THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200243
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Guest Column
SOURCE: BY SAM L. CALLIS
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Being 76 years old and having been a close observer of government for at least 65 years, I am more concerned about this country and the way it could go than I have ever been.
I remember when Hoover was elected in 1928. I can hear him now saying, ``I see two cars in every garage, a chicken in every pot.'' And as people lost their homes, farms and savings, he said prosperity was right around the corner.
Then came F.D. Roosevelt in 1933 and people were ready for any change. We got right much gradually. Many banks had already failed. There was no protection for deposits in banks. Roosevelt started the Federal Deposit Insurance that we still have. Then we got the minimum hour wage and 40-hour work week. We were getting a change mostly for the good of the people. Roosevelt had started Social Security. He said he did not want to see people get old and not have anything to live on. It has grown to be real popular, but we have groups that would like to destroy it.
Later we got Medicare which has helped millions get medical help. There is talk of big cuts in this. The type of people now taking over in Washington in Congress is alarming. The cuts they want to make and programs they want to drop can hurt a lot of people. The Republicans are talking of tearing down all the Democrat programs all the way back to Hoover's time. If they tear down anything, it will have to be Democrat programs because the Republicans never had many programs and opposed almost everything that has been passed to help the people. It is not Republican takeover that bothers me. It is the people in charge. We have real radicals wanting to wreck everything, cut taxes for the rich, create larger deficits and destroy the financial security of our nation.
I don't think that either party is what it should be. I have voted both ways in state and local elections. I usually choose by the candidate who he or she is.
I never thought I would see and hear the slander and false charges we have had the last few years. The Democrats are being blamed for the high crime rate. I think both sides are to blame. There are many causes for the crime problem. It could get worse with some of the ideas now being talked.
I wonder why there is so much dissatisfaction. There are a lot of jobs available. They may not be super, but take the best you can get. It does concern me to see so many companies putting employees on part-time temporary status with no benefits. This needs to be limited, but I am afraid it will get worse. The worst anti-labor crowd in over half a century is taking over. Now Virginia may get a double dose of radical actions by our officials.
I am sure that Governor Allen is the most radical governor I ever heard of. A lot of his cuts can really hurt the state. There is too much free stuff being promised. If we have anything, somebody will have to pay. I think that one of our problems today lies in the fact we don't have many statesmen in our decision-making.
Our congressmen, state lawmakers, city councils and judges, along with governors, should be model citizens. We have a lot of two-bit politicians in many of these positions, thinking mainly about getting re-elected.
There is one other thing that is destroying us. That is greed. It is affecting most anything you mention where people are involved. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Callis
by CNB