February 22, 1973 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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If you are paying off a mortgage through a bank or
savings and loan association, it is probable an extra chunk of
money is being pried out of you each month to serve as a
reserve fund for the payment of taxes and interest.
Have you ever wondered why the f'mancial institution,
rather than you, gets to invest and collect interest on your
money?
So did two Oregon legislators, who have introduced a bill
which would require that state's money-lenders to pay the
mortgagee five percent interest on reserve funds.
This is a bill so sensible it will undoubtedly meet a quick
death. By the time the banking and savings and loan lobbies
get through with it, it will be buried so deep in committee
Ralph Nader couldn't find it.
Be that as it may, it would be a pleasant surprise for
Washington consumers if one of this state's legislators
introduced such a bill the next time the lawmakers gather at
Olympia's marble zoo.
The line forms at the right.
The corruption of our language for the purpose of
misleading the public is not limited to the federal
bureaucracy.
The man in the street must surely be aware by now that
in presidential parlance "'war" becomes "peace," "'defeat" is
described as "victory" and "inflation and unemployment"
are merged into that lovely word "prosperity."
He may not realize, however, that the same deceptive
game is being played closer to home.
For instance, let's take a look at the word game played
by our state's highway lobby, that coalition of pubhc-spirited
tax-eaters whose interpretation of the American Dream is a
solid asphalt and concrete crust on the Evergreen State from
Metaline Falls to La Push and from Blaine to Cathlamet.
You would assume that if these dedicated paving pushers
decided to hire a rack and grind out self-serving publicity
releases they would form an organization named "Paving Is
Better Than Saving, Inc.•'' or possibly "Washington State
Highway Freaks, Ltd." or maybe "United Front Against
Public Transportation And Other Subversive Plots."
nff2, The IRt~,ister
and Tribune S~mdiext~ "
0
/
"Son!"
But, no - the state's news disseminators are receiving
propaganda from something called the "Washington Highway
Users Conference." What a delightful substitution of the
word "users" for "builders."
And who are these highway users? A partial list of the
affiliations of the officers and directors includes:
General Construction Co., Associated General
Cbntractors, The Asphalt Institute, Asphalt Paving
Association of Washington, West Coast Oil Companies,
Portland Cement Company, Outdoor Advertising Association
of Washington, and Concrete Products Association.
A group such as this definitely needs a theme song. As a
concrete contribution to the continued rape of the landscape,
we offer the following, free of charge, to the Washington
Highway Users Conference:
AMERICA, THE PAVEABLE
Oh beautiful for gaseous skies,
For endless waves of cars;
For borrowing the mountainside
To build the valley's scars.
America, America,
We'll spread asphalt on thee.
And cover every living thing
From sea to shining sea.
,years
If George Gallup's figures mean anything, the majority of
America's citizens have finally caught up with the peaceniks.
A recent Gallup Poll says that 80 percent of Americans
are satisfied with the Vietnam peace settlement. Only 35
percent, however, think it will last and 54 percent think
South Vietnam will be unable to maintain a government
strong enough to withstand Communist political pressures
once United States troops are withdrawn.
In other words, the majority of Americans are satisfied
with a peace settlement they doubt will last.
President Nixon has assured us that the reason 45,000
Americans died in Vietnam, more than a million Asians died
and a nation was devastated was our determination that the
government of South Vietnam be protected from a takeover
by North Vietnam. He thanked the majority of the American
people for backing him in this determination.
If this were the case, it would seem obvious that the
majority of Americans, since they believe the peace will not
last, would favor new American involvement if the peace
agreement breaks down.
By ROBERT C. CUMMINGS
A head-on collision between
divergent plans for the gasoline
tax appears to be shaping up in
the Senate.
As Governor Dan Evans
pushes for a 2-cent reduction in
the tax - in order to levy a sales
tax for public transportation -
the Senate Transportation
Committee chairman is pushing
for a 1-cent increase. SB 2639,
sponsored by Gordon Walgren,
Bremerton, would boost the tax
on motor vehicle fuels from 9 to
10 cents per gallon.
The extra cent would be used
to finance continuation of the
urban arterial program. Revenue
from a previous increase is
pledged to serve the bond issue
which financed the current
program, and the bond issue
proceeds are just about depleted.
Many Cities Want It
Several weeks before the
present legislature convened,
representatives of various small
and medium sized cities
throughout the state told the
arterial board they would support
a gasoline tax increase to keep the
program going.
Another bill in the legislature
would remove some restrictions in
the present law and authorize
cities and towns to use the
money for improvement of arty
street, regardless of whether it is
an arterial.
By Any Other Name
The purpose of the governor's
bills is to levy a 5 per cent retail
sales tax on gasoline sales to help
subsidize public transportation.
The proposed gasoline tax
reduction is an effort to keep
gasoline prices at their present
level, despite the sales tax.
It is a means of getting around
the constitutional provision which
restricts use of gasoline tax funds
for other than "highway
purposes."
It is perfectly legal. But
regardless of what it is called, it
constitutes a diversion. Its effect
would be to take an estimated
$33 million a year from highway
maintenance and construction
and spend it on public
transportation.
Stalemate Possible
Walgren probably has the
votes to get his bill out of
Transportation Committee, and
possibly through the Senate.
In the House, it would bump
into Representative Robert Perry,
who heads the Transportation
Committee in the lower chamber.
Perry has had difficulty
controlling his committee, but
even if the Walgren bill passed the
House, the Governor has said he
wouldn't approve it.
On the other hand, the
governor's bills face trouble, in the
Senate. Though redistricting
increased the legislative
representation of the urban areas,
it didn't affect the Senate
Transportation Committee.
It is loaded with
highway-oriented Senators. The
fact that the lion's share of the
sales tax revenue would go to
Seattle's Metro Transit system
won't help the governor's
proposal.
From Waves To Ripples
Despite the waves caused by
shoreline managment legislation
in the past few sessions, a bill to
Not so. A majority say they would oppose sending war
materials to help South Vietnam in the event North Vietnam
in the years ahead were to try to take over South Vietnam,
71 percent oppose bombing North Vietnam in that event,
and 79 percent oppose sending United States troops to
Vietnam.
What these figures show is that the majority of Americans
believe the United States should get out of Vietnam and let
the Vietnamese settle their own civil war.
That's what the peaceniks have been saying for a decade.
By HARRIETE BARNETTE
Stylish drink (and good): Pernod and water.
A must: yearly Pap for ladies,• yearly serum acid phosphatase fi)r men
(prostate test).
What's in a name? Try introducing yourself as Arbutus and Adolphus -
(names are a rut department).
Great listening (long hair): FOUR SEASONS, Vivaldi.
Scrambled eggs: add chunks of avocado. Yum.
Pretty tips: Break the habit of 'making laces' by concentrating on
holding your eyes open. Or the tip of your nose steady.
Mark Twain said: "Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to."
Page 4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, February 22, 1973
,, II,,
scarcely more than a ripple so far.
A bill sponsored by
Representatives AlaB Thornpson,
Castle Rock; John blartinis,
Everett; and Edward Luders,
Spokane, would cover most
wetlands in the state. It would
require a permit from the
Department of Ecology to alter
any pond, marsh, swamp or
similar wetland, regardless
whether it were privately or
publicly owned. Only exceptions
would be artificially developed
wetlands which have been in
existence lessthan 20 years.
Permits would be allowed
expand existing law. ha* caused would add 10 cents to the fee for
each hunting or ftshing license,
the extra money to finance search
and rescue operations.
The sponsor, Joe Haussler,
Omak, said various counties
expend money through the sheriff
office every year in search and
rescue operations, and it is money
most of them can't afford to
spend.
The money would be used to
relmbut counties for any search
operation, whether the lost
person were a hunter, a hiker, a
mountain climber, fisherman or
just a nature lover.
only if the proposed alteration
would serve an essential public Opposition is expected from
purpose and there wam't any those who argue that hunters and
reasonable atternaUve;. if the: fishermen shouldn't be singled
wetland involved mB without out to pay for everybody who
value as a food sotlr~, lresting gets lost. But on the other side of
place or habitat for Itny fish ot the isSue, it will be argued that an
wildlife, or if the Idling or other additional 10 cents wouldn't hurt
alteration were neeettary to anybody, and it is a simple way to
protect the publichealtlL', ease the drain on county tax
Another measure intheHouse revenues which everybody pays.
Editor, The Journal:
The Washington State
Unemployment Compensation is
meant to be adequate
compensation for an unemployed
person, but it is neither adequate
nor compensating when you've
been uneniployed for four weeks,
have been back to work for two
weeks and have as yet received
only one check!
I can understand the one
week waiting period but it seems
to me the compensation checks
Editor, The Journal:
Have been reading the items
in the paper about the county
rural library service and would
like to offer a few comments.
We spend many thousands of
property tax dollars on the fire
districts, hospital district, and
sheriff's department, and we as
individual taxpayers hope we
never need their services for
ourselves. Only those faced with
serious emergencies get their tax
dollar's worth. On the other hand,
the library services are there to be
used, and the more we use the
services the less the cost per book
and the greater benefit to the
individual user.
The facts show Timberland
has half a million books and our
county residents could check out
a great many more than they do,
also magazines, records, and films,
without raising their taxes.
The service by mail is
especially good here. All you have
to do is write to Timberland
Library, Olympia, or phone the
Belfair Branch Library,
CR5-3232, and explain what
information you want. They will
send you by mail a book or
pamphlet or paper with the
information, usually within a
week. You need not give the
name of a book and its author,
but if you do request a particular
book it will be mailed to you
from whichever library in the
district has it on its shelves.
This service is available for
students who need resource
material for school work, when
other students in class have
already checked out the school
library materials on a certain
subject.
The regional library also has a
good deal of material on various
crafts and hobbies, and on
money-raising projects, useful for
youth groups and adult
organizations.
Timberland has books for
Editor, The Journal:
In answer to the letter by the
Shelton Library Board in last
week's Journal, some inaccuracies
were noted.
The North Mason Friends of
the Library were somewhat
surprised to see the Timberland
Branch Library at Belfair
characterized as a bookdrop and
our much-appreciated librarian,
Elizabeth Gatlin, as volunteer
labor.
This so-called drop circulated
' ' 12,374 books in 1972 and
Illllllllllllllllllllllmlllll " " HIHIHIIIfllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII handled 693 requests which were
innis'
filled from headquarters. Rotating
new books average 26 per week.
The services, including a paid
librarian and access to
Timberland"s book collection, are
paid by Timberland.
No doubt many county
residents living in the Shelton area
do feel they would be better
Ray Fine was visiting a friend tl -uthor day while a seven-year-old boy
was showing a playmate through the Imme. When they came to the bar,
he heard the youngster atmotmcc ~, "And this is my father's
chemistry set."
• {Red l t fieH in Nashville Banner)
served if Shelton Library services
were free to them. However,
other county residents living
outside the Shelton area would be
poorly served if it were not for
the services of a regional library.
It was through the petitioning of
just such county residents that
The teacher of a dance class had just taught the boys the proper way to
ask a girl for a dance. A few minutes after tilt dance had begun one boy
danced along side the teacher and whispered: "Now how do ! get rid of
her?"
(Baltimore Sun)
Economics is amazing. You buy a "IV set that was made in Japan,
shipped to a distributor in the UaRed States, who sold it to a
wholesaler, who sold it to the store that soM it to you. Think of it: All
those people enjoying a high standard of living on your $10 down
payment.
(Alex Thien in Milwaukee Sentinel)
A retired school teacher was helping her 8-year-old grandson with his
homework recently. "Cdandma," he asked, "did you teach for only five
years? .... No," she asked, "1 rtaUght lots longer than that." "Well," he
asked, "how mate you only got to the fifth 1Fade?"
(Minneapolis Tribune)
Overheard: "Today's news is too true to be good."
(Mort Edelstein in Chicago Daily News)
should be received
thereafter each week.
as heck don't, however,!
doesn't seem to
explanation for the
Possibl
be replaced by
something, rather
some humans who
some humans who-do;
and some computers
always work right!
A
home owners
projects, sewing,
management,
decorating, and a
manuals.
If one intends
reference book of
example an enc
cookbook
it makes sense to
library's collection
check out one or two
sure of the one you
from a bookstore.
than buying
well-advertised volume/
which may have
between its bri
covers.
Also from our
services we are
information, pro
political issues.
magazines are
background
tax system, state
governments,
welfare, drug abuse,
protection, and
concerns.
Those who
paperbacks, read thtntt'
throw them away can
by using the
of paperbacks. They
out and read for free
for someone else to tl~
are worn out.
Our county
try to maintain good
all the children.
the most benefit are
who attend regularly
learn. The same
to our libraries.
The public library1
this county are
s e I f-education,
cultural enrichment
regardless of race,
size of pocketbook.
to do is use them.
thc reg
The only way
serve the whole
to become a regional l
as the Kitsap
Bremerton, which is
both city and
small county, such
could not possibly
service com
rendered by a
regional l rary.
As rural
most of us are
our excellent
certainly the
Shelton
to refrain from
service with
the library tc
non-resident fee
For those who
to pay the fee,
services of
and bookmobiles
money supports.
stops can be
branch welcomes all
open four days a
Margaret
county"
Founded 1886 by Grant C. Angle
Mailing Address: Box 430, Shelton, Wa. 98584
Published at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton,
Washington 98584, weekly.
Second-class postage paid at Shelton,
Member of National Editorial Association
Member of Washington Newspaper
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $5.50 per year in
in advance -- Outside Mason Court
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER .....................