Saturday, Aug. 31, 2002

By Staff
Campaign observations
To the editor:
A recent article on Rep. Shows called for Rep. Pickering to return the $82,050 from WorldCom as the ethical and moral thing to do, being many shareholders have been swindled and many honest hard working Mississippians put out of work.
As for the reprinted article by The Daily Leader of Brookhaven, about politicians piling on WorldCom … (a number of) President Bush's political appointees, including the Secretary of Treasury, and the Secretary of Commerce, have condemned WorldCom's apparent fraud.
In fact, the Secretary of Commerce stated this scandal was pure robbery. Our president and his political appointees have jumped on WorldCom and corporate fraud big time, thank God. The silence by Congressman Pickering is deafening.
The sarcasm in the article wondered if the unemployed folks in Clinton had received their share of the $6,000 returned by Congressman Shows' $66.66. Wow! If Rep. Pickering returned his $85,050, the 90 laid off workers would get $911.66. Quite a few meals.
Mr. Barbour of the Pickering campaign throws out another of his red hearings to divert from the issue by charging Congressman Shows' call for Pickering to return the $82,050 was done because Congressman Shows lacks knowledge on military issues. It is Mr. Barbour who is lacking knowledge.
Congressman Shows, a Blue Dog Democrat, and Congressman Taylor, a Democrat of Mississippi, called for a halt to all base closures, like Meridian NAS, Columbus AFB and others. Congressman Shows and Taylor were right on target with our war on terror, potential future military needs for Iraq, and others of the Axis of Evil in saying now is not the time to close bases or suspend training.
As a combat disabled Veteran of World War II, I know first hand what Congressman Shows is saying is correct.
Congressman Shows has shown great knowledge and inherited compassion for veterans and the military. Mr. Barbour should get out the divisiveness and use his hatchet to cut wood.
To back up the above here is a case in point; Approximately two years ago, as a military veteran of 22 years of service, I made an inquiry to Rep. Pickering about an Air Force Retiree Family Pension Plan I was paying into. After one and half years of calls to the Pickering office, I was repeatedly told "Our Washington Office cannot find anything about this plan." Each time I gave the staff a complete briefing to no avail. Being totally disgusted and on the advice of a fellow veteran I called Congressman Shows' office. A knowledgeable staff member said, "I will ask Congressman Shows to look into this for you."
Congressman Shows' knowledge was evident. He quickly made inquiry to the Congressional Research Service, which could have been done by Congressman Pickering two years ago. I now have a complete report and my inquiry answered by Congressman Shows; it took three weeks, not two years of no answer from Congressman Pickering.
Dave Tunno
Major USAF, Retired
Meridian
Thanks to Avery Dennison
To the editor:
As the Career Center Director for Newton Municipal Schools, I would like to publicly thank June Clayton and everyone at Meridian's Avery Dennison facility for the support they give to our school children through donations of their products and services.
Education and the partners in education like Avery Dennison make reaching the goal of educating every child move closer to a reality.
Ron Burks
Newton