Publisher-emeritus Jerry Robinson wrote this column in 1961

By Jerry Robinson

    Oh, Warren, Warren, Warren.  As our senior senator, we are very aware of your importance to our state, and judging from the attendance at your testimonial dinner (I watched you on television in one of the Olympic Hotel’s broom closets), your importance to the nation.

    But the other day I received by free government mail a group of catalogs from the government printing office.  And judging from your note attached which read “thought you might enjoy receiving these,” you must have had something to do with their printing.

    Now, Warren, I appreciate your thoughtfulness and if I can find time I shall attempt to wade through all 1,166 pages of Richard Nixon’s campaign speeches.  And after I finish that I shall try to cram in all 500 pages of the Kennedy-Nixon television debates.  What I shall learn from these voluminous tomes I’m not quite sure.  But I am sure of one thing:

    These books cost us taxpayers one heck of a lot of money and I can think of a hundred better ways in which this money could have been spent.  I just don’t believe that our national budget is a bottomless well from which money can be dipped endlessly.  And I’m not speaking as a Goldwater, either.

    President Kennedy has asked for a $92 billion budget to run this country for one year and I can’t believe that with a little common sense (like not printing Nixon’s speeches) this cannot be trimmed substantially.

    If we have money to throw away, for crying out loud send us a check and we’ll see that it gets to people like the G. E. Marks family of White Center.

    This family needs help.  And right now, Mr. Marks is a steelworker who is unable to work at his trade because the doctors have told him he has cancer of the bladder.  Mrs. Marks can’t work because she must take care of the 15 children ranging in age from one to 17.  This family receives $293 from the Welfare Dept. every month.  Not very much to support a crew this size, is it, Warren?

    Furthermore, they have been told they must move from their home because in order to receive aid from the Welfare Department they are not allowed to pay more than $60 per month for housing.  And they have been told they can’t find room in one of our numerous projects.  Now, I don’t expect you, Warren, to solve our little community problem.  We’ll do that at our level.  I just mention this for two reasons.  First, to illustrate to you that some degree of wisdom should be exercised when it comes to spending money because there are better places to use it and secondly, to ask our readers to help one of their neighbors.  Of course, Warren, if you want to contribute a small stipend after you read this, the Marks family could use it.