Editor's Commentary

If you needed an example of why the federal government has grown too big and too intrusive, a perfect one was handed to you recently when the nannies in Washington announced the newest target for their wrath – Salt.

Those of you who keep up with the interference of the Food Nazis were not surprised by this since the subject has come up before. Nonetheless, the severity of their
recommendations caught even your humble editor off guard.

With its boundless knowledge and wisdom, the government now says that certain groups, including people over 51, African-Americans, diabetics, and others totaling half the US population should limit themselves to only half a teaspoon of salt per day, and the rest of us should keep it to only one teaspoon.

Salt is in food for the same reason it has always been in food – it tastes good. It also serves as a preservative and has for millennia. But besides that, it tastes good; it’s a
natural flavor enhancer.

The powers that be know this, but they still are mustering on. Even the Institute of Medicine says, according to one report, “it could take years for consumers to get used to the taste of a lower-salt diet.”

I personally don’t want to get used to bland, nasty food. Pass the salt and stay the heck out of my kitchen.

So why is this important to the government? Why do they care? Well for much the same reason as they would love to ban soft drinks and Happy Meals at McDonald’s – because it’s bad for us. Read the words of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who ties salt to the alleged fat crisis America is having:

“If we fail to get our arms around the obesity epidemic, especially in our children, we’re going to see a significant increase in health care costs over time.”
It’s always about the children.

To accomplish their goals, the government will target Big Food and try to twist corporate arms before getting really nasty. An article on FoxNews.com says: “The Food and Drug Administration has said it will pressure companies to take voluntary action before it moves to regulate salt intake.”

Like so many good government intentions, Secretary Vilsack claims that the new salt guidelines are aimed at preventing higher health care costs, but the secretary clearly is misinformed. President Obama and the Imperial Congress not long ago health care costs under control with last year’s big reform bill. Health care costs are going to go down, and it will soon be practically free. That’s what we were told, right? How could health care costs possibly be going up, unless of course they lied to us and really just wanted
to control every aspect of our existence? But I digress….

It is safe to say unequivocally that if our Founding Fathers had ever thought that the United States government would aim to regulate salt intake, they would have torn up the Declaration of Independence and surrendered to the British.

Congress needs to intervene in this mess before it gets too carried away and stop Agriculture Department and the Food & Drug Administration from implementing these guidelines. Besides, one would think the government has enough on its plate to ever worry about how much salt is on ours.

A tip of the hat…

Congratulations to our Clarendon Broncos for the amazing performance at the regional tournament and making the entire community proud of them. A trip to the state tournament has been a longtime coming, and everyone is excited about the game this week.

Even our neighbors in Hedley have gotten into the spirit of things. When the boys left Tuesday, the Hedley school gathered along US 287, sporting Bronco signs (the size of school buses) and several maroon T-shirts to help cheer their fellow Donley County folks on to victory. My favorite Hedley sign was for the “Bronchos” with green quotation marks around the H. Now that’s clever.

Good luck, guys! We know you’ll do us proud in Austin, and your hometown paper will be there for the action.

And speaking of Austin…

Check out the ad from the Clarendon College Foundation on page eight detailing the economic impact CC has on our area. Clearly, we all depend on the college, and any cut in state funds is going to have a negative impact on our community. Supporters of Clarendon College and our public schools need to make sure our elected representatives know that we want to preserve as much funding as possible for those institutions.

So while you’re in Austin this week and don’t have anything to do on Thursday afternoon or all day Friday because your sticking around for that championship game, pop by the State Capitol and say “hello” to Rep. Warren Chisum and Sen. Robert Duncan and just let them know that you appreciate them and that you support funding for the college and our schools. Capitol employees will gladly direct you to their offices, and your few minutes could make a big impact on our community.

A profound sense of sadness and loss hangs over Donley County this week as its citizens struggle to make sense of the senseless and find reason where there is none.

Word of the horror spread through the community quickly last Tuesday. A 911 call and an unresponsive child was enough to capture anyone’s attention, but then details of the severity of the four-year-old boy’s injuries emerged quickly followed by the knowledge that his own father was believed to be responsible. Then on Wednesday morning, Chance Mark Jones died.

Shock, anger, confusion, and sadness each took their turns sweeping over us. Why had this happened? Were there signs that were missed? And how could anyone commit such brutality against a helpless child? But there are no answers.

Like many folks in Clarendon, I went to school with Robert Babcock. We were in Scouts together, and we even had a patrol meeting or two at his house. I only saw Robert occasionally in recent years, but thanks to technology, we were connected by Facebook. So, I knew about his discovery of having a son, and I followed his posts with interest since Chance was the same age as my own son.

His first comment about his son that I noticed came in early October, when he announced to the Facebook world that he had gotten a tattoo bearing his son’s name and he said: “I found out just a little bit over a month ago I do have a son.”

On November 21 he said it was a “true blessing to be his Dad” and that “he is a wonderful Son to have.” He also wrote that he was trying to get Chance “into everything that’s wonderful in this world.”

That same night he posted: “I just had the most amazing weekend of my life. Spent it with my son who is 4 this was the first time I have ever spent any time with him. We road my tractor for a lot of this weekend, spent about two hours coloring on Saturday night. Went to Chucky Cheese for about three hours today loved every second of it. And yes I know I still can’t spell that good, Loved this weekend can’t wait for next weekend.”

He also noted that he was hoping to get full custody of his son and said it “would make me the happiest Dad in the world.”

The next weekend was “wonderful,” and soon after that posts and pictures showed Chance living with him and talked of the boy’s excitement to start school here and of Christmas time and toy shopping. It appeared for all the world that a happy family had been created just in time for the holidays. I got a glimpse of the boy a few times, and all I could think was that this was a pretty cool story. I was very happy for Robert and his family, and I remember telling my wife how neat it was.

On Christmas Eve, Robert wished all his Facebook friends a merry Christmas, but that same day investigators now believe he began abusing Chance. And the abuse continued, they say, until last Tuesday, when Robert Babcock beat his son to death.

No one saw it coming, and apparently no one saw it happening until it was too late for Chance.

Could someone have done something to stop it? We can’t answer that. Maybe we should have all been more involved in Robert’s life or maybe he should have had more support as an instant father. Ultimately, the responsibility rests with him for what happened, and he will have to answer to the law and to God for his actions.

As a community we are left to pick up the pieces. We often believe that we live in Mayberry, USA, but the fact of the matter is that Clarendon – just like all small towns – has the same problems as any big city. They just aren’t as prevalent, and so we don’t see them every day. Child abuse is an inexcusable crime, and it happens more than we know. It is beyond tragic that it takes the death of a child to open our eyes to that fact.

For those of us with young children, it is hard to look at our kids and not think of Chance, the fear and pain he must have felt, the crushed spirit, and the life snuffed out. Like many families, our kids have gotten a lot of extra hugs and kisses the last seven days. Discipline is somewhat more lax at our house, we’re quicker to honor requests to play, and more likely to say okay to snacks or other rewards. It’s impossible to look upon their innocence and not somehow try to compensate for the suffering Robert Babcock’s son endured.

Chance Jones will never have the opportunities that we all want for our kids. He apparently had a troubled life with his mother, and then his father took his life completely. The only consolation for those of us left behind is that Chance cannot be hurt anymore… but that is of little comfort to us. As a community what we really want now is an explanation and justice for this precious boy. We know that we may never get the first, but we pray to God that Chance gets the second.

By now you’ve seen the signs or pamphlets around town and likely have seen our front page article this week all touting the same message – Bring Back the Mulkey.

For several years, the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation Board (of which, your humble editor is a member) has dreamed of saving the Mulkey Theatre and returning it to operation. Acquiring the theatre was itself a process that took quite a lot of time and work; but after that was accomplished in 2008, the CEDC took immediate steps to replace the theatre’s roof and secure the building from the elements.

The board has since looked into the cost to restore the theatre’s façade and marquee as part of the CEDC’s ongoing effort to make downtown more attractive, and then recently a citizens committee was appointed to help raise funds for the further rehabilitation of the facility.

What do we want to do with it? Well, eventually we want to see movies dancing across a silver screen and have a wonderful facility for public meetings, conferences, and more. But we don’t have the funds to jump out there and do it all at once, so this will have to be a project that is accomplished one step at a time. It won’t happen overnight, and it can’t be done without the strong backing of the community.

For many of us who grew up here, the Mulkey holds treasured memories. Maybe it was just a fond part of your childhood, the site of your first date, or the setting for a story that demonstrates your mischievous youth. Did you sit in the balcony? Did you work for Mrs. Mulkey (or Mr. Mulkey at one of his earlier theatres) or for Gary Barnhill? Did you park your bicycle in the rack out front on Saturday?

I remember seeing several movies at the Mulkey growing up. I recall hating when my cousin got to pick the night we were going and she wanted to go see “Coal Miners’ Daughter.” I was nine years old, and I guess that was my first “chick flick.” But I also have very fond recollections of movies I loved. Disney movies and comedies were always good.

The popcorn, the Cokes, the neon, and the whole experience – the theatre was past its prime by the late 1970s, but a night at the Mulkey was still a special treat. My favorite memory was when I was seven or eight, sitting on the left side of the middle section, toward the back of the theatre, as I watched Superman come to life on the big screen, and Christopher Reeve made me believe a man could fly. It was a time before computer generated imagery or THX surround sound or most of the fancy things you find in 21st century films and theatres. But right there, right then, the Mulkey Theatre was a magical place for one little boy.

Sadly, we now have two generations who have never seen a show at the Mulkey or even seen its neon lights brighten the night sky. My own son and daughter can see only a lifeless building. But we can change that and make the Mulkey again a showcase for Hollywood hits and set the stage for memories that will last lifetimes. Together, we can “Bring Back the Mulkey” for our children, our grandchildren, and ourselves.

To find out how you can do your part, visit www.ClarendonEDC.org and then click over and leave us a comment on our website – www.ClarendonLive.com – or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheEnterprise.

Judge gives bitter pill to Obamacare

A federal judge this week ruled that an important part of the president’s health care reform is in fact unconstitutional.

District Judge Henry E. Hudson ruled in favor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, which had argued that the provision of the landmark law which requires all Americans to purchase health insurance or be penalized exceeded the authority granted by the Constitution to Congress.

“It is not the effect on individuals that is presently at issue – it is the authority of Congress to compel anyone to purchase health insurance,” Hudson wrote in his decision.

The Obama Justice Department responded that it would take the case to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and all sides agreed that the case will ultimately land before the US Supreme Court. Meanwhile a separate case brought by Texas, Florida, and several other states is moving forward on much the same grounds as the Virginia case.

Hudson let stand all other provisions of the health care law, but maybe someone will strike down the entire behemoth, which tramples on economic freedom and personal choice and will, in fact, cause health care premiums to increase dramatically.

There is always talk of compromise in Washington, but this decision illustrates perfectly why Republicans were justified in their unanimous opposition to this law. There should be no compromise when it comes to the integrity of the Constitution. The president, Pelosi, and Reid don’t understand that, but hopefully the will learn it very soon.

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season and appropriately is a time to pause and reflect on all the blessings that God has given us.

Sometimes it’s hard to see the good for the bad. I know it was that way last year for me after the loss of my mother. A deep loss like that can easily cloud your vision to the good things around you. But time heals our wounds, and faith strengthens us as the days go by.

So while last year I may have been hard pressed to come up with a list of things to be grateful for, this year is easier.

I’m thankful for my brother’s friendship. He has been there with me and for me throughout most of my life. He knows me better than most anyone, and we have shared many of the same trials. But we have also shared the good times, and still today we find ways to laugh at all manner of things.

Rocking my little girl is a blessing that I am realizing will not last forever. The day will come when she will be too old for Daddy to rock her to sleep. But for now, I acquiesce almost every time she asks because I need to rock her almost as bad as she needs me to rock her.

Reading to my little boy is an almost nightly thing I am thankful for. Sure we read many the same stories night after night. I can probably recite Officer Buckle & Gloria from memory. But he has pretty good taste in books, and I enjoy his inquisitiveness as he tries to figure out every aspect of every story.

My kids’ imaginations are a constant blessing in our family. Last night Ben put on his Lightning McQueen pajamas, then strapped on his belt and handcuffs, pinned on his sheriff’s badge, donned his cowboy hat, and mounted his stick horse. What a great way to end the evening! Ella often suddenly appears decked out in all sorts of “princess” wear… and sometimes she likes to dress up as the sheriff’s deputy.

My wife’s faith, love, and companionship I am constantly grateful for. I am not sure how I would have made it through the last four years without her. She can brighten my day and make me smile in the worst of the times. And the best of times… well, they are just that… the best of times. Thank you, Ashlee.

I’m glad that I have a job I love. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t stress me out from time to time, but for the most part I enjoy going to work. It’s nice to be active in the community and to have a job where we can try to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors.

I appreciate having roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food in the pantry.
I’m lucky to have in-laws who have taken me in as their own. This happened I think before I got married, but it has become more evident since my parents passed away. I don’t get “son-in-law” cards on my birthday, for example. I get “son” cards. It seems like a simple thing, but it makes missing my own Mom and Dad a little easier on special occasions.

Speaking of Mom and Dad, I am thankful for my parents’ legacies. It’s nice when someone says, “I miss your Dad,” or “Your Dad did such and such for me,” or “Your Mom was a huge influence in the life of me (or my son or daughter),” or “Clarendon schools aren’t the same without your Mom.” They are still alive and with us in so many ways, and I am eternally grateful for that.

Quiet time to reflect on life’s blessings is another thing I am thankful for. When the kids are asleep or when I’m driving and I can just think about all the good things in life, it becomes obvious that God has blessed me and my family immensely.

I’m also thankful for simple things – Blue Bell ice cream, Clint & Sons beef jerky, Shiner Blonde (which isn’t as well known as Shiner Bock but is very, very good), Beringer’s White Zinfindel for all the special occasions, and good Scotch.

And on the topic of dining, I’m thankful for the dishes my mother taught me to cook because it brings her to life again every time I prepare one of her specialties. And I’m also grateful for all the good stuff my wife cooks (which is everything she cooks) because I love it and I know my kids will remember those home cooked meals in the future.

I am grateful for my community and my church and all the warm friendships that make living here such a joy. I cannot think of another place that I would want to raise my kids than Clarendon, Donley County, Texas, where you go to the bank or the grocery store and people speak to Ben and Ella by name.

And last but not least, I’m thankful for butterflies because something about them reminds me of Mom and I always think of her when I see one.

Yes, God has blessed me in many ways. And I am sure, if you take the time to write it down, you will find that he has blessed your life also.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Kudos to the citizens of Amarillo who stood up to a religious fanatic Saturday.

David Grisham had planned to burn a copy of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, on September 11 in Sam Houston Park. Grisham, the leader of Repent Amarillo, has built himself a reputation as a radical nut, and this action was supposed to be a sign of solidarity with another crazy man, Rev. Terry Jones of Florida.

Jones reportedly has the sum total of about 50 followers and recently made international waves by planning to hold a Quran burning. He was rightly condemned by many sources, even including the White House and top military men who worried it would incite violence.

Jones finally bowed to the pressure and put a halt to his plans, but Grisham soldiered on in Amarillo.

But then an amazing thing happened. A couple of hundred people showed up to object. Some carried signs with a message from Jesus – “Love thy neighbor.” Others confronted Grisham verbally, and still others placed their hands on top of the barbecue grill where he was preparing to ignite the Quran.

Even more interesting, a skateboarding atheist named Jacob Isom then ran up, distracted Grisham, and took off with the holy book, handing it over to a local Muslim leader.

“I believe in freedom for everyone and not to mess with everybody’s beliefs,” Isom told the Amarillo Globe-News. “I don’t believe in the Quran. I believe you shouldn’t burn it in front of people that do.”

The 23-year-old has become something of an overnight hero across the country as news of his actions spread across the media and the Internet.

Now some would say, as Grisham did, that burning a book is his Constitutional right. And it is. Just like it’s your right to burn the American flag or burn the latest Harry Potter novel or burn the Bible even. But that doesn’t make it the morally right thing to do.

It is a constitutionally protected form of free speech, but it also is distasteful and an example of being small-minded. If Grisham and Jones had carried out their plans, they would have been the moral equivalents of the people in the Middle East who danced in the streets and burned American flags on September 11, 2001.

Islam is a peaceful religion. But there are bad people who have perverted it in the same way that Grisham and Jones and others have sometimes committed horrible acts in the name of Jesus Christ.

Burning the Quran won’t convert any Muslims to Christianity just like burning a Bible would never convert a Christian to Islam. In the same way, burning the American flag doesn’t dampen the spirit of the patriot. It inflames that spirit and breeds hatred.

As America prepares to celebrate Constitution Day this Friday, we should all consider that freedom includes not only enjoying your own liberty but respecting the liberty of others. We are not free unless we are all free. People like Jones and Grisham would put their beliefs above all others even to the point of exciting violence and trying to destroy the beliefs of others.

The strength of this nation rests with people like Isom and the hundreds of other people who exercised their free speech louder than Grisham could Saturday and, in so doing, helped bring the Amarillo community closer together rather than tear it apart.

We are fortunate – or some would say “blessed” – to live in a land where people can believe what they choose and not have to live in fear of persecution based on your faith – or even your lack of faith. We all owe special “thanks” to Isom and the others who stepped up Saturday to make sure that our region stayed true to the American promise of religious freedom.

Meanwhile…
The Obama administration is coming up with turn the economy around with just less than 50 days to go before the November elections. Last week, while celebrating Labor Day, he said the country should embrace a plan to spend $50 billion on 150,000 miles of roads; 4,000 miles of railways; and 150 miles of airport runways.

First of all, is spending more money always the answer? We’re $13 trillion in debt! It’s time to stop digging this hole.

And secondly, maybe we should just spend existing infrastructure funds more wisely and build things that last. Take a look at US 287 from Washburn to Amarillo. That stretch of road is being redone for at least the third time in six years. It was under construction when my nephew was born in 2004, it was under construction last year when my mother was hospitalized, and now it’s under construction again. It’s ridiculous.

Maybe if we didn’t have to repave the same stretch of highway over and over again, we could afford to maintain the low-tech 1960s-era rest areas that are currently being bulldozed in the region or possibly have resources to mow the right of way. Just a thought.

“The opposite of pro is con; That fact is clearly seen; If progress means move forward; Then what does Congress mean?” — Nipsey Russell

That’s an old joke that has been told many different ways, but it still has a ring of truth that is hard to deny. The problems with the imperial Congress in Washington were outlined last week pretty clearly by Clarendon’s native son, US Rep. Mac Thornberry, as he gave multiple examples of counter-productive measures the Legislative Branch has taken in the last year and a half.

Under the Democratic leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and with the cooperation of the Obama administration, Congress has enacted several laws that have eroded personal and financial freedoms for all Americans and have taken this nation deeper into debt and further away from its founding principles. Their laws, passed without regard to Constitutional merit or authority, have been crafted literally in backroom deals with little or no input from the minority.

That minority includes people like Thornberry. While there is plenty of blame to be shared by Republicans for the mess that this nation finds itself in, Congressman Thornberry has been fairly consistent in following a philosophy of limited government and fiscal restraint.

This column has not always agreed 100 percent with Thornberry, but we can say with certainty that if the House of Representatives were composed of 250 Mac Thornberries, 50 Ron Pauls, 50 Blue Dog Democrats, 50 so-called moderates, and mixed-bag of 35 liberal wackos (just for entertainment), then America would be in pretty good shape.

But such is not the case right now. Instead, Thornberry and his party (not all of whom are equally conservative) find themselves 20 votes down right out of the chute on any particular issue. It has got to be discouraging, and one wonders how a man doesn’t give in from time to time.

Take health care for example, the Democrats would have probably done anything to get one Republican to turn and vote for that bill. We probably could have had a nice new overpass in downtown Clarendon or an impressive Nancy Pelosi wing for political dinosaurs at the Saints’ Roost Museum if only Mac had played his cards right like some Democrats did. But instead he’s a man of principle and a man of his word – just like most folks from where he grew up.

Hopefully, the November elections will turn this country around and put the brakes on the socialist lurch America has taken. If that happens, Thornberry will have new allies and will have the seniority to help guide our nation back onto the right path. But if it doesn’t, I am sure that Thornberry will continue his tireless battle against the forces on the left.

Either way, Donley County should be proud of the job Thornberry is doing, and everyone should take the time to let him know that.

Meanwhile…
President Barack Obama is concerned about the economy and was reported to be “hard at work” this week with his economic team. The game plan they came out of the White House locker room with is the same one they have been using – Blame Republicans.
The administration slammed Senate Republicans for blocking a small business lending bill, which Obama said is preventing economic growth and Republican leaders said is preventing tax increases.

Speaking as a small business owner and on behalf of other small businesses, Mr. President, I don’t need a loan right now. What I need is some certainty and consistency.
I need to know absolutely what your health care bill is going to do to my health insurance premiums. (Yes, I know they are going to skyrocket. Thank you, sir. But I need to know by how much exactly.)

I need to know what my income tax rate is going to be come April 15 if you don’t extend President Bush’s tax cuts. (Yes, I know you want to raise taxes on the rich. But exactly who is rich? Anyone not on welfare?)

I need to know what you’re going to do about Social Security and the fact that it is paying out more than it’s taking in. Are you going to raise my payroll taxes?
And most of all, Mr. President, how the hell do you propose we get out of this $13 trillion hole you have helped put us in? Is there a plan for that? Or do we all need to start learning to speak Chinese so we can communicate with our country’s new landlords?

I understand you inherited a mess, but you’ve just made it worse from my stand point.

So I need you to quit pointing fingers at other people and other parties, man up, and show some leadership and do it in a manner consistent with the principles that made this country great – Personal Freedom, Economic Liberty, and Individual Responsibility. Can you do that for me instead of taking a vacation to the Gulf of Mexico every damn weekend?

If you’ll take care of all that, I’ll take care of growing my business. In fact, I think I’ll take care of my business regardless of what you do.

Local government is a participatory process.

That means local taxing entities, by law, take certain steps to keep the public informed; and citizens then have the duty to learn from that information, add input when they feel led to do so, and vote when the time comes.

Or at least that’s the way it is supposed to work.
Often times, citizens are so caught up in their daily busy lives that it becomes easy to not pay attention to what ordinance the city aldermen just passed or what tax rate the county commissioners want to adopt. But it really takes only a little time – just long enough to read your local newspaper, for example.

As citizens, we often don’t know what exactly is going on in Washington, DC, or even closer to home in Austin. The federal and state governments are distant; and although our representatives try to stay in touch with local folks, it’s a daunting task for a voter to keep fully informed about the latest bill before Congress or the myriad of issues that accompany the state budget ever two years.

But things are geared differently for the governments that are closest to the people. Cities, counties, schools, and other local districts are governed right here at home by people that most of you know personally; and their proceedings are required to be conducted in the public view.

For several weeks now, local boards have met to discuss budgets and taxes. The meetings were open to the public, and anyone was welcome to attend and find out what was discussed. Of course, it’s not practical for every citizen to attend every meeting, so that’s where your local paper comes in. We attend those meetings for you when we can and do our best to find out what happened at those we miss.

After much work and number crunching, your local boards propose budgets and tax rates and then, by law, they take out an ad in your local paper – sometimes pretty sizeable ads – to let you know that, “Hey, we’re going to raise your taxes,” or “Hey, we’ve got a budget here you might be interested in.”

They even announce the dates and times for additional public meetings to let you have your say about these issues.

The people are then given a few days during which they can get copies of these public documents before hearings are held. And at the hearings you have the opportunity to address these boards. You can say, “Hey, guys, this tax is too high” or “Hey, I appreciate you guys holding the line on expenses and keeping my taxes low.” Or you could even say, “Gentlemen, I really wish you’d raise my taxes just enough to fix the pothole in my street.”

Over the last 14 years, your editor has been to many public hearings. Most of them pass quietly without any hoopla. Occasionally, a citizen will get worked up about something and show up to gripe, which is their right and certainly part of the process. But for the most part, the board will call a public hearing to order, they may acknowledge that the newspaper representative is present, and then we all stare blankly at each other for a few seconds before the hearing is officially closed.

It can be kind of frustrating really. A lot of time, effort, and money go into public hearings. It is a shame that most people will never attend one.

Nevertheless, the newspaper and the governments will keep doing our parts in this process. They will keep conducting their affairs in the sunshine and giving you proper notice of important decisions, and we will be around to make sure they are doing things right and doing our best to keep you informed.

But after that, as always, it’s up to you do your part.

Get informed, attend a hearing, speak out if you want to, send a letter to the editor, and go vote when elections roll around. Give your elected leaders some kudos when they deserve them, and give them some static when they deserve that. Be involved and be cordial. But without your participation, your representatives have nothing to lead them as they make the important decisions that will be impacting your lives and your pocketbooks.

That’s the process, and it’s a good one. But it takes all of us.

Upcoming Public Hearings

August 19 – Panhandle Ground Water Conservation District, 1:30 p.m., White Deer.

August 19 – Clarendon College District, 11:30 a.m., Bairfield Activity Center VIP Room.

August 24 – City of Clarendon, 5:30 p.m., Burton Memorial Library.

August 30 – Hedley School District, 6:30 p.m., Hedley School Library.

August 31 – Clarendon School District, 7 p.m., CISD Administration & Technology Building.

September 2 – City of Hedley, 7 p.m., City Hall.

September 7 & 10 – Donley County, 9 a.m., Courthouse Commissioners’ Courtroom.

Streets have been a problem for Clarendon for decades; and although the Board of Aldermen has tried to tackle the issue many times, it continues to plague the city. We have a great community, but many of our streets are frankly an embarrassment and a disgrace.

A typical example of this is the streets around the baseball fields. We have better ball park facilities than most towns our size, but you can’t drive past them without risking the well being of your car or causing brain damage to your passengers. Drive too fast down Sixth Street with your infant, and the little tyke could well end up with shaken baby syndrome.

Currently a city crew is trying its darnedest to patch our thousands of potholes. They have made some progress, but it’s a massive undertaking to say the least, and it’s seems clear that they don’t have all the resources they need for the chore.

City Hall also had planned to seal coat about ten blocks this year, but estimates came in higher than expected (big surprise), and they only had enough money to do nine blocks. Some city leaders wanted to seal coat as many of the new streets as possible and take care of what’s still paying for, and others wanted to seal coat or work on older streets. The results last week: No action.

The streets that were paved in 2005 do need to be seal coated on a regular basis to preserve them, but the larger problem is the older streets. Spending $20,000 to seal coat streets such as Fourth from Koogle to Jefferson would be a waste of time and money because frankly there isn’t much left to seal.

The city has two years left on its payments for the new streets. The original plan five years ago was to pay for those streets and then do another big paving project. That’s still a good idea, but what do we do in the meantime to keep people from losing their front end on the way to the post office? Two years is a long time, and the city can’t afford to wait until 2012 to think about a solution.

City Hall should develop an aggressive plan to tackle this issue – smoothing out the rough places while protecting the investment that has been made in the new streets. Figuring out how to do that with the limited resources available to the city will be a challenge, but a solution needs to be found because this has gone on long enough.

A recent poll on ClarendonLive.com found that 65 percent of those responding wanted the streets to be the city’s top priority. It is time for city leaders to deliver on this issue. If it means other priorities have to take a backseat, that’s fine. We can delay adding new office space in City Hall or codifying ordinances (for the second time) if it means seeing real results on the roads.

As city leaders look for a new administrator, knowledge of street and infrastructure improvements needs to be at the top of their “wish list” as much as knowledge of municipal finances and grant writing, and other qualifications. We don’t need our top man (or woman) putting dirt in potholes, but we do need someone who knows how it should be done and knows how to allocate the resources to see that business is taken care of.

Mosque not the main issue at Ground Zero

Conservatives across the nation are all abuzz about a planned mosque near Ground Zero – the former site of the World Trade Centers in New York.

A planning board in that city gave the project a green light, but opponents say the planned 13-story Islamic center would be an insult to the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and a sort of victory for the terrorists.

I disagree. The insult isn’t so much the planned mosque as it is the vacant spots where the Twin Towers once stood.

Generally speaking, a mosque or a synagogue or a church is a celebration of our religious freedom in this nation. As New York Mayor Bloomberg correctly pointed out, the firemen rushing into save people that fateful day didn’t stop to ask what God the person believed in.

It’s been nearly nine years since the towers fell. Long before now, they should have been re-constructed exactly as they were, or new, more magnificent towers should have been erected in their place.

The fact that we’re left with two holes in the ground is a sad commentary on the state of our nation. We’ve gone from a country that did great things and built buildings that soared to great heights to a country that wrings its hands in fear of offending someone.

Instead of second-guessing “Freedom Tower” designs and protesting the construction of a house of worship, America should just move forward and come back stronger than ever before.

Let them build the mosque but rebuild the Twin Towers, too. Now that would be a testament to the greatness of America.

Uncle Sam wants to know how fat you are, and he’s going to make your doctor report your tonnage.

Reports are now circulating that new federal guidelines have been issued that will make it mandatory for health care providers to include your Body Mass Index in electronic records that all Americans will have to have by 2014.

And while one would think that such a rule would be part of the health care reform bill, the records requirement is actually part of last year’s stimulus law.

Doctors and hospitals that refuse to comply with the new rules will risk penalties such as reduced Medicare and Medicaid payments, according to CNSNews.com and FoxNews.

Nutrition expert Mitzi Dulan told FoxNews: “The fact we’re now tracking BMIs’, I think knowledge is power for us. There are a lot of people that don’t know their BMI and it’s denial.”

Dulan unwittingly hit the nail on the head with her analysis – knowledge is power. And in this case, it is power for the federal government to further meddle and control our lives.

There is no good reason for the federal government to have this information. There is no constitutional activity that requires it. But this is what the American government does now instead of doing important things like – oh, I don’t know – say securing its international borders.

The FoxNews report also cites Dulan as noting that that $147 billion is spent annually on obesity-related costs.

Now why is this significant? Just as this column has warned before, the Food Nazis are taking pages from the War on Big Tobacco years ago. Remember how much tobacco-related illnesses cost the nation? Remember how tobacco manufacturers were accused of marketed their products to kids? All of this and more was used as fodder for lawsuits against tobacco companies and as a means to control and suppress tobacco consumption.

Now, we learn that billions are spent on obesity related costs; health nuts are targeting McDonald’s and others for marketing to – altogether now – the children; and the feds believe they have a vested interest in what you eat.

This is just the beginning. The government is here to help us, and the powers that be are determined that you will be healthy whether you want to be or not.

Meanwhile…
I swear I don’t know what the world is coming to.  The end, perhaps. Things just get stranger and stranger, and sometimes seem to go from bad to worse.

Case in point, I’m perusing the Internet Monday morning and learn that, in honor of its 65th anniversary, Baskin-Robbins is pulling the plug on one of its longest running flavors, French Vanilla. Sort of like, Coca-Cola celebrated its centennial back in the mid-1980s by changing its 100-year-old soda formula. A simply brilliant example of public relations stupidity. Why this has been done this is beyond me. Obama probably has something to do with it, I’m sure.

I grew up with Baskin-Robbins; it was part of the excitement of going to Amarillo back in the day. As I recall, there were at one time three locations to chose from, and my family ate at all of them depending on which was closest. We would eat at the Zuider Zee, Myer’s Drumstick, or Shakey’s Pizza; and then have dessert at
Baskin-Robbins. And there, I always, always got French Vanilla. Sometimes I’d put something else with it – Mint Chocolate Chip or Strawberry Cheesecake or something – but there was always a scoop of French Vanilla in my cup.

B-R sent my brother and me birthday cards every year, provided him with some sweet treats during some rather unpleasant dental procedures, and also was the source of the dry ice that he used to burn a wart off my hand very unexpectedly when I was about 13… but I digress.

I guess it has something with my approaching 40th birthday, but the things of my youth now seem further and further away and some of the things I loved the most have almost disappeared entirely. Baskin-Robbins wounded me deeply about 10 or 12 years ago when they suddenly pulled all their franchises out of Amarillo and Lubbock, but one did finally re-open in Lubbock just a couple of years ago.

But now comes this news, the end of B-R’s French Vanilla. I don’t know how much more I can take really. I’ve joined the Facebook page that is trying to save this beloved flavor and coerced my employees into doing the same. The page started last Thursday and by Monday morning it had more than 900 followers and that grew to more than 1300 by Monday evening, and they are all as outraged as I am.

For example, Glenn Causer of Ruckersville, Virginia wrote: “Keep French vanilla, fire the idiot that decided to get rid of it.

But it was Gary Brefini of Dedham, Mass., who summed it up best: “You ba*****s! <shaking my fist>…French Vanilla? Have you no conscience? No humanity?”
No, Gary. They apparently don’t.

By Roger Estlack

I’m glad I grew up in the 1970s. Sure America was getting infected with a bunch of liberal nonsense, but most people still had some common sense, particularly when it came to raising kids. Today it seems, America is so committed to reducing risks to the children that it’s becoming ridiculous.

Several months ago, I sat with my wife’s family in a hospital waiting room – a place that I had grown to hate last year – re-living some painful memories from last fall. So I was already in a bad mood when I looked at the back of the Corn Nuts package I was snacking on and noticed a warning label. “Do not give product to children under 6.”

That nearly pushed me over the edge as I let slip a couple of profanities and asked to no one in particular, “Are you kidding me??”

Corn Nuts it seems are a choking hazard, and it is therefore necessary to keep them out of the hands of children.

I have been eating Corn Nuts for as long as I can remember. They go quite nicely with a can of beer (which, by the way, is not available in hospital vending machines but maybe should be). My Dad always shared his Corn Nuts with me. I never once choked. If your five-year-old is too stupid to chew up his Corn Nuts, then that’s your problem, not mine and certainly not the makers of Corn Nuts.

A few days later, I read about a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics calling for a warning label on hot dogs because children ages three and under can choke on them. The report called on parents to cut up their kids’ food to morsels the size of peas, and one nut job actually wanted the food industry to redesign the hot dog so it won’t hurt kids.

I come from the school of thought that once my kids have some teeth, they can start chewing their food. I wouldn’t give a hot dog wiener to a six-month-old. But my two-year-old can handle one just fine.

But again, I often look at things through the prism of growing up in the 1970s, and I think it’s sad that if my Mom and Dad were raising kids today, they would probably be locked up for child endangerment.

Last week, a photo made its way around the Internet after a kid – who looked to be about three or four – was spotted drinking from a beer bottle at a Philadelphia Phillies game. What kind of parent would let their kid do that? Well, mine would. I have a picture of me as a little kid holding a can of Schlitz. It was empty, but there was probably a drop or two left, and I got them. It didn’t make my Dad a bad person or make me an alcoholic.

From the picture last week, no one can really tell if there was anything in the bottle. I don’t really care if there was. If the boy’s dad thought it was okay to have a sip, that’s fine. If he gave him a whole bottle of beer or let him chug as much as he wanted, well that’s different. But generally people just need to mind their own business or at least not jump to baseless conclusions.

But again, I grew up in a different time. My Dad’s grandfather gave him a Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle when he was two. I guess that messed him up for life because he let me do a lot of crazy things like eat Corn Nuts and ride in the back of pickup trucks – frequently on the tailgate and several times on the sidestep. He also was so irresponsible that he let me ride in the car with no seatbelt and certainly no car seat, ride my bike with no helmet, and shoot all kinds of things in the backyard with a pellet gun.

I threw one tantrum as a toddler when I was two. Dad put me in the shower, turned the cold water on, and held the door shut. Problem solved. I never did it again. In later years, strict discipline – the rare times he needed to use it – was in the form of a belt applied to my rear. Time out was not an option.

I also had chores from an early age, and by the time I was 12, Dad had put me to work. Construction workers on one job referred to me as the “midget electrician.”

Father’s Day is coming up, and I often reflect on how I’m doing things with my kids compared to how Dad did it. Things are different to say the least. Where my brother and I had a whole play area in the back of the station wagon going to New Mexico, my kids are belted in like Chuck Yeager or John Glenn and must rely on headphones and DVD players to keeping them from screaming while being restrained for four hours on the way to Albuquerque. Sure I want them safe, but I know I wouldn’t like being in their seats.

Some people today may think it was terrible how I was raised, but I think I turned out just fine. I’ve got a steady job, my bills are paid, and I’m not mooching off of the government. Working as a team with my wife – like Dad did with Mom – my kids are well cared for, our house is taken care of, and we do our best to balance work and play. All of these 20th century values may be out of fashion today, but I hope the best of them get engrained in my kids. 

Yes, things have changed a lot since the 1970s. Maybe there were more risks back then, but people were not so uptight and life seemed a whole lot simpler.