New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 07/20/1983

You Jersey nightly news is made possible in pork by a grant from first security. Good evening. I'm can't mount a hand coming up in the news the governor and legislative leaders agree to keep no fault insurance alive at the crowded mammas County jail inmates say there are too many prisoners and not enough beds and ground is broken for a new improved Garden State racetrack. The state's no fault auto insurance system may be here to stay after all. Governor Kaine and legislative leaders met today and said they've reached to the reached a consensus that no fault should continue but with some modifications. And as Diane doctor reports there are still many problems to resolve before a compromise is reached. You know Governor Kaine had called for the meeting to try and resolve the legislative

deadlock over auto insurance reform. And after two hours of talks there was word of progress. No firm plan but progress. There are more agreement today than have been in the past. There are still some areas strong disagreements and they have obviously got to be talked about in much more detail before before it has any chance of getting a package that everybody everybody can agree on. The major breakthrough agreement to keep the no fault system. If this holds up motorists will still have to buy auto insurance. But under a compromise plan discussed today drivers could opt for personal injury protection policies with the doctor bills of up to $5000 and drivers could also pass on unlimited medical benefits which are required now. Assembly Speaker Ellen Karcher who successfully convinced the assembly to scrap no fault now says he's willing to bend over I'm willing to compromise and as long as the governors show them in the case in the way the compromise on his position about the threshold I'm more than willing to compromise on.

Position of wanting to repeal no for the threshold the court to refer to was the amount of medical costs victims of an accident must accumulate before suing. Lawyers who represent victims want to keep the threshold at its current $200 level. The insurance industry wants it raised up to fifteen hundred dollars. Legislators have been grappling with the issue and it remains a major sticking point. That's a bone of contention that we're going to have to deal with. I think that there is some middle ground there somewhere that hopefully we can reach and bring about a reform. Governor Kaine and legislative leaders will meet again one week from today. A compromise agreement in place by the time the assembly returns on August 4th in Trenton I'm dyin doctor. Two state inmates housed in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution today testified about overcrowded conditions and improper treatment. Today was the first day of hearings in a federal suit filed by the state's public advocate. The inmate said prisoners slept

in corridors and showers and by toilets they slept on tables benches and the floors with them without mattresses because there was not enough bunk space at the Monmouth County Jail. The inmates said plumbing at the jail often needed repair ventilation was poor and outdoor exercise in sync with one inmate said he slept on a bare dirty floor and was bitten by a mouse and wore the same clothes for three weeks. Former Attorney General James Alley is acting as special hearing master in the case. The fact is so complex the circumstances and the facts are so detailed that the courts have been delegating that responsibility to ministers to accumulate those facts and then come back with a report and with recommendations to the federal judge. The inmates told conditions at the jail have improved since he toured the facilities. U.S. District Court Judge Herbert Stern has sentenced the man who tipped him off about an alleged assassination plot. Stern sentence James Perry of Somerset to seven years in prison on bad check charges while Perry was in

jail awaiting sentencing he wrote to judge Stern claiming that he had overheard another inmate John Coney talking about murdering the judge after a two day hearing the judge said he thought the plot was just idle talk. But he did revoke Coney's bail. There may be some help down the road for motorists who have been broiling and backed up traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike. Continued increases in traffic volume have Turnpike Authority officials thinking about expanding portions of the 118 mile highway. The authority may begin a study later this year. The Turnpike Authority spokesman says the areas most likely to be improved are in North Jersey between Newark Airport and the Meadowlands Sports Complex pacifiers are riding toward a 100 and 50 percent increase by next year and that proposed fare hike raised some protests today. SANDRA KING reports. For 22 years the path fair has been unchanged. And at 30 cents a ride the system has always operated in the red. But while the real cost of

Parana was 35 cents in 1960 to today it is said to be more like a dollar fifty. In other words the way that path tells the story fares cover less than 20 percent of overall costs. But that failed to impress the crowd here. There is no need for an increase in cards because there is a cash I blush of 16 million dollars to be used for any and all past operations and or capital expenditures. It was the first of two days of public hearing what those who wish to be heard had better talk fast. Step One of the fare hike from 30 cents to 50 cents is set for just 11 days from now. Step two which would take the one way fare up to 75 cents would take place on January 1st. We shall respond as other cities commuters invariably do by taking to our cars consuming more gasoline up the roadways point creasing traffic congestion. And ultimately abandoning the system altogether.

Taking it all in today was Lewis Gamba Sr. once New Jersey's transportation commissioner now the assistant executive director of the Port Authority. He tried to put the fare hike in context. There have been several efforts to seek such for a group for a variety of reasons they have been turned back in or the course of the years there have been prior efforts at least on two occasions and pats general chairman said that this time an increase just can't wait. We have to make very substantial capital investments over the next 10 years. Half a million dollars. The money has to come from somewhere and when you consider 75 cents for a ride in today's economy still of all the riders who testified today only one said he could live with the increase of course when you talk about path there as it really is all relative. For instance if you take a New Jersey Transit train from New York to Manhattan it's a dollar fifty cents a ride. If you take the bus and you buy a monthly ticket it's just a few cents cheaper. So even if the fare should go to 75 cents a ride will

still be a bargain. At the World Trade Center in New York Times under the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that the state cannot simply retain institutionalized mental patients who no longer meet commitment standards but who cannot take care of themselves. And a unanimous decision the court said these patients must be kept in the least restrictive environment at the institution until suitable outside housing can be found. Their status must be reviewed every six months to see if they can be placed elsewhere. Former New Jersey senator Nicholas Brady will serve on President Reagan's new bipartisan panel on Latin America. The 53 year old Republican who spent nine months on Capitol Hill has been appointed along with 10 others to look into long range American policy toward our southern neighbors. Brady is presently managing director of Dillon Reid and company an investment banking firm. He was appointed by Governor Kaine in 1982 to take over for former senator Harrison Williams when Williams resigned because of his Abscam conviction.

The Latin American panel will be headed by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Treasury Department officials today on veiled a major reorganization plan designed to save the state money and streamline the budget making process. One facet of the plan is the establishment within the treasury department of an Office of Management and Budget. Until now department heads have been responding for submitting have been responsible for submitting budget estimates but the new office will now set spending limits for all departments. Well obviously what we are doing by imposing the targets is saying don't come in with these wish list don't come in with large scale budgets and start lobbying for them. We're going to impose a limit right at the start. Biederman said the department heads will also have to submit long range budget forecasts for both capital and operating expenses. The ground was broken today for the new Garden State racetrack in Cherry Hill. Dan Hodgson reports that the new owner promises to make garden state the finest racing facility in the world.

Time ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha. It's been a long time since that sound was heard at the Garden State Park at the racetrack she wrote to Robert Brennan promised today it will be heard again within a year and a half. He plans to complete a 100 million dollar rebuilding and renovation project in that time it will include a seven level grand stand and clubhouse with a unique glass enclosed Paddick viewing area for wintertime racing excellence in racing is returning to Cherry Hill New Jersey and that free enterprise will again be it's far the project has been touted as a major success for private enterprise but may well be that Britain purchased the property only after receiving promises of significant tax reductions or permission to double the number of racing days and the Economic Development Authority has just approved 40 million dollars worth of tax free bonds to help with construction. But however it will be done. Officials say the new track will provide 5000 new jobs

as well as millions of dollars in tax revenue. Well a lot of people have been talking for a long time about rebuilding the state racetrack and I couldn't be prouder or happier to be here to see this rebuilding begin at a time when we have a country some terrible years with the economy this is just a very positive day. The business community is excited the citizens are. Please Mr. Brandon has done everything to blend into the community. But while the ground was being broken in Cherry Hill today racetracks around the country losing money to stay in business. Brennan says he knows how to make this work. Less than 10 percent of all the people in this country have ever been to a racetrack. That's astonishing which means that there's a large population of people that you can attract and if you put on a good show and something that they've had a good time and feel good about. Brennan has already received his provisional harness in thoroughbred racing permits when the track opens early in 1985. Brennan says it will be the largest single employer in

South Jersey. That means there are a lot of people in this area hoping that it succeeds in Cherry Hill Climb down from. The laid off employees of Ford's Edison assembly plant will not go home. Even though benefits have run out for many today over one hundred twenty five people came to the United Auto Workers office in Edison to pick up care packages of canned goods. The idea came from an employee of the Ford plant. The UAW organized the food drive urging employees to bring a candidate to work after two weeks 5000 were collected. The union chipped in another 25 hundred cans and by far to close to 300 former workers will have taken advantage of the giveaway. Dad you know we have no money coming in the can of food is a meal. And I think we all forget where we come from and we all started with nothing. So these people have nothing and we must stop. The union representative the union president rather says another food drive is being planned for

Thanksgiving he says that one will be bigger and better. A familiar sound of summer is the home of an air conditioner right now that home could be like money in the bank. If you happen to be in the market for one church to Gaspar's reports this may be the best time to buy. Aside from the recent heat wave there is a monetary incentive. Three utility companies around the state are offering rebates if you buy a high efficiency air conditioner. By August 30 first and if you're serviced by Jersey Central Power and Light Atlanta City Electric or P A C and G you can qualify. Our purpose primarily is to. Get those people who have made a buying decision to get an air conditioner to get a high efficiency type of the air conditioner as opposed to a standard efficiency. Now when you go to buy your air conditioner you'll notice that all of them have cards with a number. The number is called the E.R. or energy efficiency rating. But you can't qualify for the rebate unless you were E.R. is nine or above the

savings that you would affect in buying a high E.R.. Repeats itself every year. In addition it's a well accepted fact that electric rates are going to go up so your savings will be higher each year. Now the high efficiency units are generally more expensive than the standard units averaging about $400. But there would be a utility bill savings of about 20 percent and according to what kind of air conditioner you buy. The rebate varies. They will $5 for every 1000 feet to you if this is an eight thousand BQ where purchase is one you get 40 service so if you decide to buy one of these energy efficient models you'll get a rebate form from your dealer. And after it's mailed in you'll get a check in about eight weeks. I'm Trisha Gasper. Now here's a look at the weather forecast for the next few days you'll need those air conditioners. A thunderstorm watch has been extended until 10:00 o'clock in three New Jersey counties had led a Cape May and

Cumberland. The forecast looks like this for tonight. It will be partly cloudy and muggy with scattered showers and thunderstorms activity. Temperatures will range from 65 to 70 degrees in North Jersey and 67 to 73 degrees in central and southern parts of the state. We'll have a mixture of clouds and sunshine tomorrow it will be hot and humid with some afternoon thunderstorms will be 87 to 93 degrees in northern areas and 90 to 95 in central and southern areas and for Friday sunny quite warm and less humid. Until recently if you got hurt on the job in New Jersey it was fairly easy to get

worker's compensation even for small injuries however benefits were among the lowest in the nation in 1080 reform legislation raised benefits but tightened eligibility in an attempt to give more money to the more severely injured worker. TONIGHT producer Jenny Salinger and reporter Michael Aaron will see what the change means for two people who applied for worker's comp under the new law. A girl in the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Traffic engineer while he can bend and stretch fairly easily now as he supervises maintenance of the state's roads. A short while ago he was not so mobile in 1981 he injured his knee at work. And I was going to the office one morning walking up the steps. I had a particle of candy or substance that was on the step and I fell down the 13 13 steps. I had a knee injury that required surgery. I also injured my lower back and my neck. It kept me out of work for six months.

Girland injuries left him partially disabled. A worker's compensation judge determined that he had restricted use of his knee his neck and his back. My total ride was a $300 30 percent was rusting for my name which is forty five hundred. And the combination with my neck and back is about another $4000 for a girl and the new worker's comp law is beneficial and entitled him to receive almost $3000 more than he would have had he injured his knee in 1989. Doctors found the required objective medical evidence of girland injuries and the court awarded him permanent partial disability. This woman whom we'll call Nancy wasn't so lucky. She tripped over the end of a rug and fell down some stairs while working as a motel chambermaid. Her lawyer says that under the old law she would have received compensation under the new one she receives nothing. Unlike girl and she couldn't show objective medical evidence of her injury. But she says her pain keeps her from returning to her job and makes even simple chores difficult. Every child in our house was still at

home. And I have qualms. Her lawyer contends that pain like Nancy's is very real even if it's subjective. But Albert Napier had workers comp judge holds a different view. For example depression tenderness since it depends on the response of the patient you get i.e. that subjective medical expert might say that a skilled examiner through is medical fingers can tell a fan response from a legitimate response. Nancy situation is different from girl ends because before 1980 it was very easy to get permanent partial disability. In fact there were so many cases like Nancy's that employers were paying a lot of money for insurance coverage. Well benefits for injured workers had to be spread out over a large population of claimants. To correct this apparent inequity business and labor agreed to raise benefits for the seriously injured and to withhold compensation from some employees with minor injuries.

Employers generally carry insurance to cover workers comp claims and after the 1980 law was passed insurance carriers upped the premiums they charge employers for that coverage by 19 percent in anticipation of having to pay out greater benefits. But in the last two years the insurance companies have been able to lower those premiums by 21 percent. A sign that the new law is holding down the overall costs of the system. The law may be holding costs down but it is raising questions. Most people would say that obtaining a real definition of what constitutes a partial permanent disability as opposed to a minor type of injury in which there is no permanent disability under the new Act is the primary area which we would like to have some clarification from the appellate division and sat through a judge. To get the time and I still want some mine around why it's significant and even after he makes that determination as an appellate collector will be looking over the judge's shoulder to decide whether the determination was appropriate under the

circumstances. The state's appellate court may up hold or reject the Concord judge's decision on the case. The higher courts action sets guidelines for Comp judges to follow later interpret in the law. So far the appellate court has published no guidelines to clarify the meaning of a minor injury and there are people who believe that refusing to compensate for minor injury no matter how clearly it's defined will hurt more people than it will help. I've been practicing this type of law for over 25 years now. I have probably had five major amputation cases during that period of time whereas I've had thousands of cases of people involving back sprains. So if in fact the law is going to result in reducing or cutting off benefits to the persons with the back sprains in order to get more people to the amputees even though the amputees are the more deserving they're going to be an awful lot of people who have suffered as a result of the changes those changes are defended by members of the Business Coalition committee that helped draft the legislation.

There are only so many dollars available. That the industry can afford to spend. And as you know. A person. Does lose an arm. We're using the example of course. It was a much bigger much more precarious position. He's a much more needy person and that was the really the basis for shifting the dollars from the lower end of the spectrum per person might suffer from minor injuries to the upper end of the spectrum where the injury has a detrimental devastating effect. It may be several years before all the questions about the new law are answered. Business wants to see it interpreted strictly. Lawyers representing injured workers want to see it interpreted liberally so that people like Nancy might stand a better chance of being compensated by Michael era. The. Bill Perry is in Newark with tonight's sports report.

They'll thank you can't Last night we led with the illness to dancers crown the three year old Trotter an early Hamiltonian favorite tragically dancers crown is dead the horse died after colon surgery last night at the Meadowlands the sweet heart pace for two year old Phillies Of course of one point. Oh my 6 2 million dollars the heavy favorite was a lot and she ran away to those who drove right hand over to the Meadowlands place when just last Friday we had another big one article when a little girl is put to the test. Then here comes Shannon fencing on the outside and a late move by her right on the extreme outside here comes hat right. Naughty But Nice is there Shannon fancy and Shannon fancy Hold on I want to run away wins another million dollar a step final time 155 until our Shannon fancy paid twenty 640 to wind up when a little bell finished fifth. The third annual Sri Chinmoy marathon and Olympic qualifier will be held September 10th in Plainsboro Stillson two months away but interested entrants are advised to mark down that date to properly train for and will tell you how to go about entering tarikh out

the race director told us that the U.S. Olympic qualifying time is two hours 19 minutes and four seconds and many Plainsboro entrants should better that. Definitely expect quite a number of runners to go and really pleased when we see any type of person. Races this is a standard it's been said who used to be a track and conditions that track performance. OK call the points department at 6 0 9 7 9 9 0 9 0 9 for information if you wish to enter the Sri Chinmoy marathon the race was named after Sri Chinmoy who is an Indian teacher who's running as a path to self transcendence. Plans for the $150000 Virginia Slims of New

Jersey tennis tournament have been announced the dates August 23 28 that will be played as always. Last year when serving here defeated 7 6 6 3 in the finals there will be a field of fifty six women this year and already two top 10 in the world players have announced that they will compete. Pam Shriver ranked the tournament will take place one week before the U.S. Open. Some players like to compete the week before the open some like to prepare by practicing again. Pam Shriver will play last year. I played the MY WANT term and this year it's a Virginia Slims of my won and I lost in the quarter finals of between a monkey who's also ranked the top 10 and I had three good matches behind me going into the open but more importantly I did very well at the open I beat Martina and then lost in the semifinals. So this year I'm doing the same thing because you figure that worked last year hopefully it'll work again this year. But there are a lot of players feel that it's hard to play three straight competitive weeks especially leading up to

bigger tournaments U.S. Open but I feel if you're in good shape you know I'm not going to play doubles that week I'm just going to play singles and even if I win the Virginia Slims of my will I think I'll be in good shape for the U.S. Open cosmos Seattle tonight at Giants Stadium OK cats. Thank you Bill. That's our news for tonight for Bill Perry and the rest of us here in New Jersey nightly news was I can't man a hand wishing you a good night. Man. New Jersey let me last night my Supreme Court but he granted me Julian or Donald Trump. We have tried to spend monies which we don't have and money by the way which we're unwilling

to raise. Well like a couple who uses credit cards to charge items that are far in excess of the family income. Sooner or later comes the day of reckoning. We have forgotten the words of Lincoln when he said you can't avoid the responsibilities of tomorrow by avoiding your responsibilities of today. In addition we have too often in the past concerned ourselves with the revenue side of the budget. We've been extraordinarily reluctant to address the spending side. For some reason it's often been perceived as less politically painful to seek additional taxes than it has been to bring spending under control. If our income is growing at 6 percent we simply can't afford to continue spending at 12 percent. I am therefore asking. That you join with me in creating a commission to study the state's revenue and expenditures

process with the goal of bringing our expenses into line with our income. You all. You or I know that I've mentioned this to you before and mention it to you again but state government consistently and with little regard for the consequences over the past years promised more than it can deliver. Spend more than it raised and that resulted in a budget crisis that many of you have been sorting through year after year after year. So at long last let's say enough we can no longer demand a sacrifice on the part of the taxpayers while consistently refusing to exercise proper restraint in government. Let us finally bring our budget under control this year and for years to come. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about.

Last year pension and employment benefits increased over 13 percent. This is over twice the growth in the income that it used to support those benefits. This area now represents 14 percent of our entire budget and it's increasing. I expect the record of the Pension System Review Commission to be submitted by December 1st of this year. And I would urge you to act on it just as fast as you possibly can. I also would she was upset to move with dispatch and creating that study commission. And I hope you will direct it to return with its recommendations by the end of 1983. I would urge To the best of your abilities that in a bipartisan manner that you keep the commission's work free from the pressures of partisan politics and that if you can you keep its report out of this year's election campaigns I know this is difficult I know everybody's running. But if either party makes this Commission

in its work the subject of excessive political rhetoric or even demagoguery and you will probably kill our chance for meaningful reform of our tax structure for some time to come. I know this is a difficult time for everyone of us writing this budget message and previous times the words of Thomas Paine kept coming back to me that these are the times that try men's souls and I remember a little pamphlet he wrote American crisis before the start of the Civil War. It was a different part of that quotation that there was an arrest of that quotation he talked about the summer and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of his country and recommended it he that stands it now he that stands up now will deserve the love. Of men and women in the future.

It seems to me this is a chance and this is a time to stand up now. This opportunity to regain control of government let us regain control of public spending. Let us assure that these budget crises and the crisis which seems to round us disappears. We can do this. We can seize this opportunity. We can move to restore our state of the robust economic that it once enjoyed. There is no reason why New Jersey can't lead this nation out of this recession. But do not allow our opportunities to slip away. We will only guarantee if we do continue.