The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 13

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1994 TIMES HERALD PAGE 13A EDITORIAL BOARD Opinion Members of the Times Herald editorial board: William V. Mdnopoli, president and publisher Michael Montgomery Connell, executive editor Garth J. Kriewall, assistant managing editor Judith Ann McLean, assistant managing editor Jill Ann Carlson, assistant city editor Thomas David Walker, special projects editor- Our editorial positions are guided by our editorial board. The board meets at 11 a.m. each Wednesday at the Times Herald.

Those meetings are open to the public by appointment. To schedule a visit, call Cheryl Baitinger, executive secretary to the publisher, at 985-7171, ext. 382. TIIE NATIONAL SCENE Opinion by Jim Borgman DUB VIEW VOUEI VIEW Polluters should pay for clean-ups SUMMARY: Michigan law makes stab at allocating responsibility ichigan's "polluters pay" law is a common-sense idea. It puts into law what your mother told you: "If you hUP THE CHILD UNTIL MY LAWYER HERE, Winter teaches hard lessons make a mess, you have to clean it up." Many accused polluters, however, say, "I didn't do it." The courts then decide.

And they take far longer to reach their judgments than your mother did. Attorney General Frank Kelley has been crowing about the success of the law, which took effect in 1991. "The money's rolling in," he said this week, referring to five recent "settlements totaling about $2.2 million. All told, the state has collected about $40 million under the law. Sometimes, the agreements are reached quickly and amicably.

But that is far from the rule. The city of Port Huron has used the law to Government fails for single parents The U.S. government discriminates against single parents. I recently contacted the Army National Guard Reserves because they have a program that is i well-suited to my needs. I am a 29-year-old parent with joint custody of my three children.

I am the custodial parent. I spend I two weekends a month away from my children. Their father takes them to visit and takes as much responsibility for their care as I do. I could easily fulfill their one weekend a month and two weekends in th() summer requirement. said that their policy is to not admit single parents because if they were called to duty, the parent could not provide care for their children.

This may be true for some, but in my case my children's father would be willing to care for them under those situations. As a recipient of ADC, the federal government is perplexed at finding a way to get me to become a taxpaying, contributing part of society. If the government does not want to hire me, how can it expect U.S. companies to hire me? Until single parents are given the same opportunity to contribute, they will continue to live off taxpayer dollars. MARY COULTER Port Huron, March 2 Hormone info needed While a graduate student in Vermont in 1990, 1 had the opportunity to meet with a dairy farmer and a representative of a dairy association.

They shared with us their grave concerns about BGH (Bovine Growth Hormone). Apparently, the life of dairy cows is shortened by about five years because of the demands BGH puts on their system. Sterility is another side effect. These men foresaw the long-term picture in which farmers would need to go to the same company which produces and sells BGH, to purchase cow embryos. Fortunately, the image of Earth as seen from spacecraft and the ecological crisis we face, as well as the knowledge we have of evolution, have begun to impress upon us humans that our world and all life forms on it are interrelated.

We are learning too that all of life is worthy of respect, and that we humans have the responsibility to use our consciousness for the good of all. Do we have the right to tamper in such a way with dairy cows? We must consider the cows, the farmers, the children all of life as we face BGH and similar issues. SISTER VERONICA BLAKE, S.M.R. Port Huron, Feb. 25 Build duplicate bridge I think the new Blue Water Bridge should be kept in style with the one we have regardless of the historical issue.

It's going to look awful crazy two different bridges along side of each other. FRANK MARVIN St. Clair, Feb. 25 BOSTON It's Snowstorm 15 and still counting. If we named winter storms the way we named hurricanes, this one would be the Big as in Oh-no.

Now, as if to rub road salt into this open wound, I receive a call from a colleague who deserted the Northeast for the Southwest. "How," she asks oozing sympathy from every hypocritical pore, "are you all doing up there?" From somewhere deep in my stoic New England roots comes my reply: "Well it's been a learning experience." Which it has. While folks who live in such reserves of fat on their hips. They didn't do it with Ben Jerry's, but never mind. Biology 204.

In this advanced class on evolution, we discovered that, no, it is not possible to evolve a foot into a snowshoe in a mere matter of months. Physical Education 13. How to walk on ice without looking like a dork or your aging grandmother. This was a short course, but it was a prerequisite for Applied Health Sciences 34 or Learning to Love Your Orthopedic Surgeon. Many of us arrived at this emotional class after failing Phys Ed 13.

Here we used everything we learned in All AT LARGE Language Skills 12b. Basic Computer Sciences A Detailed Study of Telecommuting. Telecommuting is what you must tell your boss you are doing when you are actually Getting In Touch with Your Inner Child. Students who did telecommute we are sorry to say found that while they were working, their inner children had turned the television to the Menendez trial. Economics 300.

For this advanced class we embarked on a study of the information superhighway. At this rate, it may be the only highway open. Finally, no course of study would be complete without a spiritual component. So, in Religion 101, we have been memorizing various proverbs and sayings. My own favorite is: Hope Springs Eternal.

I just wish I knew where it winters. blizzard-deprived places as Florida and Arizona have been lolling about in the sun, we here in the tundra have had enough lessons to fill an entire course catalogue. Consider just a sampling of the offerings of the Winter Semester of '93-'94. Psychology I or Getting In Touch with Your Inner Child. This is the child who has been cooped up for three consecutive months.

Parents have come to know this child not to mention Barney, Nintendo and the complete soundtrack of Beauty and the Beast with an intimacy that goes beyond mere claustrophobia. Language Skills 12b. It is said that the Eskimos have 21 words' for snow. Not to be outdone, students here have acquired 32 more words for snow, none of which can be repeated in a family newspaper. Anthropology 103.

During this time, we have come to understand the needs that propelled cave dwellers to bulk up for the long cold winter by hoarding large negotiate settlements with two oil companies io pay the cost of removing contaminated soil from a former storage site that now is part of the Edison Parkway development project, A third company, Star Oil, is being sued for about $6 million. City Attorney Gary Fletcher told council jmembers Monday that the lawsuit is progressing well. Mr. Fletcher was optimistic 'about winning the cases. But collecting the 'money may be another matter.

If a company does not have the money to cover the often-enormous costs of clean-up, tand it does not have the insurance coverage for it, the government involved may well be Federal environmental regulators supposedly jre taking a close look at Michigan's program 'Us they try to revamp the Superfund, which 3ias turned into a super flop. The Michigan law is far from the sole jinswer to the state's pollution problems. The amount collected so far in the state, J40 million, is nowhere near the amount jneeded to clean the estimated 10,000 Contaminated sites in Michigan. But, as Mr. Kelley rightly points out, it is $40 million that taxpayers do not have to pay.

Mother had it right: "If you make a mess, "you have to clean it up." Readers can write to Ellen Goodman at The Boston Globe, Boston, Mass. 02107. QUESTION of the DAY te 3 ft if It's in the mail If some piece of mail absolutely, positively has to be somewhere overnight, expect to pay for it: $5, $8, $12 or more. If it absolutely, positively has to be there JOIN TIIE DISCUSSION Your opinions are important to us all. You can contact us in different ways: BY MAIL: Send us a letter of 300 wofds or fewer.

Letters may be edited. Please include your name, address and telephone number. BY PHONE: Call our ReaderLine any time at 984-1911 with your comments. Include your name, address and phone number. BY FAX: Our fax number is 984-4230.

OTHER OPINIONS: If you are interested in submitting a 500- to 600-word Point of View, please contact Garth Kriewall by telephone or mail. OUR ADDRESS: Times Herald, PO Box 5009, Port Huron, 48061-5009. one of these days, the U.S. Postal Service offers a special price of 29 cents. That soon (There's always a I chance.

But when you're dealing with people who are not so logical or so rational in their thinking, it's more difficult." "Wes. Primarily because there's hope for everything. Reason, compassion and understanding will eventually prevail over the conflicts there." will rise to 32 cents, it says. The money will ((Its very doubtful. Until I the Palestinians can have a country of their own, I don't think they'll settle for less." Charles Dowd retired business owner Port Huron A ccording to Bible prophesy, I think there is no chance.

There never can be peace among mankind until Christ comes." Pearl Peterson retired seamstress Jackson pay for the cost of increased automation. If it also helps pay for the expanded, jcustomer-oriented office hours and more personnel at the windows that some post offices are seeing, the 3 cents will be worth it. Susan Amato health educator Port Huron Randy Edwards construction worker Port Huron TALKBACK 985-5888 Capt. Carmody said. "I'm assuming that the people were beeping because they were trying to turn right and Sally might not have given them enough room to complete their righthand turns onto westbound "I State.

She did the right thing by yielding to traffic going east on State" Street." Capt. Carmody says the city I has talked to the state about that intersection and is waiting on its recommendations. But the intersection hasn't produced many accidents, he said, just a lot of confusion. Lillian from Port Huron: "Regarding the parking at St. Clair County Library: I go by there quite I often and the lot is full.

1 go in and there's hardly anybody in the library, yet there are 20 cars in the lot. They I must all be parking from across the street at the county offices. Can't the people who work in the countycity building read? They have good It's a matter of being considerate of others. But don't blame just the I county employees; a lot of county I visitors use the lot, too. from Kimball: If he's up at 6 o'clock in the morning with his kids, why don't he try playing with them or reading a book to them? They might enjoy that a lot more than the television." Sounds like good advice for Jenny, too.

Sally from Marysville: "I have a question about Gratiot and State Street in Port Huron by the Blue Water Bridge. There is only one stop sign, but it's a three-way intersection. I want to know who has the right of way and why it's like that in the first place. The other day I was at one of the streets that doesn't have a stop sign I wanted to turn left, but I was yielding to the cars that were coming from the other way that don't have a stop sign. The cars behind me were beeping that I should go.

But if I did I would get into an accident. I don't understand what the purpose, of that intersection is." Port Huron Police Capt. James Carmody says you acted correctly, Sally. "Any open intersection where there is no traffic device, you always yield to the traffic to your right," Deckerville girl's photo appalling Let's get right to the phones today: Sandy from Smiths Creek: "I am calling about the articles that were in the paper this weekend about the little girl in Deckerville. I guess I wonder why it was necessary to put so much detail in about what that little girl had to go through.

I don't understand because that little girl has to go to school. Enough kids read all that they don't need to know all the details, nor does the general public, I am really upset with the Times Herald for even thinking of putting that in there." Marie from Marysville: "Regarding the child whose picture is on the front page of Sunday's paper. I am appalled. I think it is time that you leave this child alone. What happened to her is horrible.

What you are doing is unforgivable." Sherry from St. Clair: "You were in extremely poor taste to show the photograph of the child on the front page. What are you going to show next rape victims after being examined or murder victims? It was very, very poor taste, and I bet I'm not your only caller." Sheila from St. Clair: "The picture of the abused child on the front page was completely unnecessary. It's exactly what gives the media the poor reputation they have.

I also think you devalued that young girl by putting her on the front page, and I hope I never see it again." hated seeing that picture of the little girl trussed and chained to her bed. But I'm also glad I saw it. It's horrible, but it is something we all should know took place. Most readers seem to agree with me. Also please note that the Times Herald and all other media have respected the girl's privacy by not publishing her name.

Believe me, we take no joy in stories like this. But we're not going to pretend it isn't important, either. Melissa from Port Huron: "I attend school at Holland Woods Intermediate. I don't understand why kids get suspended from school for being late to class because it isn't helping them learn at all. It's just getting them into more trouble.

Please, could someone explain to me why?" That's a question for your principal or a member of the school board, Melissa. Why not ask them? Jenny from Port Huron: "I think that our city is so boring. It doesn't have anything for teen-agers to do besides going to the mall, and that's getting a little stale. Someone should build a teen club and other things for teens. At least this would keep them off the streets and keep them from selling drugs." Why is it always city kids who whine about having nothing to do? If I had tried that with my dad, he would have found something for me to do and it would have involved the barn, a fork and a wheelbarrow.

Lisa from Port Huron: "To Randy The opinions In TalkBack are Garth's and those of his readers. The TalkBack line Is open 24 hours. Readers also are encouraged to sign their names to a letter, or call our ReaderUne at 984-1911..