Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 4

On the Square Lawmakers don't fool YoUcum Mii UHJU MIU By Harry Reynolds MATTOON JOURNAL GAZETTE Monday, August 11.1 980 The head of the coalition, Patritk Quinn. contributed $2,260. A sub-group of the coalition raised $1,807 for the drive: Looking at our local House members, Stuffle. contributed $200 to stop the effort to cut the size of the House. Rep.

Harry Woodyard. a Republican from Chrisman. contributed $250 to stop thedrive. Woodyard is another one of those legislators who bangs his chest and hollers about how he wants to do the people's will: Wonder even he believes that. Being an old country boy, ah wonder if the legislators are gung-ho against, the effort to cut the House because they fear losing their seats.

Nah, that's not possible. Sincerely, Yokum T. Baskum Opinion Editor's Note: The following letter was written by Yokum T. Baskum, who farms 40 acres in Coles County and owns a mule named Ruby. Baskum's letter deals with the Coalition for Political Honesty's, petition drive to cut the size of the Illinois House.

Dear Editor: Ah was real interested to read where a House committee raised $54,157 to fight the Coalition for Political Honesty's efforts to cut the size of the House. According to accounts ah have been reading, the coalition petition netted a total of more than 477,000 signatures. Near as ah can figure it, roughly a half million folks in Illinois signed the petition. From what ah recollect, the state has roughly 11 million people. Using mah down-on-the-farm math, ah figure that a half million is roughly 4.5 of the 11 million population.

And we're not just talking about the number of folks registered to vote here. Mighty impressive. The Illinois Board of Elections tentatively approved as valid more than 321,000 of those signatures earlier this summer. There isn't much dispute over the validity of the remainder of the signatures, from what ah hear. Getting half a million people to sign a petition calling for the reduction of the House is quite a feat.

Ah would think the legislators would be proud too. It isn't pften that folks get really involved in government these days. Legislators are always yaking about how they only want to serve the people they represent. Why this Rep. Larry Stuffle feller ah believe he is a Democrat from Charleston makes a big flap all the time about how he is working for the people in the district.

Mah, one would think he was the white knight, sometimes. The feller used to take polls on occasion to find out how folks stand on p'articular issues. The 477,000 folks who signed the petitions were kind of a poll. Mah mule, Ruby, ain't too smart well, she may be smarter than half the legislators in this nation but Ruby is smart enough to figure out that if 477,000 folks are willing to sign a petition calling for the reduction of the House, they must.be dissatisfied with that bodv. The National Organization for Women (NOW) donated $2,500 to the anti-cutback committee.

The committee also got a $1,000 donation from the statwide political arm of the United Auto Workers Union. About $2,000 came from the coalition's ally, the Committee for Legislative Reform. Mah calculations show that $23,000 plus $2,500 plus $1,000 plus $2,000 totals $28,500. That means that over half of the $54,157 was contributed by legislators and big lobbying groups. Sounds kind of unrepresentative to me.

The backers of the proposal to cut the House raised $34,116, according to the report filed by the Coalition for Political Honesty. Of that amount, $25,327 was individual contributions totaling less than $150 each. iron fist policy against Palestinian protests in early May. West Bankers front other towns were forbidden to travel to Nablus for Shaka's homecoming. The Guidance Committee, lacking its four loudest voices and too weak to challenge Israeli toughness, has been forced to lower its profile.

Some Palestinians maintain these factors have broken its for good, Ibrahim Dakak, a Palestinian visionary and prime mover in the Guidance. Committee: is a respected engineer with offices in annexed East Jerusalem and is referred to by some as the "mavor of West Calls him Zionist leaders The least the members of the House could do if they really give a lick about what folks think is to give the voters of this state an opportunity to decide if they want to cut the size of the House. Unfortunately, legislators don't see it thatway. Members of the House have been fighting tooth and nail to stop voters from deciding in November if the 177-member House should be reduced by one-third. The Committee fro Representative, Government that's what the legislators and their backers call themselves raised the $54,157 in a 12-month period.

Of that amount, 60 legislators donated $23,000. The largest donation was made by the political arm of the Illinois Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union The association gave $2,600. Guidance Committee on the whole, are educated, urbane and uncompromising in demanding nothing less than Palestinian statehood. Since Camp David, the Guidance Committee had gained stature in the region, enough to challenge the Palestine Liberation Organization in Beirut on matters concerning West Bank affairs. Its members insist such challenges are like those between husband and wife in the framework of a healthy marriage.

No one on the West Bank will deny the PLO is the sole representative of the Palestinians, a role formalized at the Rabat Arab summit in 1974. Even before the May 2 ambush in Hebron, the Israeli military government was taking the Guidance Committee seriously enough to consider banning it outright. Through the network of organizations, associations and other bodies represented by its 20-odd members, it was able to quickly convey ideas and resolutions to the West Bank populace, effectively calling for street demonstrations, mayoral resignations and other disruptive protests in response to events. But the organized protests virtually hav9stopped. The West Bank, a boiling cauldron of resistance to the Israelis and the autonomy plan now under negotiation with Egypt and the United States, has been on simmer since the June 2 assassinati.l attempts against Shaka and Khalaf, widely blamed on extremist Jews, though there is no proof There are two apparent reasons for the relativecalrn: Israel, alarmed at the heightened level of resistance activity, activated an Ok AN YO Foreign Commentary New breed of emerges This spending Less than two months remain in the federal fiscal year which ends Sept.

30. And if the past is a clue to this year federal officials, as one viewer commented, will be shoveling money out of the doors. Their objective is to spend all of their appropriated funds by the end of the year so that they can go back to the Congress and ask for an equal or larger sum in the 1981 budget. One federal executive said that he had to spend all of his department's money or be fired. An 11-month report by a Senate Governmental Affairs subcommittee found spending abuses in 10 federal agencies.

In 1978 on the last day of the fiscal year the Army awarded contracts amounting to $187,631 for a base that was scheduled to be closed. The Interior Department purchased $378,000 worth of furniture in the last month of fiscal 1979, even though it was paying $200,000 to store furniture worth $300,000 which had never been used. Officers at Fort Riley, Kansas, made a late purchase of 80 television sets. A year later 50 of them were still in the crates in which they were delivered. And the Interior Department late in the year bought 4,000 pairs of gloves for 300 youths in a Conservation Corp Camp in Missouri.

With orders to obligate all funds the director of a Young Adult Conservation Corp camp with fewer than 300 enrollees ordered 1,000 pairs of riding chaps, 4,000 "Upsmanship" has always been important in day-to-day conversations no matter the topic. But a new subject has taken precedence. Gas mileage is the "in" topic. We have found that in discussing gas mileage you are getting on your car be it foreign, compact, mid-size or the same old klunker you have been herding around for more years than you would like to county the miles per gallon of gas you are getting is very important in any conversation: This is especially true when more than one car fancier is gathered and one of the members of the group has recently purchased a new car. We have learned that it is smart to hold off your gas mileage figures until all others have told of their miles-per-gallon.

No matter what you come up with if you are one, of the first to speak you will be outdone in the end. A case in point is a recent classified ad section we were poring over in the Journal Gazette. We never miss an automotive classified always afraid of missing a real bargain. In the particular issue mentioned, three MG Midgets were offered for sale. Although the three cars were different year models (same engines), the gas mileage listed in the ad I 50 years ago today (1930) I CHICAGO Tempered by cooler ieather and occasional scattered howers, the drought of the past fewweeks (ontinued throughout the Middle West I oday.

Pana in central Illinois yesteerday i xperienced its first rainfall in fortydays. leather forecasters declared that condi-ions for producing rain within two or hreevveekrwere more favorable than at iny time since the beginning of the Irought. Lugust 14, will be Dollar Day for the esidents of Mattoon and the Mattoon rading center. This being an occasion vhen a dollar bill buys more than at any ither time of the year. The unusual valiies offered in previous Dollar Days by Mattoon merchants have established these days as big bargain events and the people look forward each year with pleasant anticipation because they know that when Mattoon merchants announce attractive buying opportunities they will find the (opportunities just as advertised.

ILONDON Fierce hand-to-hand fighting packed by an uproar of exploding air bombs resounded, on the northwestern Indian frontier today as British troops and invading Afridi tribesmen engaged in sharp clashes. Bullets spattered the ancient walls of Peshawar, gateway to the famou Khyber Pass and one of Britain's important military strongholds for whose possession the swarthy swifly-moving hillmen have, repeatedly organized. Mattoon's 1930 chautauqua opened on Sunday afternoon under perfect weather conditions. After making a few brief announcements. Dr.

G.F. Corley. president of the chautauqua association, introduced Robert G. Smith of Rushville as the new platform superintendent. About 600 persons attended both the afternoon and evening sessions.

Loseff's Russian orchestra was the attraction of the first hour of both afternoon and evening sessions. 25 years ago today (1955) SPRINGFIELD The Illinois state fair opens a 10-day stand Friday-, affording an expected one million visitors a glimpse of some of the hatpii's finest agricultural and industrial products. State Agriculture Director Stillman J. Standard, in the absence of Gov! STratton, will perform the ribbon-cutting ceremony and then thousands of children will take over the fairgrounds for a day devoted to special events for the vounger set. I h3 Glancing i and of at to of to a must stop pairs of gloves, 81 chain saws and $20,000.

worth of lawnmowers and lawnmower parts. In fiscal 1977 and 1978 expenditures in September, last month of the fiscal year, exceeded August purchases by an average of $41 billion, a 95 percent increase. In one year the Department of Housing and Urban Development spent nearly half of its allotted funds in the last two months of the year. These are some of the examples of the lack- of interest in saving which federal officials have shown. They appear to have no concern for the taxpayers money and are interested primarily in the size of their department budgets and the number of its employees.

Congress gave the first sign of a clampdown on this practice on July 23. when the House voted to restrict agencies spending in the last two months of the fiscal year to 20 percent of their annual budget. Lawmakers finally acted after the General Accounting Office and congressional committees had produced evidence of this type of extravagance and waste. There is no doubt that controls must be put on this type of spending. And it should be remembered that this wholesale shoveling out of funds happened in years when the federal budget was in deep deficit.

It is utterly unreasonable. ends for the first MG was 33. The second listed was 30 mpg. And the third Midget claimed 43 mpg. Like we said, it's important to stay in last position before showing your hand.

speaking of cars, "The Book of Lists" has listed nine automobiles that made history. One of the cars listed is Bonnie and Clyde's Ford V-8. "A roof contractor in Topeka, Jesse Warren, bought a new Ford V-8 with bumpber guards and a hot -water heater for $785 in March, 1934. On April 29, 1934, the gray-Ford was stolen from Warren's driveway by a pair of outlaws, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The fleeing pair drove the Ford 7,500 miles in 23 days before being ambushed by Texas Rangers in Louisiana.

Bonnie was hit by 50 bullets, and Clyde by 27. The Ford became famous overnight." If memory serves. us correctly the Ford was on display at the Cross County "Mall soon after the mall opened. Remark: "The office wag's latest gag is carrying a wallet card reading: '1 am an optimist. In case of accident, I'd rather not know about Changing Times The Kiplinger Magazine American agriculture appeared today to be on the way toward producing, this year a new record volume products and new crop of farm, surpluses.

The Agriculture Department in its monthly crop production forecasts Wednesday said it now looks as if the 1955 harvest will match the record produced in 1948 under incentive of heavy postwar demands; George W. Cherry son of Mr, and Mrs. George W. Cherry, gave a piano recital in Smith Hall the University of Illinois Wednesday evening, as the -completion of work for his master's degree in music. Friday night will again see downtown activities for the pre-centennial fun of Mattoon.

Between Broadway and Charleston on 17th Street will be a street dance with music starting promptly at 9 p.m. The singing Sisters of the Swish will be back on the streets and antics of the Keystone Kops can be expected. days of intensive activity is scheduled for Mattoon school officials and teachers preparatory classroom work beginning Aug. 31. H.E.

Greer, principal of Hawthorne School, will conduct a guided tour of the school district during the afternoon The Association of Commerce will fete the teachers at a dinner at 6:30 p.m. MATTOON One the interesting' musical turned up from the past by the centennial celebrations in this area' is a '43-year-old Tangley Calliope belong to' Omer (). Quotes of note "1 told him people were going to think he was crazy Debra Taylor, on her reaction to her husband J. Bruce Taylor's determination drive his modified 1974 Peugot backward from Orange Park, Fla to Los Angeles. The magazine does not exploit women.

It's liberal and pro feminine." Christie Hefner, executive of Playboy magazine and daughter of its publisher, Hugh Hefner. (NBC-TV) "You don't have to be politically motivated to know right from wrong. Afghanistan is a tragedy I happen to care about." Peter Tancred, Britain's former champion discus thrower, on why he decided to boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics. Tancred says his decision is not "noble act." back 1 PLO hates writer By BROOKE W.KROEGER JERUSALEM (UPIi "They can cut off my legs but not my struggle," cried Nablus Mayor Bassam Shaka as he returned in triumph to the occupied West Bank. -'They tried to kill me but they failed," he said, baring the bandaged stumps of his blown-off legs.

Frenzied throngs turned out to greet him on return from treatment in a Jordanian hospital. What form that struggle will take, given the events of the past two months, is the question. On May 3, Israel summarily expelled mayors Mohammed Milhem of Halhoul and Fahd Kawasme of Hebron for allegedly creating the atmosphere in which a Palestinian ambush of Jewish worshippers in Hebron took place. One month later, Shaka and Ramallah Mayor Karim Khalaf were maimed for life in separate, almost simultaneous, car bomb blasts. The four mayors are the most prominent members of a new breed of Palestinian leadership in the West Bank dynamic, outspoken and strongly nationalistic.

They are Palestinians first, Arabs second. The four, now dubbed the "martyr mayors," were leading figures in the Palestinian National Guidance Committee, a group of Palestinian notables in the disputed zone. It was formed to crystallize opposition to the CampDavid accords and their limited autonomy plan for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The group is a departure from the traditional Islamic, pro-Jordanian and family-based leadership in the territory Israel captured from Jordan in 1967. r- 'iiJN By Charley Reese Bank mayors." 'can't shout, now! but we can still out," Dakak said.

"The Guidance Committee may take another name, another form. But the circumstances and the struggle are exactly the same "The people here' know that when leadership is taken away, a new one grows up better than before," "Even if all the Palestinians were killed except one woman." Shaka exorted his enthusiastic welcomers, vher children would carry on the fight The young men cheered wildly. Some of the women wept. winning instead of disappearing, is Israel. Israeli courts have over-ruled the military government which administers the West Bank: Israeli soldiers are prosecuted.

tried, convicted and punished for mistreating Arabs (in the Arab countries no one dares raise a voice much less a hand against the ruling power Thirdly, Israel is a humane and decent nation. Art and education flourish despite the fact the nation has never known one day of real peace. There is no death penalty except for genocide PLO terrorists are given legal counsel and a fair trial." The worst that can happen to the worst of them is life in prison. The prisons are open to the International Red Cross or any other legitimate organization. Arabs in the occupied territory are free to travel All of the holy places "of all religions are maintained and made accessible to anyone, including Arabs from Arab na- tions officially at war with Israel.

-Fourth. Israel is a brave nation. Her military feats are well known, but you have to go there to experience the great spirit of the people which makes the military victories possible. I wish every American could visit Israel for they would firsthand the pioneer spirit of our own forefathers. Finally, Israel gets a bad rap.

I have found after really investigating both that Arabs and other anti-semites are liars of the' first order The double-standard'' applied to Israel is maddening. Six Israeli children can be murdered and (he world says, too bad, but if Israel expels two political trouble-makers, it is threatening world peace. Israel wins a war it didn't start and the world demands that the losers dictate the peace terms. Israel gives back to Egypt the entire Sinai and its only oil supply and Israel is accused ofa being intransigent. It's easy to understand.

Tie Arabs; who have nothing to offer mankind but oil, are asking the world to sell its soul. If it takes them up on the offer. I ll be on the next Diane to Israel. I'd rather sh.irc (hp f.itn nf brave people than live in a world without a Ba'EVC WE TO YNucLAk But PcnT Rn E- A VJHC WE NfcEL NUCLEAR POWER. I am a rather plain fellow but I do have one distinction.

So far as I know, I am the only WASP conservative who has earned the title of Zionist from the PLO. A Zionist is the absolute worst thing the PLO can call you, but it's a title I wear with pride. For one thing, I am extremely proud to be disliked by the PLQ which is a collection of loud-mouth killers and thieves. Some people manage to be evil and maintain a little dignity at the same time, but the PLO, mixes evil with absurdity. I have long contended that what the PLO needs is not a country they already have one they stole, Lebanon but eyeglasses.

They boast of being liberators, but if you intend to liberate a piece of real estate you must first defeat (he army that is standing on it. Now the funny thing about the PLO is that in. a very small country like Israel with a relatively large army, the PLO can -never find it. They find babies in nurseries, children in schools, tourists in airports and on the highways, girls on the beach, and old ladies in markets, but they never find the Israeli Defense Force, ft always has to find them. To be guess you can't blame them.

Every time the PLO has had a shootout with an unarmed child or woman, it has -won and every time it has had a shootout with an Israeli soldier, it has lost. Perhaps the stands for pragmatist, although I can think of other words which are not suitable for a family newspaper. But enough of that. Why do I like Israel so much? Well, for the same reason I like some people. We like or dislike people according to how their character matches our own standards.

The nation of Israel has all of the virtues I admire. First, it is free. It has a free political system and a free press The Israelis are so argumentative and self-critical they make us look well-behaved by comparison. Liberty thrives in Israel like the olive tree. Secondly, Israel is a nation of laws.

The only country in the Middle East where Arabs can vote in a meaningful election, sue the government and have a ch.we of 1 ri.