New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 03/27/1979

A. New Jersey night. That was Rebecca suable in Trenton and Clayton Vaughn. Good evening in the news tonight the price of gasoline in New Jersey is going up once again. We'll have reports on the State Energy Department's efforts to save energy and hospitals and to save the department itself and the state postponed for at least a week. It's planted decontrol liquor prices. Clayton. Good evening Rebecca Black. Bill Perry looks at Rutgers basketball star James Bailey's prospects in the pro draft and on a closer look we'll explore the causes of New Jersey's auto insurance crisis. We're back on gas prices in New Jersey are going up again this time. Two cents a gallon. But and it's a big but you shouldn't be paying that extra two cents for another month. That's how long it takes for the higher priced oil to reach the gas pumps.

The state gasoline retailers association blames OPEC's for the increase in oil prices. But OPEC's is blaming our oil companies for artificially raising prices too quickly. Who's ever to blame. Everyone's reacting. Texaco announced it's again cutting gasoline deliveries to its dealers for April Texaco says the world's title oil supply is forcing them to deliver less gas than dealers can actually sell. And beginning last night Exxon has tightened the gas limit for Parkway drivers. Customers can now only buy eight dollars worth of gas at all Parkway Exxon stations this past month the limit was $10 to a customer. Exxon says the $8 limit will stay in force until April 1st when a new gas supplies are expected in. Now all of that gas supply confusion is prompting New Jersey's mayors to take action. The State Conference of Mayors wants a federal investigation of the oil industry. The mayor say I only supplied 5 percent of this country's fuel. They say the revolution in that country shouldn't have caused as much of a tightening of oil supplies as

oil companies claim. Clayton the State Department of Energy today revealed plans to make hospitals here in New Jersey more energy efficient. There is a new federal program to help the New Jersey was the first state to take advantage of it. The state's share of the cost will be raised through higher hospital rates. State officials say the increases will be small while the returns are expected to be great. We're talking about is taking a look at every energy systems within a facility within a hospital. And making a determination of what can be done to those individual energy systems through operating and maintenance changes or with the need of new equipment to make them operate with less energy. Therefore saving money go to that annual savings of 8 to 12 million dollars are expected in the hospital's total energy bill of 53 million in the first three years and the savings could go as high as more than 21 million dollars in later years. Rebecka energy commissioner Joel Jacobson is in the news a lot these days

what with the projected energy crunch this fall. He's in the news so much you may have forgotten that Governor Byrne called for an end to Jacobson's Department. Today reporter Mariam took a look at the department's prospects. Joel Jacobson doesn't look like an endangered species. In fact you've been seeing a lot of him lately calling for energy conservation and hospitals and calling for car pools and local neighborhoods. Obviously this plan is being the case now because it's the prudent thing to do. It also traveling up and down the East Coast on behalf of the energy and the vehicle miles traveled would be save something like two tenths of one percent. Jacobson in short is a man with a newfound cause the rumored energy shortage and he's not afraid to take a quotable pot shot. There appears to be a scenario by the major oil and gas industry to capitalize upon what is not a significant shortage in order to

generate control in order to raise prices and long term profit maximizing which in my judgment serves obviously not the public interest but their own private economic interests. But despite all the publicity and activity produced by the Energy Department the governor still hasn't changed his mind about making energy a subsection of some other department. So we're trying to do is eliminate any duplications of having to administrative steps that are necessary and actually if we did that the energy effort might even be more effective. So you haven't changed your mind about ending being a cabinet level position. No I don't think so. Whatever happens to the department it's not going to happen soon. The department budget for state money. Right. 1980 in Trenton I Mariama a Catholic priest on the leader of the New Jersey Cuban program whose offices in Weehawken were bombed Sunday night charged today the law enforcement authorities have ignored their pleas for

protection from anti-Castro terrorist groups. The Reverend Andres Reyes of Union City said he's had at least 10 death threats since he went to Cuba last year to negotiate the release of political prisoners Union City Police Chief Harmon Bolt said. Police protection has been provided every time it was asked for. A small Philadelphia based airline Altair will start a nonstop commuter service between New York and three others it is next month. The flights are going to Washington Baltimore and Richmond Altair also plans to add Newark Philadelphia service in the fall. W.A. today said it's asking for $100 fare from Newark New York to Los Angeles one way on weekday night coach. If approved it would start in late April. It would go up to one hundred eighteen dollars. In the middle of June it's going to cost you more though to go to State College in New Jersey. But it's not going to cost you as much as was originally proposed. The legislature's joint Appropriations Committee today cut proposed tuitions hikes in half. Reporter Steve Taylor says in spite of that cut college costs will still rise sharply.

The committee said tuition at Rutgers and at the New Jersey Institute of Technology will be eight hundred thirty two dollars beginning in September up from $760 this year. At the eight state colleges tuitions will be seven hundred thirty six dollars up from seven hundred four dollars and up the College of Medicine and Dentistry tuition will rise from four thousand to four thousand five hundred dollars. Governor Byrne had proposed even bigger tuition increases but a subcommittee chaired by Assemblyman Harold Martin thought they were too large and so after consideration they recommended we recommended that these increases be cut in half. Other committee members thought any tuition increase was too much for parents and students to pay. But there was much rhetoric coming out of the executive branch that will be NO NO TAXES this coming year. I don't care what you call it. If we're adding coalition costs on the backs of parents of the students themselves the taxes the taxes the tax in the end though the smaller tuition increases

were approved when the committee voted 17 to 6 to appropriate an extra 5 million dollars for college budgets. The full legislature must still approve the committee's decision but there isn't much doubt that it will. It also seems certain that the five million dollars will be made up with cuts somewhere else in the state budget. But none of the committee members I talked to would say where those cuts might be in Trenton. I'm Steve Taylor. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today the police can't pick cars out at random and stop them on the pretense of driver's license or auto registration jacks. When the police are really interested in something else like running drugs New Jersey's State Police recently have made a number of drug arrests on the turnpike and the Parkway after stopping cars for document checks days ruling came in a Delaware case a New Jersey attorney general's office says it wanted time to review it before it makes a state that a citizen just by driving on a public highway does not surrender the right to privacy and unrestricted Drabble. Lekker prize deregulation which could have gone into effect this week in New Jersey has been postponed until at least next month

and now faces the threat of a legal challenge from the small mom and pop stores. The effects of the hearing on the dispute today Jeffrey of all points of time given that his brother GM have owned their tiny liquor store in Montclair since the repeal of prohibition they say business has been good. But now that the state wants to deregulate liquor prices Tommy Jim Gamble and hundreds of retail liquor merchants like them fear going out of business. They say the bigger stores will be able to afford to cut prices but the smaller stores won't. Today in New York lawyers representing 800 of the 2000 retailers in New Jersey tried to block the state from lifting price controls on beer wine and hard liquor. At least temporarily the request was denied. But if the three judge panel opened a new door that could conceivably spell victory for businessmen like Tom and Jim given. The judges said that the proposed regulations could not go into effect before there's a judicial hearing.

Really today provides an opportunity for a first time for the small retailers in this state to challenge in the courts. The proposed revised rules and regulations. The train Journal seeks to propagate if those rules and regulations go into effect. What are liquor retailers in New Jersey up against. The problem is the small retail is going to have is that you will know and be unable to compete with a very large retail change. All the fear over retail liquor chains appearing in forcing mom and pop stores out of business can be put to rest because of a New Jersey state law it prohibits anyone from owning more than two liquor licenses in the state. The only exceptions are hotels and restaurants and anyone who obtained a liquor license before the statute went into effect in Montclair. I'm Jeffrey Hall. New Jersey's congressional delegation today strongly challenged an Army report that calls for the closing down of basic training at Fort Dix. The congressman spent the past few days reviewing that reporting today charge that it contains questionable information.

They complain the Army's figures don't match figures in earlier reports. Specifically those comparing construction costs and utility costs at the two bases the army is scheduled to formally announce its decision on Fort Dix this Thursday. But the congressmen have asked for a delay until the alleged errors are explained. At Latics City casinos could be facing a legal nightmare the nightmare is whether or not the state owns a major portion of that city's beachfront. The area in question is the land between the boardwalk and Pacific Avenue. The attorney general's office is checking to see if the state ever legally sold rendered title to riparian lands. Those are lands washed by the sea. Playboy is planning to build a casino started it all when it applied for riparian rights. If the state does own the land it could cost the casino staggering amounts of money to buy it. The Atlantic City Police Department has come up with a couple of ways to help cut the traffic near the casino. One idea is to allow off duty police officers to take second jobs working for the

casinos handling traffic and crowd control. But such moonlighting is against the rules of the Casino Control Commission. The police chief has asked the commission to change that rule. Plus a second rule ordering the casinos to close for a few hours each night. There's been a problem it seems that when the casino closes its doors the streets are suddenly filled with a lot of cars and at least a number of drunk drivers. Clayton. I'm a third victim on that Saturday of a semi truck cab into the Hackensack River from the New Jersey Turnpike two bodies were recovered Sunday those of a woman passenger from New York State and the driver who turns out to have been a Mississippi furniture all or the driver's sister now says their father was in the truck when it left New York for the trip south. State police say they haven't decided whether to renew the search of the river. A fire in a furniture store in Westwood in Bergen County burned out of control for more than four hours today. The fire started about 8:30 this morning. In the five corner store in Westwood was in control until early this afternoon. The two story building and its contents destroyed. Firemen did manage to keep the flames

from spreading to nearby houses. One Farman suffered minor injuries. Well have to be a little patient with the weather it's due to remain cool for the next day or so but gradually warm up for the weekend. It will be clear and cold again tonight temperatures in the upper 20s to low 30s tomorrow cloudy and cool highs from the upper 40s to low 50s. And on Thursday milder temperatures but a chance of showers. The. Cinema showcase presents. Directed by some time. Anything about what I want to know. Oh good I'm going to tell you what I'm going to watch.

Distant Thunder. Wednesday at 8. New Jersey Public Television. Bill Perry sitting in for Paul Butler. Thank you Rebecca. Now that the college basketball season is over the underclassman who are pro prospects have to decide what to do stay in school or go pro Michigan State's magic man Earvin Johnson is one of many who will have to make a choice a year ago a guy named Bailey turned down the pros. I. Was. Thank you. This is James family free 78 79. Rutgers had a similar decision to make a year ago. James could have demanded big dollars from the NBA after his junior season but he stayed on at Rutgers and some say James got hurt in the pocketbook. They didn't have the great stats this past season I don't think lost in my at all because it looks like yes it's very very possible Bird signs with Boston which is most likely and I would think that Jim will probably be the first

player drafted if not the second. And he would have been maybe the third or fourth last year. But when you get that high there's no way he's lost any money whatsoever and now the Nets would love to have James family. But New Jersey feels they won't draft high enough to land King James. JAMES BELL Yes he is highly regarded by you. Right. Yes there was some concern about concern about I'm not in a particular slot but in chatting with some of the side you know he's a highly regarded guy and then they look at him and look for a person. One hundred and five percent of the time he says with a. Smile. But he's a great great athlete. Family didn't have the statistical your biggest teams and James won't face that problem in the NBA family feels the pro scouts will recognize his

value. I look at it like people are prone to professionals and I'm sure if they seen enough games they could notice the difference in the type of being played in a way to blame is just totally different in the way they played last year. Like I said you know professionals are doing so I think they will be able to notice and I don't think it's hurt me. I'm sure it has and I'll probably be more than willing to take James interest off of that initial contract basketball and do not next right. Right. Which New Jersey pro works in a liquor store. I bet you didn't know pro players had to work. Trista gass first reports. By day Randy works at a liquor store stocking shelves dusting bottles and waiting on customers. By night shoots baskets. Randy is a professional basketball player a guard for the New Jersey Gems. But she hardly leaves the glamorous life of most. She gave up an assistant coaching job at Rutgers to play with the gems. For a lot less money and probably a lot less prestige

since this is just the first year of the women's basketball league salaries are low averaging around $5000 a year. That's why I really also have to work at the liquor store. And it's tough being on the ground level of a brand new sports venture. The public hasn't been as supportive as the team had hoped. And the Dems aren't doing as well as they had hoped. In fact with a record of eight wins and 20 losses the Gemzar tied for last place in the league. But Randy Burdick has come forward all and feels wiser for it. I learned that this. Is. Definitely what I like to do. I mean right now I couldn't think of anyone that has a better job. I mean to do something that you really love like this and get paid for it. It's just more than anybody can dream for really. Is being on a pro team everything you thought it would be or has it been a little disappointing. Well there's been you know a few ups and downs. The first season and everybody's learning right now but you know things can only get better and they seem to be going quite well now. Randy and her teammates play Houston away tonight and are hoping to add that one win that will get them

out of last place. I'm trying to get worse. And finally made a deal today Richard to the Mets for pitcher and you know that's sports Rebecca. Thanks Bill. Governor Byrne is taking a trip to Europe after Easter with some of the major business leaders in the state. The governor held a news conference today about the trip and he said he hopes to come back not with souvenirs but with new business. This is the first trade mission in which we've not reacted to an opportunity but rather saw an. Opportunity. The New Jersey contingent expects to visit England Germany and Switzerland during the 12 day trip. One member of the delegation former U.N. Ambassador George Ball said the group will try to impress foreigners with what a good deal they can get here because of the devaluation of the dollar. Governor Byrd said he doesn't expect overnight results from the trip he's just planting seeds for the future.

Clayton Lacey township man charged with the strangling death of his 15 year old stepson was told of Toms River court. The death occurred while he was under the influence of a substance he thinks was LSD. Twenty three year old Daniel Bolton pleaded no defense will be sentenced in May. He was charged with second degree murder could get up to 30 years. He told the judge he had a sugar cube soaked with what he thought was almost de. But he said that was no excuse for what he did. The extraordinary Lily begins her conquest of London this week on Masterpiece Theater. No I was doing. And I will commit a great one. Don't miss the adventures of the tempestuous troop on Masterpiece Theater. This Thursday at 9 on the Jersey Public Television.

New Jersey is in the midst of a crisis and auto insurance crisis. The statistics are alarming and getting worse. Eight years ago the assigned risk pool supposedly reserved for only the riskiest drivers held 50000 people. Now a million drivers are lumped into the pool. Rates for a male driver in a big city have skyrocketed to as much as $2000 a year. And since 1971 nine insurance companies have abandoned the Garden State. Still the companies say they're losing money. There are new developments in the crisis every day but no solutions. We've brought in our commentators Tom Kane and Dick Lee to address two questions. Why is this happening and what's to be done about it. Gentleman on the A side risk question about a third of the state's drivers a car currently on assigned risk. What is this saying about the insurance companies. Well it's saying that we've got a real crisis in our hands and the insurance companies just aren't writing insurance.

At least 70 percent of those people shouldn't be an assigned risk assigned risk they get less service that they have to pay more money they shouldn't be there they're good drivers. The state's no fault law isn't working. Now that's right because it is a symptom the causes that we rode a no fault law with a $200 minimum that is if you have any kind of a case that's over 200 hours you can still go to court for one visit to the doctor is likely to run you over 200 hours if you've been injured. And the difficulty I think is we wrote a law that satisfy the lawyers who are making money out of the old law. No fault test. Those lawyer fees if it were done right they'd have to go down. And nobody wants that to happen who's making money. So because everybody is suing rather than having the no fault situation the insurance companies are claiming they cannot make money and they're refusing to take new policies. And everybody's getting dumped into this assigned risk pool. Absolutely. Can people get policies today. No they can't. There is not a policy available they have to go into the no risk pool I don't know anybody who's

running auto insurance. What can be done about you or your feeling is that lawyers and doctors are as much at fault here is the no fault law. Well there is one other problem. That's a question of auto parts. If you run into something and bend your bumper and have to have it replaced you know how much that's going to cost and nationwide as a service is really a scandal because a new car will cost you let's say 50 to 100 dollars to buy that bipod is going to cost you $24000 and there's a federal investigation on that one so it isn't only the doctors and lawyers. There's enough fault to go around. Thank you baron so much for know. There were 12 bills Dec and to study commission reports on the problem and the debate now with the latest progress. Well it was supposed to be resolved this spring and the legislators have an incentive to do that they're up for election this year people are being hit by higher rates you know if the rates haven't gone up you could you could you might say well the companies have an argument that the rates have gone up and still everybody's unhappy. So I think this is one of those situations in which political forces the balance of political forces is

very tough and the consumers are getting squeezed out there are well-placed lawyers in the legislature who don't want change. There are some people arguing that we ought to define no fall we are to say that you need a serious injury before you can go to court. That would help. There are other people arguing for limits on medical costs that would help. But whether we'll get action this year or not even with the threat of an election retaliation by the voters I don't know. There has been criticism that the insurance companies in the State Department of Insurance have been at each other's throats rather than trying to figure out a solution. What's your feeling. Well I think that criticisms well justified I think what they've been doing is practicing confrontation politics on the department of insurance rather than sit down around the table with the people from the insurance companies and discuss Look what can we do was a compromise solution. The insurance commission has been yelling at the insurance companies making headlines and the insurance companies therefore figure they've got an enemy so they're weary of him and the public's not getting so we don't have any insurance being written in this state I think that's exactly the wrong way to proceed and go.

What would you see as a solution to this. I think there are two things we have to do we have to rewrite no fault right away we have to start working on the cost problem in other words. Second thing to get at. Good point Tom made about the insurance companies and the department. The real bone of contention is how much money the insurance companies make off their investments as well as out of the particular policies they write. We ought to have those facts before us and we have been able to get that information. The insurance companies will release their reluctant. The department claims they really don't know whether these operations are profitable or not. Tom what do you see as a solution. Well I think we should have to bring down the cost rate schedule for some of these hospital courses we do have a Blue Cross Blue Shield I think that the penalties for the kind of kind of criminal intent really that's going on from in some of these cases the government's being defrauded not means you and I were paying the cost. Would you say that New Jersey has the worst insurance problem in the country. I don't know of any other state as well as where the only state where you can get an automobile insurance policy. I think we can finally say we're number one. I don't like the way we're number one. Thank you very much for being with us I hope somebody out there is listening. Thank you again.

A postscript a closer look. Last September on a neo-Nazi organization that was trying to put a chopper together in Morristown a promise of a teary JR an organizer for the group pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing a Norman Rockwell painting valued of $50000 from the shift Boy Scout reservation in Mendham. He also pleaded guilty to two other burglaries and cashing a stolen checks. Simon sings out for May 4th with the jury facing up to 24 years in prison. Three hundred dollars and dollars involved. Once again our top stories. The price of gasoline in New Jersey is expected to go up two cents a gallon in a month or so. Thanks to a new oil price hike by the nation's it looks like a state college tuition hike proposed by the governor will be cut in half by the legislature. And the state has agreed to at least a one week delay of its control of liquor prices. And that's the news. Good. I played the back of a good night for the New Jersey nightly news.

The nightly news presentation of New Jersey public television broadcast weeknights at 6:30 on Channel 13 at 7:30 on New Jersey Public Television an updated edition is broadcast at 10:00 p.m. on New Jersey Public Television. And at 7:00 in the morning on Channel 13.