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Oklahoma Viewpoints
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LOCALLY OPERATED MEMBER
DONREY MEDIA GROUP
Brenda Haney, Adv. Mgr.
JoAn Wyatt, Prod. Supervisor
Julie Thompson, Spotlight Editor
H.S. Caldwell, Press Room Supervisor
Rex Voyles, Circ. Mgr.
Frank Rodriquez, Mgn. Editor
Brenda Baker, Office Manager
* Chickasha Daily Express
•Tuesday, June 14, 1988
• Page 4
JACK ANDERSON and JOSEPH SPEAR
WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND
Best jog
IN AMERICA:
CURRENT PRESIDENT
}
6
.. Ur, (OKIUNATEY,
TEKEWASEDUGH
0 GROUND FR
EERYONE.
' I FEEL LIKE A FIRE HYDRANT. ’ POUTED
AUTHOR-SPEAKER, JIM WRiGHT
Bellmon should stamp his OK
on the legislation to take some of
the sting out of 1988 taxes.
I
-
By The Associated Press
Oklahoma editorial writers
expressed their views on a var-
iety of topics last week, including
the Stringtown prison riot and
the senior citizen tax exemp-
tion.
Chickasha Baily Exprm
DONALD W. REYNOLDS,
Chairman of the Board
Charles C. Drew,
General Manager
§
53
plications because it could apply
to death sentences of 28 other
condemned kilers in Oklahoma.
Friends and surviving relatives
of Cartwright’s victim and the 40
victims of the 28 other murder
ers have no difficulty con-
sidering the crimes “especially
heinous, atrocious or cruel.”
That’s clear—not vague.
The Norman Transcript: The
recent uprising at the Stringtown
medium security prison has
made it impossible for state offi-
cials and Oklahoma citizens to
ignore the seriousness of the
overcrowding in our state prison
system.
Officials of the state Depart
ment of Corrections figure it
would cost $100 million over a
two year period just to meet
critical needs. That would in-
clude building a new $35 million
medium security prison, an idea
that legislative leaders are
already on record as opposing.
Bob Cullison, the Senate presi-
dent pro tempore, sees strong
arguments against the proposal.
There are indications that
major decisions will either be
na Mizrahi, believe the ticket was a
trap to give Schoenberg’s bosses
grounds for firing him.
TACOM officials declined to speak
to us about Schoenberg, because he is
appealing his dismissal
HIT LIST GROWS — Panama’s
Manuel Noriega isn’t the only foreign
leader on the Justice Department’s
hit list. Our sources say the depart-
ment is also considering an investiga-
tion of Lynden Pindling, the prime
minister of the Bahamas
The department took its case
VIEWPOINT
’ i know how You FEEL.’REPLIED
hydrant- GENERAL MEESE,
45
A
The Daily Oklahoman: The
U.S. Supreme Court decision
that part of Oklahoma’s death
penalty law was uncon-
stitutionally vague compounds a
travesty of justice.
The justices’ unanimous ru-
tackled in a special session or
delayed until next year.
The most urgent need, Cullison
says, would be to rebuild the
damaged Stringtown facility as
a more secure prison than it was
before. But that would cost $7.7
million, and not even that much
money is in sight.
Rep. Cal Hobson, D-
Lexington, who heads the sub
committee that must write a
budget for the prison system and
10 other agencies, say only $5.7
million has been allocated in new
money.
A bond issue financed by a
5-cent-a-pack tax increase on
cigarettes has been mentioned,
but most lawmakers are cool to
the idea. Not only would it be a
tax increase in an election year
but it would handicap Oklahoma
merchants in border areas or
close to Indian smoke shops,
which do not have to charge state
taxes on some cigarette sales.
Another possibility would be to
dip into the so-called “rainy
day’ fund, which will get money
this fiscal year for the first time.
That could be the way to go.
WoRST Jog
IN AMERICA:
NEXT PRESIDENT
The Chickasha Daily f xpress Viewpoints page carries opinions on local,
state and national issues. fXPKfSS Opinion is the viewpoint of the Express
management. Persons wishing to submit letters to the editor may deliver them
to the offices at 302 N. 3rd; mail to: Letters to the Editor, Daily Express P O
Drawer E, Chickasha, OK 73018.                                 '
Letters must be signed and include address and phone number; names may
be withheld upon request. Letters should be within a 300-word limit and are
subject to editing.
$ 3,
® 1988 by NEA. Inc <..Genn
THE LAST ACT?
Enid Daily Eagle: More than
180,000 senior citizens in
Oklahoma are on the verge of
getting a tax break.
That’s good news.
Many Oklahomans paid
sharply higher state income
taxes this year as a result of fed
eral tax law changes because
taxable income for state taxes is
tied to the amount reported on
federal income tax returns.
>F
. "<~D
1^7777=7
By Chuck Stone                       as Jesse Jackson to enhance the
3 in 19A2 a An, mi . . splendor of the American dream
: , in 1988, a Roman philosopher’s Yet, the two Democratic candi-
2,000-year-oId xenophobia may help dates offer opposing styles as ethnic
elect the next president, and Michael politicians And their personalities
mngderdiametficresponbes’trom’th
fepr Greeks even when they bring Dukakis’ Greek ancestry and his
should be shrlarpyahstncereeyatonededang
opponent inthe fali election. That aC’ into their pockets to provide Dukakis
countsfor 20 percent o{ landsman Du- financial margin of difference an
The $9mi llionecampaign kitty. awed media reported this ethnic phn
i ne DuKe s 1988 presidential cam- nomenon as exemplifying America s
paign might be called the Greek- democratic spirit. When black Ameri-
American community's coming of cans rallied around Jackson giving
age. I 8 also the churning of Dukakis him 90 to 95 percent of their votes in
own. melting pot. He speaks fluent the primaries, the media accused
SPanish and t3 married to a Jew. Jackson of manipulating black voters
r or a while, such eclecticism was for racially selfish ends
downplayed. The media was blinded The worst that has been written
by Gary Hart's sex life, Joseph Bi- about Dukakis is that he is an unfeel
den S plagiarism, Albert Gore’s ado- ing organizational man, a robot a res-
esence and Jesse Jackson’s oratori- urrected Thomas E Dewey But Mrs
cal thunder                         Paul Simon compared Jackson to Hit-
Now that they have all bitten the ler, and columnist Charles Krautham-
dust, Dukakis has emerged with over- mer likened Jackson to Mussolini and
night swiftness as the certain Demo- Peron.
‛p.3dd
Ee,
NC13
cratic nominee The media then dis- Some commentators even have a
covered the magnitude of his cute way of keeping a black man in
ethnicity and freaked out.              “his place" by applying superficially
Greeks Look to Dukakis with respectable euphemisms that are
Pride, headlined a USA Today May variations on the insult “bov " Arkan-
8 Page-one story.                     sas columnist Paul Greenberg repeat-
222    =-- Army ^Meblouers Figh, F.„ J.,b
SmednrspmcmPTmaj2                                           Mprom.mcom In Warren, Eaaaueguzmaaia.. =
sBsxsa
was dmaerareeckcafrnabzlsra; «£.
z s
miza sse ssst
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His is the whistle-blower’s lament crived several awards for his work the Friday before he was scheduled to Hfngona busbenchanddidnt even
Hensa abuses, them and Schoenberg’s work to save taxpay. pave,hetreretvedaummonsltlap- * or stng “P acAlogbuzig
mudgenn.Regardlessof how he aired mendations from Army officials Tn S atimenaCOM lot. He wassur- it with junk food and spent four “days
cisncomnplaints, Schoenberg 8 con- 1983, he was honored for identifying The day th! ricke? was onthe base at Disneyland The party ended when
eernssaresatidinanageewhen pur- $6.3-million that could have been stayX town to M to couH S he misplaced what was lift of his wad
fetases have hammerrsa nd $640 saved on a contract. That same year, fired for bring Xm courtandwas at Disneyland Since nobody else has
senoesesmsadrrjaramingptpms: ttrma sfeBF
oanycommanaeasfoytnange; "68-
mkOs at the Army s Tank AulomkHive «b,el, was subsequently patented Schoenberg and his attorney, Hele- smarsas hsuisaaa ,„ sl t
ling upholds a decision by the
10th Circuit Court of Appeals,
noted for bending over back-
wards to split legal hairs, thwar-
ting efforts to carry out the death
sentence.
There are 88 convicted killers
on Death Row in Oklahoma’s
A1., n., k ------- .. McAlester prison. None have
Qderioklahoma ns were hit been executed since Oklahoma
especially hard because Con- reinstated the death nenaitv 19
gress abolished the $1,000 senior years ago to fit legal guidelines
(i izen exemption at the federal laid down by the nation’s highest
level when it changed the tax court                  1e
Cde..That action also elimin- The death penalty has not been
te pamlesecnunotvvomamntase
the House and Senate approved a Those appellate judges - secure
proposalt and ould give certain in the lifetime tenure of their pni
peop e 65 and older an extra itically appointed posts - have
s1aq0personal exemption from ruled against Oklahoma courts
Saetaxes. iin a number of death cases.
rhe measure also adopts Gov. By contrast, bordering Texas,
Henry Benlmon’s proposal to which is under a different fed
educethetax rate on one of the eral appellate jurisdiction, has
two methods used for computing executed 27 killers in the last six
Oklahoma income taxes. That’s years
another good feature of the bill. The 10th circuit court’s latest
Lawmakers acted wisely in mockery — supported now by the
giving the extra exemption to   Supreme Court - is a game of
people who need it most. For   legal semantics. It holds that the
many low income senior words “especially heinous, atro
Oklahomans on fixed incomes, cious or cruel" were too vague or
paying additional state taxes is too broad to warrant the death
an expense they do not need and penalty for William Thomas
cannot afford Their financial Cartwright for the 1982 shotgun
resources are limited, and many murder of his former boss in
are just getting by on their Social   Muskogee
Security payments.                That ruling has broad im-
‛/988VNNEeSc- AR
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