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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 11, 1981)
State / Local THE BATTALION THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1981 Page 5 •i Precise amount won t be disclosed aw ovingtfe, leak Spa®: 1 Theatei; an increii; ' Mexican; • SW Bell to file rate request payment; I g minoritrj United Press International H' DALLAS — Southwestern Bell ■‘Telephone Co. plans to file a hefty Vrate hike request, its fifth since H1976, in the “next few days,” a ■ spokesman said Wednesday, orton of M rnin S that amount re- , quested would be more than the ^rfbmiediS^G'S million the company asked ' ' for last summer. r r f S mL « “The rate request will be filed " " kwithin the next few days,” Dale summer-Mhn S on sa ' ( ^ We cannot give de- TTm* lk ie request nor the date it 11 , i'will be filed because we feel we ^ 1 s 11 ‘ kshould first give those details to the Public Utility Commision.” e m0ne 5f!i However, Johnson said the treras, I' | ani()un t sou ght, “would be larger f the loost: lingual tfe itreras at than the $326.3 million we asked for last summer. Again, we cannot disclose the precise amount. ” In its previous rate request, Bell Telephone was stung by the PUC, which after deliberating for more than six months, only approved $114.3 million, or less than 50 percent of the amount the utility had sought in its application filed on July 7, 1980. The company immediately appealed the decision to the Texas Supreme Court where the case is still pending. “The basis of that appeal was that we felt the PUC arbitrarily had disallowed some expenses which should have been included in determining the amount of money that we should have re ceived,” Johnson said. “Regardless of how the appeal was decided, we would have filed this new rate increase. This will be a totally new request based on new data and new figures we have been able to collect.” While appealing the previous PUC ruling, Bell Telephone put the new rates into effect under bond. However, the supreme court ruled the company was not authorized to use “bonded rates” and ordered refunds made to its customers. Johnson said the company had collected $22.5 million under “bonded rates” as of May 28, 1981. He said the company would make refunds this summer, averaging about $3 per residential customer in large cities. He said no refunds would be made to those living in smaller cities because “their rates didn’t change that much.” “The refunds or the appeal has nothing to do with this latest new rate request,” Johnson said. Johnson also disclosed that his company would seek “more than the 10.8 percent” ceiling on earn ings return imposed by the PUC. “This is not a retaliation against the PUC,” Johnson said. “No one likes a rate increase but this is simply an economic point oflife.” Court says PUC exceeded authority in S W Bell case United Press International AUSTIN — The Public Utility Commission exceeded its authority by ordering Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. to stop an experimental elec tronic information system project without first conducting a public hearing on the issue, the 3rd Court of Civil Appeals ruled Wednesday. The court reversed lower court decisions up holding the PUC action, and declared invalid a Feb. 26 order of the commission prohibiting Bell from beginning the experimental project. The experimental project, which would in volve placing computer terminals in about 700 homes and businesses in Austin, is considered the pilot program for such projects throughout the United States by American Telephone & Tele graph, Southwestern Bell’s parent company. The Court of Civil Appeals decision made it clear, however, that the court was not ruling on whether the PUC had authority to block the elec tronic information system experiment after it con ducts a public hearing on the issue. Bell had planned to begin the program June 1, but the Texas Daily Newspaper Association in December 1980 filed a complaint with the PUC seeking a full hearing on Bell’s plans for the ex perimental program. The PUC on Feb. 26 re manded the case to its hearing division for a pub lic hearing, but ordered Bell in the meantime to “cease its conduct of the experiment. ” A full hearing before the PUC has been has been scheduled for July 6. The court ruled Wednesday that the power to act summarily and without a prior hearing must be given expressly to a state agency by the Legisl ature, and no such authority had been given the PUC by the Texas Legislature. The commission contended that the Legisla ture by implication had given it the authority to issue cease orders without a public hearing. onsultant says hospitals need competition San Anton eaters fn the Unitcl reeman says payment was legal campaign contribution Cl, neu uoM; United Press International Idrenpiift'l.jDALLAS — A consultant told mualCliii Texas Hospital Association more competition is needed in the health industry and con- Isuiners should be given more^ Vflived ^choices for insurance plans. • II £ Walter McClure, director of a <lll! ^Minneapolis health consulting rfo. fen, Tuesday said if hospital com- Ipetition is not boosted, the health industry faces the possibility of be- TOining a federal “utility.” I “If you try to provide cost- effective medical care in today’s jtrket you go broke,” he said, ghat’s because most hospitals to- said the Vind Thcil veil as “ent •s with home, IMS compete kH rmers fronr iwest :ii is the oil Sort in Di th largest^— United Press International n otherffijj NEW ORLEANS — Lt. Gov. Bobby Freeman and fcfe-Bsists a $1,900 payment given to him by federal recent “Brent 5 posing as corrupt insurance salesmen was a ’ ' n legitimate campaign contribution, ig to Conti® The payment was revealed Tuesday during testi- inaymeastfilony j n the 11th week of the federal Brilab trial, by trulyco® “Approximately a year and a half ago, I informed irvive. TMfBI agents, the grand jury and the public that I had meanni®m C eived a $1,000 contribution under no obligations edicts Cc-Tlfoni a man who portrayed himself as a legitimate as heeniii'fcisinessman, ” Freeman said in a statement issued in ' He\vasft r Lpo n s e to the testimony, recalls: He.made no other comment, the stage.!® An FBI agent who made the payment refused to Characterize it as a bribe or a political contribution, about 25® The payment was mentioned during questioning nies in ihi'df federal agent Michael Wacks by attorney Arthur iiieer—tkfLemann, who represents Vincent Marinello. mo theateif Marinello is on trial with reputed Mafia hoss Carlos ■ho in the If Marcello, former state Commissioner of Administra- o the crop#tion Charles Roemer, veteran state aide Aubrey onawitha'f Young and Washington lobbyist I. Irving Davidson randpeifefhon charges of trying to trade bribes for public insur ers, manytRnce business. join Cesar# Wacks said under questioning he met with Free- liori injjnan, Peter Babin, a local official of the Operating ' pay andr f E n gi neers Union, and Texas labor official L.G. uiditjons ,1 Moore in New Orleans on Nov. 28, 1979. spoke w® “You met with Bobby Freeman and gave him dez,§tcl«i $1,000, didn’t you?” Lemann asked. day are geared to attracting more patients and offering higger and better services.” A key to sparking competition in the health industry is making consumers aware of the cost of health care through insurance policies. He suggested encouraging businesses that provide group in surance to allow employees to choose from a variety of plans. The company would pay a fixed amount toward any plan with the consumer deciding how much coverage he wants. McClure was critical of plans to cap federal contributions to Medi caid. “Capping doesn’t solve any thing,” he said. “It only solves the federal government’s problems. It doesn’t stop the rise in medical care costs. It just stops the amount the federal government will pay. “Who’s going to pay? States will pay.” David Winston, who works for Blyth-Eastman-Paine-Webber Health Care Funding Inc., in Washington, D.C., however, said the THA’s primary concern should be finding alternatives to Medicaid. eater in ik' ; he is urther Val ucating lit J it ion intoll'l the ideast’l ttime goal^ iseernibN “Yes, sir,” Wacks replied. “We gave it to Mr. Babin and he gave it to Mr. Freeman.” “It was a $1,000 contribution, right?” Lemann asked the agent. “Moore bad requested if we could help out Mr. Freeman’s campaign,” Wacks replied. “We met with Freeman and did give him $1,000. It was given to Babin in the presence of Freeman, and turned over to Freeman with the understanding that we were in the insurance business and if he was elected lieute nant governor, we’d be back to meet with him. Babin said something about remembering your friends, and Freeman said he didn’t forget friends.” “Was it a bribe or a political contribution?” Lemann asked. “I just don’t know,” Wacks said. “We were doing it because Moore had asked us to help. We took it to the Justice Department and gave it to them.” Marinello is charged with accepting a $10,000 bribe in return for aid from gubernatorial candidate Jimmy Fitzmorris in winning lucrative group insur ance from the city of New Orleans, river-front labor ers and Avondale shipyards. In secretly recorded tapes, Marinello described himself as a “middle man” between the bogus insur ance salesmen and Fitzmorris. Lemann said the money was nothing more than a legal contribution to Fitzmorris’ 1979 campaign and stressed that Fitzmorris never did anything toward delivering the contracts. “Marinello says, T’m totally in the dark. I haven’t got the faintest idea of what you gentlemen have in mind. I don’t have a thing on my mind except I want to get him elected,” Lemann quoted his client as saying. Wacks said Marinello fully understood what was happening. “He knew exactly what was in store,” the agent said. “He knew what he could get — for Fitzmorris and himself — if he could get the business for me.” Program on o u ■ Internal^ ill Resouff; dnesda) pl t turalga earlier r# # ZT {'accepting actors go® i • , applicants rsarew 4 ® ■*- gesturing® yjustboi' The Texas A&M Physical Plant rama. Twbepartment is now accepting ap- fter pr#u plications for its 1981-82 appren- h is reall'i "tice program. They’re sip The program combines on-the- showl)®' job training with related clas sroom study. Apprentices receive a salary and University fringe be nefits while working with experi enced craftsmen. Applicants will febe selected in August and will be- | ilgin the program in September. Qljli The apprentice program is the department’s primary means of training individuals to work for the plant as carpenters, electricians, I electronic technicians, painters, plumbers and sheetmetal special ists. The program also trains peo ple to work in the areas of air con ditioning, refrigeration, heating mechanics and automotive mechanics. Apprentices spend three to five years in the program. The program is certified by the U.S. Department of Labor and is open to anyone who is 18 or over, has a high school diploma or equivalent training or experience and successfully completes the General Aptitude Test Battery and final selection interview. Applications will be accepted through July 31. Kern, ^ esident already jlatfom 1 e distil onaleasd. erl# ! ; seated a 5 hasad/ <*■'< evron 1 U! Standi AS SEEN ON THE PHIL DONAHUE SHOW FACTS • Our process does not depend on fluid loss by perspiration. • Has no harmful side effects. Completely safe. • Is an actual breakdown of the adipose tissue or “cellulite”. • Unwanted inches come off and stay off! In just one hour. Lose up to 2 to 6 inches... from arms, waist, abdomen, hips, thighs and legs. • Listed in compliance with all F.D.A. regulations. [2^>£.xma (2uLtuz£ in Co. 707 TEXAS AVE. 693-5909 Winston said the administration is committed to capping Medicaid benefits, keeping them $100 mil lion less what the Carter adminis tration called for in 1981. “Given the amount of money and the growth in that program, you’re going to have to reduce be nefits — and there will be author ity to reduce — or you’re going to have to reduce the number of peo ple on (the program) or both,” he said. Winston, who has been asked to head a task force of hospital adminstrators that will advise the Department of Health and Hu man Services, said state govern ments must assume a greater Medicaid burden. Winston’s audience, composed of hospital administrators and other health professionals attend ing the THA annual convention, applauded when he proposed budget cuts for health planning programs. The programs have been unpopular with hospitals be cause they have developed regula tory powers. Ei§ llllllllllllllllHHlIlllHlIMttlHlIlllllMlIMItllHlitllHHlIfflHiHliniHlIIII PROBLEM PREGNANCY? Are you considering abortion? Free counseling and referrals Call (713) 779-2258 Texas Problem Pregnancy, Bryan, Tx. THURSDAY SADIE HAWKINS Ladies Choice OPEN AT 6 P.M. 2 FOR 1 HAPPY HOUR 6:00 to Sundown After Sundown Unescorted Ladies have No Cover and Free Beer. 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