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Morse sense
cxvnrr v. joiner
K one wares to knew what's happening, be bslens. He
fastens to people talking nt ban. and restaurants, at pubiic
pthermgs, an street corners, over coffee cups wherever
peopie get together. Unfortunately, official government
sources are generally poor places to get she truth peopie need
to understand how their business ts being conducted.
Government offices, from city to federal government, are
more interested in withholding information than giving it
But these offices hae employes who Tisat restaurants, bars
and attend tongue4oosening cocktail parties. There they
oftec drop an off -hand remark that to a trained reporter's ear
provides the basis of a story that may never be "officially"
revealed This what made Drew Pearson a thora m the side
of government bureaucrats who prefer to ran their public
offices as private fsefdoms. and why his successor. Jack
Anderson, is equally feared by government officials.
Newsmen are seldom given any official government
information except the kind that will reflect creditably upon
that agency.
The situation is similar in Morrow County. Getting
the answers to many questions of public interest direct from
officials has been difficult for this newspaper It has been
necessary sb one instance to threaten to secure a court order
just to took at public records. Mostly, the news is suppressed
snnpfy by silence. "We doet know." "YouU have to see
so-and-so " "That news cant be released. They chase our
tails off from one office to another until the reporter finally
comes fall circle, and empty handed. Then he goes into the
bars and restaurants and listens to the conversations. The
"tacts" he gets may be distorted but it is a beginning nomt in
farcing confirmation or denial from the ofrsoal who should
have provided the news in the first place.
My father once gave me a piece of advice "Son." be
said, ""when you're talkirg you ain't leaning anything." So I
have become a good fastener over the years. By listening. I
now am abie to report on reasons why the serai levy tor
Pioneer Memorial Hospital failed 4 to Tm m last week's
ejection; and why the serial levy far county roads failed 2 to
1
9 It is not true 'as County Judge Paul Jones has
specaia'ed' that the negative vote indicates Morrow County
residents dc not want a hospital. They do. The dssatisfaetion
Les in the fact that, although the hospital is supported by
taxation, taxpayers who provide the money do not feed a part
of that operation except when more money ts needed.
Generally speaking, few peopie know how the hospital
opera"es. what it costs, what it beys, what services are
available, hew nrportant it is to the community or how to
understand its budge?. These peopse feel that if the hospital a
indeed "their hospital" they are entitled to know more about
ir fThis sndica'es a lack of public relations programs to
inform the people. I voted against the hospital levy, although
I am strongly pro-hospital. 'The reason for my negative vote
is that this newspaper has not been provided with the facts
regarding hospital affairs It is upon such facts that a vote is
drermined. Seldom has it been possible for us to even fad
oat by calling the hospital whether a patient has been
aimrted for treatment. The stack reply is that all
mt'orma-ior. mast come from the doctor'. On one occasion we
fallowed an ambulance to the hospital emergency ward. The
garf a: the desk dechsei t state whether the man had been
admitted, although it had been done before our very eyes,
what was the man's name? "We are not permitted to give out
that information." the girl replied. He recognize, of course,
"hat any statement as to the diagnosis and condition of a
pa lent should come from the attending physician, but simple
questions as so a person's presence there, or whether he's
alive or dead, is carrvmg secrecv in a public institution too
far.
As to the roads. What peopie are saying is that it is the
duy of some pretty highly paid county commissioners to
oversee repair of county roads. Peopie are saying that if the
commissioner is responsible far the roads in his district, why
must there be more than one high-salaried foreman?
Peopie are saving that in the road Department there are too
many chiefs and too few Indians. They are saying that the
increase is tax money earmarked for roads will not go onto
the battered roads of Morrow County, but mostly into the
pockets of administrative and supervisory personnel. They
still want to know why the commissioner's salary is buned
down bs the road department budget . They say they doc 't like
K when the court meets more than once a month, or when
they troop off at luncfatime for a good meal and send the bill
to the cour'y. They say Sm.m i $230,000 a year for four
years would be fine if it went into actual labor and
materials to fix up roads instead of paying for top-heavy
administration, travel, lunches. $1,200 for conventions and
other ferns not directly connected with road repair and
construction.
A: the time the road and hospital serial levies were
planned. Judge Paul Jones recommended money be
appropriated to conduct a pubiic information advertising
campaign to inform residents of Morrow County of the need
for the additional monies, which would have explained both
proposals fully and urge their adoption. The court turned him
down. We think Judge Jones was right. This newspaper
published the facts regarding both issues. That is not enough.
Peopie must be sold and re-sold where this lend of money is
involved. In serial levies m the past, a public information
campaign has been conducted. This time it was not.
Supf Roc Daniels knows the value of an informed public
Before any official beard meeting or any program needing
ci'izen suppers, he sends the press a complete agenda, an
explanation of items on the agenda, supportive material to
allow new smen to understand what is going to happen. Then
he makes himself available for questions He seeks out the
media. He doesn't sit in his office and wait for reporters to
find him. And a reporter doesn't have to drag every piece of
information out of him as if one were pulling teeth. If the
reporter doesn't go after Roc. Ron goes after the reporter. Aa
official of Blue Mountain Community College told me
Tuesday that Ron's extraordinary success in keeping pufakc
confidence by keeping the public informed was a big factor is
his selection as the second president of the college Monday
night. Some close-mouthed of finals could take a lesson from
Ron Dameis hi getting things done by getting peopie
informed.
THE
GAZETTE-TIMES'
0OW COVWTV1 M CrS PCI
' '. m w. h ippm . or not. p.tnjrm
I .6y:Tr " r ft trrwt m wrt
X TTt mTm-nmrm armr Urn t-
...So Nice To Come Home To.
Crossroads
Report
It is being said by tome
bare-trams that the FBI and
the police used "excessive
force" in that Los Angeles
shootout.
The claim is that 500
lawmen against six SLA
terrorists is unsportsmanlike
conduct, which is to say Oat
murder, kidnapping and bank
robbing are do considered
sports, like football, baseball,
cnipshooting, etc.
4-
But even in the Los Angeles
contest, the odds were much
fairer than in the other new
sport of President-baiting,
where the odds must be
getting better than a million to
one by now.
D E SCOTT.
QuoteUnquote
"'It was once suggested that
the public welfare could be
improved if the Congress
would appropriate money to
pay the Army Corps of
Engineers not to build dams.
It has also been suggested by
the junior Senator from Mich
gan. if I recall that the
number of employes at the
Department of .Agriculture be
required by law not to exceed
the number of farmers in the
United States "Lewis A.
Engman, Chairman, Federal
Trade Commission, speech.
May 1. 1974
Heppner. Ore., Gazette-Times, Thursday, June 6, 1974
Mayor of Hardman
Others say .
"The general public has been brainwashed by the fear
tactics that have beer used by these extremists
enviroomentaJists ' in press, television and radio. It is my
cor.-ention that not until there is no heat for our homes, and
when the lights go out will the general public belatedly
recognize the 'over-kill" that has resulted from permitting
the valuable environmentalist movement to be captured and
taker, over by a few vociferous extremists ""-Dr. Norman E.
BorlauE. Nobel Laureate, food and nutrition
Right or wrong, these are things peopie are saying
People want the hospital and they want the roads. What they
do not want is to vote yes on an unexplained budget or on a
proposition they do not understand- They want to be
convinced that the money requested is actually needed and
bo that money will help him and his neighbors They want
to know that some budget items are genuine and not a device
to get money that couldn't be gotten otherwise Voters have
had i up to their earlobes in voting tax money without being
convinced of the need for it. and not knowing what they get m
return for their money.
This newspaper can do a good job in helping get this
information to the pubiic. As much space as is necessary to
do that job is available without charge to any tax-supported
institution. Readers must be "leveled with." There should be
no ccverups. no withholding or skipping over important
information. The good should be laid out alongside the bad.
No office operates without error, but how long since you've
heard a public official publicly admit, "I goofed. I made this
expensive mistake, but it won't happen again," More likely
they insist no error occurred Or they bury it in an unmarked
grave.
Not all this lack of communication between voter and
official is the fault of public officials. It can be argued that if
this newspaper covered all the meetings of each office fas it
should) there would be no basis for our complaint of lack of
cooperation in matters of news We w ould be there, and being
there it would be our responsibility to obtain and publish the
proceedings. But we cannot be there. We have two people
available to cover two dozen regularly scheduled meetings.
So e have to rely on officials to either call us or give us the
results of their meetings when call No weekly newspaper
has the budget to hire a dozen reporters The East Oregonian
hasn't got thai much money. The New York Times can t do
it. So there must be a spirit of cooperation between the
newspaper and the various offices if the public is to be
informed, and an informed pubiic is the name of the game
Wih just a little more cooperation than we're getting now.
we can do twice as good a job of informing peopie as to how
their business in being run.
9 It may also be argued that citizens should attend
meetings of the city council, coun'y court, hospital board and
a dozen other such agencies as a matter of becoming
knowledgeabie in ctvtc affairs True. But after a man puts in
a day 's work it isn "t Lkeiy he's going to spend three hours at a
city council meeting only 10 discover that Joe Blow has been
grven a vanance for a trailer bouse. And he is not going to
mui'ipiy this by 25 in order to attend 25 organizational
mee-ings. most of which occur on the same night. He would
nave no time to work or to devote to his family. But be can
pick up the newspaper and in s;x seconds he gets the
information a reporter may have sat through hours of
argument to bring him. Therefore, the newspaper ts the
logical medium whereby news of public interest is
disseminated. This newspaper goes into nearly every home
m Morrow County, and presumably read. Any agency with a
desire to inform the public has no better medium of
communicating with Morrow County, unless it chooses to
launch a direct mail program People are not going to attend
all these meetings ; they are going to rely on the newspaper to
tell them what 's happening at the local level- When we don't
get the information, neither does the public.
I am a betting man So 111 bet even money that if both the
hospital and road levies were presented to Morrow County
voters again, after a full disclosure of their real need, the
levies would pass But it would take a public relations
campaign All the questions would have to be answered, all
the bases covered, and thoroughly. There would be speeches,
with question and answ er periods, and the books and records
would be made available to the news media for analysis
and publication, along with the comments of responsible
officials I am convinced that when peopie know the facts,
they respond affirmatively. Right now. they don't know
whether they have the facts or not.
The mail pouch
EDITOR:
My name is Bill Buckendorf I w ill be teaching in Heppner
next year I nee to find housing and I thought your paper
might help me
BILL BUCKENDORF,
Buhl. Idaho
ED NOTE Anyone with a house to rent may contact Mr,
Buckendorf at Box 521. Buhl. Idaho 83316 1
EDITOR :
Mary and I acquired the habit of reading your column in
the Sevastopol Times and have continued the activity by
subscribing to your Heppner newspaper. We enjoy your
writing even though we disagree, which isnt very often.
Referring to your column in Jan 17, 1974: the third
paragraph is in regard to misleading statistics and drunk
drivers Very amusing, and it caused us to think of some
statistics we read elsewhere, namely: "AH persons who ate
tomatoes prior to 1600 are now dead. (This, of course, was
mentioned because at one time. I am sure you know,
tomatoes were believed to be poisonous.) By the way, you
must be familiar with the book. "How To Lie With
Statistics
By all means continue "upward" but not "onward " Also,
this advice. "Nihil prohibitum carborundum." Very poor
Latin, I admit, but apropos when translated into pidgin
English.
NOEL C STEVENSON.
Los Angeles
EDITOR:
The Mike Boy len family of Pendleton wishes to thank the
many though'ful peopie of Heppner and the surrounding area
for their kve. concern and encouragement the past eight
months
The prayers, fund donations, gifts, letters, cards, and
fund-raising projects were deeply appreciated as a sincere
gesture of love for Michaele and our family from kind
neighbors.
This to' a! effort of ev ery one sustained us. and we will never
forget your kindness and concern.
THE MIKE BGYLEN FAMILY,
PENDLETON
EDITOR :
Please extend my congratulations to Heppner High's
4-to-y ard relay team and Teresa Peck for their excellent
performances at the stae track meet.
You can imagine my surprise when I read my name in the
same story However, I would like to point out that it was my
cousin. Gary Connor, who woo the discus event in 1952,
instead of his brother Keith, who was also a fine athlete for
Heppner.
W ENDELL CONNOR.
Forest Grove.
"Metvin Called Me An 'Expletive Deletion!
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
The fellers at the country store Saturday night was
wondering whatever come of that big metal ball that was
found in Florida a couple of months back. The ball was
studied by all kinds of scientists and all they could agree on
was that it was mysterious.
Ed Gonty. on fur tow from bis duties as the Terror of Willow
Crick, said what made the ball a puzzle was that it was so
simple. It was a plain steel ball, no colors, no marks, no
buzzing sounds, jest a smooth round ball. It worried them
scientists so much they wanted to saw it in two and soak it in
acid to find out why it was a plain steel ball.
Ed said be hopes the ball is locked up safe from scientists to
remind the world that there still is things like a simple steel
ball around.
For onct, Clem Webster was agreed with Ed. Clem said
we've got to git away from this idee that everything has to be
complicated. We have got to the point where when somebody
says "good morning" we wonder what he meant by it. was
Clem's words The kind of laws we're passing is one sure way
of keeping up with our outlook, allowed Gem, and he was in
favor of laws to get rid of laws.
Gem said he was thinking of a law passed a few weeks ago
in Deerfield Beach. Florida that says cats has got to wear
bells. It seems the cats is sneeking up on the birds and taking
unfair advantage by not warning em, Clem said, so the town
fathers w ants to bell cats so the birds can hear em coming.
Cat owners that don't bell their cats is subject to a 2S fine.
The Deerfield Beach police chief said be can't suit the bird
lovers and the cat lovers, and he can't enforce the law cause
cats running around ringing their bells after 10 o'clock at
night is agin the town anti-noise law.
General speaking, broke in Bill Weatherford who stomped
in from his wash house and took over the floor, we figger no
problem is so big it cant be fixed with a new Law. Bill ts still
smarting because Heppner s city charter classifies his wash
house as an offensive occupation, and that law still stands
while the city fathers debate if the classification ought to be
changed, along with the law that says a kid cant bounce a
ball on Mam St
Bill has heard of a law in Florence. South Carolina that is
agin men walking the public streets with their shirt tails
hanging out He w as wondering if Florence has amended that
law to say men has got to wear pants fer their shirt tails not to
hang out of.
It nst goes to show. Bill declared, that we have a habit in
this country of throwing the baby out with the bath water
ever time we try to clean him up. Bill gets carried away
frequent.
Speaking of la ws. Bug Hook urn reported where this gal was
fired in Rock Island. Illinois cause she was so pritty the men
couldn't git their work done fer looking at her. Bug said if
thai comes to a law saying wimmen cant use their looks to
take unfair advantage of men and other wimmen, ever
woman in the world can be arrested fer false advertising
Yours truly.
MAYOR ROY,
The Korean satyr
who seized Nikon
By LESTER KINSOIVING
When the president recently visited Phoenix, there were
more than 3.000 anti-Nixon demonstrators outside the
Coliseum.
Nearby, however, was a rival rally conducted by some 100
members of a group called the National Prayer and Fast For
The Watergate Crisis, who distributed pennants saying "God
Loves Nixon "
This very same group showed up at Oklahoma State
Univ ersity one week la"er. w hen only 500 anti Nixon
demonstrators held a ra!!y protesting the president's visit (a
rally whose impact" was almost entirely neutralized by the
infil'ration of a band of full-voiced, banner -bearing Jesus
Freaks f.
This traveling band of pro-Nixon prayer -and faster? were
actually members of the Unification Church of Korean
evangelist Sun Myong Moon
Last January they staged another rally, in Lafayette
Square, across from the White House It was so vivid and so
rare, being pro-Nixon, that it w as joined by Tncta Nixon Cox.
who made a speech
The very next morning, the Rev. Mr. Moon was ushered
into the presence of the President of trie United States -whom
he proceeded, quite suddenly, to embrace.
The Secrei Sen ice. and no doubt Mr Nixon himself, would
have been infini'eiy more startled at this abrupt avalanche of
emotion - had they but known something of the colorful
background of the Rev. Mr Moon
Once a ruling elder in the Korean Presbyterian Church.
Moon was excommunicated in 1M8 because he started his
own competing church, complete with several new wild and
exo'icaHy erotic beliefs.
One of these beliefs caused theRev. Mr. Moon's arrest on
July 4. 1955. after he was expelled from the campus of Ewa
Women s Technical University in Seoul, and booked and
jailed on a morals charge.
Mr. Moon's followers r'Moomes" vehemently claim that
this was all a frameup by one of his former wives - and that
he was Later acquitted
But there are those who claim thai his comparatively early
release from incarceration was due to a disease. And the
Korean press (which was at that time relatively freei
exposed in titillating detail his Unification Church's bizarre
initiatory nte called "picarume" or "blood separation "
This poignant ritual consisted of "purification" via sexual
intercourse. For female initiates, this process took place
with the "perfect and pure emissary of God." (Guess who )
Moon's claim to be the Second Christ was based upon his
report that in 1936 the first Christ (who failed because he did
not marry be! ore being crucified) appeared to him on a
Korean hillside A more recent Moon revelation:
"At this moment m history. God has chosen Richard Nixon
lo be President of the United States." (No comment
regarding the choice of Spiro Agnew.)
The Rev. Mr. Moon refuses to grant interviews with the
press - and be makes sure that his cult's financial records
are kept concealed. For any open accounting, as in most
denominations, might reveal the full extent to which this cult
is being used and financed by the South Korean dictatorship
of President Park Chung Hee. (who has just sentenced six
Methodist and Presbyterian clergy to 10-15 year prison terms
for daring to criticize the government.)
It is known, however, that much of the money is sent
through Moon's constant companion and translator li Col
Bo Hi Pak of the South Korean Army.
Pak was assigned to Moon by request of South Korea's
former Ambassador to the United States. You Yang
Ambassador Yang's diplomatic ploy was really quite
clever. For it keeps the sexually amazing Mr. Moon out of
Korea, where he can leap literally into the arms of the
President of the United States - instead of impressionable
Korean coeds.
TheRev. Mr. Moon also derives extensive income from the
several industries he owns, including an aphrodisiac factory
- which makes an alleged potency-stimulating tea. called
Tongil Gin Sing.
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