Banner Graphic, Volume 21, Number 184, Greencastle, Putnam County, 9 April 1991 — Page 3

Bayh proposes $54 million to help schools meet higher costs

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Gov. Evan Bayh wants to use $54.6 million, most of it money intended for local governments, to help Indiana’s public schools meet unavoidable cost increases during the next two years. The Democratic governor unveiled on Monday a new proposal he claimed would prevent schools from having to lay off teachers or cut programs two actions school officials have threatened if a proposed budget becomes law. HOWEVER, THE governor’s proposal didn’t address the largest portion of schools’ budgets the spending on salaries, which can consume 80 to 90 percent of the budgets. Bayh said it would be up to local schools to come up with a way to pay higher salaries. He also questioned “whether it’s fair at a time when nobody else is getting pay raises” for teachers to receive higher salaries. Schools would lose a total of $206 million in state aid over the next two years under Bayh’s budget proposal. The governor said his latest proposal was designed to help schools meet unavoidable cost increases for health insurance, utilities, property and casualty insurance and supplies and allow most schools could continue to function as they do now, he argued. HOWEVER, Bayh acknowledged, the proposal wouldn’t solve all the problems of 27 school corporations that already have deficits or 63 corporations that have long-term teacher contracts that obligate pay raises in the future. “I think it’s vitally important that we do everything that we possibly can to preserve the quality of education in the state of Indiana, to keep teachers on the job and to maintain current programs,” Bayh said. “This accomplishes it in about two-thirds of Indiana schools

Senate defeats Democrat plan to balance budget with reserve cash

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) After casting the deciding vote against using Indiana’s cash reserves to balance the budget, Lt. Gov. Frank O’Bannon chided Senate Republicans for not proposing their own solution. “What’s difficult to understand is that the majority Republicans are not taking responsibility whatsoever as an equal branch of government, saying they’re waiting for the governor to tell them what to do,” O’Bannon said. THE DEMOCRATIC lieutenant governor, who presides over the Senate, broke a 25-25 tie Monday night when he rejected a Democratic plan to help schools and universities by spending most of the state’s cash reserves. State Sen. Virginia Blankenbaker, R-Indianapolis, voted for the budget plan along with the Senate’s 24 Democrats. O’Bannon stayed true to Gov. Evan Bayh by voting against the plan offered by his former colleagues in the Senate. The Democratic governor has consistently opposed using the state’s rainy day or tuition reserve funds to balance the budget, saying that would lead to a future tax increase. “I VOTED WITH the governor, staying within the governor’s parameters,” O’Bannon said. “I told the Senate Democrats that.” The Senate also rejected a second Democratic amendment, thus preserving the Republicans’ $333 million deficit budget bill. Republicans offered no amendments to remove the deficit they put into the budget in committee. The budget is now eligible for final action by the Senate. The first amendment, proposed by Sen. Michael E. Gery, would have spent all of the tuition reserve fund, three-fourths of the rainy day fund and $75 million in lottery profits. IT WOULD HAVE increased spending for public schools, universities, the environment, child abuse caseworkers and state employee salaries. “The future of our state, more than anything else, is our young citizens,” said Gery, a West Lafayette Democrat. “It is our schools and it is our universities.” But Senate Finance Chairman Lawrence M. Borst, R-In-dianapolis, warned that Gery’s plan

All

GOV. EVAN BAYH Plan will help most

that aren’t in fiscal problems and don’t have long-term contracts.” He offered no plan to help the other corporations, except to endorse legislation that would limit the term of teacher contracts to two years. BAYH’S PLAN would: • Gain $20.2 for schools by doing away with a state subsidy to county health departments and withholding distribution of state alcoholic beverage tax monies to local governments. A similar administration proposal was rejected earlier this year by legislative budget writers. • Reallocate to education S2O million in lottery profits earmarked to meet future local government pension liabilities for police and firefighters. • Require local schools, when possible, to spend on education programs’ operating costs about $14.4 million of the money they might otherwise spend on buildings, repairs and maintenance. THE LATEST IN a series of announcements about his education

'

LT. GOV. FRANK O’BANNON GOP irresponsible

looked good but would lead to a tax increase in 1993. “WHAT’S THE future for Indiana?” Borst said. “If you raise this much money and spend this much money for the state, in ’93 what will we have to come back and do?” Democrats argued that Gery’s plan was more responsible than the Republicans’ budget proposal, which would create a $333 million deficit by July 1993. Republicans passed the deficit plan out of committee to show they cannot balance the budget without severely cutting state programs, dipping into the cash reserves or raising taxes, Borst said. Bayh has opposed all three options. “I’M NOT ABOUT to vote for a tax increase unless the governor says it’s time,” Borst said. “I’m not about to vote to take the rainy day fund unless the governor says it’s OK.” senate Assistant Minority Leader Robert F. Hellmann, D-Terre Haute, said Bayh deserved credit because at least he has an opinion he’s willing to defend. “I believe it’s OK to believe and have one’s own view. We’re mere messengers here. I think it’s time that we define what the people of Indiana expect,” Hellmann said. The other Democratic proposal, by Sen. Douglas A. Hunt, D-South Bend, would have spent most of the rainy day and tuition reserve funds and forced schools and state government to find another 3 per-

-mm ? 1 > j • Jp" id®* li <

SEN. MORRIS MILLS Absolutely unacceptable

recommendations, Bayh’s plan received a cool reception in the Statehouse. At about the time of Bayh’s news conference, Senate Democrats were circulating an alternate proposal to spend $394 million in money in the state’s rainy day and tuition reserve funds to help education during the current recession. Senate Democrats, who earlier had suggested tax increases to boost education funding, offered the new proposal Monday night as an amendment to the budget bill. SEN. VIRGINIA Blankenbaker, R-Indianapolis, joined the Senate’s 24 Democrats in voting for the amendment, creating a 25-25 tie. Lt. Gov. Frank O’Bannon, who presides over the Senate, cast the deciding vote to defeat it. O’Bannon stayed true to Bayh, who has adamantly opposed using the state’s reserves or raising taxes. Blankenbaker said she was disappointed O’Bannon hadn’t voted for the amendment proposed by his former Senate colleagues. “WE’RE IN TOUGHER times,

cent in savings each year by becoming more efficient.

| X QUJJII:n CHUCK ROAST 2.09 » T-BONE STEAK 4.99 . —“i Fresh H Cu / > We reserve the right to limit quantities. CDAI IKIh DCCC I IIM -KPrices effective Wed., April 10 thru Tues., April 16,1991 kJIivJUIMU DuLI I ■ ’W lb. » 1 —' a HOURS: DAILY 3 & DAILY 4 I OTP" AIZ 1 ~ y Mon.-Fri. 4 a.m.-9 p.m. LOTTO CASH I k PORK STEAK I aWW lb ( Sat 4 a.m.-7 pjn. LOTTO AMERICA XjS ix EMGE BACON 1 .49 it. PORK ROASTI - 49 >S Donuts 1 g?gg. 1 QQ ~ HOLLAND SPECIALS Minced H am 2.49 > II J /OY | 2% Milk 5 1.99 9*- Old Fashion Loaf 2.49 4M Cottage Cheese 5 1.49 02 Smok-Y-Links 1.49 «> J Ice Cream Bars 89 c P k. deuspecials 8 PEPSI COLA iaTsiis! Cheese. 2.99 , _Sj 2QQ i urkey , Br d eas ‘ ?- 99 lb s Lite /A JBML fresh produce \ 1 Q 99 /JI Kennebec Seed Potatoes $ 12.50 y U Onion Sets veiiow 59 c «> white 69 c «>• /h \ 7 f/ . r\r\& Red Delicious f ( Lettuce 03 hd Apples-3 lb. bag ■■'U 1 \ -S3 \ \ / nHivhiiNW ln/tolidi i /c— J

so you have to look at other pots of money,” she said. The budget now is eligible for final consideration by the Senate. Lobbyists for the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents and the Indiana State Teachers Association gave Bayh credit for offering a new proposal but questioned whether it would solve schools’ funding problems. “It’s not the final solution to the problem,” said Charles Fields of the superintendents group. “There’s only one solution to this problem and that’s a tax increase, but he’s rejected that.” ROBERT N. MARGRAF of the ISTA said Bayh “is moving in increments” toward a possible solution. House Ways and Means Chairman B. Patrick Bauer, DSouth Bend, said he thought it was significant that the governor acknowledged the budget the administration and Bauer pushed through the House didn’t contain enough money for education. “I think the governor has recognized the problem,” said Bauer. “He’s shown significant movement.” Republicans’ analysis was harsher. “I’D PUT IT IN the same category as most of the rest of them (Bayh’s proposals). It’s absolutely unacceptable,” said Sen. Morris H. Mills, R-Indianapolis. “It’s the state’s responsibility to fund local schools. This is his attempt to pass off by using every other local body’s source of revenue except the state’s so he can be a hero without a state tax increase.” Rep. Patrick J. Kiely, R-Ander-son, argued the new announcement brought into focus again the disagreement among Democrats on how to address the education funding issue.

The amendment was defeated 37-11.

Ryan White remembered in an anniversary service

CICERO, Ind. (AP) About 25 people attended a memorial service for Ryan White, who died April 8, 1990, at age 18 after a long battle against AIDS. Before his death, Ryan had galvanized national attention toward AIDS in a way no other person had. He was befriended by celebrities, invited to testify before a presidential commission and had a movie made about his life. PEOPLE REMEMBER Ryan for his courage and his mission to fight discrimination, the Rev. Ray Probasco said Monday during the memorial service at Ryan’s gravesite. “He wanted to help people who were living with AIDS, not dying from the disease,” said Probasco, of the First United Methodist Church in Pendleton and the White family’s minister. Wiping tears from her eyes, Ryan’s mother, Jeanne, read a poem written by entertainer Michael Jackson. SINCE HIS death, Ryan’s mother has been busy appearing on talk shows, lecturing at universities and promoting her son’s autobiography, which was released last month. Part of the proceeds from the book, Ryan White: My Own Story, will be donated to the Ryan White Children’s Fund at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. None of the celebrities such as singers Elton John and Jackson, who came to Ryan’s funeral, attended Monday’s ceremony. BUT MRS. WHITE said the stars who encircled the family when Ryan was alive were still there for her now that he is gone. She spent Easter with Greg Louganis, the Olympic gold-

INVEST 1 EVENING IN YOUR FUTURE Attend A Free Preview Meeting The DALE CARNEGIE COURSE • At this session, you'll see how to develop your hidden abilities, express yourself more effectively, increase your understanding of people, and increase your confidence. THURS., APRIL 11 Holiday Inn 6:01 p.m. 1-70 & 231 Cloverdale Presented by Robert D. Hanes & Associates, Inc. Accredited by the Council for NonCollegiate Continuing Education. For Information, Call 1-800-344-3905.

April 9,1991 THE BANNERGRAPHIC

'KB x w > * JSi *

RYAN WHITE Fondly remembered

medal diver, at his home in Malibu, Calif. And Phil Donahue, the talk show host, still keeps in touch. “I talked to him this morning before I came,” she said. “I even got him out of the shower.” Ryan contracted AIDS through tainted blood used to treat his hemophilia. AMONG THOSE present were a family and two friends of the family who drove more than six hours Monday from Sterling Heights, Mich., to attend the brief memorial service. Melissa Bugsbee knew Ryan only through newspapers, magazines and the television news, but she knew she wanted to be in Cicero to show how important Ryan’s battle with the disease had been. “My daughter followed his story, and she’s been writing to Mrs. White,” said Jerri Rich, the girl’s mother. “She’s a real special lady.” RYAN IS buried at the edge of the Cicero cemetery in a large plot along a stand of pine trees. The grave is marked by a tombstone with his picture on it, a gift from Matt Frewer, a friend and television actor.

A3