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Show mm ESSE Senators want to close loopholes for lobbyists Attendance light at local CUP hearing Page A3 Tis the season for Cougars rip CSU Rams to keep pace vith Utes 'Death by Chocolate' Page B1 Page C1 Page D1 !v. Friday, February 5, 1S33 Report blasts Bush action in S&L crisis Central Utah's Newspaper for 119 Years 50 cents Prove, Utah Clinton signs family leave bill E.T. flown home By RICHARD KEIL Associated Press Writer Associated Press Writer - WASHINGTON The Bush WASHINGTON administration failed to provide the resources needed to root out fraud in banks and thrifts that collapsed at a cost of billions of taxpayer dollars, congressional investigators have concluded. A General Accounting Office report obtained by The Associated Press today said the Justice Department under former President Bush failed to deliver on many key promises to combat problems with savings and loans. ' In particular, the report said, the y agency did not create the task forces that General Dick Thornburgh said were necessary to trSck assets, prosecute bank officials and recover money. "Justice did not do all it could with the authority it has to strengthen the government's financial institution fraud program," the report said. "Justice has approached the financial institution ' fraud crisis much like it has other enforcement matters . ' ' Democrats just-depart- f V , - l., . V f 19-pa- : Herald PhotoJason Olson Utah County Sheriff's Lt. Ron Fernstedt directs an Army helicopter to a four - hoof landing for E.T., the gelding quarter horse stranded near Birdseye. For more on the rescue, see Page B1. (See S&L, Page A2) State legislators work on abortion bill compromise By PEG McENTEE Associated Press Writer - DemSALT LAKE CITY ocratic and Republican senators said they reached an agreement on a compromise abortion bill, doubts but some postponed a vote. The Senate had been scheduled Thursday to act on the bill waiting peimposing a riod between the time a woman is counseled about abortion and the procedure, and requiring that she be told enough about abortion and alternatives to give informed consent. The vote was postponed because of some legal concerns. "In essence, everyone has last-minu- 24-ho- already agreed to it," said Senate WTiip Craig Peterson, "We just want to make sure we are not going to go beyond what the Supreme Court has found to be constitu- tional." Both provisions in the bill sponsored by Sen. LeRay Mcare nearly Allister, identical to those in a Pennsylvania law found constitutionally sound by the U.S. Supreme Court last year. Abortion rights activists worried that women in rural areas of Utah might not have access to a physician who could tell them about the nature of the (See ABORTION, Page A2) By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer - The naWASHINGTON fell to rate tion's unemployment 7.1 percent in January, the lowest level in a year, as signs of growing economic strength in the past three months finally translated into an improved jobs picture, the government said today. The 0.2 percentage point improvement in the unemployment rate, which had stood at 7.3 percent since November, stemmed from healthy employment gains in manufacturing and retail trade. In all, payroll employment rose by 106,000 last month, the biggest increase in six months, and more than double the paltry average for all of last year, the Labor Department said. However, all the improvement in the unemployment rate, which is based on a separate survey of households, stemmed from the fact 50.000-per-mont- h half-millio- n workers dropped out of the labor market, not from a growth of jobs. And analysts said the separate Classified Ads Comics Crossword Entertainment Legals Weather El D5 L9 C4 EI Moties C4 Obituaries Opinions SlL,rts 112 i-- , f' Tvn.iimVJ 115 )i m A5 ri teen-ag- Dixie, e, re- turned over the microphone to Democratic leaders and key backers of the bill. It turned into a half-hoceremony. Cheers and applause erupted Afterward, a key Republican from hundreds of supporters as supporter of the bill, Sen. ChristoClinton signed the bill his first pher Bond of Missouri, hailed the d at a ceremony in the measure's message but said it was Rose Garden. Democratic leaders a stretch to call it the end of gridsaid the bill turned the page on lock. more than a decade of division be"This one was a very easy tween Congress and the White one," Bond said, "fc's going to get House, opening the way for a lot tougher when we get into health care and budget matters . ' ' progress on stalled domestic legislation. Senate Majority Leader George "It was America's families who Mitchell said that "The signing of have beaten the gridlock in Washthis bill this morning by the presiington to pass family leave," Clindent turns an important page in ton said. He said the swift passage American history. The decade of of the bill by Congress was a signal deadlock has ended, the decade of that "we have tried to give this progress now opens before us." Mitchell credited Sens. Edward government back to the American and ChrisM. Kennedy, people." as "the "Today marks the end of grid- topher Dodd, lock and a new beginning," Vice real heroes" in getting the bill ap- President Al Gore said at the cereproved. Both senators took their mony, which was televised live. turns at the microphones. Clinton used several pens to sign Clinton cited the family leave bill as the first step in a list of social the bill, as he sat at a small table on legislation he wants passed. the Rose Garden lawn. "There is a lot more we need to Speaking before Clinton, Mrs. recalled the difficulties her Yandle rehe welfare said, listing do," family faced. "In times of family form, tougher child support enforcement, expanding the earned crisis people should not have to income tax credit and expanding worry about keeping their jobs," she said. "Other families will not child immunization programs. have to face this terrible choice. " The bill was twice vetoed by "Now millions of our people former President Bush. It provides will no longer have to choose beup to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for tween their jobs and their famiworkers to cope with a family sickthe president said. He said it lies," ness, childbirth or adoption. Comwould strengthen families and panies with fewer than 50 workers businesses alike. would be exempt. Workers would "I know that men and women be guaranteed to get their same job are more productive when they are back or an equivalent post. sure they won't lose their jobs beJoining Clinton for the ceremocause they are trying to be good ny were members of Congress the president said. who'd worked on the measure for parents," The Senate, after finally pushing seven years and a Marietta, Ga., (See CLINTON, Page A2) couple in which the husband lost ur Unemployment rate drops in January that a Find it whose mained hospitalized today. After signing the bill, Clinton sun-fille- multi-agenc- blamed the shortcomings on the Republican administration. "Unfortunately, this report indicates that the Bush administration did not give S&L prosecution the high priority required," said who Sen. Joseph Biden, commissioned the study by the congressional watchdog agency. written reBut in a Justice the Department sponse, called the GAO report inaccurate and said it ignored many of the agency's successes in prosecution. Between October 1988 and September 1992, Justice won convictions of 95 percent of the more than 3,400 defendants charged in bank fraud cases. More than 77 percent - President Clinton today signed a bill granting workers unpaid leave for family emergencies, putting into law the first major social legislation of the new Democratic era after just 16 days in office. then-Attorn- Congressional his job when he took off from work to care for a daughter with cancer. They were George and Vicki Yan-dl- e, By KAREN BALL l clouds and lbs tonight and Saturday, with some liRht snow possible, staying hay; lows in the mid-teen- s, hinhsinthe30s. See Page A5. Air Quality Today's air quality was moderate in all areas along the Wasatch Front, with an '"""ease in pollution levels survey on payroll employment showed very spotty job growth 0 w ith the overall increase of still far below the 200.000 to 300.000 jobs the economy adds each month during this stage of a normal recovery. White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers said the latest figures were "encouraging, but unemployment figures are still higher than they were at the trough of the recession in the spring of 1991 ." "The president is still very concerned about the relatively slow 106,-00- shows Americans anxious about Poll job security By HOWARD GOLDBERG Associated Press Writer - NEW YORK Anxiety about the job market goes well beyond the ranks of the unemployed, with 37 percent of Americans worried someone in their family will be laid off. according to an Associated Press poll. Sixteen percent said they are very worried that they or a family member w ill lose their job in the next 12 months, and an additional 21 percent are somewhat worried. The poll of 1,001 randomly selected adults was taken Jan. 29 through Tuesday, after weeks of new s of both economic recovery and major layoffs. The survey was completed before Labor Secretary Robert Reich's prediction Wednesday that President Clinton's economic stimulus package would create an "immediate rush" of a jobs. As for help from Washington, the poll found that three in five Americans agree that "people expect too much help from the Employment concerns Americans worried someone in their family will be laid off in the next 12 months: m n J u i Total Men .......... U Ll L By houwhold Income E3 L-- EZ3 3 Under $15,000- - Women $15,000 Americans who say the loss of good-payijobs has affected their family a great deal or quite a lot $25,000- - 24,999 39,999 Men I EL $40,000- - $50,000 and up 49,999 Americans who say it's "very true" that "any job is better than no job.' L Total Q n By region EZ3 Women Total NE tZ3 Midwest South West Americans who agree that "people expect too much help from the government in getting jobs. ITT? i quarter-mi- llion (See TOLL, Page A2) L3 Total Source- AP MedR, Pt, Men Women oy region NE Midwest South j West Rep. Dem. Ind, 2 by ICR Survey ftateucri Qisup al Wprion ool ol 1,001 tdult nstonwcW Uw Jin ft-tpen gf AUS Coroutentt Ma'jm ol error ptut or mnut 3 peroemige ponfe. TotU rounded. AP (See RATE, Page A2) Havo a story Idea? Call tho Herald newsroom 1L 373-505- 0 t V |