New Jersey Nightly News; 01/15/1979

New Jersey Nightly News. With Rebecca suable in Trenton and Clayton Vaughn in Newark. Good evening. I'm quite involved in the news. Newark teachers predict a confused situation tomorrow when the city's schools reopen after a three day weekend. It was a state holiday today for Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday. We'll have a report on the observances and the new New Jersey. U.S. Senator Bill Bradley was sworn in this afternoon. We'll have that story. In sports Paul bloodline has a recap of the weekend Garden State activities. And on a closer look we'll talk about the cause of Newark's municipal labor problems. The city's money crisis Newark's money problems have taken more turns with Mayor Kenneth Gibson talking about a tax increase and the target of the threat rather of a student boycott of city schools. One city councilman says his constituents are outraged by the tax increase that may be included in Gibson's budget tomorrow. And if there really is the surplus that the mayor has been talking about the councilman says it should be used to bail

out the schools. Late last week a judge ruled illegal those school board meetings at which the school layoffs were decided that ended the threat of the school strike for now. But teachers union president Carol grave's today said momentum is building for what she's calling a parent's boycott that would keep students out of class until the school board stops trying to implement the layoffs. And when school resumes tomorrow there may be still more confusion among teachers and students. Jack Cafferty explains. This is what it looked like in some schools last week borderline control in an atmosphere the superintendent and school board members described as tense and anxious. But with Friday's court decision striking down the gallery to school board meetings that formulated the proposed layoffs. Everything is back to square one. The board must again need it both to carry out those layoffs and in the meantime all those scheduled to start work will be back on the job. Teachers Union president Karen Graves says that's going to create problems.

We've been telling our people to go back to wherever they were assigned prior to the December 8th meeting because it was declared null and void and all actions which were taken at that meeting were boy did. We've been getting calls that there had been some administrators who were telling people to report to where their new assignment was. And to that the the new schedule is going to be implemented I expect a great deal of confusion. But municipal union leaders who met here today are going to continue to pressure the Gibson administration for some changes. This group is hoping for legal solutions to their problems. Now solutions that would involve forcing the city to use any surplus monies to bail out the schools and rehire the other municipal workers including two hundred cops who have already been given pink slips. But tomorrow looks like another long day for Newark teachers and students will have to decide whether to follow the new schedules including a shortened school day or

act as though the layoffs were never announced. In Newark. I'm Jack Cafferty. Newark City Councilman Sharpe James today said that if the city's current budget surplus should turn out to be larger than originally predicted that money should be used to help rescue the schools. His comments came in reaction to reports that Mayor Gibson's 1979 budget knew before the city council tomorrow will contain a six point seven percent tax increase or 60 points up to nine dollars and 59 cents per $100 assessed valuation. Speaking with a reporter read Wells today James said his constituents are outraged. The calls coming in very angry. They say the election year the budget goes down your afternoon goes up so 60 points going up is kind of hard to know. Taxpayers know the council will look at it with a look at each department and try to see if there's any fighting. The one problem we're having of course is the Reserves workload. One time Mr. Banker our budget officer stated

we had nine today he stated is 27 me. I think we'll have to determine exactly what is the surplus. And you know. They've talked about it 27 me now surplus. And I think this is what the council will be very much interested in. Can we use that surplus to reduce taxes. Can we use it for capital projects. And then of course I think we have a special problem. Perhaps we could explore using those increased surplus by to resolve that board of education crisis. I think if we had 27 the surplus as opposed to the 11 which was originally projected we should resolve all school crisis and improve the quality of life. And no that's one of the most serious confrontation. Now and all those school administration sources that the lay off delay Friday might mean even more job losses eventually there has been no meeting goals so far to act again on that layoff proposal to single engine planes collided 2000 feet in the air over Essex County this afternoon. But both pilots and a passenger on one of the planes walked away. One of the planes the

one with the two persons aboard managed to land safely at the Essex County airport in Fairfield. The other plane with just the part of the board crashed into a swamp in Fairfield but the pilot was thrown clear and walked away from the accident. He was taken to a hospital. The U.S. Justice Department today took another step in its case against the 12 cities in New Jersey which are charged with discrimination against blacks and Hispanics. And fire department hirings justice refiled a part of its lawsuit which charges the city's hiring policies violate the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The city is named in today's complaint. Atlantic City Camden East Orange Elizabeth Hoboken Jersey City New Brunswick Newark Paterson Passaic Plainfield and Trenton. Today was a state holiday in New Jersey marking the birth date 50 years ago of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Reporter Steve Taylor covered to public commemorative observances at the shadow Baptist Church in Trenton. Dr. King's birthday was marked with a special service last night. Dr. Howard Woodsen

pastor of the church and New Jersey civil service commissioner said part of King's greatness was that he was a leader who did not have to be angry at you. He could have stayed back in that first church in Dexter Avenue and been comfortable all the days of his life but there was something in the community that said to him Martin get out. Where are you. And Rosa Parks getting arrested and thrown in jail made Martin Luther King and green and Ralph Abernathy and all the others get out their marching shoes. Dr. King's unfinished March was also commemorated at today's human rights conference sponsored by the New Jersey Education Association. Warren Smith director of the state Division of Civil Rights said King was different things to different people. To some he was a teacher. Theologian pastor civil rights activist martyr leader and dreamer. To others. He was a violator of the

law precipitator of violence in spite of his non-violent ideals a threat a center and probably to some a black. So B. Smith said so-called reverse discrimination suits like the Bacchae case represent the latest form of opposition to Dr. King's ideas. But he stressed that King's methods are still the best way to defeat such opposition. Smith said Dr. King's journey to the promised land of racial understanding can only be completed by people who follow King's doctrine of nonviolence by people who say that we're willing to put an end to suffering by suffering themselves rather than inflicting suffering on others. In Cherry Hill I'm Steve Taylor Nurick federal judge Herbert J Stern today at a hearing for Jan. 29 on the latest effort to get former boxer Rubin Hurricane Carter and John Artis out of prison. They were convicted in 1967 of a triple murder in a Paterson bar. The conviction later overturned retried in 1976

but convicted again. Now their lawyers say there is new evidence which warrants still another trial. The papers in the case have been sealed by the court because of the sensitive nature of that alleged new evidence. Atlantic city gets its first black police chief tomorrow. Deputy Chief Joseph T. Allman was appointed the day he'll be sworn in tomorrow to replace William Ten Brink of died of a heart attack last month. Allman who is 57 has been a policeman in Atlantic City for 32 years. David probings the former resort's international public relations man says he'll sue the state of New Jersey authorities for defaming his character if resorts gets its permanent license for its Atlantic City casino. The hearings on that license request resume tomorrow. Verbinski is contract with resorts calls for him to get stock worth more than a million dollars if resorts gets that license. But he says he strongly resents charges by state officials that he had organized crime ties in the Bahamas and was later paid to keep quiet about it. The legislature was off today because of the state holiday it resumes tomorrow. The Senate opens

debate on the proposal to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. A vote could come as early as Thursday it appears to have little chance of passage. The assembly is big item this week may be agreeing to Senate cuts and the proposal to increase car registration fees and cents. New Jersey already has the red oak as its state tree while it has its flower the eastern goldfinch as its bird the horse says it's animal and the honey bee as its state bug. The assembly may act on a proposal to designate four kinds of rock as the official state stones. 96 Congress organized a day in Washington. Bill Bradley of New Jersey the nation's youngest senator now Bradley was given the oath of office not once but three times at different ceremonies in the nation's capitol. He is the state's junior senator Harrison Williams becoming senior senator. Now the Clifford Case isn't there. Most of Bradley's day was spent at receptions marking the occasion. But he also took part in some serious business a Democratic caucus. Bradley wants the leadership to give him spots on the Senate finance and energy

committees but he won't know about those committee assignments until next week. The Coast Guard said today that the 70 foot tugboat that disappeared off the New Jersey coast two weeks ago probably sank when it became overloaded with ice. Four men were aboard. Two brothers from New York State a father and son from Rhode Island. The search for the both the king cobra was resumed briefly over the weekend after one of its life rings washed up on a Delaware beach. A Coast Guard spokesman said today however that the temperature drop more than 40 degrees when the tug disappeared and it probably became unbalanced with newly formed ice and taking seas broadside sank. Here's the weather forecast now for New Jersey. Ferus guys should hold through tonight but it will be cold with overnight lows in the high teens to the lower 20s. Then tomorrow it will be mostly cloudy and cold with a 30 percent chance of light snow or snow flurries. High temperatures tomorrow in northern New Jersey will be in the upper 20s to lower 30s will be a little milder in the southern part of the state. With eyes in the middle through the upper 30s and the outlook for

Wednesday is cloudy with a chance of more snow probably changing to rain along the coast. College flightline 79. It's part of New Jersey Public Television's 10th anniversary celebration. College hotline 79. In your questions on getting in and staying in college. Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. on New Jersey Public Television. Now here's Paul bloodline in Trenton and the sports all. Thank you. And this was another major weekend of college basketball and for the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers a good one. Playing on the road Rutgers came back from nine points down on Saturday to defeat St. John's

69 66. As usual the knights were dependent on center James Bailey. Number 20 scored 16 in the second half. 24 points in all is the team raised its record to eight and five. Rutgers now has a week off before playing again. They'll be home on Saturday against Penn State. It's a well-deserved rest considering that St. John's was the fourth game in eight days. It seems that each time Rutgers wins one everyone says they've turned things around. Maybe this time it's true. Also this weekend Princeton was at home on Saturday night against arch rival Penn. For three quarters of the game. Princeton I think pretty much it's way. The familiar deliberate basketball led to a 10 point halftime lead but then pan in the darker uniforms started to find some holes in the Princeton zone tied the game in regulation and won by a point in overtime 59 to 58 the final. Princeton is now one and two in the ivy. It will be extremely tough to catch Penn. Princeton is at Hofstra tonight and has a couple of weeks off and pro pro-ball yesterday.

The women's variety the New Jersey Gems were at home in Elizabeth against the New York stars. The gems lost at 1 0 7 2 1 0 for their record now 4 and 5. It was the Jemas home game. The team plays with the Dunn sports center in Elizabeth. The crowd just about eleven hundred which is just about average according to the Jenns. As usual that crowd saw an exciting and fast basketball game the New York stars led by two with the half in and went on to win it by three. It was a very special guest in the audience yesterday all time NBA great Oscar Robertson the big show tried to watch the game and sign autographs at the same time. He said it sincerely excited about the women's pro game. I think it's the next big thing on the horizon. Heroes is a bit of getting a bad rap for so many years. And I think that with the title and with the high schools black colleges with another pro I think it's time for it really. Do you think you'd like to see your daughter someday in the pros if they like to play. Is this fun for me. You know I wouldn't push them if they enjoy basketball right now.

And I think it's really you know it's a very good way to let people experience whatever is your father the big ASCA Oscar and also yesterday the nets picked up a ten point win over the Boston Celtics on the road 110 to 100 the final Nets coach Kevin Lockerby meanwhile has been ordered to meet tomorrow with NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien. Lockerby recently stated that the referees are quote out to get me. Naturally commissioner O'Brien is not thrilled about that type of statement. He'll talk it over with Kevin locker room tomorrow in his office. Princeton Jadwin Gym is fast becoming the Mecca of indoor track in the east. Over the weekend Manhattan Fordham and Seton Hall were on hand for a quadrangular meet. Manhattan won it by four points over Princeton but that's only the beginning. Over the next seven weeks many more big meets are scheduled for Jadwin next week. It's the new jersey championships. Then on February 4th at Princeton relays followed a couple of weeks later by the Metropolitan conference title. Then on March 3rd and 4th it's the I see for a meet followed on the 10th and 11th by a major women's meet the eastern. A W and by the way with the completion of that brand

new composition track at Princeton's Palmer stadium you can expect plenty of major outdoor meets as well in the very near future at Princeton. That's sports for tonight. Back to you. Thank you Paul. You may recall the recent report on this broadcast about the Morris County a Marine reservist training for war games up in Alaska. Tomorrow they fly west and north. Their assignment is to play the part of aggressors and two weeks of war games in which they supposedly are an invasion force from the Bering Sea. The New Jersey Marines leave McGuire tomorrow for Fairbanks. At least it will be a change from last winter's maneuvers where it were held in the Mojave Desert in Fairbanks today. It was 17 below. Oh you're much too old. Come on. You think you're my age.

By that killer plane taking off from life to celebrate 10 years of New Jersey public television with the famous killer sharks of the old Morris canal. Monday at 10:30. When people think about Newark and the city's financial problems attention is usually focused on the immediate crisis. The budget squeeze that resulted in 440 city workers being laid off and plans to furlough more than a thousand board of education employees. Tonight on a closer look we're going to examine some of the long term problems that led to the current situation. Newark is not bankrupt. New Jersey state law prohibits the kind of exorbitant borrowing that spelled financial ruin for New York City and Cleveland. In fact on paper Newark is doing fine. Last year the city had a $20 billion budget surplus. But like every other city Newark isn't financially self-sufficient it

relies heavily on state and federal aid and it has this dependence that has robbed the Newark city government of a good deal of its power. An analysis of the 1978 Newark operating budget reveals that local funds accounted for only 36 percent of the city's revenues. In other words 64 percent of the city's budget was funded with money channeled through the state or federal governments. Newark is a poor city it just can't raise the revenues it needs to keep going. Over the last 20 years millions of dollars and rate of bills have disappeared from the city tax rolls last year alone. The city estimates have lost $13 billion in tax rate about. The erosion of Newark's tax base has been compounded by the fact that nearly two thirds of the land in Newark is tax exempt. Public office buildings. Colleges hospitals. And Port Authority facilities like Port Newark are all exempt from property taxes. In just six years from 1970 through 1976. The number of tax exempt properties in Newark grew from about

3000 to nearly 7000 a substantial increase. While there has also been a good deal of new private construction most of these projects have received tax abatements for at least 20 years. The owners of these buildings will pay in lieu of tax fees to the city fees that are substantially lower than the property taxes they would otherwise pay. Critics claim Newark is being robbed of desperately needed tax rate obols. The city in turn argues that without tax abatements there would be no new construction. As Newark's financial resources have been depleted. Its costs have been steadily increasing. Newark is a regional hub for commerce industry and culture but it pays dearly for that distinction. Promised banker is Newark city budget director. In cities like North Central cities have to provide regional services. While beyond the borders of our town. For example the New York Public Library is one of 22 libraries in the entire country that serves as a storehouse for government

records everything is printed by the U.S. government. Printing Office is stored in the New York Library and it's the only place in New Jersey where you can have access to those documents. Our museum is clearly the largest and best museum in all of North Jersey. We provide an airport which services the whole of North Jersey. We remain the financial center of northern New Jersey the insurance capital of the state. And these are services that are utilized by people not just who live within the city of New York but who live throughout the state. In fact I think an interesting statistic is that the population of New York doubles daily during working hours. So that is half of the people that use the services in this town on a daily basis who are not part of our tax base on a property tax basis. And it's those people in those services that we provide that justify or receive aid from the state or federal sources. Dr. Raphael Caprio is an expert on urban problems. He teaches at Rutgers University in Newark.

If anyone is really serious about addressing the problems of Newark and other large cities of the state. Let's be really cold and just get in the way we do. The fact is they are providing services and facilities that no one else wants to. Rescind court suits for example Morris County about. Exclusionary zoning. Can be very good examples of the police. Everyone is fine. We don't want. Low income or moderate income. How and hours our municipal has the position taken by the overwhelming majority of in this county in the state. Work for historical reasons. Jersey City for historical reasons other large. Urban Urban centers and older suburbs are sharing a disproportionate burden with respect to that kind of public service with respect to other kinds of public services. Location of public facilities even.

People continually point to Port Newark and Newark International Airport has major attributes. To the city of Newark. In fact the city. Requires very little in terms of revenue from those facilities. The facilities occupy a significant portion of land area. The. Benefit really is a regional benefit. The city of Newark the city of should. Probably use the facility and have one three in the facility much less to the overall region. An airport is like a school. Everyone appreciates that it's needed that it's necessary for economic development but not on my block. Over the past 10 years Newark and other cities in New Jersey have become more and more dependent upon outside aid. The risk in this game of course is that the federal or state governments can change the rules at any time leaving cities like New York in deep financial trouble. The failure of

Congress to provide nearly 11 million dollars in that recession precipitated the layoff of the 440 city workers earlier this month. Your reluctance of the state to help the New York Board of Education close a multimillion dollar budget gap contributed to the ongoing plan to dismiss more than 1000 school employees. New York's financial picture is further complicated by restrictions put on various state and federal aid programs. Take for example the nearly 17 million dollars the city received under the U.S. community development block grant program. While the money can be used for housing rehabilitation for day care and health centers and for human services like the city and it system it cannot be used to rehire laid off police officers or used to pay garbage collectors or pumped into the Newark school system. Even if the city disbanded some of its federally funded programs. There is no guarantee that any more money will become available for essential services. Another prime source of funds for Newark is the federal revenue sharing program. If the Carter administration decides

that urban aid programs must be cut in order to balance the federal budget. Another round of Newark layoffs is almost inevitable. Well the situation with revenue sharing is exactly parallel to anti-recession aid. Its a fun that we receive that is outside the cap limitations. If revenue sharing were to be cut back. The same circumstance would again apply. We would not have the option of replacing the lost revenue with other sources of revenue even if they were available we would have only the choice of cutting appropriations and in city government cutting appropriations means cutting jobs because about 85 percent of the operating budget is personnel related costs. Newark's budgetary problems are very real. But Newark politicians lost a good deal of credibility this past July when they tried to give themselves a hefty increase in pay and benefits and a pay raise demonstrations and a citywide petition drive forced a referendum on the salary increases and only

days after the voters rejected the pay hikes the mayor announced that massive layoffs were imminent. How many observers ask were the mayor and council able to find the money for their proposed pay increases while they cant find any money to maintain essential city services. New York's financial problems have evolved over a period of years and they cant be solved overnight but the city is going to have to find some sort of short term solution if it hopes to avert that threatened general strike of public employees. Governor Byrne In his State of the state message held out some hope of additional state aid. And President Carter has promised that he will try to get at least part of the anti-recession aid program restored. But there are other problems that still loom ominously and Newark's financial future. The overtime costs generated by two or three major snowstorms might undo any financial rescue plan. In addition a series of proposed changes in federal regulations could play havoc with Newark's budget projections in the long run. The future of Newark and other older

cities hinges upon the development of a comprehensive urban policy. Newark cannot survive without financial aid from the suburbs. What remains to be seen is whether the suburbs are ready to admit that their futures are tied directly to that of the older cities. Once again our top story is Newark. Teachers say there will be confusion in city schools tomorrow after last week's high absenteeism by both teachers and students. Two light planes collided in the air 2000 feet over Essex County this afternoon. But one plane managed to land safely the other crashed into a swamp with its pilot thrown clear and everybody walked away. And today was the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday and there were commemorative services across the state. And that's the news I'm quite bored. Good night for the New Jersey likely. In New Jersey. Nightly News is a joint presentation of New Jersey Public Television NWN 13 and is broadcast weeknights at 6:30 on Channel 13 and 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 the following morning on Channel 13 portions pre recorded on fire. And now from the New Jersey Public Television Studios in Trenton it's time for the drawing of the picket number for January 15. No time now

may. Be. What I'm telling ya. You're driving home. And welcome to the. Show and helping me Tonight's Troyius Margaret. Of the new Jersey State Lottery. As you can see the TV screen machines contains 10 of off number 0 9. Probably please release