The Yazoo Herald from Yazoo City, Mississippi • 4

A-4, THE YAZOO HERALD, WEDNESDAY, AAAY 11, 1988 DuUOOOD The Yazoo Herald Successor to Yazoo Daily Harold founded 1472 1035 Grand Avenue, Pott Office Box 730. Yozoo City. Mississippi 39194 Telephone 601-746-4911 AAike Espy supports rural health care agenda Charles E. Martin, General Manager Debbie C. Montgomery, Editor John Emmerich, Publisher (USPS 695 600) Enfts-rod socond clo mortor of th $.

Oit OHtto in VotooCity Mwt. Fho Yaioo Hrod pvbHihod on Wdrttday end Saturday Subscription raft by moil tn Mississippi. $16.00 par twotv monfhi, 00 pr tn month, $4 00 pr throo moniht. Ouio Mississippi. $27 00 por fwotvo month.

GEM POSTMASTER Sand odd'nl chongn to THE YAZOO HERALD. R.O 730 Yotoo City. MS 34144 hence the small town doctor and the people that the rural hospitals serve. Currently, rural hospitals must have 45 percent indigent patients to qualify for an additional four percent payment from the federal government to the hospital, while urban hospitals need only 40 percent indigent patients to qualify for a 15 percent payment. Rural hospitals are getting a raw deal here and will not survive unless these inequities are changed.

Other areas addressed in the coalition's legislative agenda include rural health care. The Rural Health Care Coalition is chaired by U.S. Rep. Mike Synar, D-OK, and U.S. Rep.

Tom Tauke, R-1A. The coalition's plan calls for additional funds to support the education of doctors and nurses who agree to serve in rural areas and to create innovative new health care programs in rural areas to attract and retain health care professionals. The legislative plan also corrects the inequities in federal reimbursement policies that stack the deck against rural hospitals and Congress places fofal ban on By MIKE ESPY As a member of the House Rural Health Care Coalition, I was extremely proud to participate in a press conference recently in Washington, D.C., to draw attention to the special and unique problems of health care in rural areas. As the Congressman from the Second Congressional District of Mississippi, I know too well about the suffering of the young children, pregnant women, and the elderly who are not receiving adequate health care in isolated towns and communities. Too many of our communities do not have a doctor to take care of people.

Take Tchula. Recently its only physician left. He told a newspaper reporter that some of his patients traveled more than 40 miles to visit him and that he carried a caseload of 1,500 to 1,800 patients. Many of these patients are elderly, and rural elderly are twice as likely to be poor as the urban elderly. To compound this problem, small hospitals have been forced to close down because of rising costs.

Since 1980, small hospitals have accounted for four out of five closing. And, the few rural hospitals that we do have are currently being treated unfairly by the federal government because their Medicare reimbursement rates are much smaller than for urban hospitals. The coalition, which I am a member of, presented to the press a legislative agenda which addresses these problems and others related to 'People power' may By CONGRESSMAN G.V. (SONNY) MONTGOMERY Third District Mississippi On April 19 and 20, the House and Senate took strong action against pornography when we voted to ban the so-called "dial-a-porn" telephone message services. In the House of Representatives, a plan was offered that would allow these services to be continued on a subscription basis.

Anyone wishing to have access to the telephone numbers would notify the telephone company. Everyone else would have access to these numbers blocked by their local phone companies. Many of us objected to this plan because this type of subscription service is not technically feasable in many parts of the country. It meant that children make a comeback provisions to provide greater statutory and regulatory flexibility to rural health clinics to promote the expansion of these clinics in un-derserved areas, provide start-up grants to the clinics, and establish a deputy undersecretary for rural health care with the Department of Health and Human Services to study the effects of Medicare payment rules on rural health. Curing the ills which jeopardize quality health care in rural areas must be part of an overall effort to Contd.

on page A-14 'dial a porn' speech. We don't agree. The Supreme Court lias ruled in a number of cases over the years that obscenity is not protected under the First Amendment. The "dial-a-porn" message services have achieved tremendous financial growth over the past four years. They now gross $2.4 billion per year.

With those kinds of profits, it is very possible that the pornographers will fight this Congressional action in the courts. We think our law will be upheld, but if the courts rule otherwise, we will take other action to put the skids to "dial-a-porn." I have heard from many Mississippians who said they wanted Congress to take action on this problem. I am proud to say we have done just that. restored evidenced their interest in getting initiative and referendum restored will meet at the Capitol in the next two weeks to decide on a format and strategy. The probability is, however, that a constitutional convention referendum similar to the measure initially introduced in the House by Rep.

Eric Clark of Taylorsville will be the legislative vehicle. The Clark bill, significantly, had provided for 122 elected delegates and 20 delegates to be appointed by the governor. Elimination of the appointive delegates by a House floor amendment had been one of the key factors that turned black legislators against the bill. While the 1914 initiative amendment required a petition of only 7500 voters to be presented to the secretary of state, Vecchio said the group plans to get petitions of 7500 from each of the five congressional districts. The presumption is that Secretary of State Dick Molpus would have to reject the petition because of the 1922 Supreme Court decision, thereby setting up a constitutional test case which under court procedure must be given a speedy appeal to the court.

Who knows, "people power" may make a comeback. expensive Mississippians may see 'initiative' Legislature Progress, yes, but reforms stalled (From the Clarion-Ledger, Jackson Dally News) Did the wave of reform promised by the elections of 1987 bring the sweeping changes indicated for the 1988 session of the Mississippi Legislature? The answer, with adjournment this weekend, is yes and no, with no having the edge. The two most fundamental changes proposed, calling a November referendum on a proposed constitutional convention to rewrite the existing 98-year-old charter and mandating the county unit system of government, were turned back during the last 10 days of the session by stout and, some say, fearful, defenders of the status quo. Gov. Ray Mabus has threatened to call a special session to resubmit the county unit bill, victim of partisans of the heavily entrenched beat system, and some champions of a new constitution would like the convention proposal also put on a special session agenda.

Certainly neither issue will go away, though the reform movement has clearly lost some of its momentum. However, the Legislature did approve an organizational study of state government, creating a panel to examine the issue and report back to the Legislature Oct. 1. Gov. Mabus asserts that a consolidation of 135 agencies into 15 would save $40 million a year.

The executive branch now embraces an awkward, and, to a degree, unwieldly collection of agencies. The commission's recommendations remain to be drafted, approved by the Legislature and implemented, but if the efforts are successful, lawmakers will have attained a goal that has eluded reformers for more than a half century. The main achievements of the 1988 session were registered in education, which Gov. Mabus and legislative leaders agreed at the outset was the top priority as it was with most Mississippians deeply concerned about the welfare of the state and, in particular, with the link between education and economic development. The Legislature produced a pay increase spaced over two years that will raise teacher pay an average of $3,800 when fully implemented.

The first year cost is estimated at $65.5 million; it will go up $117.5 million In 1989-90. The hike, depending on what other states do this year and next on teacher pay, may or may not as was the governor's goal lift the state's average to that of the Southeast, but it will come close and move Mississippi several notches up the scale across the nation. Another solid accomplishment was passage of a measure to give the attorney general's office the tools it needs, such as subpoena and prosecutory powers, to fight white-collar crime. After several years of rejection, the proposal was overwhelmingly passed by the House and Senate. Sometimes good legislative deeds are of the negative variety, as in the failure of the proposal to administer drug tests to high school students.

However, the Legislature's mistakes did not stop with its collapse on county unit and constitutional reform. It blew opportunities to close loopholes in the state's DUI laws and to mandate auto liability insurance. It rejected a long overdue renters' rights proposal. It also caved in to opposition to a bill that would have required registration of residential child care facilities. And it failed to end the fee system for chancery and cirquit clerks, some of whom have incomes well above that of the Contd.

on page A-5 Eyes on Mississippi would still have access to these phone numbers and recorded messages in many areas all across the United States. We felt the best course of action was a total ban. That way, the problem would be eliminated in all 50 states. We would be assuring parents, no matter where they live, that their children will be protected from these obscene messages. A great majority of my colleagues in the House agreed.

We defeated the subscription plan and voted instead for a total ban on "dial-a-porn." The Senate followed the next day. Some of the people who opposed a total ban said this would be ruled unconstitutional, because it amounts to a violation of the right of free By Bill Minor bring a test case of the 1922 ruling before the present state Supreme Court with the idea the 66-year-old decision would be reversed and initiative and referendum reinstated. As a result of the debacle on the constitutional convention referendum bill at the 1988 session, Vecchio says, "There are a number of other members of the House and several senators who want to join in an effort to restore this vehicle for the people to decide on issues if the Legislature won't act." Vecchio said, "If the Legislature is not going to do what Section 6 of the present constitution says the people have the right to do, then we are going to have to find another avenue." Concurring with Vecchio, state Rep. Ayres Haxton of Natchez, one of the bright freshmen members of the House, said, "I think the people ought to be able to bypass the Legislature when it is necessary. Initiative and referendum, I believe, will make the Legislature more responsive." Plans of the group are still hazy, but the expectation is that 10 or 12 lawmakers who have already It provided that by a petition of 7500 qualified electors, the people could initiate any law or amendment and put it on the statewide ballot.

A petition of 6000 voters was required to submit a law passed by the Legislature to a referendum. 'The initiative and referendum amendment became effective in 1916, and withstood a challenge brought up to the state Supreme Court in 1917 contending that it had not received sufficient votes to be ratified. But somewhat amazingly, in 1922, the Supreme Court by a three to two decision in another case, held the initiative and referendum amendment unconstitutional on grounds that it should have been proposed as two separate amendments. The idea at the time was that the Legislature would come back at the next session and quickly correct the technicality by resubmitting it as two amendments. But that didn't happen, and so the right of initiative and referendum lias been suspended for some 66 years.

State Rep. Ray Vecchio of Gautier for the past two years has wanted to JACKSON-Failure of the 1988 Legislature to let voters decide if they want a constitutional convention lias prompted a move by a dozen or so legislators to restore "people power" the right of initiative and referendum which Mississippians had from 1916 to 1922. At the same time, the group of lawmakers will be seeking to do what the just-ended legislative session refused to do: Put the question of calling a convention to rewrite the 1890 constitution on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Initiative is the power of the people-to propose and enact by statewide vote new laws or constitutional amendments which a Legislature has refused or failed to pass.

Referendum is the power of the people to veto by statewide vote any law or part of a law which has been passed by the Legislature. In some 30 states, the people have the power of initiative and-or referendum, but Mississippi is not one of them. To review some Mississipi history not commonly known during the progressive era back in 1914, the people in this state ratified a constitutional amendment granting them the power of initiative and referendum. Russ Metz Dangerous spring weather makes you do something "You're selling sins?" Arthur Hoppe, my favorite columnist, asked Haberdash. "I'm selling repentance, brother.

But you can't repent unless you've sinned, and that's where we born-again evangelists come in." Arthur nodded. "Yes, you people seem to have a great deal of experience in that field." "I think I'm proudest of our covetousness, anger and envy," said Haberdash, puffing out his chest. "Look at the way Jimmy Swaggart turned on Jim Bakker and Marvin Gorman on sex charges only to have Gorman finger him for the same. Have you done anything half that repentful?" "Well, I sacked out on the couch after the cannelloni last night," Arthur said. Haberdash shook his head.

"Gluttony and sloth are two-bit sins," he said. "Frankly, the gangbuster sin these days is lust." "In my heart?" Arthur asked. "In a motel room is better," he said. "And lust is where I've built an outstanding record, even for an evangelist: seven arrests for pandering, three for lewd and lascivious conduct and a suspended sentence for felonious sleazeness following the premier of my latest film, 'Between the French "What's your Combo Special?" Arthur asked. i "For $99.95," he said, "I can rent you three ladies of the evening, a blue bathing cap and a mountain bicycle." "What can I do with all that?" Arthur said.

"It comes complete with a step-by-step Assembly Manual," he said. "And the money will go to help your poor fellow would-be sinners. For God lias told me that if I don't raise $8 million to build a Dalliance, U.S.A., Theme Park, he'll kill Oral Roberts." "A what-kind of theme park?" "Dalliance," he said, rubbing his hands. "It's going to have an Adven-tureland, a Fantasyland and an I'll-Call-You-Tomorrowland. We're projecting a 16 percent increase in national repentance in the first 30 days after the lab tests are in.

And being a dedicated pastor, I'm going to lead the way." Arthur frowned. "You mean you want me to give you money to help you live in sin?" Art demanded. "Look," he said a bit huffily, "like any good evangelist, I've confessed my sins, so hand over a donation and I'll repent." "You've got it backward, Haberdash," Art said. "You're supposed to collect your money and then confess your sins." "Darn," he said. "No wonder I haven't taken in a nickel.

Okay, I repent, I'll never commit that Eighth Deadly Sin again." "What Eighth Deadly Sin?" "Honesty, brother. Honesty." Onward, upward. Dangerous days are upon us. Highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s, the sky forever blue. Days that, come summer, we would pay good money to enjoy in Florida.

Days for throwing open all windows. Days that bring out the giddy in us. Days that actually make us want to do yardwork. Dangerous During these dangerous days of wonderful spring, a skywriter ought to be required to use its talents for public service. Its planes should blaze this message across the sky: Warning: Exposure to beautiful days like this can be dangerous, especially if you get carried away and visit a lawn and garden store with your VISA card in your hot little hand.

Time was when you needed to give the old lawn a shot of green, you mosied into a farm store and picked out something that didn't have weeds in it to put on the ground. Now you go to a lawn and garden store, which specializes in offering you fancy prescriptions for your sick lawns and packages of fancy stuff that make you actually want to go to work around the house. Countless were those who fell victim to spring when it busted out the other weekend. They are now paying for their excesses. Permit me to relate the sad tale of a gentleman of extremely close acquaintance who would just as soon remain anonymous, thank you.

should have learned his lesson last year when, confronted by days like the ones we've been having, he was overwhelmed by the desire to reaffirm his bond with the earth. "I must prune the podocarpus hedge," he announced. He was only minutes into the chore, however, when he decided that to do a proper job, he would need new pruning shears. He went to his neighborhood lawn and garden store and that was his downfall. He returned three hours later.

He had new pruning shears. He also had 10 five-gallon containers of podocarpuses, all the better for extending the hedge. Indeed, his rapture was so complete that he also had bought 200 pounds of 6-6-6 fertilizer, 10 flats of petunias, replacement heads for all the sprinklers, two new garden hoses and about $80 worth of caladium and lily bulbs for the beds he intended to dig in the front yard. Let's just say that it was dark before the hedge pruning was finished. The next day he was too sore to carry on.

The day after that it rained and turned cold again. The podocarpuses developed root rot, the petunias wilted, the fertilizer got wet and solidified, the sprinkler heads were lost in the garage, the hoses are still in their boxes and something ate the caladium and lily bulbs. The best way to face those dangerous days is head-on. Go outside, take a couple of deep breaths, look around you and marvel at the wonderful panorama Mother Nature has given us. Then pick up your fishing pole or golf clubs and leave the scene.

RM Last week, the reigning Miss America, Kaye Lani Rae Rafko, came as a special guest to Morehead State University's annual pageant and seeing her picture in the papers, it was obvious that young lady is a real American beauty. Perhaps, however, no more lovely than hundreds of other young women throughout our country; you see a lot of them on our television screens every evening. But that got me to thinking about the recent mini-series, Portrait of the Soviet Union, and how after watching I was impressed with a couple of facts. It was a puff job, pure and simple, using a movie star to tout some of the beauty and high points of that country. A Chamber of Commerce couldn't have done better at making it something of a tourist attraction, a place steeped in history, some of it quite sordid.

Never once were the infamous prison compounds of Siberia shown. It glossed over them as if they were only brief scenes of the dim past. Not a single poorly-dressed person was seen. Instead, we saw streets crowded with what seemed to be affluent people in American-style dress. It could have been any large city in America, so well off did the people look.

But one tiling stuck out like a sore thumb to me. Of all the thousands of Soviet people shown to us, we never noticed a single outstandingly pretty woman. It was as if everybody in Russia took ugly pills. One bleached blonde model came the closest to being pretty. Maybe a five on a scale of one to 10.

I commented about this to my wife and she agreed. The girls over there, for the most part, were not Bo Dereks or Kaye Lani Rafkos. Shortly after that we visited the Russian Embassy in Washington on a newspaper people program and were told how the Sovet Union was made up of some 16 different tribes, or nationalities, who pretty well kept their own identities and borders. "That's where the difference is," I told Momma. "In America, we have absorbed the various nationalities into our melting pot and the handsomest men and prettiest girls have risen as the cream." She looked at me and questioned, "Do you think that is 100 percent true?" "In Russia, the uglies keep inbreeding and all they can come up with is more uglies," I said.

The commies are always bragging about how they have or have invented everything before we Americans can get it. What we need to do is parade our Miss America through Uie streets of Moscow and Leningrad with a sign that reads: "Eat your heart out, Ivan. Let's see you duplicate this." RM.