Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 10

10 Santa Crut Sentinel Friday, September 21, 1973 Mandatory Auto Inspection Bill On Reagan's" Desk SACRAMENTO (AP)-The blueprint for California's first mandatory annual auto inspection sits on Gov. Ronald Reagan's desk one of a handful of antismog bills passed by the legislature before it went home for the year. Authored by Sen. W. Craig Biddle.

R-Riverside. the bill would set up a pilot inspection program in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino eventually requiring all cars to have annual emissions owner with an itemized list of the work done and the amount charged The car must pass a reinspection before it can be registered for another year. If, however, all recommended repairs have been made and the car simply is unable to meet the standards without the owner spending another $150 for further tuning and repairs, the car would be certified. The bill also would require mechanics to adjust engines for low emissions any time a car is brought in for a tune-up. At present, cars generally are tuned for optimum performance instead of for minimum emissions Biddle.

whose district is one of the most smog-choked in the state, says he hopes the program will provide the state with the experience on which to develop a statewide mandatory inspection system. The Air Resources Board, which opposed the Biddle bill nearly from the start, now has recommended that Reagan sign it in its amended form. But it still has some features the ARB doesn't like. John A. Maga.

executive director, said the ARB does not favor setting up a network of state-operated inspection stations. Rather, he said, the board favors a mandatory maintenance program coupled with a requirement that mechanics keeps cars tuned for minimum smog. Reagan Scores Tax Plan This would be joined with mandatory inspection any time a car changes ownership and with a stepped inspection program by the California Highway Patrol. "The board maintains that it isn't the inspection of the vehicle that brings about emissions control, it's the maintenance," Maga said. Another feature of the Biddle bill which the ARB opposed during legislative hearings was its requirement that cars be tested under load conditions, not just in idle.

Maga said the test specified by the Biddle bill was unnecessarily expensive and. complicated. In addition to detecting dirty emissions, Maga said, the "loaded dynamometer" test specified by Biddle also helps locate the cause of the problem. That could be left to the repair shop. Maga said.

But, he said. "There is no one who has a body of data to show that one approach is better than the other." If the Biddle approach ever were applied statewide. Maga said, it would require "hundreds of state-operated inspection stations with thousands of employes." "In my opinion, it would have to be a state-operated or a franchise type of operation." Maga said. Other bills also sent to Reagan include: GAS TAX. If voters approve, the state, cities and counties would be permitted to use certain percentages of their revenue from gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees for public mass transit.

The state Constitution now requires that such funds be used for highways only The bill is SB 819. by Sen. James R. Mills. D-San Diego.

-SOUTH COAST. Would consolidate all the county air pollution control districts in the South Coast-Air Basin into a single new basinwide district, financed by an additional gasoline tax. It is AB 2282 by Assembly Speaker Moretti. D-Van Nuvs. -BAY AREA.

Would reconstitute the San Francisco Bay Area Air Pollution Control District board of directors so that nine would be appointed and 13 elected. At present, the board has 18 members, all appointed. -RAPID TRANSIT. Two bills call for speedier planning for a rapid transit system in the Los Angeles basin. One authored by Sen.

Lawrence E. Walsh, D-Hun-tington Beach, would prohibit the Southern California Rapid Transit District from expanding its bus routes any more until it has submitted a cost-benefit study to justify them. It also requires the SCRTO to submit plans for a mass transit system to the legislature bv Jan "74 It is SB 205 A similar bill ia SB 1221 by Sen. Anthony C. Beielenson, D-Beverly Hills.

-DE VICES A bill by Sen James O. Wedworth, D-Hawthorne, would allow the sale and use of unaccredited antismog if they met the same emissions standards as accredited devices but were too expensive to be accredited. It is SB 549. -BURNING. A bill by Sen.

Lou Cusanovich. R-Van Nuys, would permit outdoor burning of brush by property owners obtaining a permit from fire and air pollution control authorities. It is SB 1129. A similar bill. AB 371 by Assemblyman Eugene A.

Chappie, R-Cool, would permit land developers to bum brush with approval of local air pollution control authorities. -SMOG CASTING. A bill authored by Assemblyman Wadie P. Deddah, D-Chula Vista, would require the ARB to conduct research to find out if the techniques of longrange weather forecasting can be used to predict or prevent serious' smog outbreaks in the South Coast Air Basin. It is AB 565 -ADDITIVES.

AB 1279 by Assemblyman Alan Sieroty, D-Beverly Hills, would authorize the ARB to conduct studies on gasoline additives to find out effect they have on air pollution and on human health Foes which let the jury impose the sentence, was declared unconstitutional by the California and U.S. Supreme Courts last year. In November, state voters gave overwhelming approval to an initiative favoring the restoration of the death penalty. Reagan said he hasn't decided whether to sign other major bills passed by the legislature before it adjourned last week. One, by Sen.

George Moscone. D-San Francisco, would strengthen the collective bargaining rights of teachers. Another, by Sen. Alfred Alquist. D-San Jose, would establish a state commission to oversee nuclear power plant location and energy research.

the income of the people goes up. the percentage take in state taxes would slowly decline. To put it another way, this plan is designed to allow the income of the people to grow faster than their tax deductions." he said. The governor said Thursday night that he would sign the recently passed death penalty bill' Monday in Los Angeles. Reagan told newsmen he had delayed the signing so that representatives of groups backing the measure could attend the ceremony.

The bill, by Sen. George Deuk-mejian, R-Lon Beach, imposes a mandatory death sentence for 11 categories of murder. The nrevious death-penalty law. "The most important feature of this plan Pron. 1 is that it will, at last, force government to start living within its income just as every family must do if it wants to avoid bankruptcy." Reagan said.

"It will do this bv slowly reducing the percentage of total personal income that the state government can take.Right now it is almost nine percent. "Under our plan, this limit would be reduced by one-tenth of one per cent each year for 15 years until we reach a level of around seven per cent." Reagan said. "State government would still! be getting more revenue, but as SAN DIEGO (AP)-Gov. Ronald Reagan said today that even the opponents of Prop 1 "concede that there will not be any need for new state taxes in the next few years." But despite this concession, he said, they oppose Prop. 1 because "they know that if the people ever manage to place a reasonable limit on taxes into the Constitution, their own days as the last of the big spenders are over for good." The Republican governor, sponsor of the Prop.

1 tax limitation proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot, addressed the 69th annual convention of the California Real Estate Association. He spoke from notes prepared in advance. Reagan said that in 64 years of trying to reduce the cost of government, "no one ever threw rocks at us for proposing to spend more money." Contractor With Bad Record Back On State Job As usual, the governor has given no indication of whether he will sign or veto the measure. In 1975.

the inspections would be required for cars changing ownership. In 1976. it would apply to all cars and in 1977 it would be extended to the other three counties of the South Coast Air Basin; Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. If a car fails inspection, the owner would have to take it to a mechanic who would provide the On the contrary, "there was a constant volley frpm every direction every time we tried to keep the budget in line, to hold down taxes so our people would have more of their own money to keep for themselves." "When the advocates of bigger and bigger government manage to get their hands on an extra tax dollar or two, they hang on like a gila monster until they find some way to spend it," Reagan said. Reagan said Prop.

1 is based on consultations with "some of this country's most distinguished economists." "They believe, and we believe, that the tax burden is too high and we are headed for the biggest eonomic bellyache America has ever known unless we do something about it. We believe California is the place to start, and I think you will agree too." he said. Fenton told reporters at a Thursday news conference the state Division of Highways "made it clear" Polich-Benedict bids would "no longer be invited" on public works projects. He said, however, that the firm was building a bridge at the Simi-Foothill Freeway interchange "under subterfuge." He added that the legislative counsel's office says there is now no legal way to block the firm's move. Another contractor, Steven P.

Rados of Monrovia, made the low $12 million bid on the Simi-Foothill project but is really subcontracting its work to Polich-Benedict, Fenton said. As evidence, Fenton said the project's superintendent is Dan Jordan, "the same man who was running the (Polich-Benedict) bridge job" until shortly before it collapsed on Oct. 16. 1972. killing six persons.

In addition. Fenton said, nearly all the equipment and workers at the prejob work meeting site were from Polich-Benedict. In Los Angeles. T.T. Polich-Benedict, president of the firm, issued a two-sentence denial of Fenton's comments, saying: "The slightest investigation will show that Assemblyman F'en-ton's charge is false." Asked about the firm, Eugene Smith, assistant to the State Contractors Licensing Board, says the board has filed a complaint against Polich-Benedict alleging violations of health-safety laws.

That complaint, which is not related to Fenton's criticism Thursday, could end with the firm's license being revoked or suspended. Smith said. He added the board had been investigating the firm's safety record since last year months before the Simi-Foothill construction work began. Meanwhile, the state Depart ment of Transportation is audit- I ing the books of the Rados firm to determine exactly who is employing the project workers, said James Roberts, a department spokesman. The law requires a prime contractor to do at least 50 per cent of the work on a job.

If the state finds Rados is doing less than that, it will take legal action. Roberts said. He added that the state cannot ban a firm from entering a bid, but he said state officials have told Polich-Benedict its bids would be scrutinized on safety grounds. Fenton said he wants to find a way legally or administrativelyto keep Rados from subcontracting out its work on the project to Polich-Benedict. He also told reporters Gov.

Reagan will sign on Oct. 2 an industrial safety bill Fenton OnWells FargoBay ever ytning MM you see here is free SACRAMENTO (AP)-A contractor with a state record of 10 job fatalities in the last three years is using "subterfuge" to work on a new state project, the head of an Assembly investigating committee says. In addition, a state licensing spokesman said Thursday an unrelated legal action is under way which could end with the revocation or suspension of the firm's license. The firm in question is Pol-ich-Benedict of Los Angeles County, said Assemblyman Jack Fenton. A Montebello Democrat who chaired an investigating committee on industrial safety last year.

Consumer Complaints Increasing SACRAMENTO (AP)-The state Consumer Affairs Department says 55.364 disciplinary actions were taken last fiscal year which netted an estimated $2.75 million savings to consumers. The report Thursday by John T. Kehoe. director of the department, said the most complaints are still being received in the areas of automobile repair and 1 home construction. The department received complaints during the year, an increase of almost 100 per cent over fiscal 1971-72.

Kehoe said. There were 133.676 investigations and inspections, including those initiated in response to the complaints and others carried out during routine programs, he said. The disposition of the 55.364 disciplinary actions was as follows Citations and notices of violation, compliance ordered and obtained. 22.248; censure, reprimand or warning. 3.102; referred for prosecution, 2.630.

referred for disciplinary-hearings, 917; revocation or suspension of license to do business, or probation, 1.290; discipline not specified. 1.203. Kehoe said the $2.75 million savings figure is only an estimate, because estimates are not made for all complaints that are resolved. Assassination Plot WASHINGTON (AP) Elliott Roosevelt, son of the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt, has accepted a Senate panel's invitation to appear to answer charges he helped contract for the assassination of the prime minister of the.