the second letter of my own.
person who apparently didn’t know check never arrived. My agent very More than a week has now passed
kindly and quickly fired off a third and there hasn’t been any reply. I
check and guess what? — They got Blink I have the necessary insurance,
that one even though the first but I am not sure. My agent probably
quarter was coming to an end. has an Excedrin headache and it
I now started watching the mail box wouldn’t surprise me if a certain new
for my next quarterly notice. I had computer operator hasn’t been reas-
the money saved and ready to send, signed to take out the trash.
but week after week went by and still I don’t think the fun is over quite
no notice. Now my agent was getting yet. Come January 1, I am reques-
a bit disturbed about the problem ting a change in the deductible
and so he made sure that my 30-day amount. I can’t wait to see what
grace period would be extended happens next. In the meantime,
since it was their problem, not ours. every effort is being made to stay
Finally a familiar letter arrived with healthy...just in case. It makes you
the emblem of the insurance com- wonder sometime. Is it really worth
pany on the outside. In it was a it?
It’s wonderful to have good
friends, and you never realize how
many you have until the chips are
down, and you need them. Hazel had
her head under her wing and was a
sick chick last week and couldn’t do
much for herself. Friends and
neighbors are wonderful. They
brought in everything from snacks to
full meals and outdid each other in
offering to run errands, go grocery
shopping, bring the mail, and
everything else that was needed.
Someway down life’s pathway Hazel
and The Wanderer must have done
something right. And they are
grateful.
It sometimes takes a disaster to
bring out the basic decency and
compassion of people.
The Soviet Union has for years been
the most secretive, self-sufficient,
and uncooperative nation on earth.
It seemed they were everybody’s
enemy and nobody’s friend. Yet,
after the most devastating earth-
quake in a thousand years struck
Soviet Armenia last week, it seems
the entire civilized world has rallied
to help. Huge cargo plane loads of
food, clothing, medical supplies,
skilled rescue personnel, doctors,
technicians, and supplies of every
kind are pouring into Russia from
around the globe.
It is quite a coincidence that just the
day before the earthquake, Gorba-
chev, the present strong man in the
Soviet Union, was at the United
Nations in New Yrok announcing a
remarkable relaxation by the Soviets
in the international arms race and
seeming to hold out the promise of
better relations with the rest of the
world. Gorbachev hastily flew home
after news of the earthquake was
announced.
It is the first time since the
communist revolution that Russia
has asked for help. In fact, it is the
first time that Russia has publicly
admitted a disaster within b~r
nfermatlen col The Lnme Newe at 915/247-4433,
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Buckner, Walter L. The Llano News (Llano, Tex.), Vol. 99, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 15, 1988, newspaper, December 15, 1988; Llano, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1585776/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Llano County Public Library.