Show Raise Is On: House’s Stalling Pays Off By Sandy Johnson Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON — Congress allowed itself a $12100 pay raise at least temporarily when the House let pass a midnight Tuesday deadline for rejecting the hefty pay increase Democratic leaders said the House would pass legislation on Wednesday that gives $50 million to the homeless and also disapproves the pay raise But House Democratic Whip Tony Coel-h- o of California said it was unclear whether that action would in fact repeal the pay raise because the vote would take place after the midnight Tuesday deadline Yet Coelho said “There’s still going to be a vote” later to repeal the pay raise “Don’t create the impression that we’ve Senate-approve- d voided all opportunity" for a repeal he told reporters House leaders deliberately delayed action on the pay raise by adjourning for the day in early afternoon When Majority motioned Leader Thomas Foley for adjournment opponents quickly called for a vote but lost 221-1The maneuver brought a firestorm of protest to an issue that is always a nightmare for lawmakers who may want a pay raise but are fearful of the political consequences of voting for one called the adRep Connie Mack a maneuver cleverly designed journment smoke screen “We’ve lost credibility” move he said with the back-doo- r “The House leadership acted like a thief in the night skulking away w'ith its gains” added Rep Tom Petri 7 R-F- Consumer advocate Ralph Nader said the maneuver “added treachery to their arrogant and avaricious behavior" and warned that the public outcry would force Congress to relent In addition to elevating congressional pay to $89500 from the current $77400 substantial raises were in line for 3000 federal officials and judges House Speaker Jim Wright acknowledged that pay increases for the federal judiciary were a stickier issue because the Constitution forbids rescission of a judge's pay raise The Senate turned down the pay raises last week leaving the politically sensitive issue squarely in the House's corner and raising the hackles of some representatives said the Rep William Ford senators were trying to “look like heroes Utah-Wedne- Off Lebanon 22 Warships Buoy Up US Mideast Might - B-- 2 agant" pay raises "I myself find it difficult to maintain mortgages on two homes I also have a son who is attending a private university with expensive tuition payments” said Rep Howard Nielson "However is it appropriate to give ourselves a massive increase in salary at a time when we are having to reduce a looming national 4 Appellate ludoes: $85700 $95000 109 District and To Court ludoes: $81100 $89500 104 Cabinet secretaries: $88800 $99500 125 Deputy secretaries and agency heads: $77400 $89500 156 Undersecretaries and chairmen of regulatory commissions: $75800 $82500 88 Assistant secretaries and members of regulatory commissions: $74500 $77500 40 1987 By Ellen Warren Newspapers WASHINGTON — Despite charges that the measure would increase death and disabling injuries on the nation's highways the Senate voted Tuesday to allow states to raise the speed limit to 65 mph on rural interstate highways Knight-Ridde- r The proposal passed by a vote with enthusiastic backing from senators from the West and sparsely g populated states But theie was con-truin- — Associated Press Laserphoto Shiite students in west Beirut speak out against the kidnappers who are leaving a black mark on the war-tor- n capital concern among ts hackers that the amendment may not become law because of House oj position to tampering with the nation s 55 mph speed limit Sponsored by Sen Steven Symms the Senate measure would allow states to raise speed limits on interstate highways except those near urban regions of 50000 or more “The National Safety Council has estimated that this amendment would cost about 600 to 1000 lives a year" said Sen John C Danforth o contending that the lower speed limit currently prevents injuries — many of them involving paralyzing High School in Violation Speeding in Utah: Los Angeles Times Service ATLANTA — In a decision affectSouthern custom ing a a federal judge here declared Tuesday that public prayers before high school football games violate the sep- It’s a time-honore- d aration between church and state mandated by the US Constitution US District Judge G Ernest Tidwell ruling in a suit involving Douglas County High School in nearby Douglasville acknowledged arguments that the pregame prayers could lend dignity to the games and remind spectators and players of the importance of sportsmanship and fair play “However” he said in the decision “the invocations also endorsed Protestant Christian doctrine” and thus run counter to the First Amendment ban on government sponsorship of religion “One of the school board’s purposes in having and supporting an invocation prior to high school football games in Douglas County was motivated by a desire to satisfy the genuine good faith wishes on the part of a majority of the citizens of Douglas County to publicly express support for Protestant Christianity” the judge said Kathyrn Shehane Douglas County school superintendent said that the school board would appeal the decilas Jager an senior science major at Douglas County High School challenged the pregame prayer ritual in a lawsuit along with his father William 51 a retired Army sergeant who works as a firefighter at Fort McPherson just south of Atlanta Judge Tidwell granted a temporary restraining order against the prayers in September and heard final arguments in the case in December after a trial without a jury The younger Jager who describes himself as an agnostic attended the games as a saxophonist in the school’s marching band He testified in court that the invocations — delivered by local clergymen just before the playing of the national anthem and the opening kickoff — made him feel "highly intimidated" He told the court that they also subjected him to ridicule from fellow students when he declinedto bow his head The jers’ suit set off a fierce re "The Douglas County school board’s attorneys claimed at the trial that prayer before the games was a g tradition" he said “But the real tradition in our country is the separation of church and state" However Billy Armistead assistant school superintendent in DeKalb County one of the numerous Georgia school districts that permit pregame prayers said no changes were planned there for the time being In his ruling Tidwell denied the Jager’s request for a permanent injunction against prayers at Douglas County High saying that "no additional restraint” was necessary to enforce compliance with his order - Federal health officials worried by an increase in AIDS among heterosexuals said Tuesday they may recommend that AIDS blood tests be mandatory for all patients admitted to hospitals and even couples applying for marriage licenses The test for antibodies to the AIDS virus now is required only for blood donors The federal Centers for Disease Control has invited 250 public health officials to Atlanta for a public hearing to discuss its proposal said Dr Walter Dowdle the CDC’s AIDS diATLANTA (AP) rector than 30000 confirmed cases now Dowdle said the CDC is not proposing that a person who tested positive for the AIDS antibody while applying for a marriage license be denied a license “If people in the East don’t want to drive 55 miles per hour they don’t have to If they don’t want to see people in Texas drive 65 miles per See A-- 4 Column 1 By J Roy Bardsley Gov Norm Bangerter’s statement that "a tax increase is necessary to keep the state moving forward” does not a respon- sive chord with Utahns This anti-ta- x attitude is also reflected in public opposition to many of the tax hikes proposed by the governor The margin of resistance to an increase in the state income tax is especially strong — better than There is also heavy opposition to another hike in the sales tax — nearly On the other hand a higher cigarette tax wins the nod of a solid majority The irony is that if it boils down to a compromise between higher taxes and a cutback in essential services a plurality of Utahns would prefer a tax increase These are the primary findings of a statewide poll sponsored by The Salt Lake Tribune as the Legislature tackles the governor’s tax agenda The first question tested the credibility of Gov Bangerter’s statement that “a tax increase is necessary to keep this state moving forward” percent disagreed 39 percent agreed and 5 percent were Fifty-si- x undecided Fellow Republicans split 0 but 57 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of independents challenged the statement Nonetheless when asked to select either higher taxes or a cut in essential services a contradictory pattern emerged 50-5- Raise taxes Cut services Both (volunteered) Undecided 45 37 7 11 100 for the tox alternative was strongest among younger Utahns 18 to 44 of years age who are most likely to have children In school The poll then zeroed In on four of the tox hikes Included In the governor's plan Three out of the four were "voted" down decisively In the poll but a cigarette-ta- x Increase passed by better than a margin When asked If they favored or opposed each tax Increase the response was: Favor Oppose Undecided Support Increase Support for a cigarette-tawas strongest among LDS respondents who approved a lump by a 78 percent to 22 percent margin also hike but by a supported a cigarette-tamore modest 56 percent to 43 percent x x count tax — a Now what about o soda-po- p new levy proposed by the governor? Utahns had mixed emotions on this one Young adults considered It discriminatory senior citizens said it was fair The overall figures were: Soda-po- fax fair Unfair Undecided 48 43 9 100 for this survey which was completed last week consisted of 606 Interviews distributed accordtelephone ing to population density Sample House Votes to Let Students Out at Age 16 By Dan Bates Tribune Staff Writer After a week in limbo a pointed measure to drop the state’s mandatory schooling age from 18 to 16 won Utah House Those invited to the hearing Feb include members of civil liberties groups who may oppose the proposal Dowdle said ap- proval Tuesday on a revival vote 24-2- 5 The proposal immediately drew criticism from two civil libertarians the chairman of the Los Angeles AIDS Task Force and a specialist in medical ethics who said mandatory testing would drive potential AIDS victims from the centers where they should seek care The CDC will decide after the hearing whether to make a formal proposal about expanded testing for AIDS Such a recommendation that state hospitals or government agencies make the tests mandatory would not be binding on them Dowdle said The number of Americans who have contracted AIDS through heterosexual contact has risen from only a few a 1981 to 4 percent of the more Enforcing the speed limit is a waste of police effort that could be better used by keeping drunks off the road he said Utahns Want Services But Not More Taxes long-standin- Hearing Will Target Testing All Patients for AIDS Virus 4- rural areas” where "80 to 90 percent” of the drivers exceed the speed limit said durSen Phil Gramm ing Tuesday’s debate Catch-2- 2 strike action in Douglasville a community of 7461 about 25 miles west of Atlanta “Initially it was real nasty out here” the elder Jager recalled “We were swamped with obscene phone calls and our tires were slashed right here in our carport But that has mostly died out now” Gene Guerrero director of the Georgia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union which represented the Jagers in the case said that Tidwell’s decision should have a major impact on other school districts that follow the pregame prayer practice A-- damage to the spine — to an estimated 65500 persons annually President Reagan who opposed the 55 mph speed limit during his 1980 campaign has thrown his support bewhich hind the Symms measure but last Senate the September passed died when the House refused to go along with it is "an unrealistic limit in Fifty-fiv- e Judge Bans Prayer on Gridiron sion The case arose last fall when Doug- Salt Lake City and vicinity — Fair to partly cloudy cooler Highs 40s to low-50- s Lows 20s Details Senators and representatives: $77400 $89500 156 percent Senate president pro tem and House and Senate malorlty and minority leaders: $87400 $99500 138 Vice president and House speaker: $100800 $115000 149 Chief lustlce: $111700 $115000 30 Supreme Court associate lustlces: $107200 $110000 26 But many House members said now is not the time for what they called "extrav- Senate: 65 Fine On Mural Moads 50 Miles Today's Forecast WASHINGTON (AP) — Here is the breakdown of pay raises for members of Congress and other top federal officials that took effect at midnight Tuesday The figures following each office are current salaries the increased salaries and the percentage of increase: hvpo-cntica- l" Morning-Febru- ary sday Fleet Patrols BEIRUT Lebanon (AP) US warships assumed a position within 50 miles of Lebanon on Tuesday and official sources in Cyprus said civilian aircraft flying near the ships were ordered by radio to veer off The warships of the 6th Fleet were in international waters The sources in Cyprus which lies 100 miles northwest of Beirut spoke on condition of anonymity The United States marshaled a strong battle group in the eastern Mediterranean over the past week in response to rising tensions in the Middle East and following a spate of kidnappings of foreigners in Lebanon The kidnappers and Moslem leaders in Lebanon warned that any military action by the United States would mean death for the captives Pentagon sources stressed in Washington on Tuesday that the US battle groups had received no orders to prepare for any military operation The sources who demanded anonymity said the carriers Kennedy and Nimitz and a Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group of roughly 1900 Marines were steaming on a “routine patrol pattern” in the southeastern Mediterranean south of Cyprus and relatively close to Lebanon The force consists of about 22 warships and 1900 more Marines were moved out of Spain on Tuesday to join the battle fleet Also Tuesday Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied reports that Anglican Church hostage negotiator Terry Waite was held by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Lebanon The fate of Waite 47 remained a emissary has mystery The not been seen since he left his hotel in Moslem west Beirut on Jan 20 apparently for a meeting with the Shiite Moslem kidnappers of two Americans held since 1985 Lebanon’s justice minister Nabih Berri said in Damascus Syria on Monday that Waite had been “arrested" by the kidnappers He did not elaborate Unconfirmed reports last week said Waite was spotted in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley a Shiite stronghold and base for about 400 Iranian Revolutionary Guards A general strike called to protest the abductions of foreigners paralyzed west Beirut on Tuesday Altogether 26 foreigners now are missing in Lebanon and presumed kidnapped including eight Americans Hundreds of students marched in the rain chanting and waving placards to protest the Jan 24 kidnapping of four teachers "Down with kidnappers” one of their banners read in English and then run for home That's how I feel about their ungentlemanly conduct" said many senRep Vic Fazio ators are millionaires and don't need the raise while most House members are not independently wealthy He also lambasted colleagues who oppose the raise saying “The old canard vote no and take the dough’ is really high-rankin- g Salt Lake City Vol 233 No 113 Who's Making What? Here Are Pay Hikes House Bill 11 had been beaten by one vote with op- ponents fearing City-Count- y too many "teach-- j able” pupils would opt to leave high school But Rep Rob Bishop City managed to have the proposal reconsidered This time House members sided with a principle to set free disgruntled or disinterested students in order to accommodate the more motivated 45-2- 8 By amendment they did agree to edict to a limit the nVaximum age-16 r period to gauge any measurable "dropout" effect Rep Bishop a high school teacher argued that at least nine other states with an age-1- 6 maximum graduate more students than Utah and are able to persuade more dropouts to continue their education Age is no factor he stressed Opposed to the lower age Rep Dale Warner said his years as a school administrator have taught him that “disruptive” students leave school “because of ineffective teaching and an unstimulating experience" He said educators owed students a chance to excel The House has approved the age-1- 6 proposal in the past four years the Utah Senate hasn't Rep Bishop said he thought the measure had a better chance with senators this time two-yea- Today’s Chuckle By the you can afford a meal fit for a king you need a food taster tjie Representatives devoted much of Tuesday — which at noon marked the y halfway point of the Legislature’s session — to changes of heart on measures as well other Democrats may get a second shot g at debating a controversial measure that Republicans advanced from a House panel on Monday The chairman of the House Business Labor and Economic Development Committee has agreed to take up the bill again on Thursday mornhigh-profi- drug-testin- ing Lake had Rep Ray Free called for a recommendation vote after nearly two hours of lobbyist testimony Monday and minutes before the House was to convene for floor activitlt y- Democratic representatives walked out in protest claiming committee members had no time to discuss House Bill 145 The proposal would set statutory See A-- 4 Cblunln 6 |