Moscone-Milk newscast; Evening news

Right or my duty to make the Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk have been shot. And you are. The star there. You're damn right. Good evening. It's November 27 1978 that was Dianne Feinstein president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Shortly after the shooting. Tonight much of the newscast will be devoted to reports on the tragic shootings of Mayor Moscone and Supervisor milk. In other news Japanese prime minister Takeo Fukuda suffered a stunning defeat in his party's primary elections all but putting an end to his two year term. China's premier Tang shopping appears to be on the verge of replacing party chairman while falling as China's premier. The United States Supreme Court today refused to hear an appeal by New York Times reporter

Myron Farber on his 35 day jail sentence for refusing to hand over his personal notes to a New Jersey judge. But before we look at these stories it is nearly Frankton with the report on today's assassinations in San Francisco. At 11:00 a.m. this morning San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk were shot and killed in their city hall offices. Board of Supervisors Dianne Feinstein who now becomes acting mayor of San Francisco made the announcement to a stunned group in city hall. Dan White has turned himself into police and is now under 24 hour suicide surveillance. The motive for the killings was apparently a personal vendetta. This morning Mosconi was to hold a press conference to announce the appointment of a supervisor to fill White's position. White had resigned from the board earlier this month claiming that the salary was in adequate for him to support his family. Later he changed his mind and asked to have the position back. The Moscone had the option to reappoint white a conservative voice on the board. The

mayor had expressed interest in several other candidates. The motives for the Moscone shooting are clear. The death of Supervisor Harvey Milk is more of a mystery. Milk was a political opponent of White's an outspoken liberal and the first avowed gay candidate on the board. Harvey Milk was not in favor of reappointing white to his position. Both white and milk were elected at the same time during district elections last year. San Francisco officials are in a state of shock. Thousands of quiet mourners have brought flowers for Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk to the steps of City Hall for Pacifica in Berkeley. This is Lee Franklin. We'll have more details on the background of Dan White coming up shortly in the news. But first here is a statement by no wax the mayor's press secretary in City Hall shortly after the shooting. There was a meeting this morning then white. Garment supervisor came in to say the mayor. He was admitted in the

stadium in the mayor's office. The two of them were in there alone in the back room. We heard shots. Supervisor right. We didn't we were unaware that the scouts were coming from the back room and we were unaware that they were shot. The supervisor right walked out the back door I'm informed. Some people have seen him. We went in to the mayor. And the mayor was there. That was followed by a statement by Dianne Feinstein who in her capacity as acting mayor of San Francisco proclaimed a state of mourning in the city. The board of the board.

And I survived. The chronology of events as far as we know was this. Shortly after 11:00 a.m. former Supervisor Dan White met with Mosconi in his office in City Hall. Allegedly there was a short argument between the two. Then White pulled a gun and shot Moscone. He then walked to his office where he allegedly shot and killed Harvey Milk. It is still being disputed as to whether he summoned milk to his office or found him there. San Francisco City Hall has a special metal detector near the front door. But supervisors often come in through the basement using a special key. This was the route that White took both in and out of the building so his gun was not detected. After the shooting he left in his car somehow getting through a police cordon and the police issued alerts for the car.

White however soon turned himself in. Daniel James White booked for investigation of murder in the slayings of Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk is himself a former supervisor a former firefighter and a former policeman and he's also a former military paratrooper who served in Vietnam. He was 32 years old married and has a 5 month old son. He was captain of his high school football and baseball teams and adjectives like meritorious excellent and unblemished followed his career until November 10th of 1977 when he abruptly resigned his seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Rob waters of the people's Media Collective researched the events which followed White's resignation and here's his report. Today tragedy in San Francisco with the quiet. Next of a series of events which actually began on the remembered with the unexpected announcement by then Supervisor Dan White that he was resigning his seat with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors at the time White said that he was not making enough money from his nine thousand six hundred

dollars a year supervisor's salary and therefore had to devote time to a fair stand at Pier 39 to bring in extra income. The people of San Francisco need full time legislators and the supervisors should have a full time salary. White said at the time Mosconi said he was stunned and had high praise for white. Then six days later the White City changed his mind and wanted him back. Mosconi agreed to return a letter of resignation but the city attorney's office stepped in saying the real legal problems with revoking resignations that they would have to state the question white enough that he wanted his feedback. At a press conference attended by representatives of the Police Officers Association and real estate firms this interest waited clearly for Ron Artest. It's unclear exactly what caused the right to attempt to get it back. He said that his family had offered him financial assistance and that he had been what it was called. Some supporters in his home district. But with Office speculation by some community activists the real estate interests not

wanting to lose a vote on the board might have attempted to persuade white to stay on. Meanwhile opponents of flights from his district District 8 began marshalling their forces against his reinstatement. They held a rally in visitation valley on the 16th at which White himself showed up and attempted to interrupt the activity the rally organizers called Wanat dictator and said they wanted Mosconi to appoint someone else. Last Tuesday their Mosconi stepped back from his earlier pride to reappoint way saying that he had received many complaints against whites by residents of his district. Mosconi said that he would announce his decision on the matter this morning. As White's chances for reappointment seemed to grow slimmer White apparently became more desperate. And last Friday he wrote a letter to city attorney Drake Agno claiming that his purported resignation letter to Mosconi was not legally effective because it was submitted to Mosconi rather than the clerk of the Board of Supervisors. Mosconi dismissed White's letter as an innovative legal approach but not accurate. Finally Mayor Moscone called a

press conference for this. Want to get 11:30 at which he would have to announce his appointment. Still waiting for that press conference never happened. And 750 travel orders to the people made a collective. Last night case CBS Radio reporter Barbara Taylor called White for his reaction to reports that Mosconi had told associates he planned to name Don her Andy as White's replacement Taylor said that White seemed taken aback that he hadn't heard from the mayor and then he hung up on her she also said that he seemed quite desperate KPFA has begun investigating what Rob waters termed community activist charges of realty interest involvement in White's decision to try to retain his supervisor Auriol seat to realtors represented at White's press conference where pyramid Realty and called Caldwell banker. We asked Caldwell banker vice president Ray Brown to explain his connection to white in his presence at White's press conference. Well I was there I was there more I think for the board of realtors

bankers here and here my reaction today is probably identical to everyone else in Congress for years. Why was the board of realtors interested in Dan White staying on the board of supervisors. Right. I can't speak for the whole border realtors I came to know the ending respec and when I was being arrested is a person right around not all bankers are not going to realtors just rape or not I felt he was a good person because originally you said that you had been there for the board of realtors That's why I asked. Well you know we we had worked together in a fair bit. And what I'm telling you I'm not telling you it really is a quote as much as their grammar and all that. It's just Dan being a supervisor. We all wanted to know the supervisors as much as we could because every now and then you're going to

have legislation which effects through space. So he didn't seem to consult with anybody with any of the decisions that he's made recently by wishing me asked when he resigned it was an era when he really here with foolish resignation. I think it was sort of on the periphery you have the people who were affected by it. OK great right. You know I didn't really find it hard to believe it then that's because they're so out of character. That was realty vice president Ray Brown commenting on his relationship to Dan Wright. Meanwhile the reactions to the deaths of Moscone and Harvey Milk have left people in a state of shock and despair. Right after the shootings many were primarily stunned by the loss of a close personal friend. Here's Assembly Member Willie Brown. I lost a friend and I've been crying. I've been moping. Last hour I lost my closest personal political friend. I lost a family friend and she

lost a husband. One of my ex employees lost a father so there's no way all in one and that's a hard combination there are so few decent people in politics. George Moscone was one of the few individuals in the political arena responds as a human being rather than as a politician. Mervyn Donnelly was so badly shaken by the news that when the first calls came in from the press he broke up into tears and was unable to talk. Donnelly was a very close friend of Moscone as well as a strong political ally of Harvey Milk's. Eventually he regained enough composure to say this about the shootings. Last night I went to San Francisco but the entire nation. It's a personal loss to me. You know I was going to have breakfast on Friday. I think what has just pointed out is a need for political tolerance and understanding of the political process. Isn't it obvious now that politics is a national ad no fun anymore. What about Mr. Mallock you

worked very closely with him on the third Well coalition. Harvey Milk was a very courageous man and he took me to be try to rant about gays and to be tolerant about society as a whole and his modesty is a tremendous tragedy to all of the people who are seeking for a more tolerant society. But the tragic death of these two San Francisco officials represented a tremendous public loss as well. Here's Helen Miscavige with a report on Mosconi career. George Moscone became the mayor of San Francisco just two years ago. He won election in a close race with San Francisco Supervisor John Barber Jalota November of 976. Mosconi had entered politics in 1963 as the second youngest person ever elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors at the age of 33. Three years later he defeated supervisor Leo McCarthy. Now Speaker of the state assembly in a race for state senator as state senator Mosconi gained

renown for sponsoring progressive legislation including bills on abortion and marijuana reform after being elected mayor of San Francisco Mosconi avoided many of the trappings of that office including a personal bodyguard. But he did have metal detectors installed at public entrances to City Hall after a man with a gun was arrested in his office. In April of 1997 Mosconi was an astute politician and a generally friendly likeable man but his administration was not without its shadows. Recently he was charged with accepting a check for $10000 from a Howard Hughes estate to further the interests of Hughes Air West Airlines and Mosconi was severely criticized for his appointment last year. Reverend Jim Jones is head of the city's housing authority. The flak resulted in just declining the post. Shortly afterwards Jones left for Guiana Mosconi however remained convinced that Jones was a decent caring person and that the People's Temple was a worthy establishment. When news of the deaths of Congress member Leo Ryan and others Indiana reached Mosconi Here's what he had to say.

In retrospect it seems that as Mayor Moscone never really emerged from the shadow of his predecessor Joe Elio during his two years in office he was frustrated by a Board of Supervisors at least as powerful as the mayor's office if not more so now less George Moscone was fairing well although he did face a serious challenge from supervisor Quentin Kopp whether or not he would have survived such a challenge. Mosconi did have a bright political future one that ended today with three gunshots for Pacifica arm Helen Miscavige. Harvey Milk was the first avowed gay supervisor to serve in the city. And predictably the reaction in the gay community to his death is grief stricken and outraged.

Here's Philip Dari with the report. Come on out. That was Harvey Milk as he led last spring seventh annual Gay Freedom Day parade in San Francisco. Death today has left the city shocked and horrified at the loss of a dear friend a neighbor and a courageous leader of the people of San Francisco. Harvey was the first openly gay elected official in California. He first gained public recognition in the early 70s as an outspoken defender of gays who frequently confronted police harassment and official disdain. In three unsuccessful races for public office he gradually built a coalition of gays minorities and women which spoke directly to the issues of human rights for all disadvantaged people. He fought the Democratic Party machine in San Francisco's gay establishment to finally win election to the Board of Supervisors in November of 977 working on the board this past year probably became a national spokesperson in the fight against Senator John Briggs anti-gay school teachers initiative Proposition 6. Today I spoke

with Tom Ammiano of San Francisco's gay teachers coalition. Best debate ever saw him do it at the Jewish temple. I guess it was when he was really magnificent Then Harvey because he was a Jew and because he was a fag. And here was here with the brakes you know representing all the antithesis to that. You know a fundamentalist at home I thought he was brilliant. And that's that high replanted in this guy that night is going to shine for a long time. So many in the gay community tonight seem to be convinced that Harvey was murdered because he was gay. The rest of us can only wonder where to go from here. I spoke with a neighbor of Harvey's this afternoon on Castro Street. It doesn't have to be. I lost the energy that we saw coming from me every day with an energy that every one of us has within us and that we have to do it. Some of it and use it in the right everybody. And then there is no war.

For Pacifica Radio in Berkeley. This is for motoring reporting. There will be a march tonight to commemorate the deaths of Moscone and Harvey Milk that will start at about 8:30 on Castro and 15th streets at the intersection there and the mourners will make their way to City Hall and they were advised to bring candles. So that's tonight at 8:30 at 15th and Castro. And we do have a report which is not officially confirmed but nonetheless it seems rather it seems like it is probably true that Mosconi his body will lie in state apparently beginning tomorrow in the city hall rotunda. There will be a memorial service at noon on Wednesday the twenty ninth and a rosary service will be set at St. Mary's at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening. And the word is that the funeral will be on Thursday the 30th. And the that is for Mayor Moscone Harvey's funeral has has not yet the arrangements have not yet

been completed because we did get a word from Carol silver that he wanted a non denominational type of funeral. But we had a reporter at a press conference this afternoon who found something out about that so we will have an information on behind the news tonight beginning at 6:45 and we'll be back with more news in a minute. Meanwhile in news about the Jonestown suicides and it is

whatever you want to call it the State Department said in Washington today that he expects a Vives of the People's Temple suicide and that is to return home from Georgetown tomorrow. However the decision as to which Jonestown survivors will return to the U.S. rests with the guy in knees who have given no sign when such a written will be permitted. Meanwhile up to 30 FBI agents waited at the Charleston Air Force Base today to question the U.S. attorney Thomas Leyden is prepared to file charges against any of the members who might have had a part in killing Congressman Ryan. The U.S. attorney said that Ryan's Minikin be prosecuted only by federal authorities. You may remember about that reported suicide note that was found on. Reverend Jim Jones body Well that was not a suicide note apparently it was a note written by one of Jones members of the people at the People's Temple. The note read dad I see no way out. I agree with your decision. I fear only that without you the world may not

make it to communism. For my part I am more than tired of this wretched merciless planet and the hell he told us with so many masses of beautiful people. Thank you for the only life I have known. Apparently the dad in this note was Jim Jones he liked to be referred to that way. The FBI did not release the name of the person who signed that note. While the situation in Jonestown draws to a close. Another movement is for me here in the United States. A 15 member body of Baptist ministers held a press conference in San Francisco to announce the support of those survivors on the Jonestown tragedy as well as providing assistance for the dead. Yes Wendell hopper with the details a conference of Baptist ministers are conducting a fund raising drive to provide financial assistance for relatives of those who died in Indiana as well as the survivors of the Jonestown tragedy. According to Baptist minister spokesperson Reverend Amos Brown

such financial assistance will be provided for those who need it most. And transportation assistance will be provided for some of the downtown dead and the survivors according to Brown. Brown said while a 15 member Baptist Ministers Conference deplored the tragedy which occurred in Indiana they are not pointing a finger at anyone for not speaking in a categorical castigation about Johns. When it happens it happens. So what we're saying is that we live in Santa Barbara and we deploy. Any leadership on the part of the Christian church that does not deal in a compassionate humane way to alleviate the plight of the poor off our other people regardless of their situation. To make things better. I would say also that Jesus said I came that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Now Rob apply them. It was difficult

yet we feel that the end result should have been supporting a quest for life and not care more than the People's Temple says Brown the entire country is directly responsible for what happened in Jonestown. Brown said however that the minister's group is not interested in investigating the situation and ground up the trust according to Brown should be to put the tragedy behind us and try moving ahead KPFA asked Brown if he found the role of the People's Temple had been misunderstood by the press and the US. Now I would say maybe there was not any understanding or communication. We must see that in addition to meeting people's physical needs you must speak to their spiritual needs and the spiritual need is to feel that regardless of your circumstance where you have money or you don't have money you still have the will to live. I don't know that there is a life in spite of circumstances of life. The minister's group says churches they represent are collecting money for

assistance to those involved in the tragedy. The group is also looking into the possibility of having the body transfer to the west coast. This is where the heart of a KPFA news. Richard Nixon graced the world today with some profound insights into the nature of American society. He waited until he was out of the country in Paris in fact may perhaps he is listen to a little more carefully than he is here. He said that the events in Jonestown should not be seen as a reflection on American society and on the society of the West he said that Jones was very insane when he offered Nixon say it was wrong but his father was in Nixon's words were searching for something and I think that throughout the world today people have a need to believe in something to have faith. And you're listening to the KPFA Evening News with Louis Freeh and Lee Franklin. Japan's prime minister Tokyo Fukuda essentially ended his two year term

as prime minister today in a surprising upset last the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's primary elections to a former foreign minister and current party secretary must see Oshie or heat up. There is not much difference between the two candidates on major issues except it has a more moderate position on the critical issue of nuclear energy and the rearmament of Japan. Brenda Wilson has the details. Early predictions indicated that over here I was gaining in support of the Japanese embassy here predicted it would be a close election but no one including the crude himself thought he would lose by such a wide margin. This isn't the first time the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has had open election to choose its leadership. The party will abide by the will of its membership when parliament elected prime minister this Friday. For the sake of party unity for critics says he'll step down and get on here and I'm proud of the battle for the party presidency and the president. Automatically becomes prime

minister actually a broad coalition of political forces that Howard battlers played out among different factions of the Liberal Democratic Party. And over here it's a victory might mean more power for former Prime Minister Tan accounts when forced to resign in disgrace after he was charged with accepting bribes from the Lockheed corporation and I was ambitious to me to come back again. I mean still really it would take a Washington correspondent for a Tokyo newspaper mister or hey how do you hope to be influential Christian old boy came and told about me. I mean if you try to carry our life among you will be paid fairly. Thank you we could pay it every morning before with the pride of their empire of Canada action and we're still here in just one people in a

primary and Prime Minister for good at criticizing that action charging faction with combining some priority around here and chatting in fact right here seeing little difference between O here and Prime Minister could have the current greater defense budget for crude I know hearable favor greater friendship between China and Japan the coup to try to find a friendship trading with a king and foreign minister here a negotiated diplomatic relation. In 1972 and no major shift is expected in US Japan relation or here I think expected to carry arms would come into a balance of trade and want a favorable to the US after that is seen and the crew within the ruling party although there are socialist and communist party have won local elections that were the pattern. And I named after him victory on a national level. OK in Washington Patricia Raymond Amnesty International today accused China of systematically repressing political dissent through social

censure imprisonment mental torture and execution. Amnesty International issued its first major report on China and quoted official Chinese documents indicating that the number punished for political dissent has run into the millions since 1949. The reportage is in its words a repeal of all laws prescribing administrative or criminal punishment for the nonviolent expression of belief. The report says he would and have been interpreted wrongly committing large scale imprisonment on political grounds. Meanwhile in China itself a week after the fist won't posters appeared in Peking criticizing Chairman Mao a flurry of new posters have appeared and China appears to be in the midst of new app events in support of its modernization program led by the once discredited donc shopping. Here's Robert Manning with the story. Several thousand Chinese demonstrated down downtown Peking today as more posters continue to appear on pay King's main streets in what analysts are saying is the

biggest outpouring of popular criticism since the late Mao Tse-Tung launched 100 flowers campaign. Twenty one years ago I was armors and taking reporter an unprecedented new mood of openness and curiosity. Foreigners are being stopped in the streets and asked about human rights democracy and life in the United States. Perhaps most amazingly posters have appeared praising the United States and expressing open envy of Taiwan. One poster said the U.S. is the most developed country in the world and it has developed because it has no idols nor superstitions. Another poster asks Why can't our national economy catch up with that of Taiwan. The meaning of the new poster campaign is not yet clear but it appears obvious that the outpouring of popular protest is at least tacitly supported by the government. Some of the posters have called for Done shopping through a place where phone as premier and there is speculation that Dan may be promoted. However de himself told a visiting American journalist today

that he had been offered the Premiership but rejected it because of his age. Then shopping is in his 70s and he says he would rather focus his energies on China's rapid modernization program. Mao Tse-Tung himself has been one of the main targets of the poster campaign has been criticized for being mistaken in his old age. One poster said that Mao was 70 percent right and 30 percent wrong but done shopping said today that the criticisms of Mao have gone a bit overboard. Young defended Mao saying that every Chinese knows that without Chairman Mao there would be no new China. The Chinese Communist Party Central Committee met over the weekend and observers expect changes to be announced in top Chinese leadership for Pacifica. This is Robert Manning. President Carter will meet with Egyptian prime minister Mustafa in Washington tomorrow. And the latest attempt to break the deadlock in the peace treaty talks between Israel and Egypt. Those talks have been going on for seven weeks and the major stumbling block is

still the issue of Palestinian self-rule Egypt wants a specific timetable on the Palestinian question included in the treaty. But Israel has refused to be tied down to any timetable. A U.S. proposal is on the table that would link and Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty to elections on the west bank of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip by the end of 979. This proposal has received favorable treatment by Egyptian press and it may be being written in the draft treaty that President Sadat is working on at the moment. Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin says he will only come to Washington to sign a peace treaty not to reopen negotiations. President Carter declaring that no aspect of government will be sacred one that some of the nation's top leaders today that the next federal budget will be very very tight and that they will have to exercise restraint to help fight inflation. Condit was speaking to the board of directors of the National League of Cities and told them that

military spending will be scrutinized as carefully as domestic programs. This is something new coming from Carter. He did not indicate which parts of the military budget would be cut. White House officials of course had previously said that military spending would not be cut. Carney did say that the domestic budget would be cut without starving useful programs in the United States Supreme Court today made what may become a landmark ruling today by refusing to hear an appeal by New York Times reporter Myron farmer who is appealing his sentencing to five days in jail for refusing to hand over his personal notes to a New Jersey judge. Father was released from jail when the trial of Dr. Mario Yes college ended so that today's Supreme Court ruling means that the issue will never be settled where the father was in fact protected by the First Amendment in his refusal to hand over his notes. Fama said today I always looked at the Supreme Court as the court of last resort. It makes you think. And time's published author Ochs Sulzberger complained that the court must someday address

itself to the critical issues raised by his case 25 states including New Jersey have so-called shield laws which protect reporters from having to reveal their sources. So it's been said it would seem simple logic that before a reporter goes to jail and the Times pays fines that there be a hearing to determine whether the shield law is real or made of paper MSA. So I have to wait until the Supreme Court is ready to handle this sensitive issue. Henry Jackson led a group of U.S. senators in warning NATO's representatives that the proposed new SALT treaty so too could erode America's ability to defend Europe. Jackson told the military committee at NATO assembly that Moscow's high arm still suggests that Soviet leaders want a broad military advantage over western countries. Jackson told a news conference later if they want to throw away their opportunity to have the protection of a strong American umbrella which has been the main deterrent that is of course up to them.

If you've been following the news accounts of the House Committee's investigation investigation into the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. then you may know that the committee is purportedly edging its way to a conspiracy allegation when a dog is that James Ray killed Martin Luther King. Perhaps with his family's help today the committee virtually admitted that that's where its investigation is headed tonight and behind the news Marty Golden soon will be filing an in-depth report on the assassination hearings that's tonight at 6:45 So please tune in then. And finally here in Berkeley 38 students who sat in last June hall to protest University investments in South Africa have been found guilty by a Berkeley Committee on student conduct. The committee recommended that the students be given nothing then an official reprimand which would appear in the students files. Barker is not bound by the committee's findings and remains to be seen if he will concur. Barker has said previously that he thinks the students should be punished

and that he thought the municipal courts would let them off easy. That's some of the students fear that BALCO will take stronger action than the committee recommends. So the students have a week or two to wait for his final choice and then face criminal proceedings in mid December. And that just about wraps it up for the evening news the weather today Fair through tomorrow. Through Wednesday actually except for a local dense fog and low clouds late tonight and in the morning in the San Joaquin Valley it will also be fan through Wednesday with variable fog locally dense at night and in the mornings. Now in the sky Bob Stan eaves stand Alan Cohen and I'm sure a lot of other people helped put together the newscast tonight on this tragic day in San Francisco. You have something to say I understand. We've just gotten a message that the march that we mentioned earlier to commemorate Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. There will be a memorial

march tonight and that is leaving I believe it 8:30 18th and Castro Street and people are urged to bring candles with them and they'll be going from 18th and Castro down to City Hall. Thanks for listening. With me Frank and I misread. Good evening. You're listening to KPFA or KPFA in Berkeley and KFC in Fresno. Listener sponsored radio for northern and central California.