PG. 8 - PLAINDEALER - WED. APRIL 2, 1969 Public Aid Problems Harold 0. Swank, director, Illinois Department of Public Aid, testified before legislative committees this week that he estimates that all public aid programs will run out of funds during the first week in April, and that a deficiency appropriation of $110 million will be needed to carry such programs until July 1, 1969. Swank stated that in September, 1968, the number of persons receiving public aid in all programs was 494,100, and that this number is expected to increase to an average of 542,1300 in fiscal 1970 and to an average of 582,100 in fiscal 1971. Director Swank listed chief causes of the rise in caseloads and costs as follows: (1) The elimination of durational residency requirements in Illinois by a court decision which has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court (court expected to rule on appeal at its present term).. - (2) The increased awareness of the availability of public assistance (the war on poverty programs, community action programs, etc., which inform people of their eligibility). (3) The increased rate Of desertion on the part of the father has contributed heavily to the growing Aid to Dependent Children caseload. (4) The difficulty of terminating assistance under present income exemption formulas included in the 1967 Social Security Amendments. (5) The increases in minimum wages, rent, food, and medical costs. Committee members learned of the tremendous turnover in case workers which is as high as 55 percent annually in Cook county. The director presented facts to point out that such a high turnover is not entirly due to salary levels, but that frustration on the part of the worker as well as concern for his personal safety in communities of upheaval were strong contributing factors. One taxpayers' group has added to the recommendations made by the Department of Public Aid to do everything possible to curtail public aid rising costs: (1) Intensify efforts to obtain support frdm deserting fathers. Strong efforts must be used by prosecuting attorneys, the courts and related services. (2) Combined efforts on the part of the Department of Public Aid, school authorities, Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the church and private enterprise to increase the area of adult training which will lead to employment. (3) At the federal level national minimum standards should be established to govern eligibility determinations and grant levels in the various states that will remove the attraction of higher grants in some states as a basis for interstate migration. (4) Scrap or continue indefinitely the Department of Health, Education and Welfare's recommendation that the states must accept at face value the declaration of a person applying for public aid that he was entitled to such aid. (5) Exertion of every possible effort to keep the students in school, which may mean a difinite change in high school curricula to better equip a graduate to earn a livelihood. A TV Accomplishment A howl went up from outraged communities and local politicians in 1968 when several television commentators went into rural areas in several states and found people living in conditions of utter poverty, often suffering fronT malnutrition, even slow starvation in some cases. Prideful residents in these counties often denied such extreme conditions existed. Politicians sometimes called for investigation of reporters making such charges. But recent months -and official investigations have now shown that the charges, even if slightly exaggerated at times or in error in some detail, were a public service in the finest tradition of news reporting. It has been found, in investigations following sensational charges by television reporters, that millions of Americans are living in substandard slum housing of the worst sort in rural areas, that many adults and children in these areas are not getting either the proper food or enough food or both. We now see U.S. Senators and other high officials touring these poverty-stricken areas, showing personal and immediate concern in raising the living standards of these Americans. The Department of Agriculture is expanding its food supplement program and others are moving to meet the needs of America's underfed. No one can deny that the lion's share of credit for recent emphasis on progress in this field must go to reporters who provoked the wrath of many in putting a spotlight on a disgraceful condition of poverty in these wealthy United States. WM. KRATER ON CONCERT TOUR IN UNIQUE PROGRAM Sixty-seven Grand Valley State college concert band members will tour northern Michigan April 8 and 9 with a unique musical program entitled "History of Music in Six Pairs." The presentation will feature selections by two composers representative of the classical through the contemporary period. Included in the program is the music of Bach and Handel, Mozart and Hayden, Brahms and Mendelssohn, Cole Porter and LeRoy Anderson, and climaxing the presentation, the contemporary music of MacBeth and Kabalevsky. William W. Krater, tuba player with the band, is the son of Mrs. Joan Krater, 4518 W. Shore, McHenry. SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS The Central administration office for School Districts 15 and 156 will be closed Good Friday, April, 4, but will be open during the Easter vacation, April 7 to 11. On His Record Re-elect ALDERMAN Tuesday, April 15, 1969 Progress Party 2nd Ward ~ VWl U DRIVING FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY Secretary of State tf mmmwh, Habit can he a help or a hindrance in your driving practices. If you are in th*» habit of driving safely, safe driving will come to the fore should you set into a bind on the highway. Hut even habits can become sloppy and after awhile, when you have been driving in a hazardly manner for some time and a crisis should arise your sloppy patterns will not see you through to a safe destination. One should consider your d r i v i n g s t o c k p e r i o d i c a l l y , check your habit pattern and mmm Tips from a Pro Wray Mundy NATIONAL. TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR Social see if you are following safe driving procedures. Take time to refresh your mind on the correct procedures to follow and you will be a safer driver. Just a few check points to c o n s i d e r . . . -tE)o you keep your car moving at a reasonable speed, not . last in town and not too slow on interstate highways? --Do you look for an "out", a place to steer safely if you get in a jam? --Do you dim your dashboard lights at night and drive at least 10 miles per hour slower? --Do you pump your brakes to flash your brakelights when slowing down in traffic? This warns drivers following you of your intentions to stop. These are but a few check points for a driver to run through periodically. Keep your driving habits up to snuff like your Sunday manners. You'll live longer on the highway. For your copy of "Rules of the Road", write to Paul Powell, Secretary of State, Springfield, Illinois 62706. SERVICE IN DEPTH Two-thousand feet below the surface at the International Nickel's Creig^on mine in the Sudbury District of Ontario, a fully equipped garage has been built to service diesel-powered mining equipment. A grease job, oil change, tires and parts replacement can be performed. Security QUESTION BOX BY JIM JANZ FIELD REPRESENTATIVE Today's questions are ones frequently being asked of our representatives by the people of McHenry county. The Social Security office at 2500 Grand avenue, Waukegan, reminds McHenry county residents that it has representatives meeting people at two locations in McHenry county on a regular basis. Hie representatives are at the Woodstock Public library, 414 W. Judd, Woodstock every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon and at the Harvard city hall from 9:30 a.m. to noon on the first and third Tuesday every month. If you have a question you would like answered on Social Security in this column, please forward it to Social Security Administration Question and Answer Column^ 2500 Grand avenue, Waukegan, Illinois, 60085. Give your full name, address, and Social Security number. If you do nqt want your name to appear,, please indicate this and we will use only initials. SOCIAL SECURITY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS BY Jim Janz, Field Representative Question: I will be 65 in a couple of months and I want to apply for Medicare. However, I am afraid my employer will find out my true age and fire me. Does he have to be informed? Answer: No. You^ social security record is confidential. Information concerning it will not be given to your employer without your written permission. You should visit your social security office as soon as possible and file a claim so that your Medicare coverage will be effective beginning with the first day of the month you become 65. Question: I have been married for 10 years. My social security card is still under my maiden name. What should I do? Answer: You should complete a change of name form at your local social security office. The people there will issue you a new card showing your married name. Your social security number will remain thp same. Question: My 30 year old daughter has been mentally retarded since birth. When I file for my social security pension next month can I collect any benefits for her? Answer: There is a possibility that you may be entitled to benefits for your daughter. When you visit the social se- ' curity office take your daughter with you and explain her situation. Together with your own birth certificate, you should also take your daughter's birth certificate, her social security number, if any, and the names of the doctors and hospitals where she was treated before she reached age 18. Question: My 68 year old wife is now in a nursing home. The nursing home participates in the Medicare program. Under what circumstances will Medicare help pay the nursing home bill? Answer: Nursing home benefits may be provided if your wife was hospitalized for at least 3 consecutive days and then transferred to the participating nursing home for treatment of the same illness within 14 days of her hospital discharge. The doctor must determine the need for nursing home care and order such care. Question: I changed jobs last month. My previous employer deducted the socal security contribution up to the $7800 maximum. Must my new employer Ml to a MM stall For Your information Dear friends, Because of the diversity of religious beliefs and doctrines, it would be presumptuous foi; any funeral director to attempt to analyze or appraise any or all of these. But one thing is certain - the funeral can and often does reinforce or even originate a person's belief in survival after death. Respectfully, PETERAVJUSTES & SON FUNERAL HOME McHenry, Illinois 385-0063 yrrmTm'm b a a btb a 51 a 5 a 5-5-fl-fl a5 a a a 5 8 a b a gj Are You New In Town? Do You Know Someone New In Town? We would like to extend a welcome to every newcomer to our community. Ann Zeller CALL i : o <<807 ROYAL WELCOME 385-0559 1 Fran Olsen 385-5740 S : : 'V B g fl B 8 9 9 9 9 fl fl 8 fl 8 B 9 B P P Q fi - fl 8 Q 0 Q 0 0 0 Q 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o* MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS Stanley F. Yolles, M.D., Director National Institute of Mental Health Research Probing Marihuana Puzzle In this day of increasing interest in drugs and drug abuse, one of the most common-- marihuana--remains a mystery. Medical science does not know nearly enough about marihuana. continue to deduct the social security contributions on my current earnings? Answer: Yes. However, when you file your individual tax return you may claim a refund for any social security contributions paid on earnings over $7800. Question: I am receiving disability benefits. If I receive a cash settlement from an insurance company for an accident which occurred .off my job, will I have to report this income to the social security office? • Answer: No. Only earnings from employment or self-employment must be reported for social security purposes. However, if a person receives a workman's compensation benefit because of a work-related accident he should report this income to his social security office. Question: I have an annual income of over $5,000 from interest and dividends. Will this investment income prevent me from receiving social security? • Answer: No. Income from investments does not prevent you from receiving social security benefits. We don't know how marihuana changes ability to think, concentrate, and perceive things. We don't know how personality factors, expectations, and past experiences influence a person's reactions to the drug. Natural marihuana varies tremendously in strength and composition. Uniformity in scientific studies, so that results can be compared and checked, has been almost impossible. Not long ago the active ingredient of marihuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, was produced for the first time in history in pure form. ' This exciting discovery, made by NiMH-supported research in Israel, produced the chemical compound synthetically. This me"ans that researchers can now precisely measure the drug's action. For the first time in history, they can accurately study the short-term and long-term effects of marihuana on the human body: Research projects are being conducted in universities and other research centers all over the country with NIMH support. The NIMH is also developing a public education program to disseminate research findings to provide current, factual information about marihuana--and other drugs and their misuse and abuse. A new information leaflej by the NIMH that tells what we do know about marihuana is just off the press and is availa ble free to anyone who requests it. Its title is "Marihuana- Some Questions and Answers." ci:SSJoNA OPTOMETRIST INSURANCE Dr. John F. Kelly At 1224 N. Green Street, McHenry (Closed Wednesday) Eyes Examined Glasses Fitted Contact Lenses Hrs. Daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday Evenings 8:30 pm. Evenings by Appointment PHONE 385 0452 Dr. Leonard L Bottari Eyes Examined-Glasses Fitted Contact Lenses 1303 N. Richmond Road Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Frl. 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tues., Thurs., & Frl. Eve 7 p m. to 9 p.m. Sat. 9:30 to 3:00 p.m. No Hours on Wednesday PHONE 385*4151 If No Answer Phone 385-2262 OFFICE EQUIPMENT McHenry County Office Machines Soles • Service & Rentals Typewriters, Adders, Calculators Mon- - Sat 9:00 - 5:30 Friday till 9:00 p.m. Phojie 459-1226 93 Grant St., Crystal Lake, 111. METAL WORK Schroeder Metalcraft for Home and Garden Wrought Iron Railings Fireplace Screens Antiques 1705 S. Rt. 31 PHONE 385-0950 Earl R.Walsh Fire, Auto, Farm & Life Representing; RELIABLE COMPANIES When You Need Insurance of Any Kind PHONE 385-3300 or 885-0953 3429 W Elm St., McHenry, 111. George L. Thompson General Insurance • LIFE • AUTO • HEALTH • FIRE • CASUALTY • BOAT Phone 815-385-1066 3812 W. Elm St., McHenry £T In McHenry Plalndealer BIgd. Dennis Conway Auto, Life, Fire State Farm Ins. Cos. 3315- W. Elm St. McHenry, Illinois 385-5285 or 385-7111 LETTER SERVICE Mimeographing • Typing Addressing • Mailing Lists McHenry County Letter Service 1212-A N. Green St- PHONE 885-5064 M o n . t h r u F r l . 8 - 5 Closed Saturdays ACCOUNTANTS Paul A. Schwegel 4410 West Route 120 McHenry, Illinois 385-4410