Sulphur Springs News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 185, Ed. 1 Tuesday, August 5, 1980 Page: 4 of 10
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4—THE NEWS>TEUEGItAM, Sulphur Springs, Taxos, Tuesday, Aug. S, 19*0.
v
In our opinion
No room for hesitation
on water system work
A speedy end to summer’s drought
and heat would be one of the best
things that could happen to the Sulphur
Springs area.
It could not be viewed as an entirely
unmixed blessing, however.
The catch comes from the fact that
such an easy deliverance would lift the
pressure on the city commissioners to
do whatever is necessary to step up the
capacity of the water distribution
system.
That serious bottlenecks exist was
amply demonstrated last month when
demand leaped to an unprecedented 5
million gallons a day and the system
was unable to provide it.
There was plenty of water out in
Lake Sulphur Springs, but it could not
be moved through the city in sufficient
volume to meet the needs of the people
who were depending on it. Elevated
storage and pressure fell dangerously
low. Use restrictions have been
necessary.
There is no way in which the water
situation, left alone, ever can get any
better. Itonly can become worse.
It is significant to note that while
the present dry spell has been a cause
for concern developers have an-
nounced plans for 141 new apartments
and houses that will accommodate
almost 400 people.
If the area is to have more industry
and more jobs, more water must be
available for this purpose.
There is no sound alternative to an
all-out program to get the water
system in gear with the needs of the
times. With the city in the water
business, the cost eventually should be
recovered by increased water sales
with the tax yield of a growing
economy as a bonus source of return.
Billy at least adds new
element to convention
For a while it appeared that the
upcoming national convention of the
Democrat Party in New York City next
week would be a rather tame affair.
Brother Billy’s emergence from
hibernation precludes a cloudless
event.
What Billy did — or did not do — has
added a new element to the
proceedings. President Jimmy Carter
is doing his best to clear the air, but it
is unlikely that all of the clouds will
disappear. The opposing political
forces will fan all the fires and embers
to get the most out of the fireworks.
Going into the Republican Party
convention in Detroit, it looked like a
sweet-toothed affair until speculation
centered on Gerald Ford’s possible
acceptance of the vice president’s
nomination. That bit of speculation
undoubtedly boosted the ratings for the
televison stations.
Hardly anyone can predict what
Billy Carter will do. Judging by some
of his past actions, it would be wise not
to predict.
There is no overlooking the con-
troversy sparked by Billy Carter. The
conflicting stories are enough to raise
many doubts. These doubts obviously
could have a bearing on the great
number of undecided voters by the
time they get to the polls in November.
In the meantime, however, the
Democratic convention in New York
City is expected to avoid low ratings
because, well, there’s enough in-party
fighting going on to provide a big show.
Jack Andarson
'Arabs for Carter’ conflict
WASHINGTON (NEA) - Richard Shadyac, the son of a
Lebanese Immigrant, has moved in high Washington circles
for a number of years as a prominent lawyer dabbling in real
estate and banking. He is sophisticated in the ways of this
town, but he is a little bewildered and a little hurt about all
the nasty things the president’s men are saying about him.
Most of all, he is angry - very angry.
Until he read otherwise in the newspapers recently, Sha-
dyac thought he headed Arab-Americans to Re-elect Carter-
Mondale, an arm of the Carter-Mondale Presidential Commit-
tee. Formation of the unit was a source of pride to many in the
local Arab community; it was a source of special pride to
Shadyac that he had been asked to chair it.
So why are leaders of the Carter campaign now saying they
never heard of Shadyac or his committee?
Shadyac receives a $50,000 annual retainer as chairman of
THE WAGMAN FILE
BobWagman
the Arab-American Dialogue Committee, which receives its
$350,000 or so in annual funding from the Libyan foreign-
liaison office. The committee and Shadyac’s role in it have
been legal, public and well documented from the time of its
registration with the U S. government in October 1978.
Libya has not been the White House’s favorite country,
especially since the president's ’ brother, Billy, registered
under protest as a foreign agent after admitting that he
accepted $220,000 in Libyan “loans." So, it was perhaps pre-
dictable that when several newspapers began to connect Sha-
dyac with Billy, Campaign Chairman Robert Strauss told
reporters that he had never heard of Shadyac and that no
Arab-American committee had been formed on Carter's
behalf
“What really makes me mad,” complains Shadyac, “is that
they came to me. They suggested the formation of this
committee Now they’re saying that I hare the situation
confused. Nonsense."
Shadyac insists that he was approached about the Arab-
American committee in April by Stephen Aiello, White House
director of ethnic affairs. He says he was given the go-ahead
to form the unit after meetings with Aiello and Franklin
Lopez of the Carter campaign.
"Twice I had meetings scheduled with (Campaign Manager)
Tim Kraft, but he broke them at the last minute because other
meetings came up," adds Shadyac. “It was clear that Kraft
knew exactly what this committee was about.”
About six weeks ago, a group of Arab-Americans threw a
big party for Shadyac at a posh local club to celebrate the
formation of his committee. Among the guests were many
ambassadors from Arab countries. Invitations to the party
had gone to a number of Carter campaign officials, including
Kraft. Reports of the party appeared in the widely read soci-
ety columns of Washington’s newspapers.
Yet, it was not until the emergence of “Billygate” that the
Carter campaign leadership suddenly discovered Shadyac.
After first denying any ties between their committee and
Shadyac’s, Strauss and other campaign officials changed their
story when Shadyac produced meticulous records of his meet-
ings. Explains Strauss: "A low-level campaign staffer, com-
pletely without authorization, approached Shadyac. We regret
the confusion that has followed.”
According to Strauss, the leadership of the re-election com-
mittee knew nothing of what was happening. But what about
the party? Kraft admits getting his invitation. “We just didn't
make the connection, ” he says. “We made a mistake.”
Privately, Carter campaign staffers have complained that
they were “taken" by Shadyac, that "he never told us he had
any ties to Qaddafi, let alone was his agent.”
Comments like these make Shadyac the angriest. “You
would think that before they approached someone to head a
major Carter re-election committee they would have checked
him out,” he fumes. “All they had to do was check with their
own Justice Department or even ask me. I have never tried to
hide anything. Now they are trying to paint me as having done
something wrong or dishonest, but I simply am not going to be .
the fall guy.”
Shadyac says he still supports Carter's re-election, adding,
“These clowns (meaning Strauss, Kraft and other campaign
officials) are damaging the president with their irresponsible
statements, and I don’t want to see this happen.”
(NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN.)
The Almanac
v _
By The Associated Press
Today is Tuesday, Aug. 5, the
218th day of 1980. There are 148
days left in the year.
Today’s highlight in history;
On Aug. 5, 1963, the U.S.,
Britain and Soviet Union signed
a treaty outlawing nuclear tests
in the atmosphere, in space and
under water.
On this date:
In 1858, the first transatlantic
cable was completed.
In 1861, the government
levied an income tax for the
first time.
In 1884, the cornerstone of the
Statue of Liberty was laid at the
entrance to New York harbor.
In 1962, movie star Marilyn
Monroe was found dead in the
bedroom of her Los Angeles
home.
6ttA n.E.a, so
On the ABSCAM video tapes
all performers are shabby
By JACK ANDERSON
WASHINGTON -- Conniv-
ing congressmen weren’t the
only ones who looked bad on
the FBI’s ABSCAM video-
tapes. Some of the undercov-
er agents also put on a shab-
by performance, even
though they were aware that
they were being filmed by
hidden cameras.
The secret videotapes
raise questions about
whether the agents, posing
as bagmen for a fictional
Arab sheik, set in motion
crimes that otherwise might
not have been committed.
Justice Department officials
have repeatedly denied this.
Assistant Attorney General
Philip Heymann, for exam-
ple, has assured Congress
that no one from the depart-
ment “dangled bait in front
of a congressman."
But my associate Gary
Cohn has reviewed hours of
the secret videotapes, which
tell a different story. In one
scene, agent Anthony Amo-
roso pressured a middle-
man, Howard Criden. to
encourage Rep. Frank
Thompson, D-N.J., to accept
a $50,000 bribe.
Amoroso appears as a
darkly menacing man who
could have been cast for the
role by Hollywood. He was
known to Criden as Tony
DeVito, the sheik's backdoor
man. The portly, pleasant
Criden, blinking through
glasses, had the knowing
look of a stuffed owl.
He had brought Thompson
to the sheik’s Washington
townhouse supposedly for a
$50,000 payoff But the con-
gressman had declined to
accept the money and had
suggested more devious
methods of payment, such as
deposits in New Jersey
banks. Thfs disappointed
Amoroso who took Criden
aside and argued that the
sheik wanted to pay cash. A
direct payment, Amoroso
explained, would make the
sheik feel as if he owned a
piece of the congressman.
“Go back and talk to
(Thompson)," urged the
undercover man. “See what
his position is.”
Criden shook his head.
“He told me he won’t discuss
money."
“You talk to him," Amoro-
so insisted. “I want some
kind of acknowledgement
from him that he knows
what's going on ... I'll give
him the (expletive deleted)
money ... If anybody is going
to jail - right? -- in this
whole thing, he won't be
going alone."
Criden still held back.
“Yeah, he doesn't want to
ruin his whole (expletive
deleted) career, either.”
The G-man kept arguing
that Thompson had to take
the $50,000 in -ash “Then
we’ll know he's got it; then
I’m happy
"I don’t know if I can get
him to do that," Criden
protested, “but I’ll take a
shot at it."
Still, the wrangling
continued Criden argued
that "the best thing about
this guy (Thompson) is that
he can deliver guys, key
guys. He knows who'll do
business and who won't. But
if I make a (expletive delet-
ed) bad track with this guy,
I’m in trouble with everyone
else. This guy can deliver to
us as many guys as we
want.”
Despite his misgivings.
Criden agreed to approach
Thompson again. The meet-
ing took place on Capitol
Hill, followed by a rendez-
vous later in the evening at
the townhouse. Two under-
cover agents had stuffed a
briefcase with $50,000 ready
for the payoff.
“Frank understands the
situation,” Criden
announced, referring to his
companion from Capitol
Hill.
“Okay," said Amoroso. “I
just want to make sure you
understand. There's the
briefcase."
Thompson gestured
toward the briefcase
“Howard, carry that for
me."
“Okay," Criden agreed
On public display, Thomp-
son exudes dignity and
integrity. But in the compa-
ny of the two bagmen, he did
not. He offered to introduce
them to other congressmen
who might want a piece of
the action.
“We hope to bring, at
Frank's suggestion,” Criden
said chimed in, "some more
people, people screened very
carefully, and we’ll be see-
ing you shortly..."
"And the first guy you
might see," said Thompson,
“might well be a pal of mine
from New York'- (Govern-
ment prosecutors believe he
was referring to Rep John
Murphy, D-N.Y., wno has
also been indicted in the
ABSCAM "sting" operation.)
Footnote: Thompson has
denied any wrongdoing. His
attorneys have called for
dismissal of the indictment
on the grounds that FBI
agents abused their power
and violated Thompson's
constitutional rights.
HEIRS FALL OUT: The
heirs of Joseph E. Davies,
President Franklin Roose-
velt's ambassador to the
Soviet Union in the 1930s,
are being less than diplo-
matic in their squabble over
his 20-acre estate in Wash-
ington, D C. A daughter and
two granddaughters are
trying to block the court-
approved sale of the
multimillion dollar proper-
ty, claiming the judge, Mil-
ton Korman, knows a rival
heir, ex-Sen. Joseph Tydings,
D-Md. The judge and Tyd-
ings deny this, though Tyd-
ings was on the Senate com-
mittee that okayed Judge
Korman's appointment in
1967 “If I met him today, I
wouldn’t know him," the ex-
senator said.
JUSTICE DENIED: Two
children of the late Illinois
Gov Otto Kerner are in
touch with the Justice
Department, trying to clear
their father's name of a bri-
bery conviction that sent
him to prison in 1973. They
claim they have evidence
that Richard Nixon’s attor-
ney general, John Mitchell,
spiked an investigation that
would have shown prejudi-
cial leaks that prevented a
fair trial. They say the
department is continuing to
protect the leakers who Tied
to a federal judge to cover
up their leaks.
WATCH ON WASTE: Sen.
William Cohen, R-Maine,
discovered an ironic situa-
tion at the Interior Depart-
ment: A private firm was
paid $145,332 to determine
why the agency spends so
much of its money at the end
of each fiscal year. The con-
tract was awarded on - you
guessed it -- the last day of
Fiscal Year 1979. Further
doggling the boon, it turned
out that Interior’s own audi-
tors had been doing studies
on the problem for the past
five years.
Copyright. IN*
I mied Feature Syndicate. Inc
“It is an awesome job, but it’s not lonely.”
Veterans' burial rights
Some years ago Arlington National Cemetery, across the
Potomac from Washington, restricted further burials there
because of lack of space. Now the policy at the most presti-
gious national cemetery has changed.
A columbarium with 5,000 niches for urns to hold the cre-
mated remains of veterans and some of their family members
has been opened at Arlington.
A death in the family tends to suspend reason. Yet there are
32 million veterans in the United States who some day are
going to die. The average age of the biggest group — veterans
of World War II — is over 60.
They, especially, should remind their families periodically
that the Veterans Administration, the third-biggest federal
agency, will provide from $450 to $1,100 for a veteran’s burial
expenses, and that burial in a national cemetery is a real
possibility.
Death almost always imposes financial strain on a family
After death, says a VA official, "the simplest thing is to deal
with the mortician, let him fill out and process the forms.
Some morticians will credit the amount to your account. Oth-
ers will bill you and you'll have to await a VA refund, which
normally should take about a month.”
The VA provides up to $300 for burial expenses and an
additional $150 for a burial plot if the veteran is not buried in
a government cemetery. If the veteran’s death is service-
Berry's World
. . And another thing, where does Carter
stand on golf?''
T’f**.......
THEU.S.ANDYOU
William Steif
connected, the VA will pay up to $1,100 in place of the usual
allowances. VA payments will be reduced in cases where a
veteran’s employer or a state agency has made payments.
Each veteran is entitled to an American flag to cover his
casket and to a headstone or grave marker.
Vincent Corrado, deputy director of VA’s Department of
Memorial Affairs, says 1.4 million veterans so far have been
buried in the 104 national cemeteries, 39,000 last year. He
says the rate will grow “exponentially” until about 120,000
burials will occur in national cemeteries by the year 2000
Reason: The VA projects that 12.4 million veterans, more
than 40 percent of the total, will die within the next 20 years.
“When you add up all the veterans, and their dependents
who are potentially eligible for VA death benefits,” Corrado
says, “you get 93 million people, or about 43 percent of our
population.”
Yet 47 national cemeteries are already full, and only five
new ones are on the drawing boards. That may be one expla-
nation for the growing acceptance of cremation, especially in
the West. It also helps explain why the VA is:
— Building 11 columbaria to hold cremated remains
between now and 1988; the first two open next year at River-
side, Calif., and Calverton, N.Y.
— Opening Arlington Cemetery’s columbarium.
— Talking to state governments about opening state veter-
ans cemeteries. Under a 1978 law the VA can match state
funds, 50-50, for this purpose. In June Maryland got the first
state grant, $162,826. Illinois, Arizona, Maine and Rhode
Island are now negotiating with the VA.
Who’s entitled to what?
— Veterans discharged under other than dishonorable con-
ditions who served in the Spanish-American War, the Mexican
Border era, World Wars I and II, and the Korean and Vietnam
eras are eligible for VA plot and burial allowances, and
national cemetery burial.
— Peacetime veterans with other than dishonorable dis-
charges are eligible for national cemetery burial, but not enti-
tled to plot or burial allowances unless they got “compensa-
tion” payments for service-connected injuries or illnesses or
were discharged for disabilities.
Obviously, the family of a veteran buried in a government
cemetery does not get a burial plot allowance.
If you want to know more about these veterans benefits, get
in touch with your nearest VA office. There’s one in every
state, and its toll-free phone number is listed in the phone
directory white pages under "U.S. Government” You can also
write the VA office |n your state, or get in touch with your
local office of a major veterans organisation. These groups
also have the information you want
(NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN.)
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Keys, Clarke. Sulphur Springs News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 185, Ed. 1 Tuesday, August 5, 1980, newspaper, August 5, 1980; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth824842/m1/4/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.