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University Daily Kansan, March 24, 1983
News Briefs From United Press International
Consumer Price Index dips as workers' earnings drop
WASHINGTON — Consumer prices dropped 0.2 percent in February, thanks largely to record declines for fuel and staple food and housing costs, the government reported yesterday.
The Labor Department, however, followed its favorable Consumer Price Index with another report showing blue-collar spending power down 1.5 percent in February. The savings brought by falling prices were wiped out by income loss because of unemployment.
It was the worst deterioration in real earnings for any month since April 1979, brought about by a 2 percent decline in the average number of hours worked, the report said.
February's Consumer Price Index was down for only the second time since August 1965, the department said. The February drop canceled a 0.2 percent increase in January to produce a zero rate of inflation for the first two months of the year.
Guatemalan president eases laws
GUATEMALA CITY — President Efrain Rios Montz of Guatemala lifted a nine-month state of siege yesterday, offered armies to rebels and announced election laws to mark the anniversary of his seizure of power.
Rios Mont said he was lifting the state of siege in a step toward a return to civilian government.
Under the state of siege, political parties were banned and basic constitutional rights were suspended. Rios Montt, who rose to power in a military coup, did not say whether all rights would be restored.
He also announced a 30-day amnesty program for guerrillas to surrender. He warned that executions of guerrillas would continue if they rejected his offer.
USDA expects growth in crop prices
WASHINGTON — Heavy enrollment in the government's new crop reduction efforts prompted the Agriculture Department yesterday to predict that prices for farm crops next season will hit the highest levels in three years.
The department based its forecast on heavy farmer participation in the new payment-in-kind program and other similar efforts. The department released the predictions in a report on agricultural supply and demand estimates.
The price of wheat is expected to climb to between $3.50 and $3.90 a bushel, compared to this season's average of $3.45. At the same time, wheat production is likely to drop one-fifth from the crops of the past two years, the report said.
Worker saves nuclear cleanup unsafe
WASHINGTON — A Bechtel Corp. engineer working on the Three Mile Island nuclear accident cleanup charged yesterday that officials managing the project were sacrificing safety procedures to keep the effort on schedule.
effect on schedule.
Bechtel is the main contractor for the $1 billion cleanup at Three Mile Island's Unit 2, the scene of the worst accident in the history of commercial nuclear power, in March 1979.
The accusation by Richard Parks, an engineer at the damaged reactor near Harrisburg, Pa., centers on the use of a huge "polar crane" at the site. He says cleanup managers proposed "shortcuts requiring rushing the polar crane into operation before it is ready," and severely harassed him for challenging their plan.
House to give final vote on jobs bill
WASHINGTON — A $4.6 billion jobs bill bounced back to the House yesterday for final congressional approval, although the jobless benefits attached to it may start expiring before it is signed into law.
The House senator said the President's request to expected to approve the bill since its cost was on slightly higher than the version he backed.
only slightly higher than the rate. The bill contains a separate provision for $5 billion to replenish the federal unemployment insurance trust fund, which lends money to the 27 states to pay jobless claims.
Labor Department spokesman Jack Hashian said that the fund would run out yesterday despite a series of extensions past March 15.
Eastern agreement averts walkout
WASHINGTON — Eastern Airlines and the Machinists Union reached tentative agreement on a new contract last night, five hours before 13,000 ground and maintenance workers had threatened to strike the carrier.
The agreement was announced shortly after 6 p.m. by Robert Harris, chairman of the National Mediation Board. The union had threatened to begin a strike against the airline at 12:01 a.m. EST today.
begin a strike against the company. No details of the settlement, which would replace an agreement that expired Dec. 31, 1981, were disclosed by either Harris or any of the officials from the company or union.
Charles Bryan, chief union negotiator, said he expected a ratification vote by union members in about two weeks.
Consumer group rates congressmen
WASHINGTON — Members of Congress voted more often against consumer issues than for them, the Consumer Federation of America reported yesterday, and all of the group's top-ranked "heroes" were Democrats.
The federation graded congressmen according to their votes on about two dozen pieces of legislation, ranging from the regulation of used car sales to patents on new drugs.
Six senators and 40 House members, all Democrats, were labeled "Consumer Heroes" for scoring above 90 percent on the federation's scoreboard, while their opposites, called "Consumer Zeroes," numbered 4 senators and 22 representatives, all but two of them Republicans.
Canadians protest Bush's arrival
OTTAWA — Anti-nuclear protesters pelted Vice President George Bush's limousine with eggs as he arrived yesterday for talks with Canadian officials on arms control, Western security and possible cruise missile testing in Canada.
Police detained a young woman protester, but released her after some bags "with some form of coloring in them" were confiscated. Police said the substance was not believed to be dangerous.
A small crowd of protesters spattered the car with eggs shortly before Bush met with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and other officials.
Before entering the talks, Bush said, "This trip is just one in a series of such visits in recent weeks to consult, in the true spirit of the meaning, with our allies."
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House rejects Reagan budget passes $863.6 billion plan
WASHINGTON — The Democratic-led house handed President Reagan a crunching defeat yesterday by voting 229-196 for a 1984 budget that scales back his military buildup, spending and raises $30 billion in taxes.
By United Press International
"The people believe that Reagan policies are unfair and have gone too far," said House Speaker Thomas N'Oeil, D-Mass. "This evening, the House voted to restore fairness and balance to our national policies."
House Democrats, their ranks strengthened by the November election results, effectively ended two years of Reagan's domination and signaled they no longer would bow to his wishes or condone his economic policies.
THE HOUSE VOTED, mostly along party lines, for the $863 a b budget plan. Thirty-six Democrats, most of them conservative "boll weevils," with the Republicans and four moderate Republicans voted with the Democrats.
drafting its own budget proposal until April 6.
The House budget resolution now
awaits action from the Republicicled
committee on the budget.
House Republican leader Bob Michel of Illinois charged during the day-long debate. "This budget . . . should be called, 'The Revenge on Ronald Reagan Act of 1983.' It is made of political spite and political opportunism."
AT THE WHITE HOUSE the House vote was accepted without surprise or dismay and spokesman Larry Speakes said he felt "very proud" in the Republican-dominated Senate.
"It was a near party line vote," he said. "We knew it would be tough. The Democratic leadership made it a vote and whipped their troops into line.
Reagan made a series of phone calls to Democrats and Republicans throughout the day, asking them to vote against the budget plan that he has proposed. He was also dapper straight at the heart of America's rebuilding program."
The budget proposal would pare Reagan's proposed 10 percent defense spending increase to 4 percent, add $23 billion more than Reagan wanted for domestic programs, and raise $30 billion in new unspecified taxes.
vide $235.4 billion for national defense in 1984, some $20 billion more than this year or a 4 percent "real" increase after inflation. That is $3.9 billion below Reagan's budget, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office.
THE HOUSE BUDGET would pro-
The $30 billion in taxes presumably would be raised by repealing the third year of the 10 percent income tax cut scheduled for July 1.
The budget projects a $174 billion deficit, $15 billion below Reagan's projection for fiscal 1984, which begins Oct. 1.
The plan would provide a 4 percent pay raise for military and civilian federal employees, unlike the Reagan budget that would freeze the salaries for a year, and would delay cost-of-living increases for federal retirees for six months instead of the 12 months suggested by Reagan.
IN THE PAST two years, Reagan,
using a coalition of Republicans and
conservative "boll weevil" Democrats,
was able to push Republican budgets
through the Democratic-dominated
House.
But the Democrats gained 26 additional seats in November, giving them a 268-168 edge and effectively eliminating Reagan's winning coalition.
Bill to aid Times Beach buy-out
By United Press International
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Kit Bond yesterday signed an emergency appropriations bill setting up a $4.5 million state "Superfund" to assist in the federal buy-out of dioxin-polluted Beach Beach.
Bond called it "an important step toward providing relief for Times Beach residents". But the state could not do enough to compensate for the loss of 1,400 residents suffered by the 2,400 residents of the St. Louis suburb, he said.
PAT BREHENY, regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said the first two months in which Beach residents by late spring.
The $33 million purchase of Times Beach would be the federal government's largest purchase for environmental reasons. The Missouri fund would provide $3.3 million to help cover $1.2 million of the total. The state has set aside $1.2 million to assist in the cleanup of other dioxin sites.
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