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Viewpoints Russian Reaction Looks Bad For Clinton Administration In dealing with Russia the month of February was not a good one for President Clinton. It demonstrated an amateurism not surprising for one without foreign policy experience. Russia has historical ties with fellow Serbs in Yugoslavia going back centuries. No Russian leader can ignore such emotional and racial affinities. Boris Yeltsin, now being challenged strongly, certainly can't Yeltsin defused a threatening situation by getting the Serbs to comply with a NATO ultimatum to remove guns surrounding Sarajevo. Although this was a U.N. request, NATO, of which Russia is not a member, was the enforcer. NATO being Russia’s primary military opponent until a few years back, this gives Yeltsin opponents a chance to stir resentment This confrontation defused, U.S. fighters then suddenly shot down four Serb aircraft The better course would have been to issue a final warning, giving the Sob's a week or a few days' notice. That was indicated because for a year, in over a thousand flights, Serb planes had been flying over the same territory without interception. This gave Yeltsin opponents another opportunity to stir resentment An amateurish demonstration was the reaction after the arrest of a CIA official spying for Russia. This American had been assigned to enlist and send spies into Russia. He volunteered to spy for the Russians instead, for which he deserves the death penalty; Russians spying for the U.S. in that country were identified by him and they were executed. The White House reacted to the arrest as if this wasn't a game played fa centuries by all intelligence services. We are doing the same thing in Russia, have been for fifty years. Our intelligence people would have welcomed a Russian who offered to spy for the U.S.-and have frequently. To expect the Russians to refuse such an offer from an American is naive in the extreme. The reaction in Congress was equally "bush," bleaters there exhibiting bombastic ignorance more than anything else. Expelling a Russian diplomat was merely aPR sop. The Russians responded, logically, by expelling one of our spies in Moscow. By this time the Clinton people had finally been briefed enough to realize their initial reaction had been knee-jerk and half-cocked. Nothing more was done. Nobody Deserves Immunity From Sincere Criticism Minority monitoring and policing organizations today often take to task any citizen who speaks critically of their activities. No group in America should enjoy immunity from sincere criticism, because of the past. In today's environment some who depend on the traditional right of Americans to free speech are quickly smeared if they criticize a minority. They're quickly made to apologize and retract their words. No one who criticizes the majority is hounded. If there must be favored status, it’s best minorities enjoy the extra protection. But that shouldn't be carried so far as to muzzle, intimidate or smear those who speak out honestly and sincerely against minority position, ciaim or practice. No American, no American group, should stand exempt from objective criticism. Minorities in the United States have every right to protest discrimination, and should be supported by the majority. They can, however, become so militant they exert an intimidating censoring influence. t '7i*Ke<irP<u<n*t<il 'fycuvi Aettvi *7* *7&e ScUtw. Editor Houston Times-Joumal P.O. Drawer M Perry, GA, 31069 Houston Times-Joumal P.O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll Street • Perry, Ga. 31069 Phone: (912) 987-1823 Member Georgia Press Association-National Newspaper Association maJLe rui- faW< A«Ap«cic/i un- OA- |aa</ KU4< til*A«a|/, oa ai) a < tA«/ |n*-*dom. A - aA- tile pA«Aa* oa- to aM«n and to- pct-cixxwv tiv«- @ mmcni |aA/ a/ AaztA**' Your right to read this newspaper is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Our Goal The Houston Times-Journa! is published proudly for the citizens of Houston and adjoining counties by Houston Publications Inc., Perry Ga. Our goal is to produce quality, profitable, community-oriented newspapers that you, our readers, are proud of. We will reach that goal through hard work, teamwork, loyalty, and a strong dedication towards printing the truth. Bob Tribble Daniel F. Evans Julie B. Evans President Vice-President Treasurer Our Staff Brigette Loudermilk Editor and General Manager Mitch Tribble Eddie Byrd Secretary Advertising Director News: Brenda Thompson, Pauline Lewis Sports: Veto Roley AdvertisingJs resa M. Gavilan Composition: Stacey Shy Classified Advertising: Melanie Bullington Bookkeeping: Judy Hubert Circulation: Donnie Forehand Our Policies •Signed Letters to the editor welcomed. Please limit to 300 words and include address and phone number. •Liability for an error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. •We cannot be responsible for return of pictures or material unless stamped return addressed envelope is included. The Houston Times-Journal (USPS 000471) is published semi-weekly for SIB.OO per year by Houston Publications, Inc., 807 Carroll Street, Perry, Ga. 31069. Second Class Postage paid at Perry, Ga..POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Houslon Times Journal, P.O. Drawer M.PerryGa. 31069 More School Choice May Be The Right Answer Several states around the country are flirting with vouchers in education that would provide parents with tax money to send their children to the public or private school of their choice. California voters defeated a public initiative last fall that would have provided $2,600 yearly to parents to send their children to public or private schools. Even though defeated, the significant support for the voucher system revealed that voters might accept it if certain problems could be worked out. In California some of the strongest support for vouchers or school choice options were from non-white, lower income, less educated voters. The strongest opposition came from upper income and older voters. Puerto Rico's legislature took an unprecedented step last September and authorized vouchers for students, but the teachers' union has the vouchers of $1,500 per student held up in court. The vouchers would only be available to families with SIB,OOO or less income per year. Milwaukee's public schools are Perry Scrapbook Cub Scouts of Psck 216 participated In a Klta Flying Contest at Tucker School In 1970. Pictured are winners Mark Montgomery, Jay Turned and Mark Richardson. *. STREET TALK: Earlier this week, during the closing hours of their legislative session and after weeks of debate, members of the Georgia General Assembly finally approved a bill requiring teachers to begin each school day with a 60-second moment of silence that could also be used for “student-initiated prayer”. This week, we asked local residents what they think of this bill? : iPPjf Mk'W’ : %», ''' .... " ; .'*< ■*, ~. , < ' - «■’ ■ . * t, » , / A > . •<. '.. • Debra Thomas “I think it’s good that they left it open as a moment of silence for the students to use for whatever they desire. Since it is not designated just for prayer, they still have freedom of choice.” m mm . V|¥ -|.: : -L .v'LiHHrW % Dallas Cotton “I think the children should have prayer each morning. When I was growing up, there was prayer in school and there was also less crime.” in the fourth year of vouchers that allows a limited number of students to receive state aid to attend private, non-religious schools. Vouchers for $3,000 are limited to low income families, and students who were previously in private schools are not eligible. Thus far, academic results are not clear. Test scores of voucher students aren't much better than students who stayed in the public schools, but voucher proponents say that private schools grade tougher than public schools. Republican Brett Schundler was elected mayor of Jersey City, N.J. last year partly because of his plan for school vouchers. Presently the state spends $6,000 per year to educate the students. Under the plan that amount would be deposited for each student who opts out of the public school system, and that amount would be divided equally among all students in private school, which would provide each between SSOO-$ 1,000 per year. Texas Republicans have come close in recent years to enacting vouchers and school choice; however, Democrats have blocked the move each time. Late last year wsffiSm _ S 1 ' ASP «, ' ': ■ Cynthia Curry "I think it’s good. We need that in our schools now more than ever.” mjLl Charles Farnham "I think it’s a good idea because there are so many different religious cultures in out nation. The moment of silence allows each to express his or her own beliefs.” Houston Times-Journal Democratic Gov. Ann Richards stunned the state when she announced that she would consider a pilot voucher system. In Michigan the State Constitution prohibits public money from being spent on private schools; however, the state is considering changes that could border on vouchers. The state's Republican governor and the senate are pushing plans that would liberalize transfers within the public school system, giving parents more choice as to the public school their child can attend. Usually when the word voucher is mentioned it shakes the foundations of the public education establishment to its roots. One of the major focuses of the 21 million member National Educational Association (NEA) and its state affiliates is to defeat voucher initiatives. NEA reportedly has already spent millions in this effort. Undoubtedly the Georgia Legislature will have to deal with this hot potato this session. Last year an Atlanta attorney found a 1961 segregation era law that allowed the state to pay for private educations. He and his allies are mS" | mm Charlie Brown "I think it’s a good move. It gives the kids time to think about what they’re going to do all day.” §: WBfW 4 '"V-'V i ; . v ■ *' Susan Thurmond ”1 think it’s good. One of the reasons my children go to a Christian school is the lack of prayer in public schools. I’m a firm believer in it.” Saturday, March 19,1994 Page 4A Bob Jj I Tribble I m- , | going to court and to the Legislature to enforce it. Vouchers in education come in all shapes and sizes, as you can see from the above examples. Without doubt if the system is not instituted properly it could do great harm to the public educations. However, when done properly a voucher system could well work to improve the quality of public education by forcing it to become more competitive with private education, and even more competitive among its own schools. Warner Rogers, our State School Superintendent, says he favors more school choice by parents. Maybe that is what we need in our state right now rather than vouchers, just more choice by parents as to which public school in the area they want their child to attend. | m4p* 1 "VctO §|||i Roley I Wm Staff Writer I Small Business Holds The Key To New Jobs Earlier this week, President Bill Clinton and others leaders from the G-7 met in Detroit to talk about jobs. I am sure that it was an interest ing meeting. After all, no nation in the world, it seems, is immune to job problems. Despite the dire writ ings in many large newspapers and business journals, the United States has one of the world's lowest unem ployment rates. Even so, the unemployment rate is higher than it was in the SOs, 60s and 70s, when economists were talk ing about universal employment for those who wanted jobs. Today, it is rare to hear someone talk about uni versal employment as a realistic goal. Rather, some economists today defend a certain amount of unem ployment as crucial to the econ omy's success. Clinton got his four year free lease at the White House by running on the economy. He has learned since the election that the economy depended on people working, earning money. With the money people earn, they pay taxes and buy bonds, which pays for the programs Washington politi cians want paid for, and buy goods and services, which in turn provides more employment, more taxes and more consumer spending. On the flip side, when people are not work ing, or when they are working part time or underemployed, less is col lected in taxes and less is spent on consumer goods and services. Economists have finally figured out that the real cost of unemploy ment is not unemployment insur ance or increased welfare costs to make up for lost family income. Rather, the real cost of unemploy ment is lost taxes either due to the loss of the job by the wage earner, or the loss of a job in the services and goods sector because of lower spending. It is interesting to note that a small drop in the unemployment rate can raise billions in increased tax revenue for the government, while a small raise can cost the government billions. The economy really is jobs. When the nation works, money is available for growth and for govern ment projects. When the leaders of the G-7 met in Detroit, they were looking at a real problem. However, they are going about it the wrong way. You see, the leaders of the G-7 are looking to heavy industry and other large employers to provide the jobs their nations need. But, a quick glance at the workforce shows that large employers are not that impor tant as far as jobs are concerned, I do not mean to belittle or dis parage the meaning of companies like Northrop or Frito-Lay to em ployment. They put a lot of people to work and have impressive pay rolls. However, nearly nine-in-ten jobs arc created by small businesses. Please see ROLEY, page 8A