The Gettysburg Times from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania • Page 6

THE GETTYSBURG TIMES, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1994 OPINION GETTYSBURG TIMES Published daily, Monday through Saturday by the Times and News Publishing Company. right 1994 -18-20 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325-0669 Cynthia A. Ford President Larty Rhoten, Director of News Operations Tract A. Lower, Acting Editor Timothy J. Doyle, News Editor Chris Otto, Sports Editor Dojiald W.

Fair, Controller Bixel, Advertising Director rtofert B.J. Small, Director of Special Projects lofetta Plitt, Production Director BeKnda Walde, Circulation Director tatricia Martin, Commercial Printing Coordinator Marilyn Mailland, N.I.E. Coordinator the Gettysburg Times, founded in 1902, continues The Star and Sentinel (1800), The Gettysburg Compiler (1818), The York Springs Comet (1873), The New Oxford Item (1879), The East Berlin News (1880). 4 Press Award winner in 1993 Associated Prefs Managing Editors Award winner in 1994 They're grumpy about politics Trie Parkersburg (W. Va.) News on the elections: TJ-je American people remain grumpy ab- wtft politics because more and more people are realizing just how disconnected govern- nSfeftt has become from their daily lives.

NJforiy incumbent Democrats learned about dissatisfaction firsthand during the election. is only partly about issues. It is also, to' a large extent, about self-dealing by the governing elite. Associated Press business columnist Jwirf Cunniff noted, the Bush-Clinton tax and regulatory policies have led to a real, Hifflation-adjusted reduction in the median wage of 2.6 percent since 1989. Meanwhile, those in the federal govern- rtftnt have continued to enjoy cost-of-living adjustments year after year after year.

In 19917 the latest year for which figures are available, the average federal civil servant's pay was 26 percent higher than the average private-sector wage. When generous fringe benefits were factored in, the gap widened to a veritable chasm: Total average compensation of $46,164 for federal civilian employees was a whopping 45.2 percent greater than the private-sector average. It's not just the federal government gorging itself on private workers' wallets. In relative terms, for each dollar of increased compensation enjoyed by private-sector workers between 1980 and 1991 (adjusted for inflation), state and local government workers got $4.78. In the private sector, if you want to make more money, you've got to work harder and smarter or find a different job.

In the government sector, you just ram through another tax increase or let the deficit soar. Rise above partisanship for GATT Star Tribune, Minneapolis, on GATT: the impending Republican takeover of the U.S. House and Senate wasn't bad enough for President Clinton: Ratification of trVe GATT accord, the one-major piece of un- president might firmer than Democfafs'r'rnult'bfe vrrted on before the end of the year while' the Democrats still hold majorities in both houses, and while triumphant Republicans might more than ever be in a mood to impose gridlock. But if ever there was an issue on which Congress Republican or Democrat -should rise above partisanship it's this one. For the United States, the GATT accord is that can only be opened by congressional That's reason enough to bring Congress back into post-election session at the end of this month.

It's reason enough, as well, to avoid the political game-playing that lame-duck legislative bodies are too often tempted to play. Congress must reform itself The Joplin (Mo.) Globe on congressional reforin: things will be more important to establishing the credibility of a new Republican Congress committed to changing the old way 'of doing things on Capitol Hill than launching a sweeping reform of how political business is conducted. One of the first items on the GOP agenda in the new session should be a long-overdue revamping of the internal workings of Con- including the imposition of term lim- its on committee assignments and committee chairmanships. For it is in those committees, especially with the chairman of the more influential panels, that so many political power bases have been built, perpetuated and expanded over the decades. One reason that voters turned control of Congress over to Republicans this election is that they are tired of hearing talk of reform emanating from Capitol Hill and seldom, if ever, seeing any meaningful changes.

It is time that Congress reforms itself. They ended negative campaigning San Luis Obispo County (Calif.) Telegram-Tribune on negative politics: Tfre big story of the elections is that Re- pubhrans have scored so many gains that become the majority party in both tnc'lHouse and Senate. Unfortunately, there's another story ab- rWt'a phenomenon that continues to get wtirs'e from election to election. That is the adopted system of negative campaigning. The political wisdom in campaigning, particularly on the national level, is that the best way to get votes is to hit your opponent oti'a personal level as often as you can and as hurd as you can.

Never mind about telling people why you should be elected. VVashington Post columnist David Broder wrote about an hour-long prime time de- irdte on an Omaha, television station two candidates for Congress. Three previous debates between the two Write a letter! The GtUytbitrg ters to Editor to it have a few Letters should be typed or Mtfbty I We Jiuurt be Mined by the sothor end number be for Name of the will wrtbewtthhtld, muii, brief and will be edited or condtnwid necessary. Only one letter per month will printed from tfte I anther. We will refuse to use thai atje not in good Uate, not the best inteT- estofthepftibBcorinourjudgmentwould harm the integrity of another person's or Opinions, in the are thoee of tar rwrnrrtt the tight to or reject; when many are written on topic, repnettrteiive sampb'ng will be printed.

The addnm ir Gtttyt- burg LetteWto the Editor, 18 Car- St. Gettysburg PA 17325. Where's the media on Foster death? Television, radio, movies and print media are talking about everything these days except one thing. Anybody can speak his piece on sick sex, infidelity, specifics of birth control, lesbianism, homosexuality, adultery, polygamy and pornography. Daytime talk shows lick their lips at rating time over stories relating to a Chicago carnivore who raped, killed and ate young boys.

Cutting off a man's penis was a favorite topic for a while. It's difficult to imagine in this atmosphere that there is one topic the media can't seem to handle. But there is one. It appears nobody dares question the of White House aide Vincent Foster. Hugh Turley has revisited Fort Marcy Park several times.

He has also read in tedious detail the case against O.J. Simpson. He has assembled a compelling comparison: O.J. Simpson: There is a public hearing. Vincent Foster: There was no public hearing (shhh).

O.J. Simpson: The media tell us everything, with updates on the hour. Vincent Foster: The media and White House tell us nothing. The facts are kept from the public. O.J.

Simpson: Plenty of photos are displayed of gloves, the murder scene, a Bronco and even the live televised flight in the Bronco. Vincent Foster: Only one photo leaked to the press by the government. (It shows Foster's hand with a gun.) One photo tells the public a one-sided story. O. J.

Simpson No murder weapon was found. Vincent Foster: No bullet was found. In fact, the gun had only two bullets, and no other bullets were found at Foster's home. Maybe he just bought two. O.J.

Simpson: Nicole Simpson died unexpectedly after eating a full meal. Vincent Foster: Foster died "expectedly" after eating a full meal. O.J. Simpson: O.J.'s estate is still intact. Vincent Foster: Fort Marcy Park reopened after a "facelift." There was new sod and cleared brush, and even one of the two cannons was gone.

Vince wouldn't know the place. O.J. Simpson: Nicole's eyeglasses were found next to Goldman's body. Vincent Foster: Foster's eyeglasses "mysteriously bounced" 13 feet from his body in dense foliage. O.J.

Simpson: X-rays were taken of victims by a medical examiner. Vincent Foster: No X-rays were taken. The coroner said, "Our machine was bro- Paul Harvey ken," although he did check off "X-rays completed" on the autopsy report. O.J. Simpson: The victims' blood was everywhere.

Vincent Foster: Parts of his skull and brain were missing. No skull-bone fragments were found from a 1-inch exit wound even after sifting soil to a depth of 18 inches. O.J-. Simpson: Plenty of fingerprints, footprints and blood drops were found. Vincent Foster: No fingerprints were on the gun, except one, but it was not Foster's.

Did Foster wipe the gun clean after he shot himself to throw suspicion away from himself? O.J. Simpson: Los Angeles police use experienced homicide investigators. Vincent Foster: An inexperienced park officer someone with no homicide experience served as the lead investigator. O.J. Simpson: O.J.

wrote a note. Vincent Foster: A note appeared in Foster's bag for the White House, yet it wasn't there when park police searched the bag. This note was torn into 27 pieces with no fingerprints. O.J. Simpson: Tests were conducted on hairs found at the crime scene.

Vincent Foster: No tests were done on the blonde or brown hair or fibers found on Foster's pants, undershirt, socks and other clothing. O.J. Simpson: O.J. was unaccounted for during the time of the murder for less than one hour. Vincent Foster: Foster was unaccounted for from 1 p.m.

until 6 p.m. For five hours, his activities are unknown. O.J. Simpson: Testimony was taken under oath. Vincent Foster: Fiske and investigators questioned no one under oath.

O.J. Simpson: Blood at the scene flowed downhill. Vincent Foster: Blood on Foster's face flowed uphill! These dried blood tracks disprove Isaac Newton. O.J. Simpson: Detailed crime-scene photos can be seen daily on television.

Vincent Foster: Oops! It's too bad crime- scene photos were "underexposed" in the park police labs. O.J. Simpson: He drove a white Ford Bronco. Vincent Foster: A mysterious white opeeies: "had been of the finger-in-the-eye variety," Broder wrote. But the final debate was different.

"What made this one different," said Broder, "was a simple rule laid down by KPTM and the cosponsor, the Omaha World-Herald: 'You may not mention your opponent's The candidates were told that the forum was designed to let the audience hear why they should be elected. So each candidate proceeded to talk about what he believed in and what he could offer the country if elected to Congress. There were questions about national defense, immigration, Social Security, federal balancing the budget and crucial government issues of the day. By the time the debate was over, the audience knew what each candidate stood for and the candidates themselves were pleased with the result. i Tiger Dodo Bird van, a Mercedes and a dark car were involved.

We dfljri't even know how Vince Foster got to Fort Marcy Park. O.J. Simpson: Police searched O.J. Simpson's house. Vincent Foster: White House searched Foster's office and then lied about it.

O.J. Simpson: LOB Angeles police invei- tigatora keep a detailed list of items taken from the crime scene and from O.J.'s house. i Vincent Foster: Items removed froria Foster's office by White House remain a closely guarded secret. O.J. Simpson: Investigators questioned neighbors.

Vincent Foster: Neither the park policje or Fiske investigators questioned thje many neighbors around the park. O.J. Simpson: Witnesses who ered the bodies came forward on televf- sion, and we know names. Vincent Foster: The workman who- dif- covered Foster's body has never been named. O.J.

Simpson: The murder weapon yet be found. Vincent Foster: Luckily, a gun wajs found (by the police) in his right hand (he was left-handed) even though the workman told the FBI there was no gun in Foster's hands when he found the body, O.J. Simpson: Defense lawyers complain about sloppy police work by Los Angeles detectives. Vincent Foster: Not a single complaint of sloppy police work is in the Foster investigation. O.J.

Simpson: No one disputes the vii- tims' bodies were found in front of Nicole's gate. Vincent Foster: An ambulance worker found Foster's body on the west berm. Fiske said police found Foster's body 200 feet away on the north berm, in front of fe cannon. O.J. Simpson: No one disputes who was the first emergency worker to come upon the victims' bodies.

Vincent Foster Sgt. George Gonzalez, the lead paramedic, said he was first on the scene of Foster's body. Fiske's report said a park police officer was the first to find Foster. O.J. Simpson: We know why articles from O.J.'s house are held by Los Angeles police as evidence.

Vincent Foster: We do not know why articles from Foster's office were delivered by White House aides to the White House private residence as ordered by Hillary Rodham Clinton. (c) 1994 Paul Harvey Products Inc. Conservative Democrat By The Associated Press Today is Monday, Nov. 21, the 325th day of 1994. There are 40 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 21, 1877, inventor Thomas A. Edison announced the invention of his phonograph, which he dubbed a "talking machine." On this date: In 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. In 1922, Rebecca L.

Felton of Georgia was sworn in as the first woman to serve as a member of the U.S. Senate. In 1934, the Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes," starring Ethel Merman as Reno Sweeney, opened in New York. In 1942, the Alaska Highway across Canada was formally opened. In 1963, President Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, began an ill-fated, two- day tour of Texas.

In 1964, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened, linking the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. In 1969, the Senate voted 55-45 against the nomination of Clement F. Haynsworth to the U.S. Supreme Court, the first time a candidate for the nation's highest court had been rejected since 1930. In 1973, President Nixon's attorney, J.

Fred Buzhardt, revealed the presence of an gap in one of the White House tape recordings related to Watergate. In 1979, a mob attacked the U.S. Doonesbury Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, setting the building afire and killing two Americans. In 1980, 87 people died in a fire at the MOM Grand Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. In 1985, former U.S.

Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Jay Pollard was arrested, accused of spying for Israel. Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall-of- Famer Stan Musial is 74. Actress-singer Vivian Blaine is 73. Actor Laurence Luckinbill is 60. Actress Mario Thomas is 57.

Ballet dancer Natalia Makarova is 54. Actress Juliet Mills is 53. Actress Goldie Hawn is 49. Actress-singer Lorna Luft is 42. BY GARRY TRUDEAU 0 ALONB AMANCOULP ft GETTING PINPAP? EWSFAPERI.