Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Times
Wednesday, September 8, 1976, page 6 (of 43)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
opinion
• editorials • commentary • letters
Apathy. . . again
Send your friends. This was the message being sent out by precinct workers during Tuesday's election. Oh, how we dislike harping on this subject but somehow we feel that if we continue to do so, long enough and loud enough, our message may get through to one person. If we're really lucky, maybe two or three. Sometimes it seems like a hopeless battle this trying to impress upon citizens how important it is that they get out and vote. And yet, election after election, it is only the dedicated and aware minority who, no matter rain or shine, manage to get to the polls to cast their ballots. You see, they care about their government. They worry about whether the men and women who were elected last time are doing a good job and if not, how can they change things. And they also worry about the citizens who don't care enough to get out and vote because they're usually the ones who yell the loudest when their taxes go up. Or when practically anything else happens in government that they don't like. So when we hear that only a third of the registered voters in Dade County used a few minutes of their time to vote for the candidates of their choice, we feel like saying more than just, "send us your friends." We feel like saying, "what a shame!" Or like yelling, "HELP!"
Bus stop?
Isn't there anyone out there who will listen to Archie Roberts? Archie has dedicated his life to handicapped citizens like himself through United Handicaps of Florida and what he would like to see now is four specially equipped 12 passenger buses to meet the needs of the handicapped. He worked for and obtained a federal grant of $24,241 but in a year's time, he has not been able to come up with local money the federal government says he must have before the grant becomes a reality. It amounts to $6,000 plus $75,000 operating costs. The federal government has helped. So has the state. But Dade County seems to have turned a deaf ear to Archie. Meanwhile, his own business has gone bankrupt because he devotes most of his time to the handicapped. A bus is nothing special to those of us who don't need one, but for many helpless citizens it's an entry to the real world. Isn't there anyone out there who will help Archie?
the gables publishing company
serving south dade and coral gables since 1926 jim storey general manager bea moss managing editor gary gibbs news editor carole myers advertising manager bill mc hugh circulation yvonne moss classified manager address: 4627 ponce de leon blvd. coral gables, fla. 33146 telephone: 666-7981
camera comment
Everyone seems to talk about the high cost of groceries, but some people fail to do one of the few things they can about it. Wayward shopping carts, such as this one found abandoned on Miracle Mile in front of Florida National Bank, usually result in costing supermarket customers an extra penny here, an extra penny there. And it adds up, thanks to the selfishness of a few at the expense of many. Photo by ELIZABETH OWEN
Election year politics saved us money
EDITOR: On Sept. 1, the House ammended the appropriation bill denying themselves and the Senators of the automatic pay increases they voted for themselves in 1975 and they did receive substantial pay increases thereby last fall. Why deny themselves this automatic pay increase just for this year? Simple: they're scared they'll lose their jobs this November! An effort was made in the House to introduce a bill to repeal the law providing for their annual pay increases. The effort failed because the sponsors could obtain only 60 signatures of House Members to force the introduction of that bill; 218 signatures were needed because this repeal bill is bottled-up in the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee. It's a cruel, greedy hoax the Congressmen are perpetrating on the electorate: (1) The automatic annual pay increase law remains in effect thus making themselves immune to the ravages of the inflation they themselves create, (2) The Quadrennial Commission is scheduled to report January next and it is expected to recommend a $10,000 per year hike for each Congressman, and (3) Since 1945, Congressmen have increased their expense allowances more than ten-fold; many put family members on the payroll to fatten their own pocketbooks — some do worse. There's only one way for the electorate to control the greed of the Congress: vote every incumbent out of office! All the incumbents are either greedy or too ineffectual in controlling the greed of their colleagmes! RAFAEL CLEVELAND 5735 SW 34th St.
Calculators for school don't add up
EDITOR: Now I have heard everything. A recent ad in the Miami Herald was encouraging students to buy calculators to use in school to help them with their work. No wonder our students today cannot add, subtract, multiply and divide. Why bother to think if you can get a calculator to do the work for you? As far as I know, students are allowed and encouraged to use these devices in school. I feel that this should definitely not be permitted. We must teach our children to think and figure things out themselves before we teach them that machines can do the work for them. Calculators should be banned from use by students in our public schools and I urge school administrators to consider this. MRS. PAULA THOMPSON West Miami