Birmingham Post-Herald
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OUR VIEWSPlaying with imaginary moneyCongress is treating that estimate of a $1 trillion surplus over 10 years as real money stead of what it really is, imaginary money.That's what makes the proposed tax cuts — $864 billion over 10 years by the House and $792 billion by the Senate — a bad idea. President Clinton has threatened to veto the tax bills if they pass, but that is poker-playing. The administration has said it would accept tax cuts on the order of $250 billion, an idea that is less bad but still bad. The merits of the various specific tax cuts are debatable, but the real issue is paying for those cuts out of a $1 trillion surplus that is based on questionable assumptions and may never materialize. For example, in projecting that surplus, the Congressional Budget Office assumes that Congress will abide by the five-year spending caps in the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. But those caps barely lasted a year. Congress evaded them last year and will do so again this year. The spending cuts required to stay within the caps between now and 2002 are so large as to be politically untenable. The United States is now enjoying the longest peacetime expansion in its history; it has lasted more than eight years. The $1 trillion surplus assumes the expansion will continue another 10 years, that there will be no recession within that time. This is economic optimism at its sunniest. And, finally, economic forecasting is more of an art than a science and a notoriously inexact one at that. In 1993, the George Bush administration predicted that the federal government would run a deficit of $320 billion in fiscal 1998. In early 1997, both the Clinton White House and Congress agreed that the fiscal 1998 deficit would be around $121 billion. One month before the start of the fiscal 1998 year, Congress pared back its deficit estimate to $57 billion. In fact, the government ran a $69 billion surplus.
The time for tax cuts is when Social Security and Medicare have been stabilized and the surplus is in the federal Treasury and not just in a forecast somewhere. More than winnersIt was a great day for soccer, for women's sports and for American spirits when the U.S. team, playing with grit and extraordinary ability through two unrelenting hours of athletic combat, defeated a gracious and highly able Chinese team to win the Women's World Cup this past weekend.The American women, besides displaying on-camera charm and intelligence while off the field during their tour across the United States over the past several weeks, demonstrated on the field what a compelling spectator sport soccer can be. The Saturday game, watched by millions of Americans on television, was full of thrills, if not of scoring until the final phase, and featured one heroic play after another. Other than a few grousing sportswriters who don't seem to understand the beauty of defense — and low scores — in any sport, can anyone doubt that women's sports will get a boost after this showing that drew such large American audiences and so much enthusiasm? If it was ever thought that women athletes could not put on a fabulous show of talent, endurance and determination, the contrary case was absolutely proven.
Winning the contest had to have been a thrill for many Americans, but it wasn't just the winning that made one proud; it was the style of this team, its character, its discipline, its humor, its personality. In the members of this team, America not only produced winners. It produced fine people. Sanctuary for retired chimpsA report published by the journal Nature counters the notion that culture — behaviors learned through observation as opposed to inheritance — is uniquely human. An international team of primate specialists, including the well-known Jane Goodall, pooled 151 years of research and found 39 behaviors that could only have been adopted through learning and imitation.This report underscores our obligation to stop destroying and inflicting pain on our closest cousins in the animal world. Thousands of chimpanzees have been bred for use in laboratory research funded by the federal government.These chimps undergo infectious disease testing, spinal and brain injury research and toxicity testing. Many chimps, which can live up to 50 years, have recently been used for AIDS research. For ethical and fiscal reasons, lawmakers are recognizing the need to provide a better life for research chimps that have "retired." Before Congress' August recess, Rep. James Greenwood, R-Pa., plans to re-introduce a bill that would establish a permanent sanctuary for these animals. The Post-Research Care Act authorizes the National Institutes of Health to strike a partnership with a nonprofit private entity, which would operate the sanctuary. There are ongoing negotiations to hand over the program to the Department of the Interior, which has experience in this area. The 1,000 or more chimpanzees would never re-enter the laboratory for more research and, ideally, the animals would live outdoors.
These highly intelligent animals deserve to have the best life possible after living such a miserable existence on behalf of humanity. YOUR VIEWSTHE MAILTeacher test has become farceTHE MAIL[ Why doesn't our state Department of Education give up on the teacher testing issue? It's become such a farce, even engaging in a discussion of the matter is degrading. Under terms of a new ''improved" testing and screening proposal the test itself is a useless appendage.For the past 14 years, testing prospective teachers for walking-around knowledge has been banned because earlier tests revealed some embarrassing problems among teaching candidates. In case you've forgot, that earlier testing program cost taxpayers about $2.5 million in court awards to ''embarrassed" test takers and their lawyers. A federal court judge signed a "consent decree" that, in effect, apologized for the embarrassment caused by the test and demanded teacher applicants be certified even though some of them were "embarrassed" three times. If we are waiting for someone to create a test that will produce certain predetermined demographic proportionalities, we should pack a sleeping bag and survival equipment; it will be a long wait. But it shouldn't be unreasonable to expect a teacher to be able to answer Johnnnie's questions about how to do long division and what causes day and night. The seemingly unsolveable problem is, how to achieve this simple, reasonable requirement over the outlandish demands of anti-test elements.
Frank Powell What is goal?I am writing in regard to an incident which occurred during an all stars game on June 29. I want the point of this letter to be what happened, not who did what to whom. My husband and I had accepted the fact that our son would play as a substitute, but we were of the understanding that he would be allowed to play. After all, if he was good enough to make the all stars team, we assumed he was good enough to play. Why else would we spend money for the uniform and so much time at the ballpark?During this particular game, my son spent the first three innings on the bench. We were ahead by three points. My son was sent out to play, then called back in before the inning began. When my husband, an assistant coach, objected, the coach's response was, "I'm going to win this game." After some heated words were exchanged between the two of them, the coach told my husband: "That's the way it's going to be and if you don't like it you can leave." So we left. On the way out of the ballpark, my son was upset and crying. As I was trying to comfort him, my 7-year-old son looked at me and said, "Coach —— didn't think I was any good." Here's my question: What are we trying to teach our children? Is it "good sportsmanship and playing fair" or is it "win at all costs"? All my son wanted to do was play ball and have fun. What he got was a huge blow to his self-esteem and a bad memory that I am sure will be with him for the remainder of his life. The only thing I want to accomplish by this letter is to remind the coaches that these are children who want to have fun! Hopefully, this won't happen to another child next year.
Karen W. McDonald Show stupidityFor the first time in 6½ years, I have something nice to say about Bill Clinton, his administration, and his Democratic cronies! They don't know any criminals, don't elbow with the criminal elements and don't think like criminals! Otherwise, they wouldn't be showing their stupidity by pushing all their stupid gun laws that are only hampering the legitimate gun owners!If they knew any criminals, surely they would be aware that criminals don't purchase guns at gun stores or gun shows! Criminals, for these peoples' information, buy guns in a dark alley, out of the trunk of an illegitimate gun-runner's car, steal or bribe their weapons from some unsuspecting citizen! This lack of knowledge on the part of all these avid gun control addicts, could be looked upon by some, as a left handed compliment; i.e., not being hep when it comes to the criminal's modus operandi, criminal intent, or criminal mind. Legitimate gun owners, purchasers, and traders will be the only persons affected by all this extra time, extra effort and extra money, that Congress is being asked to spend on gun control laws. If ''guns" are the problem, how come all those little boys that grew up wearing Gene Autry hats, a Lone Ranger masks and two Roy Rogers pistols, one on each hip, didn't grow up shooting up schools, classmates and teachers? They sure had enough practice with their ''play" guns? It isn't guns! It's the mind-set and the thoughts of the person who holds the gun that must be changed! Why can't this overpaid, upper echelon see the forest through the trees? Making more gun laws won't do it, but educating parents of their responsibilities, might!
MariLyn Schnepp Different itemConsidering the doublespeak with which we've been bombarded from Bill (Impeached)'s administration and his lapdogs, it's no wonder that we've become gun-shy. To wit, Tom Daschle's and Teddy Kennedy's touting that "proposed HMO program monthly costs will equal that of the cost of a mere 'Big Mac.'¥" We hear this and think "hamburger." But alas! Are they talking "trucks"?
Armond "Si" Simmons Misplaced prioritiesAs I drove down Interstate 459 I marveled at the average speed of the cars and trucks. A few days ago I saw an 18-wheeler come screaming up in my rearview mirror. I had crept up to 75 miles per hour and the huge truck was still barreling down on my small Honda. As I saw the flash of multiple tons of steel blow by me, I estimated his speed to be at least 95 miles per hour. Needless to say, I slowed immediately and got in the far right lane, to stay out of the way of the speeding bullet.I often ask myself, "Where are the State Troopers?" Yesterday my wife answered that question when she called me from her cell phone on the way to Kansas. She was traveling on U.S. 78 in northwest Alabama on a four-lane stretch when the speed limit suddenly dropped to 45 miles per hour. In an instant, a policeman appeared more than eager to ticket my wife for driving 70 mph on a four-lane road. (Can you say "speed trap?') No doubt she was speeding by the letter of the law, but where are our priorities? Why are police so plentiful in rural areas and not on I-459, where the average speed is 85 miles per hour?
Mark Peavy LOOK BACKFrom the files of the Birmingham Post-Herald:50 years ago, July 14, 1949Princess Elizabeth attends ball at London home of American Ambassador Lewis Douglas dressed as lunch counter waitress with her husband, Prince Phillip, dressed as waiter with white apron. London dockworkers defy King George's orders and call strike to support striking Canadian seamen.25 years ago, July 14, 1974Northside Baptist Church, organized in 1946 as Fortieth Avenue Baptist Church, disbands and sells church building to Northside Church of God. Stores in Baltimore looted as city policemen join 12-day-old strike by municipal workers. State troopers ordered in by Gov. Marvin Mandel. |
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Copyright (c) 1999 Birmingham Post Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from the editor is prohibited.
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