Boerne Star & Hill Country Recorder (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 82, Ed. 1 Tuesday, November 23, 2004 Page: 4 of 24
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PAGE 4A
The BOERNE Star & Hill Country Recorder
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
-" W C = -----
Childcare is a
top 'family value'
President
George W.
Bush enters his
new term with
an enormous
stack of prob-
lems sitting on
his desk, not
KING’S POINT
Bill King
settings be-
cause it is all
they can af-
ford. In some
cases chil-
the least
which is
deficit.
of
the
With
KENDALL COUNTY dren are left
DEMOCRATIC home alone
PARTY CHAIRMAN or with pre-
I teen siblings.
- The data
shows that
every passing year Bush sets former welfare recipients with
new records for having the young children are 82 percent
largest budget deficit in our na- more likely to be employed
tion's history. He has promised, after two years if they receive
though, to cut the deficit in half help with childcare expenses,
before he leaves office. To do Single mothers who receive
so, he will have to make many help with childcare expenses
difficult decisions about what are 40 percent more likely to
programs to fund and what pro- remain employed after two
grams to cut. So far his tenden- years than those who do not re-
cy has been to cut programs ceive help.
that help people get ahead and Children in high quality care
to support efforts like tax cuts demonstrate greater mathemat-
that actually contribute to an in- ics ability, greater thinking and
crease in the size of the deficit, attention skills and fewer be-
I would like to use childcare havioral problems.
as an example of a program that But unfortunately, because of
helps people get ahead. Child- a lack of funding, only one in
care is just about the ultimate in seven eligible for federal child-
what has become known as care assistance now receives
"Family Values." It is a pro- help. According to one study,
gram that helps low income federal childcare funding has
workers provide good care for been virtually frozen for the
their children so they can go past three years.
out and earn a living. Congress is now considering
It would be extremely unwise a bill which would provide for
to cut the budget for this pro- a $1 billion increase to be
gram. If Bush takes time to spread over five years. It is esti-
look at the facts, he should real- mated that even with this new
ize that the federal budget for money, hundreds of thousands
childcare should be increased of children will lose childcare
several times over. assistance.
Childcare is expensive. It can So when the president goes
easily cost $4,000 a year or through the budget and makes
more to put a child in a high his choices of cuts in order to
quality facility - half the take reduce the deficit, he should
home pay of the lowest income carefully consider family val-
people. More than one-quarter ues programs like childcare. If
of America's families with he does what is best for the
young children earn less than country and what is morally
$25,000 per year. These work- correct, he will increase the
ers are, as the saying goes, be- funding for these programs
tween a rock and a hard place. even if it means going back on
They are often forced to place his desire to tax cuts to the
their children in less desirable wealthy.
Worth Quoting
An optimist is a person
who starts a new diet
on Thanksgiving Day.
-Irv Kupcinet
Bible Verse ...
Ill A.1I FI 'I I 1
Let the peace of Christ rule in
your hearts, since as members
of one body you were called
to peace. And be thankful."
Colossians 3:15 (NIV)
THE BOERNE Star
www.boernestar.com
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Brian Cartwright
EDITORIAL
Acting Managing Editor Kerry Barboza
ADVERTISING
Sports Editor
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Paginator
Paginator
Typesetter
Kerry Barboza
Theresa Lucio
Jessica Sanders
Kit Brenner
Marketing Director
Sales
Sales
Sales
Frank Shubert
Anita Anderson
Ellen Bankston
Kolleen Roe
Leigh McCrary
Molly Meckel
PRODUCTION
Subscriptions
CIRCULATION
Dana Smith
Graphic Design Rachel Wiseman
BOOKKEEPING
DISTRIBUTION
Circulation Manager Stephen Bartell
Reserve Driver Bob Clark
Office Manager Sandra Pfeiffer
Office Assistant Teresa Culpepper
Contributing Photographers
Amy Anderson, Brandon Cheek
Contributing Writers and Columnists
Mary Alice Yelverton, Dr. John Kelly, The Doctor, Natalie Morgan, Jan Wrede,
Anita Porterfield, Pamela Painter, Vera D’Spain, Paula White, JoAnn Power, Ken
Nietenhoefer, Dr. James Dobson, Bill King, Jim McCormick, Ellen Damstra,
Regina Alexander, Tom Harris, Tom Lanier, Jim Pendley, Kathy Senkbeil, Ron
Warden, Bill Ward, Peary Perry, and Oscar Garcia.
MEMBER OF Texas Press Association, National Newspaper Association, South Texas Press
Association, Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
282 N. MAIN • (UPS 059-740)
P.O. Box 820 • 830-249-2441 FAX 830-249-4607
THE BOERNE STAR is published twice weekly for $35 per year in Kendall
County, $42 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. Let-
ters should not exceed 300 words. Addresses and telephone numbers are for verification pur-
poses 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.
Transportation commission
approves $21.5 billion traffic plan
The Texas Transportation
Commission last week approved
a $21.5 billion plan intended to
reduce traffic congestion in the
state’s largest urban areas.
The heart of the funding plan
is something brand new for the
state, the parceling of money to
metropolitan areas for trans-
portation projects that local offi-
cials deem a top priority. Since
the transportation agency’s cre-
ation in 1917, spending deci-
sions have been made based on
what the commission consid-
ered the most important uses,
not necessarily what locals
wanted.
Formally known as the Metro-
politan Mobility Plan, the plan
uses various new financing op-
tions approved by the 78th Leg-
islature — including $3 billion
in bond sale proceeds — to
leverage the necessary funding
to start badly needed construc-
tion projects years ahead of pre-
vious schedules.
For more information on the
plan, including specific projects,
check the department’s Web site
at www.dot.state.tx.us.
Rate decreases
still on hold...
A state district court ruled
Nov. 8 that a portion of the 2003
law allowing for immediate
homeowners’ relief was uncon-
stitutional, effectively putting a
hold on $243 million the Texas
Department of Insurance or-
dered refunded to policyholders.
Insurance agency officials said
they disagreed with the court’s
ruling and were exploring all
legal options.
In August 2003, the agency or-
dered State Farm to reduce its
rate by 12 percent and Farmers
Insurance by 17.5 percent. The
rollbacks had been on hold
pending legal challenges.
The Nov. 8 ruling applies only
to the immediate rate reduction
provision of Senate Bill 14. The
remainder of the 2003 reforms
are not affected, the agency re-
ported.
Heflin challenge
looks unlikely...
It’s looking more and more
like Rep. Talmadge Heflin (R-
Houston) will not challenge his
narrow 31-vote loss to Democ-
CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
Mike Cox
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
rat Hubert Vo.
Two clues: Based on the se-
niority system, Rep. Edmund
Kuempel (R-Seguin) has been
assigned Heflin’s larger Capitol
office; last Friday, House
Speaker Tom Craddick appoint-
ed Rep. Jim Pitts (R-Waxa-
hachie) as chairman of the
House Appropriations Commit-
tee. That was Heflin’s job, one
of the most powerful in the Leg-
islature.
More time in
the classroom...
When the 79th Legislature
convenes on Jan. 11, lawmakers
will face no shortage of hot is-
sues. Few bills will be of more
interest to parents of school age
children than Sen. Eddie
Lucio’s (D-Brownsville) recent-
ly filed SB 106.
Letters to the Editor
Wentworth
needs to
represent all
A number of months ago, I
sent Texas Senator Jeff Went-
worth an e-mail to let him
know that I did not approve of
the way he addressed mail to
me and I can only guess other
addressees do not like it either.
I opened my e-mail with this
quote " It does not take a rock-
et scientist to know that it was
not right nor necessary to ad-
dress mail in that manner". He
fired back an e-mail, saying he
"never had aspiration to be a
rocket scientist." What he
meant by that, I have no idea.
In his e-mail, he let me know
that as a State Senator he rep-
resented all the people of his
district and not just those who
voted for him. That may be
partially true but his actions
say some thing else.
From what he writes in the
local papers, he is working to
get the State Legislators to im-
plement the Federal Estate Re-
covery Bill that was passed in
1993. It gives states the power
to sue the estate of people who
are cared for in a care facility
by Medicaid. He also says he
is helping to get the Federal
Government to do away with
the Inheritances Tax.
Take the Estate Recovery
Bill, who are they going to
sue? To become eligible for
Medicaid, the recipient must
prove that they are a pauper,
meaning that the recipient's in-
come must be below the pover-
ty line. Do they plan on suing
the spouse or the children of
the recipient? If the recipient
is declared a pauper, what is
there to sue for. What the
spouse and the children have is
their estate, not that of the re-
cipient who has probably died
in a care facility .
Then there is the Federal In-
heritance Tax, he writes that
doing away with that tax is
something that is high on his
list of things that must be
done. That in itself shows that
he is not the representative of
all the people, regardless of
their party. It is perceived by
WRITE ’EM!
KENDALL COUNTY
JUDGE EDDIE VOGT
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9343
Commissioners
JOHN KIGHT
GENE MIERTSCHIN
DARRELL LUX
RUSSELL BUSBY
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
JOHN ROUSE
232 High
Comfort, Texas 78013
995-3664
CITY OF BOERNE
MAYOR PATRICK HEATH
402 E. Blanco
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9511
STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION
District 5
205 W. Travis
Fredericksburg, Tx, 78624
(830) 997-9759
STATE REP. CARTER
CASTEEL
District 73
P.O. Box 312404
New Braunfels, TX 78131
(830)627-8820
fax. (830)627-8895
STATE SEN. JEFF
WENTWORTH
District 25
1250 N.E. Loop 410 St.
720
San Antonio, Tx 78209
(210) 826-7800
GOVERNOR RICK PERRY
State Capital
Room 200
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 463-2000
U.S. REP. 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. SEN. JOHN CORNYN
Russell Bldg. Rm. 179
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2934
U.S. SEN. KAY BAILEY
HUTCHISON
703 Hart Senate
Office Building
The measure would allow
school districts to add 15 min-
utes or a half hour to the school
day. That would enable districts
to continue to meet the required
level of classroom instruction
while cutting six or 12 days off
the attendance calendar. School t
starts could then be moved to
the traditional time of early Sep-
tember.
Last September, the comptrol-
ler’s office estimated that the
current August school start dates
cost $790 million, factoring in
everything from air-condition-
ing bills to lost income.
No 20-20 vision
yet on Rule of 85 talk...
The possibility of the Legisla-
ture changing the state retire-
ment system’s Rule of 80 to a
Rule of 85 so far is merely a
rumor making the rounds of
state agencies in Austin. (
No bills concerning such a
change have been filed. Interest-
ed state employees can keep up
with the issue through the Texas
Public Employees Association
or the Employees Retirement
System.
OMAA WOPIDAV CPID
many that the Republican
party is the party of the
wealthy. And to end the Inher-
itance Tax only helps the
wealthy, anyone with less than
a $1 million inheritance gets
no benefit from it being done
away with, because the inheri-
tance tax relief has been in-
creased to a million dollars.
If he really wants to be the *
people's representative, then
he should begin doing more
for the less fortunate and less
to help the more fortunate to
keep their wealth. There are
many things that can be done
to help the less fortunate, if he
would just look for them.
Ernie Pinti
Boerne
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-5922
PRESIDENT GEORGE W.
BUSH
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.
20000
MEETINGS SCHEDULE
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
BOERNE ISD
Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
second and fourth
Monday of the month
BISD boardroom
COMFORT ISD
7 p.m. second and fourth
Wednesday of the month at the
board offices
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Cartwright, Brian & Barboza, Kerry. Boerne Star & Hill Country Recorder (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 82, Ed. 1 Tuesday, November 23, 2004, newspaper, November 23, 2004; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1663365/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.