The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 38, Milford, Kosciusko County, 2 November 1988 — Page 5

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Dr. Pettersen answers questions

By DR. MARY PETTERSEN Democratic Candidate For Superintendent Os Public Instruction

The following are the questions I am asked most often in this campaign. I share my answers with you as the campaign enters its last week. Question: What are your qualifications for the job? Answer: To improve education, we must make things happen in the classroom. I have spent 29 years as a classroom chemistry teacher. I know that

Pettersen, Rumple support electronic device banning

Dr. Mary Pettersen and John Rumple, Democratic candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction and Attorney General, have promised to support any school board in Indiana who want to enact tough anti-drug regulations banning electronic communications devices in Indiana schools. “In other parts of the United States,” Dr. Pettersen said, “drug dealers have begun to use electronic paging devices and cellular telephones to bring drug trafficking into the school and school grounds. I want to make it clear that I will work with the schools to keep pagers and cellular phones off the school grounds for all but essential health and safety reasons,” she continued. “Now is the time to tell drug dealers that we will not tolerate them in our schools. ’ ’ Rumple added, “I am here to add my voice to Dr. Pettersen’s to let everyone in the state know that the new Democratic leadership in the Statehouse will stand together firmly at the schoolyard boundary to say ‘no’ to drug

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HILER VISITS — Third District Congressman John Hiler, shown with ‘the PAPER’ advertising manager Kip Schumm, made a stop at The Papers Incorporated main office in Milford on Monday, Oct. 31, on his way to Warsaw for a campaign stop. Hiler and Schumm are shown looking over an Elkhart edition of ‘the PAPER’ while standing in ffcont of one of the printing presses at the Milford plant. Hiler, who said that he was trying to visit as many places in the district as possible before next Tuesday’s election, stated that he feels very confident about the election and that he believes that his campaign has did the best that they could this year. He added that next Tuesday’s election will be very close (within 2,000 votes) and that he feels good because he has received support at both the grass roots and national level with his effort this year. Hiler commented that the race for the third district Congressional seat between himself and Democratic challenger Tom Ward is a battle over philosophies. “I don’t question the sincerity of Tom Ward, it’s just that he’s dead wrong on the issues,” added Hiler. If Hiler is re-elected next Tuesday to his fifth term in the Congress, he remarked that his number one priority is to keep the economy moving forward so that other problems that the country must face are then made easier to solve. “I am also very concerned with our education, the retraining of workers to keep the United States competitive internationally, the problem of drugs in our society, the issue of child care and the task of reducing the deficit,” Hiler emphasized. Hiler commented that in the next few days before the election there are three goals that his campaign will be working on. “I hope to be present (visit) in as many areas as possible in the district, I want to ''answer any last minute questions that the voters have about the campaign and I want to urge people to get out and vote next Tuesday,” concluded Hiler. (Photo by Scott Davidson)

brilliant bureaucratic solutions to educational problems can look good in Indianapolis but will seldom produce the desired result in classrooms in Kendallville or Gary or English. I will make sure Indiana’s education reforms involve classroom solutions. I am also a former legislator. I know that consensus on educational solutions is as important in the House and Senate as it is in a bureaucratic conference room. I will build consensus for educational excellence; not just expect my dictates to be accepted. Question: Do you favor continuation of the A+ education program? Answer: Yes, A+ is an important step in the process of ending 20 years of educational neglect in Indiana. I would, however, revise the program to make it more effective in the classrooms of Indiari^l rate the original A+ Program an F; the legislature revised it to make it a C- Program. As a classroom teacher, I plan to make A+ truly live up to its name for all of Indiana’s parents, teachers, and students. Question: Should there be revisions in the ISTEP testing program or are you satisfied with it? Answer: ISTEP is a feature of A+ that looks good on paper but does not work well in the classroom. The exam should be given in the fall and the results used throughout the school year to help students improve. The idea of a spring test that punishes those who fail with summer school is counter-productive. It addresses the needs of only about 20 percent of Indiana’s school students. The other 80 percent of the students, especially the atrisk students, do not need another reminder that they have not done well in school. Research tells us they can learn; it is the responsibility of the school system to find ways to effectively teach them. The cur-

rent ISTEP exam works against teaching these students. Answer: Our public schools have traditionally been controlled by a locally elected or appointed school board. In recent years, the state has assumed some of this control. Do you favor a continuation of this trend, or who do you feel really should control our public schools? Answer: I believe that the next step in Indiana’s educational reform movement is to bring more local control into the shaping of A+. For 20 years, policy makers have made the schools more and more accountable to state bureaucrats. I want to

Rumple responds to Goldsmith ads

“When a prosecutor who pleabargains to let the biggest drug dealers off with a slap of the hand turns around and runs television campaign commercials showing himself in a courtroom with the American flag, extolling his virtues of keeping a little boy out of court on drug charges, something is wrong,” said John Rumple, Democratic candidate for Attorney General. “As prosecutor, Stephen Goldsmith has plea-bargained to let John Collogen, the biggest drug dealer ever charged in Marion County, buy his way out with no jail sentence,” Rumple said, “and yet Goldsmith’s TV ads proclaim him as being tough on drug dealers. I want to set the record straight with the facts,”

Hiler attacks Ward

Thomas W. Ward blasted his opponent on October 28 for resorting to the use of “outright lies” to launch personal attacks on his campaign. “My opponent is implying that I’m in some way under investigation,” Ward said. “That is an outright lie, and he knows it.” The Hiler campaign issued an official press release which claims that Tom Ward is under investigation by the House Administration Committee for using a copy of an unreleased Hiler newsletter in a press conference last month. David Sharman, staff director for the House Administration Committee, confirmed that neither Tom Ward nor his campaign were under investigation. The committee is looking into the public storage of constituent newsletters in the basement hallways of the Cannon House Office Building; it is not contemplating any action regarding the use of the newsletter by the Ward campaign. Ward stated that this deliberate misrepresentation of the facts is merely the latest in a series of distortions from the Hiler campaign.

Small business angle —

Pursuit of health insurance o to offer few liberties

ByJOHN SLOAN

A modern-day Paul Revere should take to Main Street warning employers, “Section 89 is coming! Section 89 is coming! ’ ’ Starting January 1, this new provision in the tax code will require employers with employee health, life and accident insurance plans to complete tests so complex that they cause tax experts to shake their heads in wonder. Sadly, unlike colonists, small employers have little defense against the devastating effects of this law. They are penalized by congressional fiat for providing what benefits they can afford to employees. Congressional staff added section 89, behind closed doors, to the 1986 Tax Reform Act. The changes, said at the time to be a “slight tightening of discrimination rules,” will provide millions of employers with frustration through taxation. Once an employer crosses into section 89 territory, little is as it should be. The law seeks to limit the benefits that the “highly compensated” receive compared to rank-and-file workers; however,

return accountability to the local level. I believe that those closest to the classroom, the local teacher, the parents and the local business, farm and labor leaders, must have more input into the running of the schools than bureaucrats in Indianapolis. I will work throughout my term to return school control to the local level and end Indiana’s era of bureaucratic school control. Question: You have proposed returning religion to the public schools. What do you want to do with this proposal? Answer: I want to teach

Rumple asserted.

“John Collogen was a drug dealer, a big one, and he walks the streets today because of the deal Goldsmith made with him. Collogen bought his way out with a Corvette and SIIO,OOO and Goldsmith gave him back $150,000 of confiscated drug money. Goldsmith is not the kid of drug czar and drug enforcement person the citizerts of the state of Indiana need,” Rumple said.

“Goldsmith also bargained with Phil DeFabius, nephew of a deputy major of Indianapolis,” Rumple said. “DeFabius was charged with dealing cocaine and

Hoosiers invited to attend victory party in Indianapolis

Indiana Democratic Party Chair John Livengood has invited Hoosiers to attend the 1988 victory party on election night at the Indiana Convention Center in In» diana polis. The Indiana Democratic Party will be hosting the celebration in the “500 Ballroom.” The doors will be open to the public at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8. “We’re going to have a great time,” said Livengood. “We’ll be celebrating the election of the first Democratic Governor in 20 years. Election night 1988 is a night Democrats throughout Indiana have looked forward to for a long time. I hope Democrats from all over the state will come to Indianapolis and join us.” Livengood noted it’s appropriate Democrats from all regions of the state will be coming to Indianapolis on election night, since the Democratic ticket is geographically balanced. Gubernatorial candidate Evan Bayh is from Vigo County in western Indiana. Lieutenant Governor candidate Frank O’Bannon is from Harrison County in southern Indiana. Mary Pettersen, the candidate -for Superintendent of Public Instruction, is from Lake County in northern Indiana. Attorney General candidate John Rumple is from

“highly compensated” is anyone who owns as little as five percent of a business. Most officers and employees earning more than $50,000 also will fall into that category, depending on the structure of the business. Health insurance is no longer one benefit; employers must break it down into fine components, each of which is subject to scrutiny. “Value” of a benefit is neither cost of premiums nor claims filed. Employers and managers will have to calculate the value of each benefit plan using a complex formula. Furthermore, the discrimination tests themselves are unnecessarily complex. The ground rules change depending on whether employers are attempting to determine how many employees are covered by a plan or simply verifying that the highly compensated do not receive far greater benefit than rank-and-file workers. If a plan fails, the highly compensated must pay tax on the excess benefits. Under section 89, offering equal coverage is not enough, employers must ensure participation of certain workers. In other words, an employer's plan

students about the role the religious beliefs in the shaping of our country and the world. I do not believe students can fully understand the actions of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson without an understanding of their religious beliefs. Nor can they fully appreciate the actions of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., or Jesse Jackson if they cannot study the religious beliefs that guided these men. In brief, I do not want to teach students to be Baptists or Methodists or Catholics — I want them to understand the beliefs that shape the members of each of these religions.

conspiracy to deal cocaine,” he explained, “and in exchange for a plea to the conspiracy to deal cocaine, Goldsmith dismissed the charge of dealing in cocaine.”

Rumple continued, “As a result, after six months served of a 20-year sentence in Rockville, DeFabius was eligible — and was given — probation on the conspiracy charge. Had he been convicted of the dealing charge,” Rumple explained, “he would not have been eligible for the probation after only six months. It’s obvious that the rich and influential can make deals with Goldsmith and that’s not the kind of drug enforcement the state of Indiana wants or needs.

Bartholomew County in southcentral Indiana.

“I think the voters are tired of all the decisions being made by a bunch of people from Indianapolis,” said Livengood. “There’s a lot more to this state than Indianapolis, but you would never know it by looking at the Republican ticket. It’s time for a fresh approach to state government.”

Hiler honored for his small business support

Rep. John Hiler has been named “Guardian of Small Business” by the nation’s largest small business advocacy group. Rep. Hiler earned the award from the National Federation of Independent Business by voting in support of small business 100 percent of the time during the 100th Congress. “Congressman Hiler’s record of support for America’s small businesses is a tribute to his dedication to the nation’s free enterprise system,” NFIB President and CEO John Sloan said on announcing the award.

can be discriminatory to an employee because he or she chooses not to participate in the benefit. Saddest of all, this law may well incite the Boston Tea Party of health insurance. Some employers will dump their plans, throwing more workers into the ranks of the uninsured. While the 100th Congress looked for ways to extend health insurance benefits to the uninsured, IRS was writing regulations for a law that will only worsen the problem. This law is another example of how the federal government does not understand the dynamics of the marketplace. Lawmakers offer employers a carrot to provide a socially valuable good, such as health insurance from pre-tax dollars, then they load the system with so many administrative costs and potential'penalties that employers revolt. Section 89 will produce no victor, only casualties in the form of workers whose employers drop benefits because they cannot afford to comply with the law. John Sloan Is president of the National Federation of Independent Business, representing more than half a million small-business men and women.

Wed., November 2, 1988 —THE MAIL-JOURNAL

Why I want to be president

By MICHAEL S. DUKAKIS

In just a few days, we’ll elect a new President and Vice President of the United States. We’re in a fight for America’s future, and you’d better believe I’m not going to walk away from that fight — and I’m not going to walk away from the commitments of a lifetime. I started this campaign 18 months ago as an underdog, and I enter these last days of the campaign as an underdog, fighting for the values I believe in, the values that are at the core of this campaign. I want to be President of the United States, not because it’s the next rung on the ladder, but because it’s the way to act on my values. And I mean the commitments of a lifetime, not labels and buzzwords that score well in the polls. I believe in the spirit of America. I believe in the spirit that says we’re all in this together, that regardless of who we are or where we come from or how much money we have or the color of our skin — each of us counts. I believe in the spirit that says, we won’t settle for second place or second best, that America must meet new challenges and conquer new frontiers. George Bush sat on the sidelines for eight years while America got beaten in world markets, while they mortgaged our children’s future to a mountain of debt, and a piece of America was being sold off every day at bargain-basement prices. George Bush’s record tells our industrial heartland: “Let it rust.” His record tells rural America: “The fewer family farmers, the better.” His record tells the people in our inner cities: “We can’t see you, we can’t hear you, stay where you are.” His record tells middle class families, “The glory days are over. Your kids may not do as well as you did.” I believe in America too much

Bush opens door —

Closes door on SS threats

■ ■ ■ ’ . < i. <■» .it George Bush plans to open the door for older Americans to play a more prominent and positive role in society, reports the Indiana headquarters of the George Bush for President campaign. “George Bush recognizes that older citizens are not only the fastest growing segment of our population, but also one of the most important,” said Donald Cox, chairman of Republican’s presidential campaign in Indiana. Bush has called for the 1990 s to become the decade of the older worker, where age discrimination in the workplace will be eliminated. Additionally, Bush has said he will work to bring about a new public perception of older workers as valuable, productive assets to society. Bush has vowed to keep the Social Security System solvent and fair, so this and future generations of seniors can be confident in the system. He has also

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LABOR RALLY IN WARSAW — On Saturday, Nov. 22, a labor rally was held at Warsaw’s Lucerne Park. Approximately 100 members from various unions throughout the county were on hand to talk with Democratic State Senate candidate Dennis Sprunger and Third District Congressional candidate Tom Ward. UAW local 1405 provided hot dogs, soft drinks and popcorn for the crowd as they visited with and questioned the candidates on the issues of most concern to them. The formal program got underway when Third District Democratic Chairwoman Shirley Gidley hopped on top of a nearby picnic table and delivered a speech on Democratic pride. The title “liberal,” she said, as spoken by the Republicans, is used as a slur and something to be ashamed of. Said Gidley to applause, “I am not ashamed. Liberalism gave us Social Security. Liberalism gave us the minimum wage. To be liberal means to care about your neighbor. We care — and we are not ashamed of that fact.” Gidley ended by introducing congressional candidate Tom Ward. Joining Gidley on the picnic table, Mr. Ward addressed the crowd, speaking on foreign investment and the issue of child care in an era when both parents must work to make ends meet. “But the most important thing I can tell you today,” Ward said, “is that you matter — you and your vote mattei>”Ward then reminded the audience of his 1986 campaign, which fell only 47 votes short. “That’s only 47 votes among hundreds of thousands,” he said. “It comes out to only one vote for every 16 precincts. So don’t let anyone ever tell you that your vote doesn’t make a difference because I’m here to tell you — and I should know — it really does.” Ward concluded by asking each person present to be responsible for two votes on election day. Besides their own, Ward said, “If each of you encourage two other people to get to the polls, to make a difference, we’ll win this race.”

to settle for any of that. I want to get America moving again, and bring everyone along — because I understand that America moves forward fastest when everyone moves forward together. I believe America just keep its promise to all our people who work hard, live within the law, pay our nation’s taxes, and fight our nation’s wars. I want to be the President who stands up and fights for your right to decent health care. I want to be the President who stands up and fights so that young families can have the opportunity to buy a home. I’m going to be the President who stands up and fights for college opportunity for every young person in this country who’s qualified to do college work — not just the children of the wealthy but every young man and woman. And if anyone asks you what’s at stake, tell them to remember the only new idea Mr. Bush has offered in this campaign —a fiveyear, S4O billion tax but for the wealthiest one percent of the people, while the rest of us get a new savings plan worth S2O. I believe in liberty and justice for all. George Bush says he wants a court full of Borks. And, if he says Robert Bork is a symbol of why you should vote for him, I say he’s a symbol of why we cannot give George Bush four years to remake America in his image. The Senate rejected Mr. Bork — and- the American people rejected him — because he had opposed civil rights, because he had opposed voting rights, and because he doesn’t believe American citizens have the right to privacy. And we rejected Robert Bork because we didn’t want America to re-fight old battles and reopen old wounds and revisit old injustices. I believe in high standards; I picked Lloyd Bentsen. George Bush picked Dan Quayle. I’m going to set the highest standards for the men and

stated he will "protect Social Security from both cuts and politics. Another Bush plan for helping persons on Social Security and fixed incomes is to continue the Republican tradition of low inflation. Cox explained that by lowering the value of money, the inflation of the Carter years was silently stealing buying power from senior citizens. Cox noted that Bush’s economic programs will continue the present low inflation rates that have given buying power back to seniors, but Bush’s opponent will likely return the country to the high inflation years of the last Democratic administration. Another senior issue where Bush is taking a lead is in Medicare, said Cox. Bush will put quality and efficiency back into the Medicare program so seniors can rest assured that their special medical needs will be taken care of, he said.

women who serve in my administration. I’m going to set standards of public service, not self-service. And I’ip going to slam shut the revolving door between the White House and those lobbying firms that represent special interests and foreign interests. I care about our children — all of our children. When one out of every five children are poor, including almost half of all black children and 40 percent of the homeless are families with children — it’s not a time fqr complacency, it’s a time for action. We Americans are an optimistic people, a relentless people, a people who have always moved forward, determined to meet the challenges of change. We’re going to stand up and fight for American companies, American products, and American jobs. Because the best America is not behind us. The best America is yet to come. Mutz/Goldsmith pledge emphasis on families In presenting a package of proposals aimed at strengthening families, Republican running mates John Mutz and Steve Goldsmith pledged on October 17 to “Make the family unit the common denominator of all governmental actions taken in their administration.” “For example, studies have shown that some forms of government welfare actually contribute to the disintegration of families and perpetuate the cycle of poverty,” added Goldsmith, who as Marion County prosecutor has led the charge on such issues as prevention of child abuse and collection of delinquent child support payments. “We want to make sure that we do not implement a policy which unwittingly injures families.” Mutz added that the family impact statement he will develop will be a simple litmus test involving such criteria as the ones spelled out in President Reagan’s executive order titled “The Family.” Those criteria, Mutz said, “go to the heart of whether a governmental action solidifies the family unit, or rips it apart, by looking at how the policy will affect the martial commitment, parental authority, family autonomy and independence, family earning power and signals to young people concerning socially-acceptable behavior.” Mutz said, “The vision of the Mutz/Goldsmith administration will be more homes with secure young wage earners putting their money into mortgages, not rent — homes that shelter happy, healthy children learning how to responsibly embrace the American dream when it’s their turn. And, fewer homes where the lights are turned off because the grandparents have been transferred to institutional care, especially when many of these senior citizens could maintain their independence longer with some less expensive assistance from government.”

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