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Hie Herald And Hie Lantern

Hiuraday, November 8,1*79

editorial

Letters To The Editor

Great American Smokeout Editor’ll Note: The foltowinK was written by former ( ape May County Herald Editor Jane Ann Cunningham and appeared in the Herald as a New Year's editorial on December M, ItTf. The editorial, was subsequently declared first place statewide winner in the l»7» New Jersey Christmas Seal Contest by the Public Relations Advisory Committee of the American Lung Association. Reprinting it here and now is especially appropriate in connection with the upcoming American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout. Make a New Year's Resolution to stop smoking. Life and health are our two most valuable possessions. No amount of money can buy them. Yet many of us are dangerously and recklessly jeopardising our health and shortening our lives by smoking. We all know better. There are few smokers who are unaware of the possible hatards. Yet often It is not until a person has a heart attack. a stroke, or is diagnosed as having cancer that he stops. He is REALLY motivated then, but by that time it may be too late. WhsMoait until you become stricken with a disabling or fatal Jkease? NVw Year's is a time of new beginnings. Make a new beginning for yourself by resolving to make a better life fo# yourself and those you love by stopping smoking. The dream of all parents Is to watch their children grow up. marry and l^ave children of their own. Will you be around whet) your grandchildren begin toddling? Or are you eschanging that sight for a few cartons of cigarettes? What about your own children? If they are still dependants. are you happy to be risking their future without a parent by selfishly indulging in an expensive and deadly

You CAN slop smoking. The withdrawal symptoms of this minor addiction are little compared to the pain suffered by those with heart attacks and cancer. And they K certainly less lasting than the ultimate withdrawal -

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Energy Aid For Renters Adopted

WASHINGTON, D.C.Rep Bill Hughes (D-NJ) offered an amendment to the Low-Income Energy Assistance Appropriations bill which will benefit eligible renters with their increased fuel costs this winter. Hughes' amendment makes it possible for home and apartment renters who are eligible by income to receive assistance for electric and other forms of heat betides home heating oil. The bill as reported by the Appropriations Committee did not address this problem In South Jersey, a large number of people live in homes and apartments that are heated electrically. Their utility costs have increased and will continue to do so. To leave them out of this program just because their dwellings are not heated by oil would be a terrible injustice," Representative Hughes

said

Hughes went on to add, "low-income people should not be forced to make the choice between eating and heating their home. The bill itself recognizes this and my amendment simply carries it a step further so that all low-income people will be able to take advantage of energy assistance regardless of how their home are heated." The appropriations resolution provides $1.3^e billion in extra appropriations to assist lowincome and elderly families pay their home heating bills. Over $1 billion of the money contained in the bill will be available for energy grants and allowances to lowincome households. The rest of the funds are earmarked for the Community Services Adminsistration Special Crisis Intervention program.

Veteran’s Day: A Time To Remember

To the Editor:

On November 11, 1978,

World War I fell silent. A year ago those who had

Veterans Day (originally labored so long and hard to Armistice Day) was keep Veterans Day a returned to its rightful and meaningful patriotic meaningful date on the holiday reported subcalendar after nearly a stantially greater interest

decade of floating around . ^

on the fourth Monday of ^

October —' a day with no historical significance to anyone, and a date which fluctuated with the

calendar.

After nearly ten years of concerted effort by The American Legion along with other veterans organizations and patriotic citizens, the holiday was returned, again by act of Congress, to November 11 — the date the guns of

holiday. This year The American Legion together with other ^ veterans organizations, look forward to even greater revitalization of this important national patriotic holiday (within their respective communities and neightvrhoods. l! Janet Ramsey American Legion

Cape May

Capitol Comments By Assembly Minority Loader Jamas R. Hurley

By the time this report appears in print, the General Election will be over, the results known and, presumably, a number of candidates will be looking forward to assuming duties as freshmen members of the General Assembly in January of 1980. Returning legislators and newcomers alike will face many problems of . longstanding, including reform of the state's auto insurance system to make coverage available and affordable, reform of the worker's compensation system, election law overhaul, a comprehensive energy program, and revision of the unemployment compensation system. These areas themselves, largely ignored by the Legitsature in the past two years, are more than enough to keep the 1980-81 legislative session occupied, not to mention whatever new and unforseen problems are

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certain to crop up during the next two years. However, even before the next session tackles these serious problems, I am hopeful it will move swiftly, decisively and early toward institutional reofrms designed to strengthen itself and place itself in a position to exert much more influence over the development of public policy In the past two years, the rightful prerogatives of the Legislature - both Constitutional and^Atatutory - have been etMkd to a point where this supposedly coequal branctyof government became little more than anothet Executive Branch department. Major legislative proposals were developed largely, if not exclusively, by the Governor’s office which then iuisted - with a great deal of.success - that the Legislature approve them without change. Such major programs as a state assumption of private bus lines, the bulkHng moratorium in the

Pinelands, a re-writing! the state's criminal taps. >lic financing of ernatprial primary elections were shoved through (he Legislature with little or no Opportunity for public dialogue or substantive debate. A much more vigorously independent committee system is clearly needed if the Legislature is to regain - any power and influence at all over the major issues facing the state. This past session of the Legislature has been marked by a heavy-handed interference in the legislative process by the Executive, an interference which, in some cases, crossed over into outright control. Perhaps the most important role of all, that of developing fiscal policy and determining how tax dollars will be expanded, has been totally assumed by the Executive branch. The Governor submitted the budget to the Legislature which approved it with very little change, if any, and the Governor followed by exercising his veto powers to delete certain items. There has not been any

serious attempit made to override any of these vetoes, thas, ar a practical matter, (he Governor ruled supreme with respect to the budget. Aside from a stronger committee system, the Legislature can re-assert its rightful authroity through the enactment of a "Sunset” law and through a legislative review of administrative rules and regulations. The "Sunset” proposal would provide for a legislative examination of state agencies and divisions ; to determine if they should be maintained, while the review of rules and regulations would place the Legislature in a position to assure its intent was being carried out by varuous departments. The Legislature can ill affordtocontinue to submit to the offhand treatment given it in recent years by the Executive branch. If firm steps are not taken in the upcoming session to reverse the flow of power from the Legislative to the Executive branch, the Legislature will continue to diminish in importance and influence and voter and taxpayer interest in goverhment will continue to fall.

Carter To Review Hughes’ Gasohol Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House of Representatives approved the conference report for the Defense Authorization bill which contains an amendment offered by Congressman Bill Hughes (D-NJ) requiring the Department of Defense to use gisohol instead of gasoline whenever practical. Representative Hughes’ amendment gives the discretion to the Secretary of Defense to decide when alcohol or alcohol blend fuels can and should be used in vehicles owned and operated by the Defense Department. The South Jersey lawmaker offered the

amendment during House . consideration of the omnibus defense bill to give the Defense Department leeway in determining when and if alternative fuels can and should be used to save gasoline and protect against shortfalls of petroleum fuels. Hughes said, "alcobol fuels are a workable alternative to gasoline and their use should be en cou raged by the federal government. What better way to do this than to toe the enormous purchasing power of the federal government to get behind the push for real modification of energy use patterns.”

tt* SOVIREIGN STATE of AFFAIRS

I SEE THAT JANE FONDA IS OUT SPEAKING AGAINST THE Oil COMPANIES AND NUCLEAR PCWES

BOYD AWOOD