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Show Just Between You And Me d" U The lady said it on tv the other night. "How come when I should be feeling like saying say-ing 'Happy New Year', I feel like shouting bah, humbug!" The lady was on 60 Minutes, but we're sure she reflected the feelings of many of us across the country who are fed up with a system sys-tem that has let us down. 0 - But has the system really let us down, or have we let the system down? Our system, sys-tem, a democratic republic has built-in checks and bal- won't be easy, and it will take a little effort on your part. To start with, ease yourself your-self out of that big easy chair. Turn off the boob tube and drop in on city council, county coun-ty commission and the school board. They will welcome you but don't be surprised if you don't know what they're talking talk-ing about it may take several meetings before you learn the difference between EDA and EPA. n ances, that make it inefficient ineffici-ent and sometimes expensive. ex-pensive. But these checks and balances from local government gov-ernment to Washington, D.C. have a definite purpose. In recent years, starting in 1 933 and even faster In the last ten years, many of these checks and balances have been swept aside in the name of efficiency or to save a few dollars. - 0 But have we really saved money or gained efficiency? No! Instead we have built a huge bureaucracy that is neither efficient or cheap. Since 1968; in so-called attempts to bring government closer to the people, the concept con-cept of regionalism has been forced down our throat, gen-' gen-' erally by executive order. But instead of the federal regions, AOG's and COG's cutting red tape, they have added it. Now instead of going go-ing directly to the state or federal agency involved, local government must now contend with two. additional levels of government. - 0 -Another factor is involved. In times of Inflated prosperity, pros-perity, people tend to become apathetic. They get up from the dinner table and plop in front of the tv. Most have three squares a day and a roof over their head. The backbone of the country coun-try the American middle -class has become complacent. compla-cent. They want for little. They work few hours for big money. It's been a period of let George do it! - 0 - Well, there arent enough Georges to go around. George didn't show up at too many council meetings. George didn't show up at too many county commission meetings, and school 'board meetings. Most of the time George didn't show up at all to public hearings, he didn't write to, talk to state or federal fed-eral legislators. The attitude was . we elected them to do the job let them do it. - 0 -Without input from middle America, the legislators and bureaucrats have run wild. Budgets are out of whack from little communities to the gigantic federal deficit. Trying to satisfy everybody even if they really didn't ask for it we've got in a real mess. It's almost impossible to comprehend this mess. Even those who study the economics econ-omics of this country don't know what's going on. - 0 - We aren't preaching dooms -day, but it's not far off. However, this mess can be straightened out from Milford Mil-ford to Washington, D.C. It Everyone must learn to crawl before they can walk. Pretty soon you will learn that the most exciting and important thing in the world is going on right under your nose. It's not listed in tv guide or the radio schedules. Playboy and Esquire just aren't with it. You have to dig deep into the editorial pages not just once but many times to really get the picture. - 0 - It's not too late! A few have woke up, many more are waking. Don't wait for another 1929, or Germany in 1939, Japan in 1940. You have the power to correct cor-rect many of the mistakes of the past. You have the power to avoid future mistakes. You have more power than any person in any other country in the world. The constitution constitu-tion gives you this power. This devine document pro-A vide the checks and balances. bal-ances. You are the check " and balance of the last resort! re-sort! - 0 - If we could get everyone in these United States to adopt one New Years resolution, It would be: "Get involved!" Know your Mayor and Councilmen. Coun-cilmen. Know your School Board Members and Commissioners. Com-missioners. Make a special effort to know your state and federal legislators. Attend meetings speak out. Find out what is going on. If you do, 1978 may be the greatest year in history. If you dont it's very likely It will be "bah, ham bug!" Happy New Year! - 0 - With the New Year we will resume our 'beautiful person' per-son' column. Dora Johnson has been selected to start the new year and here's why. Beautiful Person A truly beautiful person is our mother, Dora Johnson. She will be 81 in January, but would never know it. Her zest for life and her great sense of humor makes her one of the youngest people peo-ple we know. She has had a rough time through the years, raising 7 children, but not once have we ever heard her complain or find fault with anything or anyone. any-one. She can always find something good to say about everyone. She is active in clubs, organizations or-ganizations and Senior Citizens Citi-zens and enjoys life to its fullest. Always takes pride in herseltnd always looks just beautiful. This little poem tells more about her than any words we could write: Age is a quality of mind, if you have left your dreams behind. If hope is cold, If you no longer look ahead. If your ambitions fires are dead, Then you are old But if from life you take the best, And if in life you keep the jest, If love you hold, No matter how the years go by, No matter how the birthdays fly, You are not old. Out mother, a terrific person per-son and a friend to everyone. Selma Kirk Alden Johnson DeLane Johnson |