Legislature is turning budget into party politics

As a disinterested bystander to the fracas in Washington over the balanced budget amendment, I don't think it makes much difference whether it passes or not.

If it passes next time, the politicians will find ways to get around it.

If it doesn't pass, no problem. Congress already has the power to vote a balanced budget.

What is especially disgusting about the Washington politicians is how they are making this important issue a matter of party politics.

Two senators from North Dakota and one from Oregon provided the margin of defeat to Dole and his Republicans.

They were viciously attacked as traitorous. The fact that they took huge political risk rather than betray their personal beliefs was ignored.

The message - politics supersedes principle.

I've supported the balanced budget amendment since Sen. Simon introduced it years ago. But since then, the government has raided the Social Security fund, and the Republicans refuse to include in the amendment a provision to protect Social Security.

On balance, killing the amendment seems preferable because of the threat to Social Security.

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The annual ritual of friends of William Heirens, killer of Suzanne Degnan, trying to get his release from prison has come around.

There is no question in my mind that Heirens is guilty. I also think he should be paroled or pardoned. After 48 years in prison, he's no longer a threat to society. He's an expense.

Nathan Leopold committed an equally heinous crime, killing Bobby Franks with Richard Loeb.

Leopold was released after a long term in prison and spent many productive years helping the underprivileged.

There was no question of Leopold's sanity. There is some about Heirens' sanity. He had some bizarre habits during his many burglaries. He scrawled a note after one murder, "Stop me before I kill more."

I'm probably one of the few working newsmen who covered the murder and trial. The Degnan house was a few doors from my house.

At the Daily News, we uncovered a major clue. The Degnan ransom note was written on a pad of paper from Snell Hall at the University of Chicago, where Heirens lived.

When people would write notes on the pad, an indentation went through to the sheet underneath. This was the sheet Heirens used for his ransom note. News reporters found it after the FBI and police overlooked it. It was indisputable evidence that the note came from a phone pad a few feet from Heirens' quarters.

Heirens' backers claim he was framed. I was familiar with the prosecutors and police on the case, and they were reasonably ethical operators. The evidence was so overwhelming the only question was whether Heirens would be sentenced to death.

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An ad in the Daily Herald a few days back carried the names of employees observing their anniversaries with the paper. Jack Mabley is down for two years.

It seems longer.

It is longer. During my first six years as a Herald columnist, I worked on a handshake - my favorite way of doing business.

Two years ago, the government decided it didn't like our arrangement, and I formally went on the payroll. Thus the two-year anniversary.

Coming to work here at age 72, I didn't expect to last this long.

But I am blessed with good health and believe that the brain won't deteriorate if you keep it busy and challenged.

I'm good for at least another 8 years, and I'd like to be around to 100, just to brag about it.