editorial

Believers

Lighthous

Debi de la Cretaz is president of the Lower Twp. Taxpayers Assn. More recently she became a member of the township Board of Education. Tonight some members of the Taxpayers may call for her resignation because she refused at last month's meeting to divulge confidential information on contract negotiations betweeri the board and school personnel. • * Some of the Taxpayers believe her allegiance belongs to them; that she should be a watchdog for all taxpayers with the willingness to speak out at all times. Mrs. de la Cretaz believes making public closed-door school district information is unethical and would constitute a conflict of interest. To be elected to both positions of trust and discretion, a great many Taxpayers had to bfclieve in. her. It seems some are now repudiating their own judgment.

British Seagull 387 Gay Birds

by Ima Byrd AL-tually there is no'such thing as a gay bird in our world We do have birds who live as if in a monastary and others who seem totally disinterested in the opposite sex. but for the most part, birds answer that springtime biological call with excitement and enthusiasm. When ladybird fluffs her feathers, we are gung-ho. ’ # • What's nice about being a bird is that we aren’t hung up on ladybird rights or any such thing like that. The girls know their place and they set about nesting and raising their young like any good ladybird should. Actually, until humans started their liberation movement, their women's rights movements and all those other flag-waving activities. humans had little problems too They just followed their natural instincts and everything,‘seemed to be in order. We birds have observed that with the Coming <ff equal rights for women, the human world has really gotten turned around Divorces, child abuse, a lack of identity on the part of men and a general breakdown of their ego and increase in their lack of ability to make a decision have all cbntrihuted to the turmoil that exists in the human world At least that's the way the birds see it MINI) vor. I MKAN NO DISRESPECT. It’s just that

On the hottest day there would be a breeze, ^ All night the beacon would sweep j Out through the darkness and over the seas While I would be fast asleep.

_ .1 dark stormy days the fog horn would blow, -The world would be wrapped in grey, But inside my house the nearthside would glow And there would be games to play!

we've always had a high respect for out^ladies arid never gave them any cause to want for al^thing else. To be perfectly frank, we male birds are thejfirst to admit that no one can sit on an egg like a ladylwd. Of course you have some exceptions in the bird world as well as with other species, but for the most part, going with the naturalness of sex seems to be the most.appreciabIe way to live. Now the human world seems rather mixed up. to our . way of thinking. The men. because of being intimidated by women's movements, seem to have become less than men and so. in turn, Imtfe turned their attention to other males seeking their acceptance and love. If humans would look at the situation, they would see how difficult it would be for some men to find love from a woman full of resentment and furor. The moral degradation of the human species, inspired

notice to Letter Writers Opinions for our Reader’s Forum should: • Be signed by the writer and include the writer's address and phone number. Letters can be printed anonymously, but the newspaper must have writer verification. • Deal with one topic or issue in an accurate, nonlibelous manner.

by women’s activities, has eroded the male ego to such an extent that we birds now understand that some U.S. Congressmen are playing footsie with the young men who serve as Pages in Washington. D.C. Frustration has reached such levels that men would place their entire future on the line for a moment of release, for a game that assures acceptance and love. We birds find that hard to believe, but according to reports, it is so. CERTAINLY THIS TRAGIC TLRN of events will make Americans see to what degree their liberation has taken them. And certainly, this retort means no disrespect / toward women. One of humans own kind, a writer named . ■ Mark'Twain. said man must follow his "naturalness" in' order to live wholly and fruitfully. If mankind (excuse me) and Womankind, would take a long look at what the so-called bid for equality has created, perhaps both sexes could come to some agreement so that equality would be secured for all without jeopardizing the naturalness, gentleness and the exchange of love and affection between men and women. Birds have proven that females can have wings and still retain their naturalness.

from other pens (The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 31:) 'IIP( ^ Social Security isn’t broke, but it does need fixing

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President Reagan has accused Speaker of the House Thomas P O'Neill of "sheer political demagoguery" for having asserted that the administration wants to cut Social Security benefits. Well, demagoguery is in the eye of the beholder As it happens, the administration did propose a slew of benefit cuts last year, but Mr. Reagan quickly backed off when the flack started flying. Earlier this year. Senate Republicaas had plans for $40 billion worth of saving in Social Security over the next three years, but they dropped them from their budget when they and the White House looked at the calendar and saw

November

What would Mr. Reagan say about the remarks of his Social Security commissioner. John A Svahn. the other day? Speaking to the American Society of Hospital Personnel Administrators. Mr. Svahn said that the Social ^

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■ ‘uMivtinl I »rr* Wi'iliii-iIjv I hr I iirpwratmn John H. Andrus II Bonnie Rrina Darrell Kopp

IMI. H«i* o \v.km. SJHiW Editor General Manager 4Advertising Coordinator Publisher

DEADLINES News A Photos Thursday Advertising Friday • 3 p.m. Classified .\d.v rrtising Friday - 3 p.m. 867-3312 For News Or AdTertising information ] Neither parlM ipelini; ,rt»etli^rrs nm ihr publisher, n( Ihr IIMI M D \MI I.ANTEHN will he irtponsihlr or ttahlr (nf misinformation, misprints. Ispunraphii al rrinrv et« , in ant issue The rdltur reserses the until In rilil ant letter nr arllt Irs submitted fnr publira

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LANTERN

Cold Spring. N .1 ortim

Security Administration will have to borrow $7 billion to meet its obligations and viewed this development with alarm. This is. he noted, the first time the system has ever had to borrow money and went on to say that after November, when the bulk of the borrowing will occur, "it goes downhill from there." HOW TO ARREST THE DOWNHILL SLIDE? "Either you're going to have to start paying an awful lot more...up to 25 percent...or we're going to have to expect less." said

Mr Svahn ,

In reality, the borfowlng is no big deal The Social Security disabilit/ fund happens to have a surplus on hand, and last 1 , year Congress enacted temporary legislation to lap it. If fhe economy continues to deteriorate, the system c<wld-technicaljy—run out of money by the end of next year. I^et it be emphasized that one reason the system is having problems now is the deteriorated economy When Congress raised the payroll tax during the Carter administration, it could not anticipate the oil-fueled rate of inflatioH and the subsequent deep recession that has so reduced collections . Let it also be emphasized that while the Social Security System has problems, these aregot as monstrous as Mr. Svahn asserted. Starting around raHh contributions to the system will expand considerably, as the post-World War II baby boom population matures. About the year 2025, as those people begin retiring, a new problem will arise, but that problem too is manageable if some sensible changes are begun now. What changes? The first and most obvious one is a gradual raising, perhaps one month a year, in the retirement age, from 65 to 68 People ard living longer than they lived in the 1930s They're healthier. Those who still want to retire at 65 ought to be allowed to do so. at lower retirement income, but those who want to continue working should be encouraged. SECOND. THE COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT ought to be modified slightly downward. Just about everyone agrees that the increased benefits, set several years ago to reflect inflation, do not accurately reflect actual increases in the cost-of-living of retired people. According to the National Commission on Social Security, if the cost-of-living increase had been linked either to the Consumer Price Index or a wage index, whichever is lowest, the system would not now be facing its current

short-term financing problems. Third, bringing all government employees into the system would inject about $14 billion into Social Security—a sum that would in itself be enough to take care of the system’s short-term financial problems Fourth, double-dipping by those who receive both Social Security and government retirement benefits ought to be limited. ~ The Social Security System isn’t broke, but it does need timely fixing. There’s no use expecting anything to happen before November, but after November, when a bipartisan national commission is supposed to turn in its report, the administration and Congress should get cracking on the job before another even-year November

begins to loom.

Applet

the fcdcrol GovprnmefH 4 Running A $100 Billion OpIici* And Vou»n Up4d Aboul My $286 Overdron 9 '