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Show ' The most exhausting thing in life . . . is being insincere. " Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American writer Wednesday, January 1, 1932. The Daily Herald 3 i America is losing its war on drugs. The latest evidence is provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which recently reported that the number of Americans using cocaine at least once, a month increased nearly 20 percent in 1991, while the number of weekly users climbed nearly 30 percent. This dramatic surge in cocaine use reverses a five-yedownward trend. If this were not enough bad news, a separate survey by the government's ar Drug Abuse Warning Network showed a 30 percent increase of d cocaine-relate- d visits to hospital emergency rooms. This statistic is considered by many drug experts as the best yardstick to measure the prevalence of hard-cor- e drug use. hero-in-an- Notwithstanding these disturbing developments in the national effort to stem the use of illegal narcotics, federal drug czar Bob Martinez continues to put the best face on the situation. He asserts that "we are continuing to make progress" and that "overall, most of the trend lines are going in the right direction." To- support his claim, Martinez points to evidence that casual drug use has subsided in recent years among middle-clas- s Americans, suburban residents and Indeed, the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 12.5 million Americans used .an illegal drug (mainly marijuana) at least once a month in 1991, compared with 14.5 million in 1988. teen-ager- s. Also, the number of teen-ag- e users declined to .4 million in 1991 from 1.75 million in 1988. But the question is whether these various conflicting trends add up to progress or regression in the war on drugs. The suspicion here is that most Americans probably would say the latter. For while it is something of a comfort that casual use is abating, it is more discomforting to know that hardcore use is greatly increasing. Hard-cor- e drug use leads invariably to other social problems. Not only are hospital emergency rooms throughout the country overwhelmed with drug cases, cities report record levels of d crime and violence, parental abuse of children is on the rise and poverty and welfare dependency has become endemic. 1 drug-relate- These are not the problems of Amermiddle-clas- s or its suburban resiwhich dents, may explain in part why Martinez is somewhat sanguine about the latest developments on the drug front. Nevertheless, until progress is made in curbing hard-cor- e drug use among America's preponderantly urban residents, this country will continue to lose ground in its vaunted war on drugs. ica's lower-incom- e, Lsttifs Canyon battle Editor; Th& environmentalists who are trying to stop Pfovo Canyon from being widened and trying to ban truckers from the canyon should mind their own business. The reasons the environmentalists are involved with the canyon is they have nothing better to do with their lives or they just need some attention. They might think that it will ruin the 1 think way the canyon looks. Personally, that the old canyon road needed a facelift. The new road is going to make the canyon look brand new and give better access to the canyon. The" banning of diesel trucks down the canyon is another problem that faces us. I don't know if it is they're too heavy or if they 're too slow. If you want to ban some- thing ban those campers and those people w ho pull trailers up and down the canyon. They're the ones who are out of control and w ho slow up the traffic. H campers aren't banned from the canyon then truckers should have as much right to the canyon as the campers and RV's do. Truckers have the sense to slow up around the comers instead of taking them too fast as have seen campers and RV's do. Campers and RV's often end up in the other lane by the time they're around the corner. think that people who try to make a statement by trying to stop work in Provo Canyon and stopping the access of the canyon for diesel drivers should mind their own business and stop running other people's lives. Brad Peterson Orem 1 1 but lighten our work load, enabling us to continue. Thank you! Also thanks to the Quilting Guild, the Relief Societies, and all others for the quilts that have been made for the children. The quilts have provided immeasurable comfort. Thanks to all the citizens who provide Christmas to our clients; those who contribute money to our programs, enabling us to do more; and the Eagle Scouts and students who make us their project. Also, thanks to the other agencies and professionals who work with abused women, going the extra mile, trying to make their lives better by caring and action. From the staff and the victims we serve, our warmest appreciation and thanks to each and every one of you! Betty Engemann, Director Center for Women and Children in Crisis Likes the building Editor: This is in regard to the last couple of remarks made about the "so called" eyesore, which is the Nu Skin building. I have lived in Provo all my life and to see a building such as Nu Skin's is a welcome sight. It brings new life to a dying downtown. What was so great about the old, empty Wool worth & JC Penney building? Instead of complaining, we should be grateful for the beauty of the building. Yes, I and many others find it beautiful, not to mention the jobs it brings to thousands within the Utah Valley. Thanks Nu Skin! JCPIatz Florence, OR Orem's wise decision Editor: I think that Orem City made a very wise decision when they went to the new garbage dispenser. It is a neat and clean way to dispose of trash and they look nice too. don't have to have an old beat up can full of garbage out in front of my house once a week. Also, it is easier for the garbage man to come and pick the cans up. The) are nice and big so most of m garbage w ill fit into it. They have wheels attached" to the bottom, which makes for a smooth ride from my lid patio to my curb. And the heavy-dut- y of out the all of neighborhood dogs keeps mv trash. All in all, I think it is a good 1 system and think any city should take the and time money to switch to it. . Johnson Ryan ' 1 Orem Thanks to all Editor: Once again it is the end of the year and time to evaluate and think of all the tilings we are grateful for. As director of The Center For Women & Children in Crisis, I'd like to publicly thank everyone in the community who has helped battered women, their children, and victims of sexual assault. Many, many thanks to the volunteers who donate hundreds of hours in assisting us with our programs, helping victims and giving staff the opportunity to take a break. These dependable volunteers serve without pay, often no recognition, and not enough thanks. They not only assist victims. In a few months, Phil Krone might look back and say: "What ever possessed me to try something like this?" But right now he doesn't have time to think about possible regrets. He's having too much fun and some surprising success. What Krone is trying to do is get Mario Cuomo back in the presidential race . To do this, he has to overcome Republican slyness and Democratic stupidity. The slyness is the way the Republicans in the New York legislature following have tied orders from the White House Cuomo up in a state budget battle to keep him out of primaries. The stupidity is the way Democratic Party Chairman Ron Brown gave Cuomo a deadline enter the New Hampshire primary or withdraw as a candidate. So Cuomo reluctantly withdrew. And that, as far as most politicians and the media were concerned, ended Cuomo as a factor in next year's elections. But Krone, a Chicago-base- d political consultant, wouldn't accept it. "Every poll shows that Cuomo is the most popular Democrat in the country," Krone says. "He's got more support than the other six guys put together. And he's the only candidate the Republicans fear. Richard Nixon will tell you that. So why should Cuomo get out? It's ridiculous." So Krone took it upon himself to form a committee to draft Mario Cuomo. That was only a week ago. Since then, he's accomplished the following: "I've opened our headquarters. It's at 35 S. State St., Suite 1524, Chicago, 111. Mention the zip, huh? It's 60603. That's so people can send money. And we need money. Anybody who sends $10 or more will get a Cuomo poster, buttons, bumper stickers and a membership card. "We have a committee phone number: And beginning Jan. 2, number. It's a we'll have a national too: number, great "Now to get back to money. The biggest reason we need money now is because I've obtained a computer tape of every registered Democrat in New Hampshire. About 100.000 of them. Mike - Self-interes- t, three-fourt- auto-relate- one-thi- d. rd d wel-co- "made-in-Amcric- 1 -- MS Jack " 3 r A ft & Dale Van Atta 9 "t m UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE Organization reported recently that 396 new Japanese plants were opened here in the past year. As always, Japan is playing for the long term, with the advantage of knowing that U.S. trade policy is conducted in fits and starts. The charitable contributions are strategy. part of the Japanese long-terCharity turns out to be cheaper than trade concessions, and Japan is stingy wiih those. Japanese corporate giving has outstripped any other form of corporate charity in the United Stales since 1986, rising to $300 million in J 990. At the current rate of growth, Japan will some day be the heaviest subsidizer of America's needy people. The number of Japanese firms making donations in the United Stales shot up from about a dozen in 1986. to nearly 200 today. One of the most generous is Hitachi, which in the early 1980s pleaded guilty to stealing IBM trade secrets and paid $300 million in fines. m ; they vote; his money doesn't." If you think about it, there aren't many movements in politi cs any- grass-root- s more. As in many sports, the gra ss isn't Royko TRIBUNE MEDIA Like real. It's artificial, most political campaigns. So what Krone is trying to do deeply offends the political packagers. He 's actually asking ordinary people to give the middle finger to people like Ron Brown, the Democratic chairman who set the stupidly arbitrary deadline for Cuomo; to the professional media wizards who sh ape the message as well as the hairstyle of the candidates; to the Washington pund its who take it upon themselves to say who the without bothering to ask the people like since the people don't hang out at people, the Washington Press Club. factory-produce- d. SERVICES "That means we can do a mailing to all of those Democrats telling them that they don't have to hold their noses and vote for They any of the six Democratic can write in Cuomo. "But the mailing will cost about $15,-00And right now, I'm about $15,000 short of that goal." (Actually, he's only $14,975 short. Jack and Martha Fox, of Chicago, have already sent me a $25 check after reading about Krone's efforts. "Of all the Democrats," they wrote, "only Cuomo has presidential potential.") "What else?" Krone said. "Even before we got our Cuomo Committee phone, people got my home number from information and called. I've had more than 200 calls from people who want to get involved. And not just Chicago. Some from New Hampshire, New York and other 0. places. "I've already had Chicagoans tell me they want to run as delegates to the Democratic Convention. They will be uncom- mitted delegates, but they will be for Cuomo. "So I'm having our first rally. Actually, it won't be a rally so much as a meeting of volunteers. "It will be next Saturday, between 30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the headquarters. Anybody who wants to run as a delegate or work on the campaign should come.' "And people from other states can phone us or write, and we'll help hem get started organizing. "This is strictly grass roots, in fact, I had a Democrat tell me: 'Wise up. Cuomo's out. Our money is going big-mon- ey omewhereelse.' Japanese ohilan thropv multip! ss Even before Air WASHINGTON Force One lands in Japan, the Japanese have worked and spent feverishly to make a good impression on the visiting American president. They have done it as only the Japanese can do by cornering yet another market. This time it's charity and philanthropy. not warm fuzzies, is drivthe Japanese to dump charity in the ing U.S. market along with semiconductors and VCRs. Prerident Bush will no doubt be reminded of this philanthropy when he stops in Japan next week with three angry automakers in tow. The bosses of the Big Three are making the historic trip to underscore their resolve to reverse the S41 billion annual trade of imbalance with Japan has which is captured Japan of the U.S. auto market, but only about half of that business is from imports. The other half is from Japanese-owneauto plants that are beginning to dot some pnrts of the United States. While the Bush administration and its trade experts the capital and the jobs, 90 percent of the parts going into those cars are Japanese. has worked hard to become a Japan responsible corporate citizen in the communities where it has plants. There are about .450 sizable Japanese owned plants in America. The Japan External Trade "I told him that he should vise up. Maybe his money is for someone else, but most Democrats are still for Cuomo. And For the conspiracy-minde- ed generous. Craig Smith, a Seattle expert on the subject, speculated on Japan's strategy. Since World War II, Japan has developed a successful pattern for maintaining good relations with the United Slates. But since the Gulf War, with more Americans beginning to think about "America first." know! what you're thinking. And the answer is. no. This isn't something secretly orchestrated by Cuomo and his people. Krone, whom I've known for years, is doing it on his own. He's doing it because he has a sense of logic that seems to be lacking in the weak characters who claim to run the Democrat-- , ic Party. "What they've done to Cuomo is something like this. It's as if Ryne Sanclberg missed the first week or two of spring training because of personal obligations and the manager said: 'Sandberg has lost his starting job and will have to sit on the bench; we are making this kid from Peoria our second baseman.' That would be nonsense. The fans would go crazy. But that's what the Democrats did when they gave Cuomo the New Hampshire deadline:. I think grass-roo- ts Democrats should have a chance to go crazy, and I'm trying to give them the chance." So if you share Krone's views, and have some time on your hands, here's a chance to do something. And in this economy, more and more people have time on their hands. in On ited The United Auto Workers, reeling from General Motors' plan to slash 74,000 jobs by 1995, views Japanese philanthropy as a clever ruse. A United Auto Workers official told us that the charity is an extension and image-makin- g of shameless influence-buyin- g at which the Japanese have become so adept. "They are trying to polish their public image through philanthropy and scholarship programs and grants to the local hospitals," the union official said. "If you talk candidly to Japanese executives, it's clear they are trying to use a checkbook to portray themselves as good corporate citizens. In reality, the opposite is true. They have repeatedly violated trade regulations and labor law to keep unions out (of their U.S. plants)." In keeping with Japan's methodical approach to any market, every Japanese firm has a "study mission" to come up with options for cornering the market on charity. Japanese government ministries have rallied companies to do even more, and the media has mimicked the official line by urging firms to be more I d, ' States Japan's public relations aren't as convinc- -' ing. The current image of Japan among its competitors in America is that of a cunning ; opportunist, the new Evil Empire. Smith agrees that philanthropy has be- -' come a way for the Japanese to bolster, their individual business objectives for the It makes the Japanese seem "warm and fuzzy," Smith said. ; " long-ter- The Japanese are also counting on the contributions to keep Japan on the top of . the heap when it comes to research and development. Japanese funding of can support the recruitment strategy of taking the best and the brightest for its own companies. Plus, the Japanese: can develop their own products in areas where the American colleges have basic research excellence. '. U.S.-universitie- - Former East German leader Erich Honecker is predictably seeking refuge in Cuba, one of the last places on the planet that an opportunistic communist can go. Honecker is wanted in Germany and there are precious few places left where he can hide from German law. Once the Russians threatened to ex- tradite him to Germany, Honecker found sanctuary in the Chilean Embassy in Moscow. Honecker's search for s home is refreshing for the fire world to watch. This is one case of homclessness that bodes well fcr the planet. MINI-EDITORIA- L s , V . |