Banner Graphic, Volume 9, Number 273, Greencastle, Putnam County, 25 July 1979 — Page 9

County taxpayers hold key to future of emergency medical services

Stung by the effects of inflation and beset by a series of entirely new costs, Operation Life is asking Putnam County taxpayers to provide more direct support for emergency medical services in 1980 than they have during the entire threeyear period the service has been subsidized by the county. ALMOST CERTAINLY, the Putnam County Council will follow the lead of the County Commissioners and approve Operation Life’s 1980 budget, which seeks $114,020 in county funds. The requested subsidy represents the difference between OL’s projected 1980 expenses of $196,270 and its anticipated income of $82,250. In the three budget years since the county signed an agreement with Operation Life for provision of emergency medical service, county tax support has totaled $105,150. In 1977 the county paid $24,150, in 1978 the figure was $25,000 and this year it is $56,000. Now. faced with the liklihood of paying more than twice the tax bill in only a year’s time, county taxpayers are on the receiving end of one more painful lesson in what they already knew - there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. That’s not intended as a criticism of the emergency medical service provided by Operation Life, a service that thousands of county residents appreciate having. BUT THE 1980 BUDGET request is a case study in the inevitable evolution of a largely “voluntary” program concept that develops and expands, then ultimately has no place to turn other than to tax funds. Thus, the situation facing county taxpayers is relatively simple and certainly to the point- If we want the benefits of a 24hour, certified emergency medical service, we’re going to have to pay for it.

opinion LARRY GIBBS ERIC BERNSEE Publisher Managing Editor

Letters to the Editor

'K-9 muggers' a threat

To the Editor: With my daily walking-for-health program about to be CUR-tailed or dis-CUR-aged by PUG-nacious dogs in the streets and yards of Greencastle, I have been forced to adopt a weapon for self-protection. What can a person do to ward off a dog armed to the teeth? You can not beat them off with your bare hands! You do not dare bull-DOG-ging them to the ground. My defense is my dog dis-CUR-ager, aerial warfare abetted by an antenna taken from a discarded FM radio. This chrome rod aerial opens up to 36 inches in length and telescopes to seven inches. It is easily carried in a man’s back pocket or in a lady’s purse. Twice in this past month I have used it effectively. On Crown Street one unleashed hound came snarling, charging at me from off a porch while I was walking by on a public sidewalk. Like one of the Three Musketeers I drew the antenna, extended it, and as the dog lunged, I riposted with a hit on his nose and waved the aerial whip across his face. He s-CUR-ried back to the safety of his master’s porch. While walking in Commercial Place I decided to cut across a private space after being assured by a neighbor lady that the path was safe from dogs as they were all leashed to substantial anchors. The

Exemption is justified

To the Editor: As a member of the retail food industry, I am pleased with the U.S. Department of Energy’s decision to exempt retail food stores from the maximum/minimum Building Temperature Restrictions. To abide by the 78 degree summer in-store temperature would have endangered the quality of many food products. There is a delicate balance in supermarket designs to best utilize the refrigeration/freezer cases would have to compensate for the warmer room air temperature. Since approximately 60 per cent of a store’s utility expense is for cooling, it is essential that his equipment be operated as efficiently as possible. Conversely, the heat removed from the compressor units is “reclaimed” and used for heating purposes in the cooler months. Approximately 60 per cent of our 80 In-

lH JR H

Commentary

By LARRY GIBBS Publisher

probably in increasingly large doses. The $56,000 that the county has provided Operation Life in 1979 constitutes about 42 per cent of OL’s projected $132,000 budget for the entire year. If the proposal for 1980 becomes reality, the county will be assuming 58 per cent of OL’s total budget. Despite tax subsidies and a lingering misconception among some of the public. Operation Life’s services are not free. If, for example, you summon an OL ambulance for an emergency run to the hospital, you’ll be charged a $45 base loading fee, plus $2 per mile. Any services rendered or medical supplies used enroute involve additional charges. BASED ON COMPARATIVE figures supplied to the Commissioners at their meeting on July 16, Putnam County taxpayers have been getting a better break

first two dogs were straining to get me while barking furiously, but their chains held them at bay. The third dog I failed to SPOT as he was in his dog house. He came bounding out with bared teeth. Instinctively I turned away from him momentarily scared by the surprise of his attack. He bit me on the back of my thigh. It is best always to face a dog. I stopped, drew my antenna to its full length and, deploying it like a rapier, smacked him on the nose several times. ET TU (YOU BRUTE!). He, too, turned tail, quitting his attack. His owner was standing not more than 20 feet away. He did not call off his dog nor did he say a word to me even tho I was trespassing (albeit with permission of the lady neighbor). To CUR-b unwarranted assaults by their dogs all dog owners should have the CUR-tesy of displaying warning signs of “Beware of the Dog”. I’m not being DOG-matic. I like dogs too - have one in his own fenced-in area. But I’ll be DOGgoned if I’m going to allow these K-9 muggers to spoil my walking. There is one disadvantage to carrying this aerial in the back pocket. This oc-CUR-s when you sit down. A second worry is will the police consider the antenna an illegal concealed weapon? J.D.F. Greencastle

diana stores use this method of heating. There are many ways we all can conserve energy. Wherever possible energy saving devices have been added to or replaced existing equipment in Kroger stores. For example automatic timers or controls are used on exterior lights, store temperature settings and defrost cycle settings. All new stores since 1977 have been designed to include energy saving devices. Currently “demand controllers” are being installed to reduce the load factor with power companies therefore reducing kilowatt-hour usage. But we must examine all conservation proposals carefully to properly determine the long term esJect on the quality and quantity of our day to day food supply. Dale Jessup Kroger Store Manager Greencastle

than some of their neighbors. According to Operation Life, Clay County taxpayers are subsidizing their emergency ambulance service to the tune of $201,000 this year, while Parke County is providing its ambulance service with $90,000 in 1979. Both of those services also assess base loading fees, mileage and other charges. But while everyone who uses Operation Life’s services receives a bill, not everyone pays. Dr. Thomas Graffis, chairman of the OL board of directors, and David Bray, OL accountant, told the Commissioners that 65 to 70 per cent of all emergency fees actually are collected locally. A few more are handled by an Indianapolis collection agency, but a significant percentage remain unpaid. The product of a public service implemented by DePauw University students in 1974, Operation Life has come a long way since its determined band of volunteers operated out of the basement of a private residence in Greencastle. As Dr. Graffis explains, OL’s emphasis continues to be on the quality of service provided. "PEOPLE SOMETIMES don’t un derstand the quality of the service that’s being offered,” Dr. Graffis said. “We’ve always exceeded, not just met, state certification standards for personnel and equipment whenever possible. Our emphasis has been on training and development of competent personnel utilizing the best possible equipment. “Over the years, we’ve matured in our response to emergencies and everybody up and down the line has learned by experience. When we make a run, everyone involved is competent and thoroughly, trained.” While the $92,070 earmarked for salaries represents the largest single item in OL’s

Paddling: New book questions use in schools

By FRED M. HECHINGER c. 1979 N.Y. Times News Sermice NEW YORK became the first state to abolish corporal punishment in the public schools. No other state followed its example until 1972, when Massachusetts took the plunge. The situation has not changed much since then. Today, 46 states allow the use of corporal punishment. Maine has joined the prohibitionists and Hawaii has imposed a temporary ban while reviewing the facts. Maryland leaves the decision to local districts. New York City is among the few localities that have outlawed paddling under their homerule authority. The United States plays a lonely role in its adherence to the historic belief that to spare the rod spoils the child. Of the major nations, only West Germany and Great Britain, which have a historic background of caning as the means of building strong men, are missing on the list of countries that forbid hitting children as part of the educational process. By contrast, corporal punishment in the United States was upheld by the Supreme Court as recently as 1977. The Court held that, since the penalty was not “cruel and unusual” under the Constitution, children so disciplined could not look to the Eighth Amendment for protection. All of this leaves the schools as the only American institution authorized to resort

Refugees' only alternative may be jungle

By HENRY KAMM c. 1979 N.Y. Times News Service GENEVA A senior Vietnamese official was asked what Secretary General Kurt Waldheim of the United Nations meant when he announced at a 65-nation conference here on Indochinese refugees that Vietnam would try to stem “illegal” departures for a “reasonable time.” The official, Vu Hoang, head of the consular department of the Foreign Ministry, explained that Vietnam would step up its coastal patrols day and night and punish severely those caught trying to escape. Asked why Hanoi would only temporarily try to enforce its laws against free emigration, Hoang heeitated, then said that of course Vietnam would restrain “illegal” emigration for as long as necessary. Waldheim’s announcement, which he said was a result of his consultations with the Vietnamese delegation headed by Phan Hien, the deputy foreign minister, threw into disarray those conference delegates who saw the main purpose of the meeting to be the protection of the refugees’ human rights, particularly the right to emigrate and the right to asylum. It was greeted with enthusiasm by the representatives of the countries of “first asylum” in Southeast Asia, who have long insisted on a solution of the refugee problem “at the source,” that is, by an end to the exodus. Vice President Mondale, who had given strong suppport to a call by Foreign Minister Jean Francois-Poncet of France for a six- month moratorium on the outflow of Vietnamese refugees but specified that he meant forcible expulsion of Vietnamese of Chinese origin, had already left for Washington when Waldheim made his announcement.

total projected expenses of $196,270 in 1980, Dr. Graffis estimates that 45 per cent of the overall service still is provided by unpaid volunteers. Other than $13,000 for a fulltime executive director and SIO,OOO for an assistant director, the bulk of the salary expense goes to pay the paramedics and emergency medical technicians who make ambulance runs. “OUR PROPOSED salaries for 1980 are based on a system of eight EMTs and one paramedic per 24-hour shift,” Dr. Graffis said. “While these people are trained, skilled personnel, their compensation as opposed to the time spent on duty figures out to something like 50 cents an hour. We don’t.intend for them to make a living from it, but we wanted to do a little more than simply pat them on the back and say thanks for a job well done.” One new item in the 1980 budget is $12,900 to pay the salaries of two fulltime day shift dispatchers, one at Greencastle and the other at OL’s new station at Cloverdale. Expansion of service to include stationing of an ambulance at Cloverdale also has contributed to increased expenses, as have higher costs for insurance, workmen’s compensation, gas, oil and rent. Also new in the budget for 1980 is SIO,OOO set aside for vehicle replacement. Since the county isn’t making any provision to have money available when present ambulances wear out in a couple of years, OL decided to go ahead and take that step. Assuming a similar amount is part of the 1981 budget, at least a nucleus of funds will be appropriated to purchase new ambulances. BUT WHILE Operation Life has come of age in many respects, it remains a gypsy organization in the sense that it has no per-

to corporal punishment, a penalty long outlawed in the prisons and the armed forces. Corporal punishment is not some informal event. In most instances, it operates under specific rules. Of the states that allow corporal punishment, 30 authorize classroom teachers to strike pupils; 20 limit the right to administrators; nine authorize other “certified” employees and two extend the right to noncertified staff. South Dakota allows school bus drivers to hit pupils. New York State prohibits the use of “deadly force”; one state says children may not be hit on the head or in the face; two states prohibit striking children with undue anger. New Mexico says “corporal punishment shall not be administered in the presence of other students,” an interesting admission of the undesirable effect of adult aggression witnessed by minors. The American insistence on the paddle as an indispensable disciplinary device is baffling enough to require some factual examination, and Temple University Press this month will publish an enlightening volume, “Corporal Punishment in American Education,” edited by Irwin A. Hyman and James H. Wise. The book provides those who want to reconsider present practices with the kind of hard data that is often lacking in discussion of the issue. It also offers some shocking examples of the practice:

The Vietnamese declaration raised the question of whether it foreshadowed any change its policy of forced exodus. Despite Vietnamese disclaimers, a vast body of detailed evidence from refugees proves that the bulk of the departures, although formally ‘'illegal,” occur with the approval of the Hanoi government. About two-thirds of the refugees are ethnic Chinese or have bought false identity papers certifying Chinese origin. Since April 1978, the Hanoi government has followed a course of offering ethnic

manent home. An agreement with the city for use of the old fire station will expire next March 1 and OL is gambling that something can be worked out with the new mayor and city council to continue the arrangement. Last year plans were announced for the construction of a permanent OL building on the northeast corner of Indiana and Seminary Streets on land leased from DePauw University, but a loan for its construction fell through because OL did not own the property. There is nothing in the 1980 budget to pay for construction of a building. “At some point, we’re going to have to address the problem of a building,” Dr. Graffis acknowledges. “We put aside SIO,OOO to plan for eventual replacement of vehicles, but there isn’t one dollar in the budget for a building. We’re hoping, of course, that we’ll be able to continue our agreement with the city in which we pay $1 a year, plus a share of utilities, to use the old fire station.” In all fairness it should be emphasized that while the county provides obvious support in the form of tax dollars, Operation Life in turn offers taxpayers another form of subsidy - the dedication of many skilled individuals who work for little or nothing. Community volunteers at Cloverdale and Greencastle, including several DePauw students in town, continue to provide a solid base for OL. IN MANY RESPECTS, the relationship between Putnam County and Operation Life has been a mutually beneficial one. Most regard it as the logical compromise between a private service operating entirely on fees collected and the staggering cost of an ambulance service financed entirely by the county.

In Vermont, in 1974, a sixth-grader was seriously injured by the principal for striking another student. In Missouri, in 1976, after being caught with cigarettes, three boys were given the choice of a paddling or eating their cigarettes. Finding the beating more distasteful, they ate 18 cigarettes and had to be hospitalized for three days. In Dallas, in the course of one school year, an average of 2,000 incidents of physical punishment each month were reported. The reasons why the United States adheres to a form of discipline that has been so widely discredited pedagogically as well as psychologically are in part historical. The “hickory stick” method of teaching is thought by many to go back to the Puritan view of children being, as the product of original sin, inherently evil and possessed by the devil who had to be beaten out of them. Pedagogically, American educators as well as the public have been vacillating between stern control and the kind of humanitarian approach to children and pedagogy that was advocated by Horace Mann and John Dewey. Periods of “permissiveness” are invariably followed by a' return to “getting tough,” usually under political pressures that tend to blame lawleseness and juvenile delinquency on the absence of harsh penalties. Thus, the Supreme Court in its 1977 ruling warned that “Respect for democratic institutions

Chinese a choice between paying to be deported onto the South China Sea or being sent into jungle camps. Since Vietnam does not admit to its policy of expulsion, doubt remains over whether Hien’s understanding with Waldheim was meant to cover a reduction in forced departures or stronger measures against ethnic Vietnamese who leave in secret in small boats or who purchase false Chinese identity papers to join the open flow. Skeptical observers, mainly Asians or

July 25,1979, The Putnam County Banner Graphic

During 1978, Operation Life responded to 1,047 emergency calls, an average of nearly three per day. Through July 16 of this year, 518 emergency runs had been made by Greencastle units and another 141 by the OL ambulance based in Cloverdale Without question, there’s a need for emergency medical services and qualified personnel to provide them. But 1980 may be an important crossroads for Putnam County and Operation Life. For the first time, it appears taxpayers will be financing more than half of OL’s total budget with every liklihood the percentage will continue to increase. The lines of communication between Operation Life and county officials have improved considerably, but much remains to be accomplished. If the agreement signed 27 months ago is to remain in effect, and there’s every indication that all parties favor that, then there has to be more mutual planning toward future goals. WHAT ABOUT A permanent base for Operation Life in Greencastle? Can the county be doing anything to help extend the old fire station lease beyond next March 1? Will there be sufficient money to replace existing ambulances a couple of years from now? How long can we count on volunteer services to be a major part Of OL’s program? How much more in tax funds will be needed next year and the year after? Nobody has benefit of a crystal ball, but there’s no need for some of these questions to fester into major problems. A more open and direct dialogue between Operation Life, the County Commissioners and the County Council is the most sensible approach to a situation in which taxpayers, like it or not, are going to pick up the major share of the tab.

will ,t.t. dissipate if they (teachers) are thought too ineffectual to provide their students an environment of order.” Those who challenge the claim of a cause-effect relationship between corporal punishment and order in the classroom point out that, though nearly alone in upholding that form of discipline, American schools tend to be more troubled by violence than those of most other countries. They suggest that the exercise of official violence directed against children perpetuates the use of violence by children. Opponents of corporal punishment point to statistics that show that teachers hit younger children far more often than older ones, suggesting a clear case of “might makes right.” A task force of the American Psychological Association, in trying unsuccessfully to sway the Supreme Court, said: “A recent study conducted in Portland, Oregon, has shown that as corporal punishment increases in a particular school there is an increase in vandalism against the school.” A problem that confronts opponents of corporal punishment is the difficulty in finding effective alternate penalties. The new volume provides little help on that score. It limits its comments to the by-now standard recommendation of “positive” approaches to discipline, such as constructive relationships between students and teachers.

Westerners with Indochinese experience, suggested that Vietnam, eager to restore some of its tarnished image, may wish to claim political credit for a decrease in the arrivals of “boat people” that the monsoon weather of the coming months will effect anyway. Whatever the results of the declared new policy and despite the elation of countries of first asylum, many refugee officials and delegation members were dismayed by Waldheim’s announcement. Some senior members of the staff of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees insisted that Waldheim had negotiated with Hien without consulting the refugee agency. They said that a number of Waldheim’s replies at a news conference disclosed less than a profound comprehension of the problem. One official said that he might sympathize with Waldheim’s contention that the magnitude of the exodus and the relue : tance of the world to receive refugees id such numbers made a halt in departures the lesser of two evils. But the official contended that the secretary general of the United Nation! should be the last person to abandon publicly such basic tenets of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man as thf right to travel and that, of choice o$ residence. However, the choice in Vietnam is generally between expulsion to the sea or expulsion to the jungle, and refugees by the tens of thousands appear more willing to risk becoming refugees than displaced persons in their own country. If Vietnam’s undertaking with Waldheim means that the jungle is the only remaining alternative, refugee officials said, then the moratorium is less humanitarian than appears on the surface.

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