Colored Rock Map of Texas at I-20 in Pecos. Link to Travel Page Pecos Enterprise

NEWS PAGES
News
Sports
Opinion
Lifestyles
Sports Scores
Texas Lotto

SPECIAL SECTIONS
Monthly
Living off the Land

Annual
Pecos at Work
Rodeo Advance

ADVERTISING
Display Pages
Bookstore
Classified
Real Estate

TRAVEL
Area Papers
West Texas

ARCHIVES
Pecos Country History
Archives

Photo Archive

STAFF
Mac McKinnon
Jon Fulbright
Peggy McCracken
Rosie Flores

FORUM
E-Mail Forum


Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Opinion

Mac McKinnon

Observations

By MacMcKinnon
Enterprise Publisher

Tuesday, September 22, 1998

Stress follows president
at both job and home



Can you imagine the stress that a president of the United
States is under in doing his regular job?

Can you imagine the stress that President Clinton has been
under throughout his almost six years in office because of
constant scandals, this last one being the most serious?

I don't know that I can even begin to know what it would be
like. There is stress in every job, but the President of the
United States as leader of the world and the only remaining
super power, has a tremendous burden.

He must continually shift from one subject to another. And
when you have personal problems, it just adds to that load.
Some people are saying there is no way he can concentrate on
doing his job because of this latest scandal.

I hear and read about his aides saying Clinton has a unique
talent in being able to compartmentalize subjects. He can
easily shift from budget matters to world politics to giving
out awards without blinking an eye. And then he has meetings
with his personal lawyers on his latest woes.

He is obviously a masterful and gifted politician.

I read about the New York Times doing a piece recently on
his schedule and it was supposed to be something that would
stagger the imagination. Unfortunately, I haven't had a
chance to look it up on the Internet but I plan to do so
when I get the opportunity.

I've always felt that the President has an almost impossible
job. That's one reason why some get into trouble as they put
a lot of trust in members of their staff.

There are times that staff members do what they want rather
than what the president might want or they simply guess and
guess wrong as they aren't able to get the president's ear
to discuss the matter.

Some presidents get into trouble more than others as they
delegate more as one person simply can't know about the many
details that go on involving the government.

President Reagan was constantly criticized for delegating
too much. President Carter was said to never be able to get
anything done because he wanted to handle everything himself.

President Clinton seems to be able to handle a large number
of details and keep them sorted out - except for his
personal life.

All presidents have certain people who are close to them to
give advice and be knowledgeable in certain fields.

Listen to the presidential news conferences some time. It
doesn't matter who the president is. They are asked about
just about every subject under the sun and some subjects
that can't even be imagined. Many presidents keep people at
their side to whom they can defer certain questions for
expertise but it is a difficult juggling act.

And if you slip up in giving an answer, the criticism is
quick.

With all the controversy with the current administration, it
is a wonder that anyone would want to run for that office.
And it may well be that we lose some really qualified
candidates, not only for that office but other public
offices as well.

We certainly need the best people we can find to run the
government.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mac McKinnon is the editor and publisher of
the Pecos Enterprise whose column appears each Tuesday. He
can be e-mailed at: bigmac@bitstreet.com

YOUR VIEW

Rumors about business hurts the community


To The Editor:
It is truly a shame and a poor reflection on the community
of Pecos to have some people spreading false rumors about
some of our local businesses and business leaders. I am
referring to the recent rumors that Anchor West is going to
close and that they do not pay any taxes and that they are
always looking for a handout. Well, I was bothered by some
of those rumors and asked some questions. In the process, I
was made aware of some of the information that was recently
given to the Hospital Board, which they apparently
disregarded, about what Anchor means to Pecos.

From that information, I found out that Anchor accounts for
nearly one-fifth of the non-farm, non-government work force
in Reeves County; Anchor's payroll for 1998 will exceed $8.5
million; they project a work force of about 700 for the year
2000 which will mean nearly $16 million in payroll, most of
which is spent locally here in Pecos. Anchor has paid well
over half a million dollars ($500,000) in taxes even with
the abatements that have been granted; the company added
over $2.2 million in valuation to the tax rolls in 1996
after the last abatement was completed.

Anchor has funded a substantial portion of the budget for
the Pecos Learning Center, a day care facility which is open
to the entire community; Anchor continues to support, both
financially and with volunteers, several church and civic
groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Pecos Economic
Development Corporation, West of the Pecos Rodeo, Pecos High
School, Knights of Columbus, Little League, Senior League,
D.A.R.E. Program, Reeves County 4-H Club, Santa Rosa Food
Bank, Reeves County Sheriff's Posse, to name a few; Anchor
employees have purchased 27 homes in Pecos over the past two
years.

With a track record like this and such heavy community
involvement, why would a company want to leave town? It
wouldn't! It really doesn't make sense that a business that
has invested over $16 million in Pecos would think of
leaving town.

We in Pecos should support and stand behind the businesses
that have the well-being of the community at heart. We also
need to support our civic leaders who are working to attract
other businesses and jobs to Pecos. Pettiness will not solve
any of the economic problems our community faces. Let's
appreciate what we have and support these efforts to bring
more prosperity to our community.

Ralph "Pete" Armbruster
Pecos, Texas

Property matter dispute has reader perplexed


To The Editor:
I am writing to you for your help in a property matter.

I bought 80 acres of land at a sheriff's constable sale on
September 3, 1996 in Pecos. The sheriff's office was
supposed to send a clear title, but I have yet to receive it.

The property was in default to Reeves County for $130,000.
This amount was loaned by the county to the Pecos River
Livestock Co. They defaulted on the loan and the property
was sold to me through an order of judicial foreclosure
dated 6-27-98.

I found a buyer for the property in February, 1997 for
$30,000, but have not been able to get a clear title
because, according to Mr. David Stephens of Elliott and
Waldren Abstract Title Co., there is a "cloud," on the title
because the former owners (Pecos River Livestock, John F.
Teague, Trevor Teague, Rosemary Wilke, Mark Wilke, David
Kidd, Wiley B. Kidd, Roger Simmons, Elvia Reynolds, Randy
Reynolds, Danny Reynolds, Louis Lively, Stewart Lively, Sue
Pierce, John Stickels) claimed the sheriff's sale was
illegal and threatened to sue unless they could get a
$30,000 credit (our selling price) against their
indebtedness to Reeves County. To my knowledge, Reeves
County will not agree to this.

I went to Pecos, Texas in Dec. 1997 and spoke with sheriff
Arnulfo Gomez, who stated the sale was legal. He called
former county district attorney John Stickels who said the
sale was legal. He also called the county judge, who said
nothing could be done at the present time.

I went to see Judge Jimmy Galindo that day, but he would not
speak with me.

I then hired an attorney who tried to contact county
attorney Walter Holcombe, John Stickles, Judge Galindo and
the former owners of Pecos River Livestock Co., all of whom
refused to return telephone calls or answer any
correspondence.

My buyer has now backed out of the sale.

In my opinion, the former owners threatened a lawsuit only
to delay repaying the money they owe Reeves County. The
former owners also owed two years delinquent taxes, which I
paid when I purchased the property.

Can you tell me how this can be resolved? Can you explain
why a judge would delay signing a final judgment 2-1/2 years
after he signed an order to sell the property at a sheriff's
sale?

I feel I have done everything I possibly can to obtain a
clear title on this property and yet I seem to be in a
"holding pattern."
Can you help resolve this?

Sandra Kimbel
Lomita, Calif. 90717

Editor's Note: After this letter was received the Enterprise checked and found out the county could not sign over the
property as the matter was still in court. Yesterday, the
judge in the case ruled that the sale of the property was
not made in accordance with the court's order, leaving
questions on what will happen to the property.

Nothing is too difficult for God to conquer


To The Editor:
In this world in which we live in today, it would be very
easy to give up hope. Hope that we'll ever be one nation
under God, hope that we'll ever have leaders of integrity
and high moral standards, hope that we can just take a walk
after dark without fear. To the world these thing might seem
impossible.

But I praise the Lord that He says in His Word, "Is there
anything too difficult for me?" I thank the Lord that the
God that I serve can take the vilest man and turn him into a
gentle, loving man. I thank God that He still moves in the
hearts of his people and he can still move on the heart of
our president. I praise God that nothing is too difficult
for the God I serve.

We need to not lose hope but to stand on the truth of His
Word. Let us as Christians join our hearts together and
believe God can do anything. A three-fold cord is not easily
broken and we don't have to stand idly by and watch this
country go down the tubes. Stand up, Christians. Proclaim
how great is your God!

BETTY DANIELS
Pecos, Tx.

Return to top


Search Entire Site:


Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.

324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net

Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.

Copyright 1998 by Pecos Enterprise
We support Newspapers in Education