&— An Editorial A Book In The Hand Cape May library users should view with skepticism a city council suggestion that everybody might be better off if the city, quit the county library system Individuals could save the price of two car tons of -cigarettes in annual county library taxes, but they’d find'themselves depending on the generosity of a city touncil that says it’s broke Why would anyone want to switch from a .system that guarantees county assistance to one that would rely on competing annually with other pressure groups for budget appropriations? Tljp city would do better, in fact, to get more, not less, involved with, the county library system by seeking branch status The tax bill would not increase; the benefits would T1IK COUNTY library tax is a miniscule one-quarter of one-tenth of a cent per dollar of assessed valuation. Take your AV and multiply it by .00025. It has been unchanged for a • dozen years From an estimated $920,000 annual budget, the county library gives the city books, services, even a copy machine Branch status would bring still more assistance, primarily staffing Hours would 1 almost certainly be extended from the present inadequate 41 a week. The loss’’ Control The county library system would be in charge CITY OFFICIALS say they are studying this question only to assure that taxpayers get their money's worth That is a Worthy goal Like any other county program, the services provided to one community do not always equal the taxes hplleeted Some receive more; some less. It depends on the ratables. the needs, etc. But that system seems preferable to having to rely on city fathers ready to double parking meter fees to balance their budget A book in the hand is worth two in the bush

Our Readers Write

Thanks for the Truth To Ihc EditorThank you for the write upon our doctor survey • "Most -Mrs Ok Kit Cyt for Medicare Patients '' Your story explained exactly what we are attempting to s 'do I Relieve this is the first lime in my experience with the • news media that .the story was told exactly Usually something is distorted or wrongfully distorted so the true . purpose in never attained Thanks for the true story

KKANK M ALHlTUiKK- ^ • Villas ** i AIhuri*er is president of the Cope Max Cnonlx t'oor dmaling ( mined of Senior Citizens

opinionOther Voices Social Security

Herald A Lantern 23 March *83

Is This Fair?

In Vermont Royster s “Thinking Things Over” column oh Social Security, he wrote and I quote “there is no way. no way at all. to rescue tW system as it is now constituted, without someone getting hurt," If this is true, aqd somebody is going to get hurt by Social Security reform. I would like to nominate for that honor myself and the 9 million other affluent elderly who are in the top 25 percent of the 36 million on Social Security, Why I feel that I myself and 9 million others should be so honored is perhaps best brought out by tabulating the statistics on what I paid in S.S taxes from 1940 to 1971 and what I have received in S.S, benefits since 1 retired in .March of 1971 These are tabulated below: 1 From January 1. 1940 to March 1, 1971 I paid S.S. taxes that totaled $2,654 2 Social Security’s initial annual benefits for me and my wife were $4,322 3 In the years from 1975 to I9B2 Cost of Living Indexing increased these benefits $5,014 4 In 1963. Social Security will pay me and my wife $9,336 5 In the 12 years since I retired. Social Security has paid me and my wife $67,407 The above $67,407 of S.S. benefits that my wife and I have received since I retired, were all tax free. And Social Security is still paying us annual tax free benefits in 1983

Most Ludicrous Editorial Ever To The Kdilor Your photo editorial regarding a new road sign off of In leruhange 13 on the Carden State Parkway will always rank as one of the most ludicrous I have ever read The editorial, which appeared Feb 23. thanked the stale Highwa) Authority for its prompt and efficient ' action in replacing the road sign which gave motorists no indication which way to turn to reach Route 9 If this was meant In Id 1 sarcastic, it would have made more sense z\ny resident of this county knows that this uninformative sign has t>eon misguiding visitors for over a year I remember noticing the sign last summer and remarking that it must have l)een purposefully placed there to confuse tourists Is installing a road sign such a monumentaMask that taking a year In do it should Ik* touted as "prompt and effi cient action ''' I think not LAURA HEMRMAW Se«v Isle City ( f.D SOU. The prompt referred to Ihc speedy renc lion the Herald find Lantern editorial The new ai^n ap pea red days later i

of $9,336. Why? Why are we entitled to such benefits, when all I ever paid in S.S. taxes was $2,654? When FDR signed the original Social Security Act. he said that the objective was "to give some measure of protection to the average citizen and his family ... against poverty ridden old age." Under this philosophy, the maximum benefits paid from 1940 to 1969 were only slightly higher than the mimimum S.S:. benefits paid. Today, under our so-called income replacement philosophy, the S.S benefits of the affluent elderly are 5 to 6 times those of the elderly poor — with some totaling as much as $12,000 to $14,000 a year! Why? Why should the top S.S. benefits ever be any greater than two times the minimum benefits’’ Also, why should the annual cost of living increases of the affluent elderly ever be any greater than 1'* times those of the elderly poor? One final thought In 1983, it will take the S.S taxes of seven workers, each making $20,000 a year to provide the $9,336 of S.S benefits that my wife and I will receive Is this fair? Wouldn't it be more equitable to freeze the S.S tax rates of those working and tax the S.S benefits of af fluent elderly retirees like me’’ — Ralph VV Ells of Boca Raton. Pla . in a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal

Polygraph Test For Link, Fiore? To The Editor: In response to the March 9 letter to the editor from F J Fiore, campaign manager for Joe Link. Fiore stated, "The infamous orchestrated sign escapade , also blew up in their faces, and haunts them to this day." intimating that my son and I were part of some sort of scheme to undermine. Link's campaign This is absolutely and totally false 1 have never become actively involved with any type politics, other than to vote A fellow employe of mine asked me if I would place a Hevener sign on my lawn during the campaign Since 1 am a registered Republican. I agreed to do so I had never <, met Hevener until the day my son found the sign in question in the street at his school bus stop Fiore would like people to believe that the judge at the hearing concerning this sign also felt the entire thing was staged by the Hevener group This is also absolutely and totally false The judge did not find Link and Fiore innocent of the charges Instead, he dismissed the case, * slating he felt that his court was not the proper place for the complaint, and suggested it should he heard by the State Board of Elections 1 resent Fiore's insinuation that my son and I acted in any conspiracy when we brought the sign to the Hevener campaign manager's attention Had we found a sign belonging to any candidate that was covered with another candidate's name, we would have acted in the same way, no matter what political party was involved, in the interest of honest campaigning I challenge both of these gentlemen to a public polygraph test to determine, once and for all. the truth in this matter I doubt very much that either will accept my challenge, and unless they prrtve there was a conspiracy. I do not feel they should be allowed to continue making these libelous remarks \ The e|eclion has been over for lour months Why do they keep beating a dead horse” Hevener has taken his loss like a man. and 1 think Link should do the same The voters made their choice, and after all. isn't that Ihe zXmerican wav 0 MRS FRANCES M CAR RICK Villas

Boy, Is Phil Going to Be Sore Is That a Knock or An Ax?

Hy JOE ZKLNIK It sure is easy to gel in trouble m Cape May County Last week, for example. I referred to the old cools who hang around the Cape May Point Firehouse " Some firemen thought I. meant them I was thinking of the Norman Rockwell stereotype of the older, retired gentlemen who. with nothing better to do. sit arouqd the firehouse, pipe in mouth. Dalamatian at their feet Honest, fellows. I didn’t mean firemen The la§t person one wants angry with him is a fireman They have one heekuva lot more power than the press I mean, can a reporter drive up to your house in a big red truck, chop down your front door with an ax. and hose down your living room furniture 7 And it has been suggested that that is exactly what could happen to rhe If it does, I surd hope there isn't any damage to the rest of Phil Matalucci's house, where I rent a furnished room And if you think what fireman can do to your house is bad. think of wha| can happen if they don't come ONE OF MY MANY problems has always been a sense of humor that no 6nc else thinks is funny Please consider this a blanket apology to all the people I've offended in the last three months with callous, unthinking comments My regrets to those innocent, hut much maligned individuals and institutions bureaucrats, politicians, banks, motel owners. Procter & Gamble, the U S Coast Guard, and

New Jersey Bell How about I give some positive advice for a change — how to have a great one-day vacation in Cape May County for 55 cents, and all with one stop Place: the Cape May County Library Office Building in Courthouse In the library you can find two hard-cover books for sale for 25 cents, five paperbacks for 25 cents After making your selection, tiptoe to the second floor where, just inside the main door, is a soda machine dispensing bottles of your favorite beverage for 30 cents. That has to he the lowest price around TAKE YOUR SODA, your hooks and sit in the sun on the front steps People in South Philadelphia would pay $80 a day to trade places with you One small catch The soda machine has a handwritten note attached, saying "This machine for use of employes only " That's why I said "tiptoe " Better yet. try to look like a typical county employe. That’seasy Just look very, very worried, as though your union contract expired Dec 31, the Freeholders won’t talk to you, and you don’t have the slightest idea what’s going to happen next I'VE BEEN FLOODED with entries for my contest on what "three Ms” come to the county with warm weather Some have been even better than mine, some have been obscene, but none has been exactly right The contest is extended one more week