The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 101, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 18, 2001 Page: 4 of 16
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Page 4
The Boerne Star
Tuesday, December 18, 2001
i
point
Merry Christmas,
and all that jazz
Congress is porking out again
Season’s Greet-
ings, happy holi-
days and Ho, Ho,
Ho.
It’s time for my
KENT'S KORNER
annual holiday
column, and actu-
ally it’s not annual
yet in Boerne, but
by the looks of
things, it will be.
I have one New Year’s resolution
and that’s to communicate through
this wonderful medium of ours to
you, the reader.
I’m not sure how thrilled that
makes some of you, but I’m just not
writing near enough around here.
(Don’t tell my boss. She’ll solve
that problem real quick.)
I have promised several of our
Kent Mahoney
MANAGING
EDITOR
umnists. Each
and every one of
them is doing an
outstanding job
of covering this
and that. I won’t
name all of them,
but I must say, I
haven’t worked
with this diverse
a group of writers in my 20-plus
years in the profession.
2. The festivals and fairs. Between
1 from the beginning of the
1 nation, members of Congress -
A have always tried to use gov-
ernment money for the benefit of |
their election districts. You know, i
tie leverage as he has to the press about what the Democrats were doing,
either sign bills intact or As the bill is still under active negotiation, it is
veto the whole bill. hard to say now how much “Pork” will remain in
Bill King A few years ago the bill when it is finally agreed to by all parties.
KENDALL COUNTY Congress tried to solve But in reality; the Republicans have no basis for
DEMOCRATIC PARTY the problem by passing their complaints. They do the same thing when
CHAIRMAN the line item veto. This they get a chance and sometime their “Pork”
allowed the President, at involves real money. Let me give you an exam-
the time it was Bill Clin- ple. A few years ago, then Speaker of the House
ton, to strike out particu- Gingrich forced the Air Force to buy C-130 trans-
lar items in a bill. At the time there were a lot of ports that they did not want from the Lockheed
concerns about the constitutionality of the bill so plant located in his district. The total cost of the
Clinton carefully chose some test cases. One was unwanted C-130s was over $100 million. It also
a dealt with the way the State of New York was just happened that when the airplanes were deliv-
handling Medicare claims and another let refiners ered, they went to a National Guard airbase locat-
and processors defer capital gains. But unfortu- ed in Mississippi, the home state of Trent Lott,
nately as predicted, the Supreme Court declared then Majority Leader in the Senate. Considering
the line item veto unconstitutional. the cost of housing, flying and maintaining the
So “Pork Barrel” spending will go on. The eco- planes, we are talking big money. Probably more
KING’S POINT
have a study done by the local univer-
sity, some R&D done at a local firm, ‘
etc. They rationalize that this does J
something good for their district as LLL
well as make them look good in the
eyes of their constituents. This is called “pork
barrel” spending. Sometimes the money is spent
on worthwhile things, but in almost all cases any
benefit is usually local and it does not contribute
much to the national picture.
the Berges Fest and the Kendall There is not much chance of changing the prac-
County Fair, I gained back most of tice of “pork barrel” spending. Congress just can-
the 30 pounds I lost before I came
down here for this job. But that’s
not control itself. The members recognize the
problem, but the urge to please the locals is too
okay, I have a friend who’s a per- much. All a member has to do is make a deal with
sonal trainer and he’s
run me until I drop.
1. The best thing I like about
promised to those writing a bill. Once an item is included in
the bill it is hard to remove the item.
faithful readers, I would write a Boerne, are you guys, the readers
“Top 10” column. So here it is. and advertisers. Without you, we at
The Top 10 things I like about the Boerne Star would have little to
Boerne. do. We write the news for you and
10. All, and I do mean all, of the we write about you and your lives
city and county officials have just and accomplishments. For that, I am
Occasionally a member of one party will try to
make a case against some “pork” of the opposing
party, but it seldom works. The president has lit-
nomic stimulus bill now being negotiated by the than $250 million over their lifetime.
White House and Congress is the latest vehicle. What can a citizen do? Follow what is going on
Several Democratic Senators have included a in Congress closely and when you hear of an
number of “Pork” items in the bill which has not instance of “Pork” write your Congressman and
gone unnoticed by the Republicans. They have express your outrage-even if it involves “Pork”
tried to make some political hay by screaming to in your own district.
really been helpful in getting me, truly thankful.
and then keeping me, on the straight May this season of the year be a
and narrow. I like that. true blessing for you and your loved
9. Boerne Marching Band. They ones. And may the coming year be
remind me of when I was a everything you hope for.
Marching Tiger band member back Just a couple of thoughts.
in Missouri. Go Hounds! Letters to the Editor must be
Bringing home the bacon
A Aorality is ambiguous in
politics. Sometimes the
X ▼ socially abhorrent can
bring good to the community. So is
REPUBLICAN RESPONSE
8. Lunch out at any number of my signed in order to make publication,
favorite restaurants. You guys know Although you may get my attention,
who you are, so I won’t drop any you’re are not getting on the page. If
names. Besides, that would be free there is a valid reason for not sign-
advertising. , ing, then at least leave me a phone
7. Boerne Sports. Although I ve number so we can talk about it.
not made the full gamut of games as Thanks.
I normally would, what I’ve seen is I mentioned the parades earlier. I
top notch. Another, Go Hounds! did have a concern about the latest
6. The Civic Clubs. Again, I m not event. Let me say first, I’m not a
going to name names, because each control freak, so let’s not lose the
one in their own special way, has perspective here.
made an impression. Keep up the I believe there were far too many
good work you do and keep those teen-aged children running around
press releases and pictures coming. loose. And even to the point of
5. The Parades are really awesome blocking people’s view and maybe
around here. And I like the way the even some of the parade traffic on
surrounding counties send their rep- Main Street Now, 1 kn0w the older
resentatives over here and our teens are not really into the "spirit"
Thapa good PR. likewise, of a Christmas parade at the same
4 While mentioning parades I level as say a pre-schooler or early
would be remise in not mentioning elementary student. But basic
three groups of young ladies, who respect °f others and common cour-
in my judgment, are the epitome of tesy comes into play here some-
what Boerne, Kendall County and where. 1 m not suggesting leashing
Comfort stand for. I’m talking about your teen to the telephone pole,
the Queen’s Courts from the Berges however, that $ not a bad idea. But,
Fest, Kendall County Fair and please, at least curb them some-
Comfort 4th of July Festival. Each where. 1 know I heard at least sever-
of these courts have a group of al people comment they could not
young ladies that I would bet are the see around the groups of teens who
envy of South Central Texas. They were milling up and down the street,
do a wonderful job of representing A little community parenting would
the city and county. Keep up the seem to be in order.
good work, girls. Comments can be sent to boernes-
3. I get a big kick out of our col- tar@boernenet.com.
the case with so-called “Pork Belly
Politics” and spending. There comes
a point where a politician must
choose whether or not to bring work
or money to his constituents, albeit
through less than stellar means, or let
opportunity fall by the wayside.
When a politician takes office, I have no doubt
that they have the best intentions in their hearts,
but something happens as the politicians see how
the system works. As they squint through the
thick air of smoke-filled rooms, our first-term
elected are privy to excess and avarice that we
can only imagine, and are tainted. There are also,
doubtlessly, some individuals who get into poli-
tics strictly for the kickbacks and outright bribery.
They actively pursue the pork-belly, looking to
line their pockets; their constituent’s best interests
at the back of their minds.
I’m not advocating that we constantly change
our politicians out every few years, but we have
Greg Schafer
KENDALL COUNTY
REPUBLICAN CLUB
PRESIDENT
like we look at our
butchers: we like the
steaks they sell us, but
we don’t want to know
the means in which the
meat came to us.
There are no party
lines that such corrup-
tion fails to cross. The
most liberal champion
of the people or the most conservative protector
of freedom both fall under the seductive sway of
the special interest group or crooked contractor.
Also, at what point does the idea of pork-belly
politics exist? If a contractor takes commission-
ers or an alderman to dinner, does that count?
What about guests passes, or free work? What
about a new car? Like so many things there are
grades and spectrums.
Politicians are a necessary evil in our republic;
and their corruption has been the subject of jokes
and criticism since their inception. A joke in an-
cient Rome kidded that if you could not bribe a
politician, you could always bribe the office over
him.
already cynical nature of this column, I just have
to ask, did that politician not advertise? Is it any
wonder that ABC doesn’t ever air any bad news
about its giant corporate family? Do you think
CBS would run a news magazine expose' if a
G.E. appliance frequently exploded into flames?
Politics is not the only thing tainted by the ol’
greenback.
Sooner or later, we have to realize that politi-
cians are just like any of us who might find an
anonymous envelope full of cash on the street.
After a long, five-second moral debate, and a few
glances over each shoulder, thoughts of paying
off the MasterCard would compel us to pocket the
money. Politics is an abyss, and, as Nietzsche
said: “As you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares
into you.”
Pork-belly politics is dirty and dishonest, and
often ends up costing the taxpayer, but how do
you stop it? How can we guarantee that the low-
est bidder, or best qualified gets the job? Action.
Go to council meetings, read minutes, watch C-
SPAN. When you see our politicians giving us the
screws, reprimand them. Speak out against them.
Refuse to vote for them again. Asmall campaign,
to be cynical enough to realize that no one that we When you open the newspaper, political watch- signatures, and letters can go a long way. Maybe
elect to office is going to be completely honest all dogs ‘set off alarms about crookedness and dis-......- then-we can- begin to put fear of reprisal into the
of the time. We have to look at our politicians honesty in our capitals and city halls. Given the system.
Worth Quoting
---
“What I gave,
have; what
spent, I had, what I kept, I lost.”
Old Proverb
Bible Verse ...
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive and
bear a son, and his name shall be
called Emmanuel" (which means,
God with us).
Matthew 1:23
The Boerne Star
Managing Editor
Staff Writer
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Typesetter
Typesetter
EDITOR / PUBLISHER
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EDITORIAL Subscriptions Dana Smith
Kent Mahoney ADVERTISING
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THE BOERNE STAR is published twice weekly for $28 per year in Kendall County, $35 elsewhere in
Texas and $50 per year outside of Texas by The Boerne Star, 282 N. Main, Boerne, Kendall County, TX.
78006. Periodical postage paid at Boerne, TX. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to THE
BOERNE STAR, P.O. Box 820. Boerne, Texas 78006-0820.
The Boerne Star welcomes letters on any public issue. Letters may be mailed, faxed, e-
mailed or hand-delivered but must contain the writer’s name, address and phone number.
Letters should not exceed 300 words. Addresses and telephone numbers are for verification
purposes only and will not be published. Names and city of residence will be published. We
reserve the right to edit all letters for style and content. Call 249-2441 with questions.
Letters to the Editor
Seibert letter
uncalled for
Dear Editor and
Dear Ms. Seibert,
My name is Rein J. VanderZee, Jr.,
ricochet, the emergent danger being
the killing of an innocent animal or
God forbid, a person, such as a child
playing is their yard.
What on earth would cause you to
of this country and may God bless was filled with emotional content
him, obviously, you have been and the reference to a .22 was cer-
greatly blessed. tainly included to portray the per-
Thank you for paying tribute to ception of an illegal act whether fac-
your Opa and in effect, others like
I am a life long citizen of and unspeakably brutal act?
Bandera/The Hill Country where Especially at the time of year when
my extended family has hunted, we endeavor to show greater kind-
ranched on Texas State FM 173, and ness and compassion towards our
been residents of the county since fellow human beings.......why did
the 1920s. My father, Rein, Sr., is a you do this?
retired Bandera County Judge. I am Your attitudes and actions are
a Vietnam-Era Veteran and a former inexcusable, unforgivable, and not
Federal Law Enforcement Officer, welcomed by Good Texans. Your
(US Coast Guard). letter to The Perrons exposes you for
I just wanted to write to The Star what you really are......not one of us.
and you to let you know that in 100 Rein John Patrick VanderZee, Jr.
percent of the opinions of the peo- Bandera, Texas
ple I know who read your letter to
The Perrons, they consider it dis- , .
graceful, (for you), embarrassing, A fitting tribute
(for you), and an egregious effron- Dear Mr. Pape,
tery to all of the good people of the Your column “Opa’s Battle”
Hill Country. I am personally out- touched quite a few people around
raged by your cruel response to the here. It came after the loss of one of
tragic and criminally intentional our small Boy Scout Troop’s
slaying of The Perrons’ beloved pet Assistant Scoutmasters, Mr. Neal
deer. Johnson. Mr. Johnson had over 65
In my 37 years as a hunter I have years of registered Scouting service,
never even heard of anyone who Not having children of their own,
would walk up to a docile, domesti- the Johnsons in effect had innumer-
cated animal of any kind that is able sons who were touched by Mr.
trusting of people, and place a .22 Johnson in the Scouting program,
caliber pistol against its skull and Memorials in Neal Johnson’s name
murder it just to watch it die. continue to come in from all corners
And you are also clearly ignorant of this great nation. Much like your
of Texas State Laws regarding Opa, Neal didn’t beat his own drum
Game Fencing, an issue I’ve dealt but quietly went about doing the
with since I was 11 years old under thing that he loved so much: teach-
the guidance of my father, once ing boys a better way through the
again a State Judge, who I assure Boy Scouts of America program,
you is not vapid and ignorant The tribute paid to your Opa is far
regarding these laws. greater than anything else I certainly
Deer Hunting may be lawful where could think of. No, it’s not always
you live but responsible hunters do the ones with the lengthy resumes,
not go hunting in even sparsely pop- titles and plaques on the wall that
ulated residential areas for fear of make a difference in this nation. It’s
the obvious. Stray bullets usually folks like your Opa that are the heart
lash out at your grieving neighbors him. Would that there were more
in defense of this heinous, criminal, like him around.
Sincerely,
Ron Bennett
Comfort, TX
Cowardly Act
Should Be Illegal
Part II
Dear Editor,
Re: (Cowardly Act) Is called deer
hunting.
The Perron letter should have
angered every resident of our lovely
rural neighborhood. It is very dan-
gerous to be a deer in Kendall
County during deer season, and it
was unfortunate that the Perron’s
lost their pet buck deer. To assume
that the act was intentional or even
criminal was totally unwarranted in
my own opinion. The “pet” looked
like all the other deer and it roamed
over wide areas here. The compar-
isons and rhetoric expressed by Mr.
Perron associated with shooting a
“perfect buck” during deer season
were absurd. I can only hope that his
comments were caused by very poor
judgment at the time of his loss.
Mr. Anthony Floyd sure perceived
that our neighborhood was an
unsafe area with “heartless crimi-
nals” lurking to illegally shoot pet
deer. For Mr. Floyd’s information, it
is not illegal to shoot deer with a .22
caliber rifle, only illegal if it was a
rim-fire (of any caliber). Also Mr.
Floyd’s representation of the legali-
ty of a game fence was dependent
upon which side of the fence one
was standing. Mr. Perron’s letter
tual or not. It is inexcusable for any-
one to reference the shooting of a
deer, in deer season, as comparable
to the “act of a suicide bomber” or
even assume that it was the act of a
“heartless criminal.”
As a direct neighbor to the Perrons
I sympathize with their loss, but I
will not miss that pet deer. My prop-
erty was a direct recipient of signif-
icant damage caused by a deer fear-
less of humans. I have enjoyed the
numerous wild deer here for 10
years and have always kept a feeder
full of corn and water available for
them. We nicknamed the three-
legged deer mentioned in Mr.
Perron’s letter “Tripod” and we
helped it survive as a fawn when it
was near death in our back yard after
being hit by a car. I have never shot
a deer on my property and really
enjoy watching them. My “deer
resistant” landscaping had never
been ravaged until the Perron’s pet
deer started regular visits night and
day. The deer should never have
been tamed or at least turned over to
a wildlife refuge or game manage-
ment area at the very beginning of
the heroic “rescue.”
It is not illegal to discharge
firearms or hunt in our area and
many neighbors can be heard shoot-
ing regularly. As with many activi-
ties, personal responsibility and
common sense are critical ingredi-
ents. Anyone in our neighborhood
would aggressively pursue remedy
to any illegal activity or unsafe
behavior occurring at any time. I
feel very safe in our neighborhood
and it is a great place to live.
Russ Seibert
Bergheim, Texas
WRITE ’EM!
KENDALL COUNTY
JUDGE BILL GOODEN
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9343
Commissioners
JOHN KIGHT
L.M. HOLMAN
DARRELL LUX
DUANE DUBOSE
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9343
BOERNE ISD
School
Superintendent
JOHN KELLY
123 W. Johns Rd.
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-5000
COMFORT ISD
School Superintendent
MARLIN MARCUM
232 High
Comfort, Texas 78013
995-3664
CITY OF BOERNE
MAYOR PATRICK HEATH
402 E. Blanco
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9511
STATE REP
HARVEY HILDERBRAN
District 53
125 Lehmann Dr.
Kerrville, Texas 78028
(830) 257-2333
STATE SENATOR
JEFF WENTWORTH
District 25
1250 N.E. Loop 410 St. 720
San Antonio, Tx 78209
(210) 826-7800
U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE
LAMAR SMITH
District 21
2231 Sam Rayburn Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 225-4236
Smith - Locally
1006 Junction Hwy.
Kerrville, Texas 78028
(830) 895-1414
1100 N.E. Loop 410,
Suite 640
San Antonio, Texas
78209
(210) 821-5024
U.S. SENATOR
PHIL GRAMM
Russell Building Rm. 179
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2934
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON
703 Hart Senate Office
Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-5922
GOVERNOR
RICK PERRY
State Capital
Room 200
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 463-2000
STATE BOARD
OF EDUCATION
District 5
205 W. Travis
Fredericksburg, Tx, 78624
(830) 997-9759
PRESIDENT
GEORGE W. BUSH
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.
20000
BOERNE
CITY COUNCIL
7:30 p.m.
second and fourth Tuesday of
the month, City Hall
402 E. Blanco
KENDALL
COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
9 a.m.
second and fourth
Monday of the month, Kendall
County
Courthouse,
204 E. San Antonio
BISD
Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
second and fourth Monday of
the month BISD board room
COMFORT ISD
7 p.m. second and fourth
Wednesday of the month
at the board offices
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Keasling, Edna & Mahoney, Kent. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 101, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 18, 2001, newspaper, December 18, 2001; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1632734/m1/4/?rotate=270: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.