Banner Graphic, Volume 13, Number 121, Greencastle, Putnam County, 28 January 1983 — Page 7

opinion

Letters to the Editor Those who don't get involved should be more considerate

To the Editor: A van was stalled at a three-way intersection in the center through lane. Cars were whizzing by on both sides and even pulled up behind it and honked their horns. Then they would pull around on either side (left was oncoming lane > and go on, most of them in their newer autos. A young woman and child were in the van. A man with a flare walked out from a parking lot to the van to find the woman almost hysterical and crying. She had a right to be scared and he talked her into calming down. Another man came along and together they got traffic stopped and got her backed into a parking lot a few feet behind her. While she was stalled in the traffic, a state police car and sheriff’s car both passed by along with everyone else, not even slowing down. One can take Interstate 70 to Terre Haute and most of the cars stalled, you will notice, are newer. The point is that any vehicle can stall at any time. A decent driver will take this as par for

Public invited to attend courthouse clock dedication

To the Editor: The Putnam County Board of Realtors, its associates and affiliate members would be honored by your presence on Sunday. Jan. 30. on the Putnam County Courthouse lawn for the dedication and unveiling of the new

Signed letters are welcome

The Banner Graphic believes the interests of its readers are best served by expression of varied points of view . We offer our opinions and those of others on this page and welcome you to do the same, whether you agree, disagree or wish to comment on another subject of public interest. Letters to the editor should be typed or written clearly and limited to 300 words if possible. All letters must be signed and include the author's address and telephone number. Although we en-

League looks at: Federal

Publisher’s note: The following was submitted to the Banner-Graphic bv the League of Women Voters of Greencastle. How is a newly-adopted federal law implemented? Who are the rulemakers who set up regulations to carry out the intent of the lawmakers? When the United States Constitution was adopted in 1789, it only gave Congress the “power...to regulate commerce” (Article I, Section 8) but made no mention of federal regulatory agencies. However, 100 years later, authority was invoked to escablish the first independent regulatory agency of the federal government, the Interstate Commerce Commission. THE GROWING complexity of life in the

Educators split over New York proposal to begin first grade at 5

By EDWARD B. FISKE c. 1983 N.Y. Times NEW YORK A proposal by Gordon M. Ambach, the New York State Commissioner of Education, to have children enter and leave school at earlier ages is at once both far-reaching and conservative. The plan is radical because it would change state policy in areas where educators are sharply divided, especially the educational consequences of starting formal schooling at the age of 5. It is conservative in that much of it would, in effect, formalize social changes already occurring, such as the growing number of children in day care and other preschool programs. Ambach outlined his plans, which he emphasized were still in the discussion stage, in a briefing earlier this week. He suggested that children enter kindergarten at the age of 4 and begin the first grade at the age of 5. The current 12-year course of study would be condensed to 11 years and most students would then finish high school at the age of 16, two years

LARRY GIBBS Publisher

the course. But to not even slow down is inexcusable by anyone and creates a very dangerous situation. This incident didn’t happen in New York, Chicago or Milwaukee It took place right here in Greencastle, in front of McDonald’s at noon this past Saturday when traffic was at a premium. Have we here in this small town also become as uncaring animals? This is not the first time this type of problem has happened, nor will it be the last. It’s a part of life. I’m not saying that helping someone in distress is for everyone. There'is a chance of risk involved in a situation like this But those who chose not to get involved could and should be a little more considerate. Very few are in such a hurry as to not even slow down. Please remember this: the next time it might be you out there. Driving is privilege. We, as Americans, are very fortunate and we have to help each other once in a while. L.P. rural Greencastle

courthouse clock at 12 noon. An open house will follow at Taylor’s Patio on the square between the hours of noon and 3 p m. Putnam County Board of Realtors

courage readers to permit publication of their names, requests for use of initials w ill be honored in most cases. Letters containing personal attacks on individuals, libelous statements or profanity will not be published. All letters are subject to editing, although such w ill be held to a minimum and the intent of a letter will not be altered. Send your letters to: Letters to the Editor, The Banner Graphic, P. O. Box 509. Greencastle, Indiana 46135.

U.S. required such agencies. Urbanization, industrialization, transportation and communication had moved at great speed. Economic growth was rapid and unbridled. It was evident that states outgrew their ability to cope with such herculean advances. For instance, it became obvious that interstate commerce could not conform to every state’s regulations; they were frequently conflicting. Congress determined that only the federal government could regulate such enterprises as railroads crossing many state boundaries. Since 1886, regulatory agencies have grown in proportion to demands placed on government by population growth, technological change and conflicting

earlier than they now do According to the commissioner, the changes, which would be implemented over a 10-year period, would have a number of educational and practical benefits. “We have done a lot oi" experimental work on the prekindergarten level, and we find that the effects of starting students earlier are substantial and lasting,” he said in an interview The telescoping of the educational process would help ease the effect of the teacher shortage that is expected to become a serious problem in elementary and secondary schools during the second half of the 1980 s. Sending students on to college at an earlier age would help ease the reverse problem expected at the college level too many faculty members available to serve a declining number of 18-year olds. “We have to find ways in which we can rearrange resources to get the job done in new circumstances,” Ambach commented. Educators disagree widely over the con-

ERIC BERNSEE Managing Editor

Huge revenues benefit even Uncle Sam

Oil price drop may hurt more than help

By PATRICK OSTER (c) 1983 Chicago Sun-Times WASHINGTON-It’s a little early - and maybe even wrong -- to shout “hooray” that OPEC efforts to set price and production levels collapsed last week Oil prices may indeed come down as a result of OPEC’s chaos. But oil prices, once fingered as the root of world economic evils, have taken on a new role. In fact, U S. officials and bankers find themselves rooting for oil prices to stay where they are - or come down only a little. THE CHANGE has come because the world depends on the big revenues that high oil prices produce. Uncle Sam is right up front, counting on billions in revenues from the windfall profits tax. If oil prices drop, President Reagan can expect an even bigger deficit. The world has also come to rely on the oil revenues that OPEC giants, such as Saudi Arabia, put into the world’s banks, says William Cline of the Institute for International Economics. If there is less Saudi money in savings accounts and certificates of deposit, there will be less money to lend. The demand for the suddenly scarcer loan money could cause an increase in interest rates, suggests Cline. That won’t be good news for those who pin US. and world economic recovery on lower interest rates. Likewise, poor oil-producing countries, such as Mexico, Venezuela and Nigeria, will experience a drop in income if oil prices sink. That could spell disaster for them and the international financial community. Countries such as Mexico have accumulated an enormous foreign debt. They need every penny of foreign earnings to pay it off. It’s very important that they do pay it off, because their debts represent so much of the capital of U S. and other W’estern banks. U S. banks are already in trouble because of other financial disasters. A default on a loan by Mexico would put a big dent in bank profits, which are already nothing to brag about. At worst, a default could undermine consumer confidence in such banks, causing a run, a chain reaction in the industry, or perhaps a depression.

Strengthen crime victims'

c. 1983 N.Y. Times News Service WASHINGTON Concluding that the rights of victims have been made secon dary to the rights of criminals, the President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime Thursday issued a report urging changes in the law and the Constitution. Among the proposals in the 144-page report were a system of payments from criminals to their victims, wide-ranging changes in the law on bail, parole and evidence, and training programsdesigned to heighten the sensitivity of lawmakers and law enforcement officials to the traumas experienced by victims of crimes. Also proposed was an addition to the Sixth Amendment, which specifies the rights of citizens accused of crimes. The ad-

regulators of laws and their impact on the constitutional process

values in a pluralistic society. Nearly 100 years later, there are 120 such units. The agonizingly long process for a regulatory agency to finalize rules in order to implement a new law must be frustrating to every participant involved. The agency’s expert group, which is assigned to formulate a proposed rule, develops a plan. After considerable days and weeks of effort, the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register (which is found in most libraries). THEN THE SPARKS begin to fly. Usually two main adversaries appear at required public hearings to express their views: companies opposed to the proposed regulation and interest groups (citizens) in support of the rule, or vice versa. One side

sequences of having children start formal schooling at the age of 5 instead of 6. There is a growing body of literature showing that “early intervention” programs such as Project Headstart have significant and lasting benefits for disadvantaged students. A $3 million study published two years ago by Lawrence J. Schweinhart and David P. Weikart, for example, found that students who entered “compensatory education” programs when they were 3 or 4 years old showed higher academic performance and lower delinquency rates up through their junior high school years. Whether such results are relevant beyond disadvantaged students, though, is a matter of debate. Irving Lazar, a professor at Cornell University, said his research shows that it does. “The Commissioner’s plan would do a lot of good,” he said. “We know kids can learn to read earlier than they now do. The Scots start their children in school at the age of 3.” Others disagree. Dorothy N. and

mummwa i MEETING OF HIE NMIGMTON ) lgy v bee*- jJ

COUNTRIES SUCH AS Mexico have been scrambling in recent months to work out a manageable way to pay at least the interest on their multi-billion debts. Negotiations with lender banks and the International Monetary Fund have produced delicate repayment plans. But such plans depend on the debtor’s having stable income from oil sales. Cline estimates that if oil dropped into the low S2O range per barrel, it would cost Mexico $5 billion to $6 billion in annual revenues. That makes it tough to service an SB3 billion debt. Oil importing countries, of course, would benefit from lower oil prices. Brazil, with an SBB billion debt, would have more

dendum would read: “Likewise, the victim, in every criminal prosecution, shall have the right to be present and to be heard at all critical stages of the judicial proceedings.” Anson Franklin, a White House spokesman, said President Reagan “was grateful to receive the report and said he would do everything in his power to implement the recommendations.” He added that the White House had not yet determined what legislation was necessary to enforce the group’s proposals. “Not one of us wants to take away any rights of the defendant, but it’s time we recognized there’s another side.” said Lois Haight Herrington, chairman of the group “While we’ve been protecting the guilty, we’ve either ignored the victim or blamed

may be concerned about costs to itself and another group wants protection from some hazard. All the public viewpoints expressed at the hearings are explored by the agency's expert group. Relating them to the law’s intent, this staff drafts the plan for the proposed rule after in-house personnel review earlier drafts. By this time, several months have passed. The deadline (for example) is one year from the first session. Within the next six months, the final draft must be published in the Federal Register and the second round of public hearings held throughout the country. At least another two months pass. At this stage, senior officials in the Executive Office of the President review the draft and recom-

Raymond S. Moore of the Hewitt Research Foundation in Michigan have surveyed the literature on the subject and have concluded that forcing students into formal learning earlier is counterproductive. “No matter how bright they are. children need time to build a foundation of experience, exploration and knowledge of the real world,” said Mrs Moore. There are several ways in which the proposal would, in effect, put a formal educational imprimatur on changes that are already occurring for a wide variety of social, economic and other reasons. With the number of single-parent and two-income families increasing, a substantial number of preschool children are already enrolled in day care and other school-like environments. Commissioner Ambach said that, even in the absence of practical needs for such arrangements, most middle- and upper-middle-income families put their children into nursery schools and other formal educational activities by the age of 3 or so. His plan would have the effect of sub-

money to apply toward its now-tardy payments. It might use some of that extra cash to buy more goods from the Mexicos of the world, offsetting some of Mexico’s drop in oil revenues. But because oilexporting underdeveloped countries get 75-95 per cent of their foreign earnings from oil, the offset would not be enough. Mexico, of course, wouldn’t have as much money to buy goods from the Brazils of the world, so Brazil’s oil-price benefit w ould be offset somewhat. U.S. CONSUMERS, too. would have more money to spend on goods, because gasoline and heating oil prices would follow drops in the cost of crude oil. If oil prices fell enough, it would be the

rights, task force urges

the victim.” “Somewhere along the way, the system has lost track of the simple truth that it is supposed to be fair and protect those who obey the law while punishing those who break it,” the report says. “Somewhere along the way. the system began to serve lawyers and judges and defendants, treating the victim with institutionalized disinterest.” Many of the legislative changes proposed are already part of federal law, passed by Congress last fall as part of the omnibus victims protection bill. Among these is a system under which convicted criminals would help repay the costs of their crime to the victim. Referring to the dozens of case studies cited in the report, Mrs. Herrington

mend whatever revisions they consider valid. WHEN THE FINAL revision is reviewed and approved by the regulatory agency’s administrator, the regulations are published again in the Federal Register. The rulemakers have activated the intent of the lawmakers. But, court challenges are almost certain to arise -- another opportunity for the parties concerned to be heard and to be influential in the last formulation of the regulations. It is also a delaying action to the purpose of the new law. After the regulations for the law are finally approved, the states enter into the scene. They must implement the new regulations and devise standards for enforcement. Such efforts could take two or

stituting formal public education for a variety of existing private arrangements. A similar pattern exists at the point of transition from high school to college. Educators often observe that students today are maturing earlier than their predecessors and that the senior year of high school is relatively unproductive for a substantial proportion of students. One effect of this is that 142,000 high school seniors a year are now taking College Board advanced placement tests in order to get a head start on college, and many universities are offering collegelevel courses directed at high school students. There are other ways in which Ambach’s proposals, far from reinforcing social trends, would if adopted raise new social problems. Ernest L. Boyer, the president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, questioned whether at a time of widespread unemployment, especially among young people,

January 28,1983, The Putnam County Banner-Graphic

equivalent of giving consumers a sizable tax cut in terms of economic stimulus. Those related drops in gasoline and heating oil prices would also bring down inflation. U.S. oil companies, however, would suffer. A drop in their profits could cause layoffs. The value of their stock could go down as it did after the OPEC meeting collapsed last week. If oil prices drop sharply, the biggest negative could be a decline in public confidence in the likelihood of recovery. Sharp drops might mean sharp rises a few months from now. That confidence may be more important than lower oil prices.

remarked, “So many victims have said: ‘He attacked me Why did I have to sell my car to pay my medical bills while he still has his car?'” , \ The nine-member group also proposed more stringent bail laws so that bail could be denied to people regarded as a threat to the community rather than only to people thought likely to flee, as well as a restructuring of parole laws so that parole would be denied in some cases and parole hearings would be opened to the public, particularly to the victim of the crime. The report urges relaxing the rule that excludes the use of illegally obtained evidence, so as to allow easier and more frequent convictions.

three more years before the purpose of the law will be in effect. The regulators have been called, “our invisible government.” This view is to a certain extent true. Rulemakers virtually have the last word in the final regulatory plan. The lawmakers have no device yet to confirm that the plan reflects the intent of the new law. NEVERTHELESS, the opportunity for the public to participate in the final draft at two separate hearings and in court is a significant force. Usually opposing factions find both have scored victories. The final regulations are a compromise. The whole, complex procedure is another affirmation of the democratic system of the United States government.

“society is ready to have a younger population move out onto the street.” “We in this society don’t know how to handle youth except as consumers,” he said. “We haven’t figured out how to fit: them comfortably into the workplace. I don’t applaud this, but the fact is that the high school has served as a holding vat.” ' * Ambach acknowledged that letting students out of high school earlier would - pose problems for the job market, but he said that a lot could change over the 10year period in which his plan would be, phased in. “With the skill levels that will be necessary to get a job in the future, we’re: going to have to develop ’ job training programs and all kinds of new arrangements with businesses and in-1 dustry,” he said. “Also, when we go into ’ the 19905, with the baby boom over, there will be a general shortage of labor and a! tremendous demand for youth em-‘ ployment.”

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