New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News 10/15/1978

New Jersey Nightly News with Robert Cohen in Trenton. Good evening and thank you for joining us IN THE NEWS. The New Jersey Assembly is set to convene tomorrow when a vote is scheduled to raise the state's minimum wage. New Jersey's master plan for energy will be revealed by the State Energy Department tomorrow. And critics are already sharpening their knives. And we'll have a report on a good cop from Hoboken. A man who is being honored because he's the best in the state at what he does. In sports Bill Perry will report on today's Giants game and the World Series. And a closer look. We'll repeat our talk with California's Howard Jarvis the father of Proposition 13. Bills to raise New Jersey's minimum wage and to extend one of the so-called caps laws for limiting government spending are scheduled for votes tomorrow by the state assembly. The minimum wage measure would boost the current 250 an hour figure to 270 an hour with lower minimums for farmers and some college students. And the Caps bill would extend until 1983 the current 5 percent limit on annual increases in state government

budgets. The state Senate has already passed it caps a bill for state spending. So assembly approval tomorrow would send that to the governor. The Senate also has approved a minimum wage bill but one that's different from the one being considered by the Assembly. The differences would have to be resolved before that measure could be sent to the governor. The final version of New Jersey's proposed energy master plan will be unveiled tomorrow and it's expected to draw criticism from both private industry and the State Board of Public Utilities. The plan will concentrate some key decision making in the State Energy Department specifically deciding where new energy facilities will be located. The Public Utilities Board reportedly feels decisions of that sort or its Bailey work and private industry usually prefers as little regulation as possible. The energy master plan if it holds true to the preliminary draft released last May will also require buffer zones around energy facilities and will bar nuclear power plants from developed areas and almost all kinds of facilities from the Pine Barrens. There were 11 candidates running for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey this year. Most people know about Jeff

Bell and Bill Bradley but what about the other nine Well seven of them came to Trenton State College today for debate broadcast live by New Jersey Public Television Reporter Marianne ROSS It was there if you had managed to get eight hundred signatures on a petition to run for Senate this year you too could have been among the gaggle of candidates to voice their opinions at today's televised debate. It seemed that everyone had his own particular axe to grind. Jack Gould who lost a court case to a water company has it in for New Jersey's judicial system. Alice Connor of the Socialist Workers Party wants to eliminate taxes for the middle and lower classes. Bob Iowan a 30 year old self-styled political economist wants to end what he sees as the conspiracy of banks shipping drugs into the U.S.. Upshaw I think all politicians are crooks. And for Bill gas. Well the problem is lawyers. So you think basically there are too many lawyers and only too many lawyers. Absolutely. No question about it. No question about it.

Why do they do it. Why do they go to the trouble of printing up the little debates questions of TV reporters. Why do they bother to cut up the chicken boxes for campaign handouts and to Bill Bradley stickers for their own purposes. Well that is one. And this is what you want and not get it for what you don't want to get it and we've consistently found ourselves in the position of getting what we don't want. We continue to vote for Democrats and Republicans in many ways these fringe candidates are the hardiest of political animals. They'll never hear the approving of the crowd with their fingers crossed. Many people but they keep running. And that's democracy in Trenton. New Jersey's walking patrolman of the year is a 38 year old father of six has been on the

police force in Hoboken for 11 years. Sessile Vinci and was chosen for more than 25 nominees for the second annual award made by the State Department of Community Affairs reporter Jack when he went to Hoboken today to look at Officer Vinci at the walking patrolling program and the state's safe and clean neighborhoods law. And Cecil Vince he believes in his job and he believes in his city. While some cops think of a foot patrol as a demotion it's Ian sees it differently. He says a large part of his job is getting people to know him and one another. He thinks it's the impersonality of city life that sometimes creates crime when the man on the street brings a closeness between a police officer and a citizen. And. In a place of business in a place and this will help them to eliminate strangers. They can more quickly check them out. People that don't necessarily live in the area. It is one of forty five cops walking with a troll here and around the streets from

11:00 in the morning past midnight. City on special assignment looking for trouble before it flares into violence. Tempers. Settling disputes. And misunderstandings among the city's white black and Hispanic residents. A relationship between people and the police and then they began to get into that that we may not have it. Relate it to us. This kind of foot patrol is more expensive than the patrol car system. The city needs more men on the street to make it work. So the state contributes over 12 million dollars a year to keep the cops walking. That money was used in Hoboken to beef up the staff the patrols the city's one square mile of stores and apartment houses putting men like Vincey in face to face with the city's 40000 residents. It's making Vincent

more like a social worker than a cop in some instances. But he says it's working. When people know him and they will trust him he says. And that can only make the streets here a safer place to walk. In Hoboken. I'm Jack cutie. Tomorrow morning negotiators will need to resume working on a settlement of the New York newspaper strike striking pressman a representative of the New York Times and The Daily News spent most of yesterday assembling pieces of a proposed contract which could lead to a quick end to the nine and a half week old strike. Both sides agreed to take today off. And the union county city of Plainfield school officials are trying to improve their students test scores by encouraging their parents to sign contracts guaranteeing their children a good studying atmosphere at home. Geoffrey hall reports. Four years ago students in Plainfield scored lower on basic skills tests than students in practically every urban school district in New Jersey. But now

test results in Plainfield are above the national average. Administrator is think part of the improvement is because of a four way agreement between parents teachers principals and students. It's a contract signed by all four parties affirming very responsible of these to students. We feel that with a contract power and a teacher will have a document around which they can discuss the child. We feel that everyone should give a commitment to enhancing the capability of the child to learn once a youngster comes home from school he or she is expected to fulfill one end of the agreement by hitting the books instead of the TV switch. And it's up to parents to keep distractions at a minimum. Well the atmosphere in the home when she comes home from school to make sure that she has time for her homework and she's not watching TV all the time which

some students think the contracts are just plain. But others think through a way to help them get a better job. Of course there's no guarantee that any of these students will get better jobs or better grades if they've signed a learning agreement. All the contract does is force them to take a harder look at education and if they don't if they breach the contract they're the ones who will suffer in Plainfield. I'm Geoffrey Holland. But that IX city may have a ways to go before it becomes a Las Vegas East. But it has been attracting some big name entertainers and two weeks from now it will be showcasing one of the biggest names in the business Old Blue Eyes himself Frank Sinatra. On October 29 Sinatra will hold a one day concert at Atlantic City's convention hall to benefit the Atlantic City Medical Center. Tickets are still available from $10 for the cheapest seats up to $500 each for those who

want to sit closest to the star. A thousand police and fire officers will get the best deal. Tickets were just $5 each. Sinatra insisted on that his dad had been a fireman in Hoboken. And in return Sinatra will be doing the concert for free. You know. You. Are and I came to be the way you want. You must speak like a and I beg you to forget that you did as I said and. You can beg. And you may try I am. Elsewhere this time to get this night. Watch it Sunday 8:00 the New Jersey Public Television. Here's the weather forecast for New Jersey. Clear and cold tonight throughout the state.

Temperatures in North Jersey should be in the 30s and near 40 degrees along the northern coast. In the southern part of the state should range from the mid to upper 30s. Tomorrow we'll have partly cloudy skies with a chance of rain by evening. Will be in the mid 50s. The outlook for Tuesday in New Jersey mostly sunny windy and cold. Good evening game five of the World Series in New York Dodgers and Yankees Yankees lead at 7 to 2 in the fifth inning yesterday the Yankees got even in the series with a dramatic come from behind 43 went in 10 innings Lou Pinella singled out second game hero Bob Wells to drive in the winning run. Roy White who walked with one out scored Welch retired Thurman Munson after White's walk Reggie Jackson kept it going with a single then you know it came through today again in the fifth game fifth inning Yanks lead seven to two series of course all even at 2 going into today and

the series goes back to Los Angeles for Game 6 Tuesday night. In the National Football League. Today the Giants beat Tampa Bay 17 14 there were more turnovers in this one than in a Betty Crocker bake off but in the fourth quarter here the Giants got their act together showing 14 for a third to six yard touchdown run. Larry Johnson makes At 9:46. Giants kicked off to Tampa Bay in the Bucs have the ball on a second and eighth watch in slow motion a combo by Johnny Davis John Mendenhall screw up some of the ball right there number 60 for number 53 Harry Carson is there to recover. That will lead to another touchdown by Lowry's on a one yard run but the Giants up 17 14 Giants got the ball back Joe Donnelly missed the field goal with 226 left the 46 yarder Bucs drove Donahue Mr. Right here. Twenty four seconds. Forty two yard field goal Giants won 17 14. Checking the rest of the NFL Philadelphia handed Washington their first last final 1710. The

Jets beat Baltimore 33 10 Pittsburgh remained undefeated beating Cleveland 34 14 at an over Detroit 14 nothing and it was New England over Cincinnati 10 3 Green Bay beat Seattle 45 28 it was used in over Buffalo 17 10. Dallas beat St. Louis in overtime 24 21 and a late starters nothing to report on Kansas City Oakland L.A. Minnesota Miami San Diego and San Francisco Chicago and Denver play the Monday night game. The New Jersey Nets beat the L.A. Lakers 102 to 100 last night to go to two down in the young season the Lakers led 23 20 after the first quarter but the nets led by rookie Wynford Boyne's took command in the second quarter outscoring L.A. 42 to 29 points Number 34 hit on 9 of 10 for the game from the field and added two of two from the free throw line for a game high 20 points the number one draft choice from San Francisco. Only play 18 minutes watch is good hands on the recovery as he gets the basket right there. Eddie Jordan the crowd pleaser played super here and he goes

one on one and it's Jordan scored 13 points in 18 minutes and came up with five steals. Here's Boyne's getting a basket again with the good hands and then watch Fast Eddie Jordan come up with the steal and go solo for the layup. George intentionally scored 10 points in the first two games and they have more talent. I think you'll see this team get better because they do start to win. Kevin does an excellent. The players are really working hard and it's a very competitive thing with people out there who want to play all the time and. I think they're going to have a good year.

People want to play all the time. Perhaps it maybe didn't want to play tonight or the Mets were very hungry. Absolutely. People who have not proven themselves every night are going to come in try to win a starting place. I think that's a great turn of competition among people who are sitting on the bench. What conclusions can we draw from the 20 points you come back in to the bench. You can have a lineup in there that. Things work right for us with this I'm sure it wasn't so much other than the fact that they took a shot today should have taken the big leadership to protect the better and that let us get back to me. As a player that we're going to build our king. You're the best player in basketball. And you can. Offer the best program for. The USA. Again and that's one of the 112 more on the Nets later on. We.

Have a high school football final for you today North Bergen forty five flushing 8 of course on Monday evenings where you rank the New Jersey teams around the state. Paul Budde line will be with you tomorrow as he returns from his vacation to give you all the sports and to rank those high school football teams again in the World Series the Yankees beating the Dodgers by a score seven to two. It's the fifth inning right now. Yankees looking good to go up 3 2 as the series goes back to L.A. for game 6 Tuesday Robert. That sports. OK Bill thank you. The executive director of The New York New Jersey Port Authority says Fair is on the path commuter rail lines will probably be going up. Peter Goldmark says on a radio interview today that because of a forty five million dollar deficit in this year's budget it's probably not realistic to try to keep the 30 cent fare Goldmark wouldn't predict when the fare might go up or how much. Last night we told you about an adventurous Saddle Brook Police Officer Jim Carlin was trying to ride his Jet Ski water cycle from Boston to New York. Well it seems he did run into some delays as expected but he hasn't given up. In fact he's supposed to be arriving at New York's Battery

Park right about now. So once again tune in tomorrow on our Sound Off segment tonight contributing reporter Richard Nixon and the journalism department at Rutgers University talks about the times when what seems like news really isn't the prominent New Jersey daily newspaper recently displayed the headline burn for president boomlet cited curiosity got the best of me so I read on quickly to learn however that the governor had not really declared his candidacy as is often the case the story was the creation of an enterprising editor who would assign an equally enterprising reporter to interview some politicians for their thoughts on a prearranged set of questions for a preconceived story. The result a pseudo event. The historian Daniel Borstein and his guide to pseudo events in America tells the story of a Southern Baptist clergyman who used to say when a newspaper was brought into the room becoming enough to let me have it a few minutes till I see how the Supreme Being is governing

the world. All this is change from the time when no newspapers reported existing events to a time when a successful reporter is one who can find a story even if one doesn't exist by the questions he asks of public figures by surprising human interest he unfolds in some commonplace event or by the news behind the news. But it is also true that sort of events are not by definition bad journalism. It's just that we should be able to distinguish between that which is truly an event worth our attention and that which is merely synthetic novelty. News may be what's in newspapers but surely not all of it is fit to print. Richard Nixon in. Why does Ford bring the latest athletic happening right into your living room every Monday

evening at 8:00 and start afternoon at 4. If it's interviews with sports personalities we get it if you want to learn how to play sports. We can show you if you want to know the latest development is in sports medicine we can tell you provide you with provocative sports information you'll find nowhere else. Join me on that 8 Saturdays for New Jersey public television on. Howard Jarvis was the man most responsible for the passage of the so-called Proposition 13 in

California earlier this year. Under that measure voters decided to cut drastically property taxes even though government officials had predicted that such reductions would mean disaster for California's economy. Jarvis came to New Jersey last Wednesday to speak to a taxpayers group that's hoping to enact California style tax cuts here before his speech Jarvis recorded a closer look discussion with Clayton Vaughn along with Richard Leone former state treasurer and a contributing reporter for New Jersey nightly news. We repeat that discussion tonight. While taxes have always been a constant source of complaints it wasn't until recently that the phrase tax revolt became the rallying cry of a whole political movement. Now if there is any one person who is responsible for organizing this anti-tax sentiment it is Howard Jarvis the prime mover behind California's Proposition 13 Mr. Jarvis now hopes to spark a national tax reduction movement. This evening he will be speaking in West Orange to the anti-tax coalition here. The United taxpayers of New Jersey.

Joining me for this discussion is former state treasurer Richard Leone. Dick is now a contributing reporter for the nightly news. I'll try to leave the discussion to you two gentlemen after the opening question Mr. Jarvis and that is whether or not you think that this tax cutting philosophy that you're campaigning for around the country has any particular relevance to New Jersey. Yes I think it is I think you know Jesse's going to find itself in the same crappy tax situation as California that doubt and they doubt and I think I'll have to do it one way or another and of course an initiative would be the best way except they don't have that. Probably here people are denied half of their basic American citizenship rights won the right to vote the right to petition the government. You know we put a cap on local spending in New Jersey you can only go up 5 percent a year and that has been a tremendous restraint that's lower than the rate of inflation. I wonder whether there. Have been a lot of sentiment for reducing property taxes even substituting say state taxes for them and I wonder if

the cap on spending doesn't do the job for share. I don't think so. I think we have to cut taxes not to not to permit them to rise 5 percent a year. Now I think it's I think it's you're the first person in this tell me that you had a cap that was less than inflation. Most of the bills around the country they want the cap rate to go up at the same rate as inflation because inflation is a firewood around it put out. If they allow the tax to go up we've got to fire them there. I think it's a good idea I don't think it's good enough. But I think it's a good idea. Well I think you know the trouble with falling behind inflation is that you presumably reduce services over time inevitably you have less money in real dollars to spend on hiring people right and on services. And I've always felt the trouble is just being against taxes which everybody said yes we'd all like to be delighted if we get away with less. We have to make choices about what we're going to cut. And nobody seems to be willing to do that I had to cut a state budget one year by two percent actually cut the budget in the last few years right. That's tough. And I don't see people saying we

want this car to not take the heat for something else I never see that happen. Well I think you're going to see a lot of that from now on because the people of this country think that they're being serviced today. But they think that the people who are calling for more services are those who are getting too many now. I don't know you know we have a. Let me try keeping my tradition here of spending we're about 50th in the country and per capita state employees are very low in per capita state spending. What happened was local property taxes right. That's right. And we tried to cure that with the caption with substituting state aid and a dedicated income tax our income tax New Jersey is dedicated to state day that are going back to local governments and school districts. I think frankly this is a good model for the country better than simply coming along and saying we're going to stop all tax growth. Well of course we didn't say stop all tax bills because a one percent property tax will pay for more than pay for all the property related services. That's police fire street lights so garbage because you want the schools paid for by the same groups are going to be after be paid for

by somebody else anyway because in five states they're going to be off the property tax right away. The property tax in California Jan. 1. Because the courts have held that property tax for schools is unconstitutional. That's what brought about the change here in New Jersey we had what you're going to have to talk schools about that I don't know just when I have about 2 billion dollars in the local property tax for schools not I suddenly take that away. Well you don't have a surplus here like California are going to see the surplus really did having 13 the only thing the surplus did that was to enable brown surface to keep the fat in the government California. That's all he has done is say we're going to put a stop to that I think before too long we have been stymied somewhat until the 22nd of this month when the Supreme Court held this. Amendment 13 constitutional. It's going to be a different picture.

Unfortunately California when I was 6 billion dollar surplus next year do you actually wish I'd had that when I was treasurer. The real problem I see is if we were to cut property taxes way back in New Jersey we have to substitute something to pay for the schools. Well I tell you what I think Friedman said it's probably best that the set of lies all over this country. We've got to force people in office to a budget instead of a blank check because that's what they've had so much money in government. Then I have to adapt to the priorities. We found out all over the state of California collected 40000 million dollars a year. And that's a one thousand six hundred fifty dollars you're dealing there with US state tax rates and well now I know I can only tell you that I've talked about a half a dozen people in New Jersey one fall outside the station here said his taxes have gone up to twenty five hundred dollars a year on a modest property tax. Yeah he says he can't stand it I tell you the biggest problem I think is in equity to pay very different

rates in very different towns and I think we've always been for equalizing the rate we have been able to get that here. Well we had a strong step toward equalizing the rate because we said that all of the taxes the private jets California have to be based on the 1975 76. Now that's the only way you're going to approach any quality and you will approach it. Completely that way I agree but we have gone all over California were the same three times most times for the state especially when our time is gone. Thank you both very much and I'm sure we'll continue this debate in some other future public forum for as long as it should go on. Thank you for being with us once again. Now thanks to you Mr. Jarvis. Thank you especially since your west orange appearance tonight isn't. You must be getting used to this now with your popularity completely sold out. Well every place I go they're sold out like they told me in Detroit that I outgrew Reagan and Goldwater and Billy Graham. That's true.

Once again our top stories the state assembly is scheduled to vote tomorrow on a proposed increase in the minimum wage and an extension of the state caps law. New Jersey's master plan for energy will be unveiled tomorrow. The proposal will give the State Energy Department some new powers and the Public Utilities Board isn't happy about that. And in the fifth game of the World Series the score is Yanks to the bottom of the fifth inning. And that's New Jersey Nightly News the Sunday edition. I'm Robert. Thanks very much for being with us. Good night and have a good one. New Jersey Nightly News is a joint presentation of New Jersey Public Television and

13 during the week the program is broadcast at 6:30 on Channel 13 and at 7:30 New Jersey Public Television and updated version is broadcast at 10:00 p.m. on New Jersey Public Television. And at 7:00 the following morning on Channel 13. Portions prove record. A.