No, Wampus is not back due to the state Correction Department's Work Release program. He's just back from the fall fishing and hunting seasons, Wildlife Commission challenges, cross country travels, far too many funerals - and just plain "trifleness."
I have been flattered by continuing comments from folks who miss my outdoors, front page and editorial columns in the Goldsboro News-Argus. And also by folks like Vassie Balkcum and many friends and fellow journalists who have insisted that I proceed with publishing a book of those columns.
It's in the making...
But for now:
POLITICS
MICHIGAN and JOHN MCCAIN
Michigan has the highest rate of unemployment in the country. Senator John McCain caught some flak from the press and his (other) opponents when he mentioned in a "debate" that some of the jobs Michigan had lost would not be coming back. McCain has a political problem of telling the truth.
Overlooked in the press reports was that McCain said that Michigan had a wealth of work ethic and talent that would attract many new jobs.
Never mentioned in any press accounts or comments from politicians was why Michigan had lost so many jobs. Has anyone questioned why the manufacture of automobiles left Michigan? Could it have been that the salaries and benefits demanded by union workers made the price of American-made automobiles noncompetitive in the domestic and world markets?
On one recent TV political "news" commentary from Michigan, an automobile factory worker lamented the possible loss of her assembly line job - $70,000 a year plus benefits.
Half a century ago, the U.S. maritime fleet went under because union demands for wages and non-working days forced ship operators to shift to foreign registry.
John McCain probably was right in observing that some of those Michigan jobs were gone - forever. He might also have been correct in telling his listeners that the future was in attracting more technically skilled jobs for which our people must be prepared to fill.
There is, of course, a possible political alternative.
The unions and "working people" have never had a more vocal and eloquent proponent than presidential aspirant John Edwards of North Carolina!
But then one might wonder where those people might find work when all those corporations Mr. Edwards despises close their plants and invest their stockholders' investments in foreign countries...
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THE LAWS ARE FOR ALL OF US
A recent news article told of a law enforcement vehicle traveling "way over" the speed limit hitting another car operated by a law-abiding citizen.
There was no indication that the law enforcement vehicle was in pursuit of a violator at the time.
It brought to mind an incident many years ago. I was editor of the local newspaper at the time and had just entered the highway by-pass. A Highway Patrol vehicle raced by at a high rate of speed, followed by another.
Though there were no blue lights flashing or sirens blaring, I thought, surely, there was a significant problem down the highway. I throttled up to the speed limit - and slightly above - in an attempt to keep the troopers' vehicles in sight, in event they turned off on another highway.
They didn't.
A few hundred yards later, they swung into Wilber's Barbecue - a popular eating establishment.
Years later, as a Wildlife Commissioner, I was riding with a high ranking enforcement officer reroute to a meeting. It was a long trip. But we had plenty of time. Yet the officer accelerated the vehicle far in excess of the speed limit.
While I mentioned the speed limit a couple of times, I failed to admonish the officer to adhere to it. In that regard, perhaps I was as guilty as he was. Certainly that would have been the case in event of an accident and a resultant civil suit.
Law enforcement officers - and all public officials and employees operating publicly-tagged vehicles - should bear in mind that they should be setting good examples.
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Years ago, daughter Joyce Price Johnson was driving to Raleigh. Ahead of her was a State trooper's vehicle. Joyce was maintaining her speed when eventually, the trooper signaled her to pull over.
"Do you know how fast you were driving?" asked the trooper politely.
"Nossir. I was just maintaining my distance behind you," she responded politely.
"Behind me!" declared the officer. "Young lady, in an emergency, I might be driving 125 miles per hour!"
"Oh," innocently apologized our Joyce, "were you responding to an emergency!"
The trooper stammered:
"Well... you just need to observe the posted speed limit..."
Put me down for 10 copies of your book, signed of course.
Cowboy arrived "in place" last Thursday and said "Howdy" to some of the 336th FS folks in the mess hall on Friday. He said the chow and quarters are much better than on his tour with the Iraqi's.
Posted by: Larry Huggins | January 15, 2008 at 04:57 PM