Banner Graphic, Volume 19, Number 151, Greencastle, Putnam County, 3 March 1989 — Page 2

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THE BANNERGRAPHIC March 3,1989

Union leaders say only Bush can stop a national strike at Eastern

WASHINGTON (AP) Federal mediators say a new Eastern Airlines offer to its machinists union brings hope of avoiding a national strike that union leaders describe as “100 percent” likely unless President Bush stops it by midnight. Eastern pilots, rejecting an unusual videotaped offer by airline owner Frank Lorenzo in separate contract negotiations, said Thursday they would refuse to work behind machinist picket lines. OTHER UNIONS also pledged support in a plan to block work at other airlines, railways and sea transport companies if a strike is called. A federal judge in Minnesota ordered against any sympathy strike at Northwest Airlines, but the union was seeking orders in another federal court here to allow such action. Talks between financially troubled Eastern and its 8,500member International Association of Machinists affiliate were expected to continue today “right up to the deadline” if no settlement is reached in the 17-month-old dispute, said David Bushnell, spokesman for the National Mediation Board. THE WHITE HOUSE said Bush would decide before the federally imposed midnight end of a cooling-off period whether to follow a mediation board recommendation and form a special panel. Presidential action would delay either a strike or proposed Eastern salary cuts by 60 days.

Paula Cooper’s attorney is hopeful of death sentence appeal

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Publicity surrounding a visit by an Italian group seeking a commuted sentence for teen-age murderer Paula Cooper may change the way U.S. citizens view the death penalty, Cooper’s attorney said. “I don’t think it’s going to have a bit of an effect on her case as far as what the Indiana Supreme Court thinks,” said William L. Touchette. “But I think (the publicity) makes people in the United States think more about the death penalty and about juvenile death penalty maybe people who normally would

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FRANK LORENZO Videotaped offer rejected

Bush would meet with top advisers before making a decision, said spokesman Marlin Fitzwater. The airline wants Bush to stay out of it, saying it is losing $1 million a day and can’t afford the delay. Eastern, owned by Texas Air Corp., has pledged to keep operating if the machinists strike. THE AFL-CIO and 33 senators led by Sen. Edward Kennedy, DMass., have asked Bush to act AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkwood said other union members should honor the Eastern pickets wherever they are legally set up. Kirkland accused Lorenzo, who bought Texas Air in 1986, of “finding it worth his while to purchase a good company and strip its assets,

never think about it “THEY MAY BE with us; they may be against us,” he said. “But at least they’re not sitting there like vegetables.” Cooper, 19, is awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision on whether she will go to the electric chair for the stabbing death of an elderly woman. Cooper is the youngest female in the United States sentenced to death. She was 15 in 1985 when she and three other Gary teen-agers robbed and killed Ruth Elizabeth Pelke, a 78-year-old retired Bible teacher. Pelke was stabbed at least

Legislators ‘don’t give a damn’ Worden says as House rejects castration

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The sponsor of a controversial castration bill rejected overwhelmingly by the Indiana House says he won’t bring up his proposal again this year. “Why should I try again?” said Rep. Richard Worden, RNew Haven. “Since they didn’t want to do it, my conclusion is they don’t give a damn.” LAWMAKERS voted 91-8 Thursday against House Bill 1299, which would have called for the suspension of the jail terms of convicted rapists, child molesters and criminal deviates who voluntarily underwent surgical castration. Worden, who attracted national attention after introducing the bill, said he “knew it was going to get blown apart” An investigator for the Allen County public defender, Worden said he introduced the bill because he believes as many as 80 percent of rapists and child molesters who go to prison eventually get out and commit the same crimes again. WE’VE TRIED counseling and we’ve tried sentencing but

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LANE KIRKLAND A settlement isn’t likely

rather than operate it fairly and decently.” The union accuses Lorenzo of planning to sell off Eastern assets or transfer them to non-union Continental Airlines, also owned by Texas Air. Kirkland, asked after the Eastern offer what the chances of a strike would be if Bush did not act, said, “about a 100 percent chance.” KIRKLAND AND other union leaders, at a news conference, said they doubted there would be any settlement because they believe Lorenzo wants to dismantle the airline, which they said is worth about SSOO million. The senators’ letter, signed by 31 Democrats and GOP Sens. Alfonse D’Amato of New York and Arlen

30 times with a butcher knife. At the time of Cooper’s sentencing, Indiana law allowed the death penalty for anyone over the age of 10 convicted of murder. The age limit has since been raised to 16, but was not made retroactive. COOPER’S CASE has drawn a lot of publicity in Italy, where the group “Thou Shalt Not Kill” has taken up her cause in its fight against capital punishment Seven members of the group traveled to Indiana this week to visit Cooper at the Indiana Women’s Prison and to attend Wednesday’s hearing for her ap-

that doesn’t work,” said Worden. “Castration does work.” Opponents of the measure claimed castration might not solve the problem Worden wanted to address, complained the bill would let convicted felons escape jail completely by being castrated and contended the measure called for an uncivilized punishment. Rep. Richard Bray, R-Mar-tinsville, said many people who commit sex crimes “are acting out mental fantasies.” “I really question whether this solution would work,” said Bray, a former prosecutor. “The problem is mental, not physical.” REP. FRANK NEWKIRK, D-Salem, said he sympathized with Worden’s frustration over short jail terms for sex offenders. But Newkirk, a former deputy prosecutor, said Worden’s bill was flawed because it would give a sentencing judge no option but to release a convicted offender who underwent castration.

Specter of Pennsylvania, said 60 U.S. cities in 27 states depend on Eastern for passenger and freight service. Other airlines contend their workers would be violating nostrike clauses in their contracts if they honored picket lines set up by Eastern strikers. CAROL PERKINS, spokeswoman for the Association of American Railroads, said the group was calling on Congress to outlaw such secondary picketing. W. Graham Claytor Jr., president of Amtrak, said the commuter railroad would continue limited operations in the event of a sympathy walkout in the face of Eastern picketing, but only for “a day or two.” If there is no picketing and Eastern air service stops, the railroad would add trains, he said. Eastern’s machinists said the new company offer was an improvement but still called for pay cuts rather than pay increases. EASTERN ORIGINALLY wanted to cut salaries and get other concessions from the union totalling $l5O million. The union wanted SSO million in raises. “The company is still looking for major concessions, but it’s not $l5O million,” said union official Wally Haber in Miami after the new offer. Walter C. Wallace, National Mediation Board chairman, said the new offer “hopefully might be the kind of breakthrough we are looking for.”

peal. They planned to travel to New York Thursday afternoon and were expected to deliver petitions to the United Nations today. Following a three-hour meeting with the Italians on Thursday morning, Touchette described Cooper as “relaxed and happy.” “THERE’S A LOT of anticipa tion sitting there waiting. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do,” Touchette said. “But it’s like finally it’s starting to come to a conclusion, maybe, for her.” Touchette said he’s optimistic that the Supreme Court will commute his client’s death sentence.

Senate passes prostitution, interest deregulation bills

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The state would require greater disclosure by companies that offer promotional gifts and prizes if a bill approved by the Indiana Senate becomes law. Senators sent Senate Bill 170 to the House on a 47-0 vote Thursday. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Lindel O. Hume, D-Princeton, specifies that a promotion notice would have to include information about the promoter, number and value of the prizes being awarded, odds of receiving each prize, what must be done to get the prize, and what happens if the prize is not available. A PROMOTER WHO intentionally failed to provide the required disclosure could be charged with a Class D felony, punishable by up to four years in prison and a SIO,OOO fine. The aggrieved winner also could sue for damages if the promoter were convicted of deception. Sen. William Soards, R-In-dianapolis, said he supported the bill because it “addresses a real severe problem.” However, he said he was concerned that the jail term would be excessive given the current problem of prison overcrowding. The Senate voted 30-18 for a bill that would deregulate consumer credit interest rates.

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Drug war not for ‘delicate sensibilities’, Bennett says

WASHINGTON (AP) William J. Bennett assured senators today he would defend the civil liberties of Americans as coordinator of the government’s anti-drug fight, although “this war is not for delicate sensibilities.” In his second day of confirmation hearings as director of national drug control policy, the former education secretary defended his support of school officials who set up metal detectors and take other measures to control violence and drug abuse in the schools. ’THIS WAR IS NOT for delicate sensibilities,” he told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “This is tough stuff.” However, during a philosophical discussion with committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr., D-Del., Bennett said, “I can’t imagine circumstances in the near future ... that would require us” to suspend civil liberties in the cause of fighting drugs. “They are the base. They are the cement. They are the anchor. They sometimes cause us difficulties in this war ... but these are the ends ... You can’t destroy the fabric of the country in order to defend the country,” Bennett said. HE SAID HE opposed “some who were arguing for universal (drug) testing of students.” When Biden asked his reason for that resistance, Bennett replied, “Because I’m sensitive

“Just the fact that all the paper work’s done for a while and we’re up to another court and we’re going to get another ruling, it’s really a relief in a way,” he said. “I’m hopeful, always hopeful.” The Rev. Vito Bracone, a spokesman for the Italian group, said he tried to assure Cooper that the court decision will be in her favor. “SHE KNOWS WE are all on her side, so she expressed gratitude for that,” Bracone said. “We tried to assure her that we’ll be always with her.” Cooper refused interviews with

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SEN. GREGORY SERVER Unlimited interest on credit

S.B. 167, SPONSORED by Sen. Gregory Server, R-Evansville, would remove the existing 21 percent interest cap on credit cards and most other types of consumer credit transactions. Server said his bill would help ensure that credit remains available when economic circumstances force interest rates up. It also would enhance the state’s economic climate for businesses, he said. Server said interest rates have not increased in the 15 states that have chosen to deregulate. Sen. Thurman Ferree, D-Ham-mond, opposed the bill, saying deregulation has not improved the telephone, railroad, banking, trucking or airline industries. “WHO FEELS MORE safe on the airlines after deregulation than before? I don’t think anyone does,” he said.

Where is the

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WILLIAM BENNETT This is tough stuff’

to the Constitution, the Fourth Amendment,” which prohibits unreasonable search and seizure. The hearing concluded today after representatives of the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development offered testimony critical of Bennett’s nomination. Biden, who said Wednesday that, “My intent ... is to move this nomination as quickly as possible,” scheduled a committee vote for next Thursday. Among the committee members, only Sens. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, and Paul Simon, D-111. indicated they might vote against Bennett.

local media Thursday, saying shei wanted to meet only with the! Italian group and an Italian televi-'. sion crew that sponsored the U.S.trip. In a handwritten note to The Associated Press, Cooper wrote: “NOT TO BE RUDE in any] way at all, but if your press is; United States press and hasn’t con-; suited with attorney Touchette or; Patti Wolter, your request must be; denied because I’m not gonna have; any interviews with anyone except the Italians and I don’t believe you’re a part of that congregation.”

Ferree told his colleagues that the 21 percent cap “is 4 percent above the current charge of the marketplace.” The bill would be “taking a very safe lid off that really doesn’t need to be replaced at the present time,” he said. “If there were an emergency here, I might look at it a different way.” S.B. 167 was sent to the House on a 30-18 vote. The Senate also reconsidered and approved a bill that would change the definition of prostitution to include certain sexual acts that don’t involve direct physical contact between two people. S.B. 87, SPONSORED by Sen. Joseph V. Corcoran, R-Seymour, would include as prostitution any paid “live act that stimulates or is intended to stimulate another person to masturbate while in the presence of the person performing the live act.” Corcoran has said the bill is intended to give authorities an additional tool for achieving prostitu-tion-related convictions. The bill originally went to the full Senate on Tuesday but failed 25-24. Senate bills need at least 26 votes to pass, but those that fail for lack of a constitutional majority may be reconsidered. The bill was sent to the House on a 26-20 vote Thursday. The Senate also approved and sent to the House bills that would: • Require the Department of Mental Health to implement a comprehensive, statewide, interagency program to provide services to infants and toddlers with disabilities; require school corporations to provide preschool special education programs beginning in the 1991-92 school year. • Allow local governments to provide workers compensation benefits for participants in community corrections programs and work programs required as a condition for receiving welfare benefits.