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Herald & Lantern 12 January '83

Reaaers' Forum News Media Smear Tactics By Marjorie (ialamorr I am concerned about the news media of today I am referrinR to smear tactics and character assassination of Philadelphia Mayor William Green and Leonard Toss Are the television stations so worried about ratings that 'hey will go on the air and apublicly attempt to create news by smearing^blic figures 0 No wonder ppfiple are turned off from voting and public scrvicr'when the news media resorts to character assassinatipft. I understand and Mayor Green sued Channel 10 for $5 Million The case was settled out of court, providing that the settlement would not be revealed. Recently (Channel 3 Reported about I/eonard Tose and his gambling habits Come to find out. Tose was never at the casinos when it was reported that he lost over $1 million and was barred I do not know either of the gentlemen, but I do know they are leaders Reporters should get th^facts straight before they are aired. They should not create news by airing it before getting the truth Marjorie Galamnre writes from Sea Isle City.

Without Fanfare

By Marie Dugan 'Hie staff and volunteers of the Red Cross Chapter of Cape May County sincerely thank you for your excellent and thorough coverage of "Operation Fireside " As you know, Gertrude Reiss, chairman of Service to Military, began this program last year Of course, we could not have achieved thejiuccess that we have without the cooperation of the Coasffcuard, particularly chaplain Drake and Commander Winslow This organization performs all of its services without fanfare However, I felt in this case, Miss Reiss and the other volunteers worked very hard to make this possbile and in your articlc'und editorial we are mentioned almost aixn after thought I 'm iure this was an oversight on your part 'and that you did w int to give us as much credit as. I feel, we deserve Mane Du^an is Red Cross Chapter chairman Curing and Sharing By Cass Clark The officers and i lembcrs of the Animal Welfare Society of Cape May Coi ity would like to thank the Herald and lantern for all the r support the past year The "Adopt a P i" articles in your paper each week have helped so mi ch to find good homes for our animals We also would I \e to thank the business community and the public for the r support at the opening of our new ken nel and at our Cl nstmas pa fly for the animals. This has been n unusual outpouring of caring amfshar mg for man s lx A friend Cass Clark ■* iresuient of the Ammuf Welfare Society Another \ lew Sin^i ig Across the River They shoul I watch New York Gov Hugh Carey's com mercials ac oss the Hudson in New Jersey, Where Republican Gov Thomas Kean just accepted a package of sales and in ome tax increases to close a budget deficit The slate; thaLhave been raising taxes to close deficits are finding haUfne deficits keep on happening, and we're afraid the 1 .amen Slate won't lie any different Rut back across the river it will keep them singing, 'T love New ' ork " - The Wall Street Journal

Darli Ward WIRES — John Wesley I'nited Methodist Church on the Swainton Goshen Road in Middle Township is framed by utility wires.

Capital Comments Mobile Homes Spared By Sen. James Hurley There is some good news for the estimated 4.400 Cape May County and Cumberland County residents who live in i mobile homes Your homes will not be taxed as real property for at least another year Gov Thomas Kean recently enacted into law a bill I co-sponsored that continues until the end of 1983 a moratorium on taxing mobile homes. During that year, a special commission will be established to study an equitable method of taxing mobile homes There has been much confusion and debate surrounding the taxation of mobile homes In 1980, a special state Mobile Home ^udy Commission recommended that these homes be taxed as real property, arguing that they are permanent dwellings and should be taxed as such But the legislature has delayed implementation of this recommendation because so mpny unanswered questions remain. THE ONE-YEAR EXTENSION should give the state the time it needs to formulate a comprehensive response to this complex issue The present system of charging mobile home owners a fee instead of property taxes is regressive because owners pay the same amount regardless of the value of their homes However, requiring mobile home residents to pay property taxes without sufficient warning would create hard ship for these homeowners and problems for municipalities. I am confideot^a compromise can lie reached in the I legislature this year that will remove the inequities in mobile home taxation without overburdening the 30,000 mobile home residents, many of whom have limited or fixed incomes. Sen Hurley represents Cape May County and much of Cumberland County Call Us, Tollfree

By Joe Zrlnik The idea came to me the other day while I was reading at breakfast I had started with the label on the INSTANT oatmeal package Did you know that one of nature's most simple foods has 39 ingredients including tfbar gum and pyridox me hydrochloride 0 It takes longer to read the nutritional information and percentage of U S. recommended daily allowances than it docs to eat the stuff I had just finished the INSTANT non-dairy creamer label <no need to refrigerate, mixes instantly' won’t lump in jar I when I was stopped dead in my tracks by a sentence on the INSTANT coffee label "If you have any questions or comments, please call us tollfree," it said. IT JUST SO HAPPENED I had a comment I didn't like the coffee. It was not my usual brand; I bought it solely because I had a SO-ccnt coupon and the supermarket was offering double coupons Rut, compared to my regular brand, it was dark and bitter Nothing awful, mind you Reminded me of the two fellows who encountered each other in downtown Cape May "How’s your wife 0 " one aske<J "Better n nuthm . " the other answered This coffee was definitely better n nuthin . but if the pro ducer was willing to pay for an 800 number to hear my views (and you know how opinionated newspaper people are), it seemed only fair to give them a call. I got a busy signal for about a half-hour, indicating one heckuva lot of people were sharing their questions and comments When I finally got through. I heard a recording from Proctor^ St Gamble < I thought they made soap 0 1 in-

Viewpoint Wires on Poles Reproducing? By Jane Ann Cunningham Have you noticed how the wires on utility poles seem to be reproducing? Ei/teen years ago, the view from our second floor living r^pnvwas obstructed only by the pole on the corner, and three thin wires on each side. Today, the poor overburdened pole has 15 wires on one side and 18 on the other, three of which are at least as thick as my wrist. They do little to enhance the view. There is not only an overabundance of wires, but another decorative note has been added between poles — little dufflebag-Iike affairs WHERE WILL IT all stop? I wonder what the max imum number of wires per pole is. if any 0 We are so accustomed to poles and wires lining our streets that we seldom notice them, but take a good look at your street or business district and visualize how much more attractive they would be without them How for lunate are those who live in newer areas where wiring must be placed underground Realistically, there is probably no solution, electricity is a necessity (although the steadily increasing rise in rates is putting it in the 'uxury class); telephones are now an in evitable part of our life; television, be it curse or blessing, is here (ostay. ANY DEMANDS by citizens to insist that all wires be put underground would bring immediate response by the utilities of the high cost this would entail and predict a dramatic increase in the cost to the consumer. Years ago, when riding a doubledecker bus in Lontjpn, it struck me that there was something different localize I was looking out at streets with no wires When I returned home and mentioned this phenomenon, someone commented that we wouldn't want to have our cities levelled, as the British did in World War II. to gel the wires underground BUT I HAVE a terrible feeling that ip our country, where solid structures which are young by European standards are torn down; where clothespins and LOVE sym bols are installed and called Art; where rail systems are abandoned and road construction increased poles and wires would be the first things replaced after any disaster Mrs, Cunningham is a former publisher of the Cape May County Herald.

BUT NO EAGLES — "It’s finally happened, Emma There are more playoff games than there football teams!"

forming me that all agents were busy, but someone would talk to me as soon as possible. It was like calling an airline. ' • SURE ENOUGH, a female finally answered, asked me what product I was calling about, and then connected me with the Coffee Division and a lady named Suzette. Suzette was the nicest lady Anyone would be proud to take her to the movies at the Riq Twin. She treated me like a king When I told her I thought her coffee was bitter, she said she was very concerned " She noted the size of the jar and its production number which, she said, Would make it possible to trace it back in case someone over cooked the beans that day Honest The whole episode impressed me, and it also gave me this idea We at the Cape May County Herald and Lower Township Lantern are every bit as interested in what you l link of our product as Proctor & Gamble. WE ALSO HAVE a tollfree number (if you live in Cape May County); 967-3312 This is a new year, and I'm a new editor I'd like to hear your questions and comments about our product With the largest circulation of any newspaper in the county weekly or daily - we have quite a responsibility Our goal is to satisfy as many of you as possible What do you want more of° What do you want less of 0 ^JIo^Aran we improve 0 Tell us and we'll do our best Call between 9 and 5 and a real, live person will answer Ask for me, please. If you can't call between 9 and 5. call anyway and a machine will answer. It .will give you 30 seconds to comment, about as long as it takes to read the label on a stick of gum. Talk fast 4

Like Suzette, We’re Concerned