Maryland Week

Good evening I'm Ron Smith and this is Maryland week crowded classrooms may lead to year round schooling in Howard County as an elder positives won't get an early thaw. We look at Maryland's reliance past and present on tobacco farming and Governor William Donald Schaefer as our special guest. Maryland a week is made possible by Waverley press incorporated and the Williams and Wilkins company and by Maryland National Bank. Creating innovative solutions to the challenges of the 80s and beyond. Faced with crowded classrooms and a tight budget Howard County School Superintendent recommends year round classes the Savings and Loan payout bill has been killed for this legislative session. We'll talk with the governor about this and other matters. John Grassley explores Maryland's long addiction to tobacco the state's first agricultural product. With us are Michael Powell of the Frederick news post Peter Champa of the Baltimore evening sun and Wiley Hall also of the evening sun. Much of what we'll discuss

this evening out has to do with the legislature which is winding down its 1987 session in Annapolis. With us this evening on Marilyn we were pleased to say is Governor William Donald Schaefer who is nearing the end of a long session with the legislators. Governor thank you for being with us tonight. Thank you it's a pleasure to be here you know I've been with you before we had a very fine program not too long ago. I want to commend public broadcast for that. Gave the people in the state an opportunity to talk with the with the governor and the Senators know that was very good program. We hope to do that again down the road. Governor Schaefer What would you have to say to SNL depositors who were hoping for a spring thaw in their frozen assets now that this bill appears to be dead for the remainder of the session. Lieutenant Governor I when we were campaigning decided that that was a very high priority. Mickey Steinberg worked very hard to get a bill into the Legislature this session that would have given him the tools and given us the tools to be able to repay that fund.

The bill came in late unfortunately. And Chairman Riley was right in saying she should not pass the bill just for the sake of passing a bill. We hope that it will be able to work during the summer months and come up with a bill that we can introduce in the in the fall to get WE money back. Would you have a special session. No no. And the reason for that. Mickey said that he wants to make sure that he has all the facts that he has a bill that would be acceptable to the leadership in both the House of the Senate. Before we call the session I do not anticipate doing that right now. Now the message John have for the people of the depositors. We are trying to get your money back to you as fast as possible. We kept the commitment to pay the money back that was due in March. And I think that was something that could have been postponed but we did and we actually did that. So we're it's a it's a concern of all of us to get your pay and now is it a concern of yours also about this referendum that is being planned on the stadium. You know I don't know if they're going to be able

to put it on the ballot but if they do they put it on in the fall of 88. I think you know but I think that is a mistake. But you always have people that are opposed to anything you attempt to do that's new progressive For instance I remember those who fought so hard against the inner harbor. And if that referendum had won the city of Baltimore of course would not have made the progress it made in the same way with that stadium. It's a major capital project for the city of Baltimore for the region and for the state that's number one. Minority businesses and minority contractors will all be involved that's one part that's very on the very positive side of this whole thing get your man covered. I mean to me delaying me get mad I don't get mad every I know I don't even get mad anymore. No mater how I do. I never got mad that was that was propaganda put out by the TV and by the press. Governor this is my policy. If if for some reason that they are successful in gathering

40000 signatures or whatever numbers needed one that would obviously postpone any type of decision until November of 88 what happens with the stadium proposal. You still have Mr. Williams with his commitment to the city of Baltimore on a one year lease a 1 year lease and he again said to me the other day I will always sign a one year lease for Memorial Stadium I'll never sign a long term lease. Second I think it will almost totally jeopardize our possibilities of getting an NFL franchise. It's very important that we start not construction so much but at least start moving as far as the stadiums are concerned. So you're concerned and you've got to remember that we would never build either stadium until we had a first a long term race for Mr. Williams. And second the second stadium if we had a franchise guaranteed for the city of Baltimore. And that's that's that's something that that I think should be really really understood by the people. I just I really hope that

the referendum will. They will not get the number of signatures necessary not let us move on. But you also you have the certainly the political wisdom having gone through referendums on rent control where you harbor place and those type of issues. Its not that difficult to get 30 or 40 thousand signatures. No its not that a lot of times. I remember on the referendum for the Inner Harbor there were a lot of people from California down there gathering the signatures. They would come up and say Well how about signing a referendum and say well fine or where you from I'm from California. I don't think that will happen here. But if people really understand the value of a baseball franchise for the state of Maryland if they really understand the importance of a capital project for the boulder metropolitan region if they really understand the importance of continual movement and economic development for the city for the region and for the state they will not get the signature if they don't then of course you will want time people will sign just a piece

of paper and say Oh sure it's my friend I'll sign it for you it will make any difference. And that's where you really got to think out. Whether you what you're doing is the proper thing to do. I just hope they won't do it. Governor this is our wily haw. What do you think the possibilities are of the city getting an NFL franchise if the stadium proposal goes on is through. I have to be a little more definite this time. I think there's a very good chance and I quite frankly would not work so very hard to get the two stadia in the bill. The possibility of building both stadiums if we hadn't have thought there was a really a good chance of getting an NFL franchise. They'll make a decision sometime possibly in October on the expansion. That is a very important date October. I think they will then most likely award a franchise the following year. And we are in competition with four other cities if you will in the paper the other day. There was a just a small column that said Phoenix has now moved ahead

with building their stadium and that's very significant because Phoenix is one of the cities Memphis is another city. Jacksonville Oakland and Baltimore there for five. We have a good chance of getting a stadium if if we have the tools to build the stadium. Governor this is Ron Smith. Are you going to sign that bill legalizing slots on the eastern shore. Yes I am. And I've read read the papers and they said you're so inconsistent I read the capital and I went to Russian and Post and The Sun paper and they're very inconsistent I don't think I'm inconsistent. I have continually said as far as I was concerned the Eastern Shore had slot machines. If it's regulated with five slot machines if the money is distributed to the charitable organizations I'm going to sign the bill. I will veto any other bill on slot machines anywhere else in the state. I expect to ask the senators and the delegates from the Eastern Shore. I don't want any other slots any place else in the state of Maryland other than down on the eastern

shore where they work. Now I don't consider it inconsistent but I guess if I read the paper and listen to what I'm saying I guess I could sound a a find an inconsistency there. Peter Cooper again I understand are you going to be doing a little traveling when this session is over. Going around the state and possibly even going to London and Moscow can you tell us how you feel about that with us. Well about going around the state I expect to go around the state start since the session is over we're going to take trips to Southern Maryland to Marie County Prince George's County we're going out to western Maryland again going to the eastern shore on the metropolitan region of Baltimore. Everywhere we can possibly go we're going to go we're going to take that bus take our secretary with us on top that secretary of transportation economic development health all of them with us so that the people down there get an opportunity to talk with tell say the problems they had. The trip to London and to Germany they Vollmer Symphony Orchestra by the way has been honored to play in England and

also and in Russia and I think that's complementary a great company growing. I'm thinking about it I I I want to go and I don't want to go I really should go on promoting economic development for the for the state of Maryland. Devin is this is Wiley hall going back to the compromise on the windfall tax. Oh were you happy with the compromise that you worked out with the legislature. Yes now you may say well how can you be happy with a with with the windfall that they took so much of the things out that you didn't that you wanted. Remember what I and my primary interest was returning the money to our using the money for the poor and the middle income. There were those who wanted to pay it back to the taxpayers and we had almost a standoff center levitating was very strong in saying and Senator Kay give the money back to the taxpayers. And I was just as out of it not to give it all back. The legislature I think did a very fine job in coming up with a compromise that's

Mike Miller and Clay Mitchell and and and Senator Levin Tannen and the whole group. I got what I needed in order to fund programs for the poor people and that was my primary objective. Governor Jay legislature did that by the way. Governor SCHIEFFER Speaking of that in this this really is it well publicized rocky start with the Schaefer team of the legislative leaders. Things certainly seem to have smoothed out could you give us a synopsis of this progression in the in the legislative session the legislative session the rocky part was mostly newspaper remember. President Miller and I were good friends. We're good friends our good friends will be good friends he campaigned for me in French George's County really was my good friend over there got me a lot of votes. Clay Mitchell and I have been friends for a long period of time. He was very helpful in many instances to the city of Baltimore. Mickey Steinberg by the way I don't want to forget to pay a real compliment to Vicki Steinberg as a

lieutenant governor he was he has the knowledge the ability and he was absolutely superb in the legislative program along with a Alan Rifkin and his team. So our on our well our so-called team we had people who had experience with the legislature. They had to adjust to me and I had to adjust to them. Some of the things that they brought to my attention early won the affordability and I think they were absolutely correct in saying don't go over a certain amount. And they were right. We got within that affordability limits and that was a statement that Kathy Riley made to me one time when she said you were out of an on out $6 tax rate. We're just as out of it that you don't spend money over and above the affordability limit. I'm very pleased with with the way we work together. You know the only way you can succeed if the legislature and the executive branch work together or work at cross purposes they can't. Camper's All right Governor Schaffer thank you so much for taking time to be with us on Maryland week this evening we do appreciate it. Thank you. All right gentlemen let us let us have a little analysis here on how the

governor and I think I didn't care where he was. We fared very very well. And his key word is adjusts and I think he did as much adjusting as anybody you know you started off. Asking the legislator to pass all the stuff in 45 days and they said well you can't do this you can't why can't you do this. He's learned he like to use the word mellow he's learned he's mellowed a bit he's learned that you have to take your time with the legislature that is patience with the rules down there. He's made the adjust but let's remember also you know you say he fared well because he got what he wanted he fared well in Annapolis. You know it's interesting the leave the Annapolis area and to talk to people about it that you get out amongst the people in the streets and they're not happy about gas tax they're not happy about the stadium proposals. They are not happy in Baltimore County and in Western Maryland about the slots on the eastern shore when they can't have their forms of gambling. Look at the letters to the editor of them also become in the paper a lot of Schaefer criticism. So has he been successful he's been successful in getting programs and bills passed in Annapolis. I

think he's I think he's run into some criticism here but good Lord what about me. What about eating some poll that showed that there was a widespread perception that he's doing a good job. Well I don't think he's reconcile that with the I don't there's no problem with the fact that he is he doing a good job. Yes but at the same time does that mean that those people are agreeing with him. What it means is not the remember the poll did not show that they were supporting what he was doing that they felt that he was doing a good job. He was successful in getting his his bills passed for example is that doing a good job. Yes does that mean they want to gas tax. No it doesn't mean that doesn't really eager to do it that first year in office is the year to get out about it. I think I'll lot of Schaffer's battles were won even before the legislature began because he got his allies appointed as leaders of the House and the Senate played Michel as he mentioned is an ally of his and Mike Miller wasn't you know I was in tears and I was the point is that a few weeks into the session they blew up at it and they were like Well listen he was spending money like a drunken sailor. And Clay had something fairly similar

so sure there is a lie but he was not dealing with it was not how long how were those relationships mended. How were those relationships and I think it's a tremendous change in shape for him so that he realized that he that he that he had it would just end here just to do this thing. It's a great learning process takes a lot of ways to learn how to stroke people how to get along with them how to listen to them and he's done I saw the old has any doubt that when the compromise came that that governor Schaefer was willing to give a lot we had breakfast with him once about halfway through the legislature and he sat there with us and said Yes I've learned how to deal with them you know he'd been 15 years in Baltimore City where he always got what he wanted and he learned when he got down there when he got it I think I was going to think all the taxes you say the people are against his taxes are always well that's very simplistic they're always against taxes but they say you want 270 widened Oh absolutely. OK why is it I don't mind a quick little round robin here in a just very brief answer and that is based on this experience and him getting a bit long but with the legislature. Does this bode

well for the remaining years is he going to be an even more effective dog that we took up all the way in future years. Yeah I think he'll be one of our more popular and powerful governors has vastly different perception than just a few weeks ago. April is National Cancer Awareness Month. Of the many forms of this terrible disease few have received more attention than the apparent relationship between smoking and lung cancer. For Marylanders this relationship has a particular significance since tobacco has held an important part in our history. Ever since the first English settlement here John Grassley has this report on how well Maryland's first agricultural industry is fairing today. For over 350 years tobacco has occupied a special place in the history of one economy of Maryland. Maryland is the only colony founded expressly for the purpose of growing tobacco. To this day tobacco remains an important cash crop for the state. One that's worth over 33 million dollars and provides approximately 20000 jobs.

However given the growing public concern over the known health hazards of smoking the propriety of the state's continued support and fostering of its traditional position as the tobacco producer has come under question. Stuart Carr is executive secretary of the Maryland state tobacco authority and a former tobacco farmer. How important is the cultivation of tobacco from around agriculture. Good question. In southern Maryland. It's very important. We have. Some growers down there who have grown back all their lives. And their fathers did. Fathers before they have and that's what they do and that's what they know. Very good and. They're very skilled at it. But if they cannot grow tobacco. What other skill do they have. State Sen. Barbara Hoffman isn't convinced that the options for tobacco farmers are so limited or that the loss of tobacco is a cash crop would be a long term problem for Maryland. I don't believe that there will be an economic loss in the state in fact I think we may get an

economic gain if we start growing a crop that our neighboring states are growing. What we really need is to see is for the agricultural establishment. To say OK let's really look at what we can do to help people move from one economy to another. It may mean some financial assistance from the state in the short run. In the long run it may mean great gains for everybody. But the primary assistance offered to tobacco farmers by the state comes from the Cooperative Extension Service. David Conrad is an agricultural agent in Prince George's County. Given the public concern over the potential health hazards from tobacco. Do you feel it's appropriate for the state to provide assistance and information to those who are raising tobacco. The very product that is the object of this concern. Right now I think it's important primarily from the economic standpoint in Maryland as I said before tobacco was depending upon the year number three or number four in terms of cash crops to Maryland farmers in southern Maryland. That's number one and then we've

got close to 4000 tobacco going on the state of Maryland. Again depending upon the year that we're talking about and that's. Industry that affects a lot of people that has to be important. In addition you have to look at the taxes that are derived from that. And you have to look at the aggregate agribusiness that has supported the tobacco warehouses that industry the fertilizer industry the chemical industry this type of industry that is so dependent upon the farmer. I don't believe that you can put an economic interest above a healthy interest because you have to balance your 30 million dollars against what it costs for people to get sick and die. From lung disease. If a farmer came to you tomorrow and was considering putting his acreage into tobacco. What would your advice to him. If he asked me for my advice. I think I'm afraid I'm afraid I'd tell him to look for some mail. From Maryland. Balancing the concerns for public health while maintaining the continued support for tobacco the state's original industry. May well be a difficult decision.

One that seems inevitable. I'm Alan Wake. I'm John grassing. Well of course Marilyn shares with the United States this dichotomy her government support on the one hand for the tobacco farmers the débâcle industry and on the other hand the knowledge that it's a terrible health problem what's going to happen in the years ahead is this guy indeed going to be phased out. Oh I think it probably will be very slowly but I think we owe so much to tobacco for 150 years Marilyn totally depended on it this was one cash crop. It was our currency. It also because of the peculiarities of the plant demanding a lot of intensive labor. We brought in more people and it wore out the land. We've moved westward. The whole pattern of Marilyn histories is dependent on the peculiarities of tobacco I think. Barbara Hoffman made a good point though and that is that I would question the long term importance of tobacco not only because of the drop in cigarette consumption but also because of the rising costs of farm labor

and if in the I think the States policy policy should be to help these farmers find alternative crops. Imagine the turmoil in the legislators mind when they're trying one to decide whether they're going to vote on a bill that would ban smoking in public places and possibly decrease the amount of the use of tobacco. And at the same time approving a budget that for a Department of State Department that helps to help the tobacco industry and I guess if this all at this point in history it's understandable that that it's sort of like the pendulum is swinging we're right about here right now and you know because neither side because it's important that we don't cut them lose because that would only aggravate the problem of unemployment. What about this proposal by Dr. Michael Hickey and Howard County that you were going to schools to because you can't get the classroom construction that he wants to see suggesting maybe we should go to year round schooling there would this cause a little pandemonium and families you know. My first impression is a gimmick. I mean year round classes I don't think that's going to work but I think he's putting pressure to build more schools you know.

Yeah I agree with you I mean we really shouldn't even discuss it. I get it started because the other is let's just. Well in fact it's not the first time has been proposed in Maryland there were people talking about this 12 15 years or so ago and some of the other counties back when they were high schools where half the high school met from 7:00 in the morning until noon and the other half Halfman in the afternoon. And again so they said let's go a year around the idea then is pressure on the state on the county whatever. Build more schools. But of course the one thing is and you made this point earlier discussion that is the public reaction to that if you have only had a third of the children who are going to have the summer off it's just unlikely that you would be politically able to graduate out of the public reaction because that's the reason it can't pass is because the public will they will revolt against something like well if he if he put kids in a school for another extra month I go for that. OK. But that's a different that's a different proposition. That's what really is and they're also looking at that. I do understand he is celebrated at seventy fifth anniversary at its Baltimore headquarters and at the very time that that race relations in America in general in

baseball in particular again burst in the news with the Al Campanis story sort of a little bit ironic. Yeah you know the I guess it shows the continued importance of the NWA sleeping. My reaction to and panaceas remarks is that this is is probably. Then he has probably articulated a society why perception we should we should for those who might have been in a cave or something and are not aware of Al Campanis vice president I believe for for operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers said in an interview on Nightline this Monday night past when questioned about the paucity of blacks in management positions in baseball that perhaps they lacked what he called the necessities for such things and that's what this whole hall of he was later forced forced out Peter O'Malley the owner of the Dodgers fired him and the issue has a lot of implications here in Baltimore with Frank Robinson here and I think Baltimore is an area that has a person who had been a had been the manager for a while and is out of it you know

it was some interviews with Frank Robinson this week where he was basically saying I'm glad this is finally come out so that we all of us as Americans as people who watch baseball will finally somehow do something about this issue who deserves to be a bad teacher and should be and has been twice has been when he hasn't had a call since and that he feels with some justification that that wouldn't be the case if he if he were white. Robinson has been or where he sounds better now and I don't blame him. He took over two very poor teams and did very well consider. Who is right and that would be enough I would think for him to get another. There has been a party line within baseball that black should be willing to go down to the minor leagues and manage at that level. And Frank Robinson point out very forcefully he named four of five managers who got a chance without ever having managed the major leagues and he said Why shouldn't blacks and not only not only not only that but I think I think there are plenty of blacks who are willing who would love to manage in the minor leagues.

You know if they were given the chance. The problem is that the general managers and the vice presidents and their administrations in the minor leagues have the same perception about blacks as they do in the middle I think with this I agree with you on this I think this is and I think it's conscious kind of a racism that was exposed here you know that love it's in any dilute Vian type of I don't think about I don't think it's a club I don't think it's what baseball or baseball is no but I mean I don't think these people were. We're going to get it together. I mean this is a this is a prevailing attitude within society not just baseball. When you look at the type of people who become managers who become successful managers they're usually the the role play or play or the or the really minor leaguers right. General Weaver and these are guys who are sitting around and they have a lot of time to think about the games. Now we have plenty of mediocre black ballplayers right but nobody is really taking them under their wing they don't think of these guys as as being intelligent in other words one at a time as you wind up baseball what about football and football the same way

there are getting pressured Similarly one of the best thing is March or this week as a week you will see Ben I want to show them this. Absolutely there will be differences coming in the years to come. And although obviously it's unfortunate that this kind of thing that you even see this kind of house and also to see it there will be bent Al Campanis unwittingly is going to pressure baseball into doing. What would Frank Robinson wants it to do all also. Before we run out of time the Emperor's testing which we mentioned a few weeks ago has been stopped apparently in Congress Mike tell us about the U.S. Emperor takes forever to explain it except to say that it was a electromagnetic testing system used by the Defense Department they wanted to do in the Chesapeake Bay. It's been talked about for a couple years almost wide scale opposition to it for fear that it would affect the environment affect the fishing in Hawaii Dyson got a Q and he got a kilt. So his to his credit that was sort of a strange thing when we discussed it before. There is still time to vote in this week's opinion poll. It's your chance to vote on an issue of importance the results aren't scientific but we do want to know what you think last week we asked Are you in favor

of one or two new stadiums at Camden Yards. Well 39 percent of you voted in favor of one stadium while 61 percent of you voted in favor of two stadiums. How many want no stadium. Well we don't know. This week we want to know Has it been a productive session for Maryland lawmakers and Governor Schaefer something we talked about this evening. If you think it has been a productive session call 3 3 7 4 1 6 3. If you think the session has not been productive call 3 3 7 4 2 8 0. These are Baltimore numbers as we always remind you so if you're dialing from outside the area be sure to dial 1 or 1 3 0 1 first polls will stay open for the next half hour. If you've got a busy signal please try again because we want your vote. We're also interested in your comments about what we say on our own week. If you've got a question about anything we say Drop us a line. Our address is Maryland wake merilyn public TV Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. That's Maryland wake Maryland Public TV Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1

7. And that's and that's that. And that's it for this edition. Coming up next is Washington Week in Review for the Maryland weak team I'm Ron Smith Wishing you a good weekend and a good Maryland week. Maryland week is made possible by Waverley press incorporated and the Williams and

Wilkins company. And by Maryland National Bank creating innovative solutions to the challenges of the 80s and beyond.