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It seems the business of America is doing surveys on what the business
of America is. If you don't want to venture an opinion on something,
suggest that a survey be made and a committee formed to come up with the
survey and another committee to analyze the results of the survey.
Most people who know me realize I don't diddle with making decisions.
Right or wrong, decisions are made. I kind of believe in the old axiom
in poker - study long and study wrong. Your first impulse is usually
your true feelings. If you start to over-analyze your responses, then
you get away from the truth, usually to protect someone's feelings.
This latest survey had to do with economic development with questions
such as what are the strengths and weaknesses of our community, how
would you rate various services, etc.
I do believe in making surveys when someone out there might reveal a
good idea, and there are many people who have great ideas.
Unfortunately, many of those great ideas don't get shared because people
are too timid to express their thoughts and opinions. Obviously, being
timid is not one of my personality traits.
I would certainly encourage anyone with ideas to contact the Chamber of
Commerce. If you've had a problem getting something done, contact the
agency that is involved. It that doesn't work, let us help at the
newspaper and there are other people you can call, people we can direct
you to depending on what the problem is.
Surveys, however, don't seem to work, as those who return them are the
same ones who have been returning surveys for years with the same
answers and/or suggestions.
I know there are people in the community who have ideas that would be
useful. I also realize that some people have ideas on efforts that have
already been tried or some that are underway that other people aren't
aware of. However, the only way to find out and possibly help in that
effort is to make suggestions and put forth your idea.
I don't mean to totally discredit surveys, but I simply don't have time
to do most of them. I get surveys from all over the country at least
once or twice a week, and many a day doesn't pass without me getting
something in the mail or a telephone call on a survey.
And year after year, I get the same surveys from the same companies
involving planned spending on equipment. There are also the same surveys
on staffing. It's enough to make you want to scream.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Mac McKinnon is editor and publisher of the Pecos
Enterprise. His column appears on Friday.
OTHER VIEWS
RU-486 gives Mom one more option
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... With a wide range of choices of abortion methods already available,
the abortion pill RU-486 may now be on its way to a drug store ... near
you.
We can think of nothing worse than making abortion on demand even more
available than it already is. ...
RU-486 must still receive final approval from the Food and Drug
Administration, but the FDA (has) already declared the pill to be safe
and effective. ...
Safe is a relative term, depending on whether it's from the perspective
of the woman taking the pill, or the baby it will destroy.
Already in this country, about a million and a half abortions are
performed every year.
With the introduction of RU-486, that number could soar as women facing
hard choices will now have yet another option for ending their
pregnancies. ...
-- The Daily Times of Farmington, N.M.
I opened the magazine and verified that it is promoted by Richard
McLaren's Republic of Texas. I skimmed through the magazine and noticed
that it contained articles on the Republic's "rights" and other articles
mocking federal government orders. It even listed contacts as to how to
become a "member."
As we are all aware, the Republic of Texas is a group who claim that
Texas was unlawfully annexed as a state by Congress in 1845. The
so-called ambassador, Richard McLaren, filed numerous court documents in
Jeff Davis County, claimed a lien on all property in Texas that Stewart
Title Company owns, and threatened to sell that property. Senior Judge
Lucius Bunton ordered McLaren to stop filing bogus liens and stopped the
sale. However, McLaren continued to file documents and was arrested. He
also failed to appear in federal court to show cause why he should not
be held in contempt of court; so Judge Bunton ordered another warrant
for his arrest. Currently, McLaren is at his "embassy" southwest of Fort
Davis with his armed "bodyguards." He has threatened that he will not
surrender without a fight.
As citizens of the State of Texas, we know that the Republic of Texas
is an unlawful organization. Do we approve of unlawful acts being
advertised in public magazines? In comparison, assume the
Latin Kings (the nation's largest gang) published a magazine entitled,
"The Latin Kings Magazine," with "How To" and "How We Did It" articles.
Would you approve if it was publicly sold at stores? Both the Latin
Kings and the Republic of Texas are anti-government organizations who
have created their own laws.
If the Chamber of Commerce wants to keep our business here, I feel its
members should try and please its customers by not supporting and by not
endorsing anti-government products. As for my part, I will continue
shopping here in Pecos, but that does not mean that I approve of what
each store sells.
-- Irma V. Benavides
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_
Copyright 1997 by Pecos Enterprise
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
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