THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 14, 1996 TAG: 9607110167
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 48 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 130 lines
I read Lane DeGregory's obituary article on Joe Deneke in The Virginian-Pilot.
I had heard of Mr. Deneke, but had never met him. I was so struck by the article that I wrote his widow a letter and expressed the feeling of personal loss that I had not known him.
When you can generate that sort of feeling from your readers, you are living up to the highest standards of journalism, in my opinion. It was a very fine piece of reporting, of which you should be very proud.
L.P. Hornthal Jr.
Elizabeth City A vote for planning
I read Molly Ivins' column the other day. I do that from time to time as a reality check. She is a liberal radical of the Franklin D. Roosevelt school. FDR defined a radical as one ``who has both feet planted in the air.''
The title of her column was ``How bidness harms itself'' and castigates American business in general for doing all sorts of evil in the pursuit of profit because it is slavishly subservient to the stock markets.
Her example is a newspaper business whose profits rose because newsprint prices fell a few years ago.
Now that newsprint prices are rising fast, the company has to lay people off to continue to reap an increase in profits.
Her remedy was to have the company set aside money during the fat years to cushion the squeeze in the current period.
She noted any competent publisher would know that abnormally low prices would have to rise.
I so rarely agree with Ms. Ivins. I read her early in the morning only to wake faster. The anger she usually produces often pumps more adrenaline through me than several cups of morning coffee.
I went back and re-read the column the day I learned that our legislature had adjourned without raising teachers' pay.
Surely everyone agrees teachers are underpaid. The Democrats and Republicans agreed on the need for a raise. But the Democrats could not agree with the Republican demand that some money in this supplementary budget cycle be set aside for the certain rise in expenses the state expects as the U.S. Congress balances its budget.
I guess neither North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight nor Gov. Jim Hunt are as wise as Molly Ivins, Robin Hayes or Harold Brubaker.
Basnight told us at the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast that we should beware of expenses to be downloaded from Congress. That was why he did not support the reduction in the food tax.
Now the Senate majority he leads wants to spend every penny of the state's expected surplus. ``We didn't leave anything, I hope,'' said the senator.
Democrats, liberals and those with their feet in the air think that business should save in lean times and only expand in the good, but government should spend everything it can get whenever the poor taxpayer allows them to get it.
The same thing is happening at home. Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bobby Owens and company have been on a four-year binge of spending.
We have all known that the capital and payroll needs of our schools must rise as our population does.
Their failure to adequately compensate the teachers, the failure of the school board to reduce the class sizes, the failure of anyone to have begun to save for the millions needed for a new high school would earn the scorn and ridicule of Molly Ivins - and should be of grave concern to all Dare County voters as the November election approaches.
Do not give the incumbent commissioners the chance to say, next year, that some ``unexpected'' burdens placed on them by the downsizing of the federal government or by the lack of support by the state will require a tax increase to support our basic needs.
Vote for people who will plan ahead, cushion future shocks and preserve your income from further tax demands.
Steve Sawin
Kill Devil Hills
Candidate for County Commissioner Jetty opposition sad
``. . . I am not pushing the project'' were the words attributed to the No. 2 official at the U.S. Department of the Interior when he visited the Outer Banks last week. It was reported in the June 29 edition of The Virginian-Pilot that the deputy secretary also said, ``It is no secret that the Department of the Interior has serious concerns and problems with the Oregon Inlet jetty proposal.''
I read these sad words just before leaving home to meet Congressman Walter Jones Jr. to accompany him to the Wanchese Seafood Festival. The irony was that I was looking forward to enthusiastically participating in an event dedicated to preserving the seafood industry and jobs dependent upon the stabilization of Oregon Inlet. Though we heard the encouraging words from Congressman Jones, we were saddened to hear the Clinton administration's opposition to the jetties.
Though funding is a hurdle that would have to be addressed, today's problem is that the administration will not permit the construction of the jetties even if the money is found.
The deputy secretary talked about the expense of constructing the jetties at this time and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service allowing the jetties to be anchored on federal land. The responsibility for the construction of the jetties is with the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers, from the public works budget. The operating expenses have been proposed to be funded by a negotiated formula possibly including private, local, state and federal participation.
When it comes to costs, there was apparently no discussion by the deputy secretary indicating the value of life, equipment and lost jobs compared to the one-time cost of constructing the jetties.
I would be somewhat sympathetic with the balanced budget argument if there were no funds for public works. However, public works budgets have not been zeroed out. We have been waiting 26 years. When is our turn?
One of our county commissioners suggests that the leaders in our county, state and Washington, D.C., most of whom are Democrats, now have to turn to Republican Congressman Walter Jones for salvation. Could our Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt, who says he is a good friend of President Clinton, at a minimum, obtain assurances for the Republicans in Washington that President Clinton will not veto such legislation? What good does it do us if Congressman Jones does get his legislation passed only to have it vetoed?
The deputy secretary said the Fish & Wildlife Service is very concerned that the jetties ``. . . would seriously impact a lot of fish.'' One has to ask what business is it to the Fish & Wildlife Service?
Ocean fish issues rest with the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
What vague scientific information is there suggesting a negative impact on fish? I have never seen any studies suggesting serious negative impact on fish with the present jetties on the East Coast.
We do know for sure that fish who live in area sounds are adversely affected without the flushing of pollutants - which occurs with an open inlet. We also know for sure the effect that a lack of jetties will have on lives and jobs.
So I suppose the Clinton administration's position is that uncertainty regarding some ocean fish is a higher priority than the certainty regarding lives and livelihoods of our men and women.
Enlightening - but sad.
Daniel B. Gray
Avon by CNB