NJN News; Monday June 17, 2002

enjoy the ambiance is made possible by ptsd and he is serving customers and strengthening the business community and investing in new jersey's future first union serve in the financial needs of individuals and businesses from connecticut florida writes i'm communication solutions designed for the people and businesses of new jersey horizon blue cross blue shield of new jersey making a health care worker in new jersey's businesses and individuals and the new jersey education association people who care about your experience and geraldine archives it with less than two weeks until the budget must be finalized a senate committee tackles the corporate business and cigarette taxes senate and assembly committees clear the governor's one hundred seventy five million dollars and an initiative to see more federal dollars for a state police communications are on the way to fight terrorism jersey says it will go to court if the epa adopts new pollution emissions rules and some dredging projects in northern new jersey is crucial to the states economy are ready to move forward

and jay interviews for monday june seventeen lawmakers today tackle to keep taxes aimed at helping close the state's massive budget deficit the senate budget and appropriations committee passed a sixty cent a pack cigarette tax the tax that would generate two hundred fifty million dollars and the controversy or corporate business tax cut his first legislative airing today that would raise eight hundred million to one million dollars to fill state coffers michael aaron has more on that trenton battle the committee heard from the president of toys r us corporate headquarters in paramus and said his company paid more than a million dollars in corporate business tax to new jersey last year under the proposed tax deal i've been told that our corporate taxes will nearly double it also heard from a tax law professor at the university of connecticut who has been advising the grieving administration who once directed the new york state tax study commission when

i was working in new york i was told that new york taxes were driving all businesses to new jersey and connecticut when i got back to connecticut i was told that connecticut taxes are driving more businesses to new york and new jersey and today i've heard how these changes will drive businesses to connecticut and new york and one major sticking point in the bill was something called the alternative minimum assessment reviewed ministration wants companies to calculate their corporate business tax and the new assessment pay the larger of the two business groups say that could result in companies that are losing money now paying higher taxes really administration says only if they haven't been paying their fair share to date democrats support the governor's plan republicans were allowed it will choke off the economic recovery republican senator robert mattel says he'll support the bill if its amended the only taking an extra eight hundred million dollars on top of the billion and now takes in anything above that

would be returned and i think the amount of money possible for one dollar and then we'd taken into consideration when he does so well we have a select committee hearing into republican votes so anything that chairman would tell us suggest to be given great consideration the committee will vote on the measure this thursday and a week of testimony today among those testifying former congressman bob frank's president of an association representing new jersey's pharmaceutical industry you always wade and loyalty which will shave allay those who create a lot of legislators have a lot of

outstanding regulatory bodies and it you know they think this will be all over and they didn't know that when i was out in the committee did however a vote on the governor's cigarette tax like today to three it approved a sixty cent per pack increase republican senators mattel and james to fear oh joining or six democrats that bill now goes to the full senate republicans are all business when it comes to fighting the corporate tax the gop state committee today launched a state wide ad campaign hoping to sign up taxpayers in the fight against the mcgreevey tax hikes new jersey taxpayers pay some of the highest taxes in the country yet governor jim mcgreevey as budget will raise property taxes and business taxes by billions of dollars the mcgreevey proposal is wrong for new jersey the campaign is running on radio stations throughout new jersey new york and philadelphia markets through the end of the month and other incentive to help close the budget gap appears to be working three thousand state workers have chosen early

retirement extended to government workers and college employees promising extra benefits as an incentive the deadline was last friday and mcgreevey administration hopes the program will save tens of millions of dollars for the state budget that begins next month but treasury officials concede it will cost two hundred forty million dollars over five years to pay off the retirement benefits the plan to help the state's poorest city get on the road to recovery clear to key legislative committees today in the senate and assembly reading lawyer reports on the ladies kamins illegal drug trade is antiquated infrastructure and devastating homicide rate among residents age eighteen to twenty four all of these became key selling points today as a parade of lawmakers cabinet officials and community leaders came before both the assembly appropriations and senate budget committees to testify in favor of the candid rehabilitation and recovery act a proposal that would allocate one hundred and seventy five million state dollars over three years and place the governor appointed chief

operating officer in charge mayor gwendolyn faizaan had been fiercely opposed to transmit on home for sure in writing campaign and shay and as i said before i used to record with me and that the right to fight for my city you know there's another proposal to bail out candid with state oversight was on the brink of passage at the end of the previous administration then governor allegedly greedy had legislative democrats hold off bowing to craft his own plan and today at an illustration officials testified in support of this as an investment not just in camden city although it certainly is that and not just in camden county although it certainly is that and not just in south jersey although it certainly is that a new jersey republican members took issue with aspects of the bill and the timing of the hearing took place right before the assembly budget

committee would consider legislation to restructure the corporate business tax cut in five minutes this is going to be turned over to the budget committee and we're going to be talking about something out two million dollars worth of taxes from our business as many of these businesses have been demonized by the administration and told that they dont pay their fair share in taxes but then we're going to create new godzilla movie and then after about two hours of testimony the bill cleared the appropriations committee on the strength of the democratic majority member of vote but even those republicans who had issues with a belt voice compassion for qantas flight columnist la take a leap of faith to release this bill i don't know why you say to children ages of fifteen and twenty four when the leading cause of that his murder that this is not their year we're going to support this legislation on route to vote yes the bill also cleared the senate budget committee and now must go before the full assembly and senate for passage are regional and then use the statehouse new jersey's stands to get

millions of federal dollars to upgrade state police communications as jerry henry reports the changes in response to september eleventh our communications were affected your manager of the new jersey state police antenna was on one of the towers today senator roberts recently told starters neighbors american officials intended to me and also money is on the way to prevent the entire system we will now have the best education system the ice age america new jersey state police and we've done that with several cities around the state but we need to get it everywhere take it town by town as we develop the state plan and modernize the system we have disproportionate got much more money new jersey than probably any other state in the country to repair armored personnel the conference which was sort of the camden police department focused on bio terrorism readiness and response to wear valley region is considered a prime target because of its dense population we have the greatest treasures in the nation's sitting in philadelphia which undoubtedly

are targets of the terrorist groups out there and how we respond on the jersey shots i will literally packed with people over time is very viable kammen plays a key role in its proximity to fall the major traffic areas terms of highway traffic train traffic waterways several bridges several major communication lines and insidious cause it's like to date as a part of an ongoing effort by local law enforcement public safety officials to be ready in the event of another terrorist attack during the indians can't members of the assembly homeland security and stay preparedness committee discuss making new jersey the national model for bio terrorism preparedness today the committee heard testimony from health and senior services commissioner dr clifton lacey he requested twenty five million dollars in next year's budget for bio terror healthcare funding he says that money combined with federal funding will allow the state

to link all health care institutions and practitioners in the state he says it will also help the governor's expert panel reading the stage for a possible bio terror attack and the us transportation secretary says ports around the country including the port authority of new york and new jersey will be getting a total of ninety two point three million dollars in federal grants to enhance security grants will fund seventy seven programs at the nation's ports nine point three million dollars will be coming to new york the port authority will receive a four million dollar grant steelhead on injury and he's been seeing over new federal clean air proposals jersey is fired up to go to battle over the epa says new pollution emissions rules does things it's b new jersey will join northeastern

states in challenging the bush administration's new air pollution rules in congress and in court if necessary governor mcgreevey says the regulations will lead to more polluted air in new jersey and barnett reporter ed rogers has the story simply put it would mean that more new jersey citizens would have to confront as well as walter dear that's how governor mcgreevey

describes the environmental protection agency proposal that will make it easier for older coal fired power plants and other industrial sources to expand without reducing the release of nitrogen oxide sulfur dioxide mercury and other pollutants those emissions get to new jersey on weather system from plants and midwestern states most a jersey facility isn't already upgraded to cut harmful emissions utilities to operate the plants have complained that the new source review regulations have hampered their abilities to expand and create more energy the governor along with new jersey's two us senators announced they would challenge the proposal in congress if that fails the state would challenge them in court set a new source review it is now becoming no standards and no regulations are with regard to clean air and don't really does need to be stopped the attorney general says he'll meet with his counterparts in new york and connecticut later this week to discuss their options the governor has instructed me to follow this development of these new proposals carefully and to

challenge him at the appropriate time it's not just the plants in midwestern states that have officials concerned that point walter plans in pennsylvania like this one just across the delaware river when his plane for air quality problems in warren county it would not face a review and the possibility of reducing emissions under the epa proposal if you added up all the sulfur dioxide emissions across the facilities that we regulate here it would be roughly comparable to the contribution to air pollution but just one plant them aren't strict plant that the governor referred to across the river from orange county epa administrator christie whitman came under criticism today for weakening clean air standards she wants you to have enforced what i understand she's a difficult position but she had to choose between it is new jersey and the interests of a bush administration i think she made a regrettable shortz a spokeswoman for epa administrator whitman says that there is a broad base of support for reform of the news source review program and that the agency will continue to pursue lawsuits already brought under the program

ed rogers and jam news tracy air force investigators say pilot error is to blame in the january crash of an air national guard at sixteen during practice bombing runs in little lake harbor township the official accident report says major robert mcnally failed to accurately perform standard procedures after experiencing spatial disorientation investigators also cited mcnally's recent flight inactivity because he was overseeing security air patrols mcnally parachuted to safety and suffered minor injuries which is here now with a preview of what's coming up in business is new hope for general motors when to plant and what will it mean for workers and after many losing days a big rally on wall street that and more when we come back it's been the pay

business is general motors just a new jersey for a least the next few years are really praised gm's decision today to maintain production of insulin to drug plan through two thousand five like for general motors had been considering halting truck production in new jersey instead the company has decided to continue producing its current bill a lot happier for the next three years to agree the administration officials are scheduled to meet with representatives from gm tomorrow hoping to keep keep the company open here beyond two thousand five state officials plan to bring an incentive proposal to that meeting the dredging of the new york and new jersey harper will go forward the army corps of engineers has been deepening the harbor various interests of held up the latest step the harbor is considered vital to the region's

economy opponents say must be dredged to accommodate larger ships zachary frank reports this waterway known as porters he is currently only thirty five the the daily show and merchandise the harbor must be deepened first to forty one feet then eventually to fifty three according to the army corps of engineers dredging is not that complicated a process funding and the various interest groups to come to any iranian support which serves as an economic engine for the metropolitan area and beyond he's responsible for over one hundred thousand jobs directly in over two hundred twenty seven thousand jobs more than a six billion dollars of cargo flow through the new york new jersey journals the poor generate upwards the twenty nine billion dollars in economic activity and new jersey if you're wearing it if you're using it or if you're driving it it likely came to a

port like the portable is a bit in there and that is the reality for the consumer aspect of this commercial vitality of whiteboards are so important elected officials say a sports channels are not deep into the major carriers will go elsewhere for years ago maersk sealand threatened to move its operation to baltimore won agreement prevented that from happening there have been other holdouts recently a record of decision was approved by the army corps of engineers along the current phase of the dredging project to go forward which was deepening the port jersey and killed then call the plastic chairs the harvard and a forty five feet by the year two thousand for and fifty feet by the year two thousand nine so this stretch of it till then called for jersey president bush has requested a hundred twenty million dollars in fines after thirty one and a half million dollar increase from last year was but it must still be approved by congress zach rethink and indians they are nice rally on wall street today finally some good news after several weeks of selling on like many recent days

stocks hold onto their gains in the final hour of trading bargain hunting a rosy outlook for mcdonald's prop wires back to the street we finish with adele up two percent than as they gained more than three percent at the close today on the spill's rose two hundred thirteen points tonight thousand six eighty seven among the broad markets the amex at any knesset gained forty points s a p five hundred rose about twenty nine in the credit market to ten years off about a half a point it sealed a four point eight five percent other news accounting giant arthur andersen has less than three months to cancel its orbiting contracts with publicly held companies that comes just two days after a jury in texas from a company guilty of obstructing justice in a statement on lee anderson website the company says the verdict will effectively end the company's auditing practices as a part of the verdict the sec will for sanderson kisses spent already work for publicly held firms anderson the world's fifth largest accounting firm has offices and clients in new jersey it says it will help its remaining clients

find new orders the federal government is ordering all foreign airlines that fly to the us to reinforce their cockpit doors within two months they must also install stronger doors by april of next year us airlines have already reinforce their doors they're facing the same april two thousand three deadline for installing new ones the stronger doors are designed to prevent terrorists from entering the cockpit and take control of a plane the federal aviation administration estimates that nineteen hundred foreign planes will have to get them indoors that's in addition to six thousand domestic planes for eyes and wireless launched a series of new services today the company unveiled a new program called brew it stands for a binary one time environment for wireless platform it means rising wireless customers will be able to train their wireless phones into a mobile media station by downloading video games news and a browser for surfing the net applications are optional summer running about ten dollars a month for unlimited usage and home depot is saying no thanks to dealing with the federal government the nation's largest home improvement retailer has

told its fourteen hundred stores not to do business with the government or its representatives managers at home depot stores nationwide have been told not to accept government credit card purchase orders or even catches items are to be used by the feds in defending its decision the company says it's trying to avoid being covered by laws relating to employee discrimination and affirmative action in the business thank you rich coming up on indian news reaction from the catholic community and the newly adopted guidelines to fight sexual abuse by priests as the mercer county prosecutor's office said today it will not file criminal

charges against twelve praise from the trade the diocese prosecutors said the statute of limitations had expired in all the cases today's announcement comes just days after the us conference of bishops set new policies on handling priests accused of sex abuse does a retailer reports only thirteen bishops voted against what church officials called the charter for the protection of children and young people have in most reverend nicholas de blasio bishop of canton calls the policy historic and decisive albee the pulse of a priest to be known as a priest the best not an automatic barista first that is just what about that we take away his ability to practice the new policy is in response to scores of accusations of sexual abuse by priests in january abbassian priest was convicted of molesting a boy reports of possible cover ups by church leaders who moved accused priests from parish to parish also sparked outrage the goal of the policy is to curb future abuse by priests but mary seekers a graduate of harvard divinity school and chair of

political science at rutgers university newark says some victims may feel the charter doesn't go far enough because of fall short of holding the bishops accountable for his handling of abuse cases while so many different tactics are upset that the bishops themselves and not taking accountability for this arm it up to all of us to kind of hold it bishops feet to the fire and to make sure that they in fact changed nationwide at least two hundred fifty priests have resigned or been suspended in the past six months including a new jersey parishes are part of a class action suit and all of the people involved in those suits are not in the history of this time except for ones case we believe is right now the policy has been set by the us bishops conference the next challenge will be implementation and some religious and political observers say enforcing this policy may be difficult and sometimes painful that will be upset feelings on the part of many parishioners had seen their

pastors leave there's no question about that this is going to be hard but bishops backed away from defrauding and accuse priest because it requires a lengthy inquiry the vatican is expected to review portions of the policy but the chartered may not be sent to the pope's approval of the document will come under review again in two year's deseret taylor nj and news that's nj and news i'm can't not a hand for rich and all those here thank you for being with us you have to see you again tomorrow he's been there as fb