Hondo Anvil Herald (Hondo, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 38, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 17, 1987 Page: 4 of 28
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Page 4, The Hondo Anvil Herald. Thuraday. September 17. 1987
Anvil Herald "T T * •
V le wpoint
Letters from readers, plu
Letters from readers, plus comments and opinions...
Let’s celebrate the Constitution,
not rewrite it
By Philip M. Crane
i Philip Crane is a United States
Congressman (R-IL).
- Theme: Congressman Crane exa-
mines the agenda of the Committee
on the Constitutional System
(CCS), a prominent group of poli-
tical scientists and elected officials
that is trying to revise the current
U.S. Constitution.
© 1987, by Public Research.
Syndicated.
This month, most Americans
will celebrate the 200th birthday of
our Constitution with grateful
hearts. Yet there are some among
us who are trying to capitalize on
the celebrations to generate support
for rewriting the Constitution.
The main group pushing for con-
stitutional changes is the Com-
mittee on the Constitutional Sys-
tem (CCS). Chaired by Lloyd Cut-
ler (former legal counsel for Presi-
dent Carter), the Committee has
gained the backing of a wide array
of American political scientists and
legislators.
CCS's chief target is the cherish-
ed doctrine of separation of powers,
which the Founding Fathers incor-
porated in our Constitution as a
safeguard of personal liberty.
Admittedly, the separation of
powers does not make for the most
efficient form of government. It can
create delays in the legislative pro-
cess. It can lorce compromise and
accommodation - and sometimes
lead to confrontation between ele-
ments of our government.
But the Founding Fathers knew
all this.
They knew something else as
well: Government (in the words of
George Washington) is "like fire"
-- "it is a dangerous servant and a
fearful master."
For this reason, the Founding
Fathers purposely structured one of
the most inefficient systems of gov-
ernment ever conceived (yet one
capable of moving with dispatch in
case of emergencies such as declara-
tions of war). The government that
they created incorporated all three
systems of government known at
the time: Government in the hands
of one (monarchy); government in
the hands of the few (aristocracy);
and government in the hands of the
many (democracy). These concepts
are posted in our system in the
Presidency, the Senate, and the
House of Representatives.
Each element, the Founders
theorized, would jealously guard its
own prerogatives to prevent any
one of the systems (all of which
were historically flawed in practice)
from gaining preeminence and thus
abusing power.
As a further check, they called
our government into creation with a
written document -• in effect a con-
tract with the right people - to
which was almost immediately
added a Bill of Rights spelling out
further "Thou shalt nots" concern-
ing government tendencies to usurp
the God-given rights of the people.
And they created an independent
judiciary to examine actions of the
legislative and executive branches
to make sure they conformed to the
Constitution.
Constitutional changes recom-
mended by the Committee on the
Constitutional System would under-
mine this structure created by the
Framers.
The Committee proposes a Con-
stitutional amendment extending
House terms to four years, Senate
terms to eight years, and elections
to be held in Presidential years.
Presumably, Presidential influence
would be greatly increased over
Congressional races if the latter al-
ways had to run at the same time as
the President. CCS argues that this
change would make it more difficult
for Members of Congress to "dis-
tance themselves from the President
and from presidential programs,”
and that the extension of terms
would enable Presidents and legis-
lators to join together "to enact nec-
essary measures with the promise
of longer-run benefits, without hav-
ing to worry about an imminent
election..."
But did the Founding Fathers in-
tend for Congress simply to rubber
stamp the President's initiatives?
And who defines "necessary?" And
why shouldn't legislators worry
about being held accountable come
election day?
"Frequency of elections," Madi-
son noted, "is the cornerstone...of
free government." By seeking to
double the terms of congressional
offices, CCS is striking at the very
heart of governmental account-
ability.
Another amendment to our Con-
stitution recommended by the Com-
mittee would permit Members of
Congress to be appointed by the
President to his Cabinet without
having to resign their seats.
According to CCS, "This provi-
sion in our Constitution was inten-
ded to prevent the President from
dominating Congress by offering
executive positions to key legis-
lators." They're right! And it has
worked to prevent such domination.
CCS deplores such lack of "colla-
boration," but the Founding Fathers
took comfort in the knowledge that
the House, Senate, and executive
branch would remain in adversarial
positions.
They saw interbranch tensions as
the best check against excesses that
could put in jeopardy our personal
liberties. "Stalemates," condemned
by CCS, suggested to the Founding
Fathers that some important consti-
tuency in our land was being ill-
served. And the Founding Fathers
provided such things as special ma-
jorities (also deplored by CCS) be-
cause they protect minority rights
from abuse at the hands of simple
majorities and force accommodation
to the rights of all.
When all is said and done, CCS
has really missed the root of the
problem.
Most of the difficulties it has
identified are peculiar to the 20th
Century - and more specifically, to
the post World War II era. And
what is unique to that period? Our
national government began an ex-
plosive growth with the New Deal.
Agencies, bureaus, and commis-
sions proliferated. Since we went
direcdy from the Depression into
World War II, this problem was
compounded. After World War I,
President Wilson immediately and
totally dismantled the wartime bur-
eaucracy. After World War II, by
contrast, the bureaucracy was made
permanent and grew because of the
Cold War and liberals' faith in gov-
ernment solutions that culminated
in the Great Society. Prior to the
New Deal we had ten departments
of government. Today we have 13
- and the Federal payroll has grown
from almost $2 billion to over $80
billion!
Small wonder that Cabinet Sec-
retaries (much less the President)
cannot monitor their shops and
Members of Congress no longer
have time to read their own bills.
But the worst consequence of the
recent growth of government is
Congressional abdication of the
oversight function. And the less the
oversight, the more the ingratiation
with grateful constituents by Mem-
bers of Congress. The more the
ingratiation, the more entrenched
the incumbents. This is why since
World War II, 90 percent of
incumbent legislators have been
reelected even though their party
may have lost the White House;
and this is why Republicans have
only held the House of Repre-
sentatives four years since the defeat
of Herbert Hoover.
To define the problem is to sug-
gest the solution. And it does not re-
quire constitutional alterations.
Least of all does it dictate scrapping
the concepts of our Founding
Fathers.
The brilliant 19th Century Bri-
tish Prime minister, William Glad-
stone, said it better than this author
could: "I have always regarded that
Constitution as the most remark-
able work known to me in modem
times to have been produced by the
human intellect..."
State Capitol Highlights
By LyndtQ Wiliams
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
AUSTIN-With the 90 election
three years away, Comptroller Bob
Bullock took time from bird hunt-
ing in South Texas last Thursday to
announce he will run for lieutenant
governor. Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, a
Democrat, previously stated he will
not seek re-election.
Bullock, the states chief fiscal
officer since 1975. made public his
plans in a two-sentence statement
which said he intended "to run for
lieutenant governor in 1990. All
visitors are welcome."
A spokesman told reporters Bul-
lock is convinced he has been comp-
troller long enough. Hobby’s deci-
sion not to run again prompted the
comptroller's surprise announce-
ment, he added.
No Committee Needed
Even though it's the way out-
going Chief Justice John Hill, a
Democrat, wants his replacement
selected, GOP Gov. Bill Clements
said that he, not a committee, will
make the appointment.
Hill has campaigned long and
hard to have elected judges appoin-
ted by a committee on the basis of
merit, and his out-front reason for
stepping down in mid-term is to
continue lobbying that issue.
But even though Clements sup-
ported the concept last session, he
won't use Hill's departure to make a
trial run of the merit selection pro-
posal.
The new chief justice will likely
be a Republican who will run for
election after his appointed term.
Two sitting Democratic justices
have already tossed their hats into
the ring.
Energy Politics •
Long-time Railroad Commission-
er Jim Nugent seems to be a handy
target these days for lots of people
interested in energy policies.
He needs newly appointed Repub-
lican Kent Hance's vote to win the
panel's gavel over fellow Democrat
John Sharp, and it may result in a
game of hardball and name-calling
politics between the two.
Last week, Houston Republican
Ed Emmett, a former House mem-
ber. announced he was going after
Nugent's seat in the “88 election.
Originally, it was Houston Demo-
crat Clint Hackney who was eyeing
Nugent's post, but now he's runn-
ing for Hance’s seat.
For now, Hance is seen as the
swing vote on the three-member
panel, and there is speculation
about what would induce him to
vote with Nugent or Sharp. If Nu-
gent, a conservative Democrat, swi-
tched parties, would that do it? Or,
if Hance held out to be chairman
with Nugent's support, could he
make it?
Wayward $21 Million
State officials were wondering
last week if the story of a wayward
$21 million in Texas Housing Ag-
ency bonds would diminish voter
confidence in the massive bond pro-
posals on the November 3 ballot
The $21 million wound up in an
uninsured West Indies bank and was
the indirect source of a $1.8 million
construction loan in Indiana. By
last week, most of the money was
back in the Fort Worth trustee
bank. The remainder should be
home soon.
Pari-mutuel Betting
To date, more than a dozen coun-
ties, including Harris, Bexar and
Tarrant, have placed the pari-mutuel
betting local option issue on their
ballots.
A recent Texas Poll indicates 69
percent of Texas voters favor the
referendum.
Supporters plan to spend $1.6
million to pass the issue, and have
lined up singers Willie Nelson,
Jimmy Dean and George Strait for
September and October fundraisers.
Some say the new industry will
generate $1.2 billion a year, create
8,000 construction jobs and 11,000
permanent jobs including breeding
and training facilities.
Troubled state coffers will reap an
estimated $110 million in taxes,
five cents from every dollar wag-
ered.
Other Highlights
• Speaking of fundraisers, Atty.
Gen. Jim Mattox recently raised
$600,000 at a Houston fete to fuel
his quest for the mansion. He has a
Dallas bash scheduled for Decem-
ber.
• A shakeup at the Texas Water
Commission has resulted in the de-
parture of several top staffers, inclu-
ding long-time chief clerk Mary
Ann Hefner.
• Scientists at the Texas A&M
Galveston branch have come up
with a way to reproduce oysters that
could speed the replenishing of
troubled oyster beds, closed recently
by Texas Parks & Wildlife commis-
sioners.
Letters to the editor
Hondo Anvil Herald,
Box 400
Hondo, Texas, 78861
Enforce juvenile curfew
Dear editor
While Hondo has an ample
supply of wonderful young people
it seems lately that we also have
our fair share of obnoxious,
arrogant juvenile delinquents. Some
of them must be kin to vampires
and werewolves as they only come
out at night. And when I say night
I mean all night ,
Saturday night at 12:45 two boys
approx .’2 or 13 years old on bikes
pulled out in front of me on
Highway 90,1 almost ran over one
of them.
Now I ask, what busines does a
child this age have being out at that
hour, none I say. 11 p.m. is late
enough for any young person to be
out, so why is curfew time 12 a.m.
on Friday and Saturday night?
Even the bars close at 12 on Fri-
day. Bartenders in Hondo are re-
quired by law to get the drinks off
the bar by 12, and not let anyone
get intoxicated. In essence, the bar-
tender is responsible for these adults
until they are safe at home, while
the children of Hondo are allowed to
roam the streets until 1 a.m. and
some have been seen out as late as
4 a.m.
It's not just the laws that's
wrong, there has to be something
seriously wrong with a parent who
allows this type of behavior.
As small as our Police Dept, is
in Hondo, it does a fine job of en-
forcing the law. With all they have
to do, why must they also babysit
these renegades while they wander
the streets in the middle of the
night?
It’s time for the good parents of
Hondo to wage war on the bad
parents. They must do what they
can to try and change the curfew
hour and have it enforced.
My message to parents who
allow their children to stay out all
night, steal, cheat, lie, and van-
dalize; it's time for you to grow up,
face your responsibilities and ob-
Thanks...
Dear Editor
I noted with interest that the
Anvil Herald recently won an award
in the NNA Better Newspaper Con-
test
I just wanted to offer my congrat-
ulations on this great news on
behalf of the American Heart Asso-
ciation in Texas.
I also wish you much continued
good fortune. Thank you for your
support of the American Heart Asso-
ciation's mission of preventing pre-
mature death and disability from
heart and blood vessel disease.
Sincerely,
Lynn Huss Pazdral, APR
Associate Director of Media
and Government Relations
... and more thanks
Dear Editor
The 16th Annual Texas Folklife
Festival was one of the best yet and
the visitors who attended were
treated to a Texas experience they
won't soon forget Announcements
and coverage provided by the Hondo
Anivl Herald contributed greatly to
the Festival's success and we appre-
ciate all your efforts to inform the
people of your community about
this annual celebration of Texas
history and heritage.
Now that the 1987 Festival is be-
hind us, we look forward to another
great year. Enclosed for your infor-
mation is a calendar of Institute
events and exhibits for the next
three months. "The 18th . Century
Origins of the Tejano Community
of San Antorfio," a public discus-
sion and related exhibits scheduled
for October, should be especially
interesting.
Thank you again for your continu-
ed support of the Texas Folklife
Festival and the Institute of Texan
Cultures. If we can be of assistance
to you in the future, please do not
hesitate to write or call. We wel-
come your questions and sugges-
tions and are happy to help in any
way possible. Best wishes for a
rewarding and successful year.
Cordially,
Jocelyn (Jo) Eckerman
Director, News and Information
ligations, and take care of your
children. Soon they may turn on
you, and you will have to swallow
the same bitter medicine the rest of
us in Hondo have had to swallow.
Sincerely,
Susan McAdams
HONDO
ANVIL
HERALD
Published at 1601 Ave. K, Hondo,
Medina County, Texas
Entered at the Post Office, Hondo, TX
as Second Class Mail.
ISSN 249-280
Published every Thursday in Hondo, TX
by Associated Texas Newspapers, Inc.
William E. Berger, President
STAFF:
Frances Reilzer Proctor, General Manager
Jeff Berger, Sports Editor
Kate Tatum, Advertising Director
Kathy Adlong, Ad Sales
Elois Hustus, Ad Sales
Betty Haile, Ad Layout
Billie Ann Burrell, Ad Layout
Brenda Sowers, Typesetter
Beatrice Koch, Classified Ad Manager
Alice Schur, Photo Technician
Sue Lee, Business Manager
Cathy Walton, Bookkeeper
Tony Mendoza, Production Supt
Non Sanchez, Production Assistant
DEADLINES:
Advertising Copy -• 5 p.m.
Tuesday
Editorial Copy •- 5 p.m. Tuesday
Classified Ad Copy -- Noon Tues.
The CastrovilU Anvil, EsI. 1886
The Hondo Herald, EsI. 1891
Consolidated - Oct. 17,1903
The La Coste Ledger, EsI. 1915
Consolidated - June 1,19S1
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Telephone: (512)426-3346
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Hondo Anvil Herald (Hondo, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 38, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 17, 1987, newspaper, September 17, 1987; Hondo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth870650/m1/4/: accessed June 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hondo Public Library.