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PAGE 12-PLAINDEALER-WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1972 EDITORIALS Magic Of Equality The word equality now has a magic ring and politicians everywhere are seeking to make everyone equal in every way. As far as equal opportunity and equal chances in life are concerned the goal is entirely laudable and admirable. But people, and the sexes, can never be equal or the same, nor is that desirable. And in the rush to legislate everything into equal ity, politicians often cater to mili­ tants. publicity-seekers and activists against the wishes of the majority. That was the case in the recent congres­ sional fight over the women's rights. The amendment to the Constitution proposed provided that women assume equality in facingthc militan draft, that they pay husbands alimony when they are at fault or able to do so, that they become legally responsible for family support if they have a higher-paying job than their husbands, etc. The truth is that the vast majority of women, and men, do not favor many of these changes*-with the possible ex­ ception of child care and alimony responsibility among men formerly discriminated against. The equality magic confuses some who claim that every­ one would be equal if circumstances, environment, etc., were equal. Individuals and races, however, have their differences and always have had. There is no question of good or bad or better or worse but simply a question of differences. Neither the politicians nor the idealists can change this fact, nor would the world be happier if they could. Zoning Changes In recent months counties in various parts of the nation have frozen zoning restrictions, the object being to curb over-rapid growth and allow planners time to provide for orderly growth and to determine how much growth is good for the area. The question of too much growth, too fast, is especial­ ly applicable to faster-growing states such as Florida and California but it also applies to some cities and counties in all states. Until recently it was an accepted axiom that the faster the growth the better, growth being progress. However, as public utility systems became overburdened and quality of service declined as congestion increased there have been second thoughts. The rapid growth of trailer parks and mo­ bile home parks and communities in some areas have also caused second thoughts. What, for example, will these trail­ er communities look like thirty years from now? A growing number of experts think moratoriums on rapid expansion are often desirable, so that city and county planners can carefully and accurately determine the maxi­ mum number of residents desired in various areas. In other words, there are limits on how fast our towns and communi­ ties can healthily grow, limits often not appreciated in re­ cent years. America, which has heretofore welcomed all new growth and viewed all growth as progress, is reaching the stage where more careful planning and less easily changed zones are necessary if quality services and communities are to be maintained. The Changing Market Despite the sober-sounding professional talk from brokers and stock exchange officials, U.S. stock markets are more of a glorified crap game than many wish to admit. That is because investors ahe not primarily economic students and investment experts but the general public. And the masses are swayed in their thinking by various day-to-day developments producing various hopes, fears and other emotions. In addition, there is a story from Wall Street in every major daily paper each morning and the stories often directly contradict that of the day before, because reporters quote anyone they wish to quote One day a "well-informed broker" will say it's obvious the nation is experiencing a strong bull market. The next day another expert source will be quoted saying a correction is obviously un­ derway and overdue! Where does that leave the average citizen-investor? It leaves him in a grand crap game, in which no one can really predict what will happen next, and in which he must pay a monopoly, fixed-fee to one of a closed circle of brokers for the "privilege" of investing in a company. Guide To Food Buys A three-day check of shoppers at a supermarket in California is indicative of a relative value of the leading media for grocery advertising. The market studied was employing newspapers, television and radio in promoting weekend specials. In cooperation with the store's management, a research team was stationed at check-out counters The surveyors asked shoppers what had influenced their shopping in the market The results of the study would not be surprising to most grocers Among 895 shoppers, 655 responded that the local newspaper had influenced their shopping at the market. In short, 73 per cent of the customers of the grocery store were affected by newspaper advertising even though the st°re war using other advertising outlets. The study supports similar surveys made by supermarkets. It underscores the facts which have been uncovered from many readership studies of newspapers These studies have Consistently shown that form 60 to 80 per cent of the women newspaper readers shop from the-grocery ad­ vertising in their newspaper Approximately 50 per cent of the male readers can be expected to do some grocery shopping in the local newspaper This means that at le^st one person in practically every family is doing some grocery shopping via local newspaper advertising. There is a logical and obvious reason why newspapers are so highly regarded as a guide to family food purchases. No other medium makes it possible for the shopper to recall and compare dozens of items and prices with so much convenience. ECONOMY S'; W" County Home Rule Home Rule And County Finance By James M. Banovetz Voters are -- first and foremost -- taxpayers. The validity of this "monetary law of politics" has been clearly evident in the discussions about home rule for county governments in Illinois. When voters in eleven counties went tb the polls March 21 to vote on the adoption of county home rule, their principal reservation about the proposal was monetary in nature: will home rule result in higher taxes? Recognizing that "voters are - first and foremost - tax­ payers," opponents of home rule have argued that increased county taxes and extravagant county borrowing are likely to result from the adoption of county home rule. The removal of existing limits on county taxing and borrowing powers, they claim, can only open the door to fiscal irresponsibility. The system of county home rule provided under the 1970 Illinois Constitution does grant more flexible taxing and debt powers. Home rule counties are prevented only from levying a tax on income or earnings; such taxes must be specifically authorized by the General Assembly. They are subject only to whatever debt limits may be created by state law. These provisions have led to the opponents' claims. The opponents' arguments do have great appeal to taxpayers, particularly under contemporary economic conditions. They also contain a certain surface logic, thus making their appeal all the more commanding. Closer examination, however, indicates that such arguments are largely groundless. There is absolutely no evidence that home rule leads to higher taxes or to irresponsible fiscal behavior by local government officials. There similarly is no evidence which suggests either that state restrictions on local tax and borrowing powers are effective, or that local officials behave irresponsibly when there are no limitations on their power to tax or borrow money. , In Illinois, for instance, all cities and villages with a population of 25,000 persons or more have been operating under home rule since July 1, 1971. Yet, despite the fact that these cities have had much broader taxing powers since that time, there is no indication that citizens in these communities have been subjected to excessive new taxation. The City of Chicago is an interesting case: it has imposed new taxes -- on the sale of cigarettes, for instance -- but these have neither been excessive nor burdensome to the public at large. Furthermore, Chicago took this action to meet its own peculiar financial situation -- a situation made worse, in part, by Chicago's persistent failure to collect personal property taxes from individuals. Neither has home rule led to fiscal irresponsibility in the other states in which it was used. Ohio, for instance, is one of the oldest home rule states, yet Ohio local governments rank among the lowest in the nation in terms of taxes assessed against their residents. There also is no evidence that removal of state imposed restrictions on taxing powers will lead to higher taxes. The most effective limits on taxation historically are imposed by tax­ payers, not by laws. The State of Illinois, years ago, removed all limitations on Chicago's property tax levy, yet Chicago property taxes are not out of line with those in communities that do have state-imposed limits. Politicians that want to be re-elected - and all politicians seek popular support and approval ~ are not likely to raise taxes irresponsibly. Of all the powers of government, the power of taxation is the most subject to popular control through the electoral process. Interestingly, there is evidence that state-imposed limitations on local government taxing powers do encourage fiscal irresponsibility, particularly at the county level. In Illinois, the General Assembly has placed a limit on the property tax levies of county governments. When this general limit proved to be too low, the General Assembly permitted higher taxes by authorizing special tax levies for specific purposes, such as libraries and roads. Some counties in Illinois now are authorized to levy special taxes for 10 or more specific p u t a l l i n a d d i t i o n t c t h e i r g e n e r a l t ^ x i : ^ p j » . In short, existing statutory limitations on county taxation have not prevented higher taxes - they have simply given rise to methods of evasion. Furthermore, taxes levied for specific purposes can not be used for other purposes, regardless of need. Thus, within county governments, funds under the present system are not allocated among different services on the basis of need, but rather on the basis of state formulas. The result of the present system has been unfortunate. The typical county collects more taxes than it needs for some pur­ poses -- thus building large surpluses for deposit in local banks -- while other needed services must be shortchanged for lack of available funds. ^ (i Richard Nixon was the first vice president to preside over a cabinet meeting (July 22, 1955). Hearts may break from suffering, uncertainty, sorrow, sin. . . . God's Word Heals Broken Hearts Hear it every day when you DIAL-A-DEV0TI0N 385 8729 For Your Information Dear Friends, In this glorious Easter season may I share with you these eternal words of St. Francis: Lord, make us instruments of Thy peace! Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light, Where there is sadness,\ joy. Grant that we may not seek so much to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in forgiving that we are forgiven; And it is in dying that we are born into Eternal Life! Sincerely, McM«nry, Illinois PETER M.JUSTEN" & SON FUNERAL HOME - 385-0063 SOCIAL SECURITY by El win Kris FIELD REPRESENTATIVE Today's questions are ones frequently being ask­ ed of our representatives by the people of McHenry county. The Social Secur­ ity office at 2500 Grand avenue, Waukegan, re­ minds McHenry county residents that ithas repre­ sentatives meeting people at two locations in McHen­ ry county on a regular ba­ sis. The representatives are at the Woodstock Pub­ lic Library, 414 W. Judd, Woodstock every Wednes­ day from 9 a.m. to noon and at the Harvard city hall from 9:30 a.m. to noon on the first and third Tues­ day every month. If you have a question you would like answered on Social Se­ curity in this column, then please forward it to Social Security Administration Question and Answer Col­ umn, 2500 Grand avenue, Waukegan, Illinois, 60085. Give your full name, ad­ dress, and Social Security number. If you do not want your name to appear, please indicate this and we will use only intitials. Question: I started receiving reduced Social Security retirement checks last year when I turned 62. I am now 63 and have suffered a stroke. Can I apply for monthly disability payments? E.R. - McHenry Answer. Yes. If you are found eligible to receive PUBLIC PULSE (The Plaindealer invites the public to use this col­ umn as an expression of their views on subjects of general interest in our community. Our only re­ quest is that writers lim­ it themselves to 300 words or less - signature, full address and phone num­ ber. We ask too, that one individual not write on the same subject more than once each month. We re­ serve the right to delete any material which we consider libelous or in ob- jectional taste.) YOUTH AND GUNS "Dear Editor: "Re: Letter to Sheriff A.T. Tyrrell. "Being a home owner of property in McHenry, we have experienced the unhappy problem of broken windows, etc., from shot-gun and rifle bullets. Not only that, saplings and larger trees on our property have literally been blown apart by these weapons. It's not even safe forustotake a walk on our own property. Now, the sad part in this par­ ticular case, a 12-gauge shot­ gun and a rifle are in the hands of a 15-year-old youth without adult supervision. The youth has a registration card in his name but both his parents are disability benefits, your retirement benefits will be changed over to disability benefits. You cannot collect benefits under both the disability and the retirement programs at the same time. Your monthly disability payments would be higher than those you receive now under the retirement program. Question: I have been getting monthly Social Security disability benefits for nearly 6 months. Now I find I'm also eligible for benefits under a private plan from my em­ ployer. Will my disability payments from Social Security st0P? J JR.-McHenry Answer: No. Disability benefits from your employer will not affect your monthly benefits from Social Security. However, workmen's com­ pensation benefits could affect your social security disability payments, and if you become entitled to workmen's com­ pensation, you should report it to the Social Security ad­ ministration right away. Question: I've been offered a job as custodian of an apartment building. The pay includes both cash wages and a free apart­ ment for myself. Will my employer and I have to pay Social Security contributions only on the cash wages? K.S. - McHenry Answer: No. Your employer must include the value of the apartment as part of your salary. The apartment is considered "wages in kind." Social Security contributions must be paid on this as well as your cash wages. Home rule would eliminate the system of special tax levies and tax limitations which have produced the existing inefficient , system of county finance. To that extent, it would contribute to better, not worse, money management in county government. Similarly, there is nothing to fear in the elimination of existing restrictions on county government debt. County governments in Illinois are not now usirtg the borrowing powers they already possess. Non-home rule counties are authorized to borrow an amount of money equal to five per cent of their assessed valuation, but few counties now borrow anywhere near that amount of money. Removal of the five per cent limitation is not likely to alter county borrowing practices. The« argument, then, that home rule will invite fiscal irresponsibility in county government is unfounded. Home rule will not necessarily - or even probably - lead to higher taxes. Conversely, home rule will not necessarily - or even probably - lead to a reduction in local taxes. Whether taxes go up or down depends upon the wisdom of locally elected officials and upon the demands of the citizens for services, not upon the kinds of powers under which local governments operate. There are grounds for supporting home rule and legitimate grounds for opposing it. None of these grounds, however, are related to the levels of taxation likely to follow the adoption of home rule. NEXT: The County Executive be of equal length and our' weather would be affected. W i n t e r w o u l d n o t b e a s cold and summers not as hot, if indeed there was much of what we know as seasonal weather at all. What actually happens on March 20th, 7:22 a.m.-the day spring arrives? The sun shines exactly half the 24-hour day and the other half is night. General­ ly speaking, on that day the' earth's axis is perpendicular to the plane of the earth's orbit. The tilt of the earth, mov­ ing from one area to another, is caught when the earth's axis stands perpendicular to the plane of its orbit around the sun--and if the earth did not lean, or tilt, then there would be no sea­ sons. Night and d«y would employed. There are also smaller children in the family that have access to these same guns. « "What type of parents allow this thing to happen under the guise of hunting, etc., when the hunting is done on some one else's property? They put these weapons in their children's hands and then won't assume the responsibility of them. "What good are our registration laws? What does it accomplish when you can register a gun to a 5-year-old? "Very truly yours, "EarlE.Ogden" Rockets were used by the British in 1814, in the attack on Baltimore. Hence, the term, 'The rocket's red glare in Star Spangled Banner. WII treat you to a career. Choose from over 100 job training programs in the Reserve. , The Army Reserve, k pays to go to meetings. ONA1- cfcSSl TO*V igEc OPTOMETRIST Dr. John F.Kelly At 1224 N. Green St 'eet McHenry (Closed Wednesdc") Eyes examined .. Glasses fitted Contact Lenses Hrs: Daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday Evenings - 8:'j0 p.m. Evenings by appointment PHONE 385-0452 Dr. Leonard Bottari Eyes Examined - Contact Lens Glasses Fitted 1303 N. Richmond Road Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs.and Fri. 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tues., Thurs., & Fri Eve. 7:00 to 9:00 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 Are You New In McHenry Area J Do You Know Someone New? WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A ROYAL WELCOME TO EVERY NEWCOMER TO OUR AREA ! ! M W i f W t f U V r t J M c H e n r y C o u n t y I Office Machines " l i ( t •i i 1* I t K CALL JOAN STULL 385-5418 OR FRAN OLSEN 385-5740 NEW AREA-ROYAL WELCOME D O E S I T ' 'KNOW YOUR • t t ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ g ¥ ¥ y ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ^ • t' I I t l t K •1 r r i ( i • i , i t t *•!' I K ( • C < * r r t t B E S T - C t Sales-Service & Rentals Typewriters - Adders Calculators Mon.-Sat. 9:00-5:30 F riday 'til 9 p.m. PHONE 459-1226 93 Grant St., Cyrstal Lake, 111. LETTER SERVICE Mimeographing - Typing Addressing - Mailing Lists McHenry Letter Service 3509 W. Pearl St. McHenry PHONE 385-5064 Monday through Saturday. INSURANCE Earl R. Walsh & Jack Walsh Fire, Auto, Farm & Life Representing RELIABLE COMPANIES When You Nsed Insurance ot Any Kind PHONE 385-3300 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 In McHenry Plaindealer Bldg. Dennis Conway AUTO, LIFE, FIRE STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANY 3315 W. Elm St. McHenry, Illinois Phone 385-5285 or" 385-7111 want ads TO WORK FOR YOU FOR FAST RESULTS PHONE 385-0170