Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 1

cnmuiZ, wciiiui aunci lraaition n-iV. mm a Mostly sunny gEHiT kflliNIAli Jim humeri iinaiiy no. 1 Savory, symbolic Easter run 1 Top-rated running back visit Cards HIGJt 82 L0Vj 58 PageTB6 nreaas The Amma Iepubuc 50c Copyright 1996, The Arizona Republic Phoenix, Arizona Wednesday, April 3, 1996 106th year, No. 325 furor erupts over beating of 2. illegals "V- i lit 1 Calif, deputies captured offMdeotape after chase By Carol Morello Philadelphia Inquirer 2 LOS ANGELES Hispanic and immigrant groups said Tuesday that a videotaped police beating of two fleeing illegal immigrants illustrates how foreigners are commonly treated, and they blafned a climate of "immigrant bashing." 44 the Justice Department announced a civil-rights investigation into Monday's incident demonstrators chanted, "We want justice!" outside the downtown federal building where the Immigration and Naturalization Service issues green cards granting foreigners legal residence.

The dramatic videotape of two sheriffs deputies using their batons on two unresisting suspects, shown repeatedly in the United States and Mexico, has outraged civil-rights groups that compare it to the 1991 arrest of Rodney King. It was filmed Monday afternoon by a television news helicopter following police who were pursuin a truckload of illegals. Law-enforcement officials first spotted the pickup on a side road commonly used to evade an INS checkpoint about 60 miles north of the Mexican border. When Border Patrol agents began chasing them, police said, the passengers lobbed beer 9ans at them. I The Border Patrol then backed off and called for assistance from the Riverside County Sheriffs Department, which picked up the pursuit.

As the See KM, page Al 5 Show should shut Gingrich joins fracas over flag By Jeff Barker Washington Bureau WASHINGTON House Speaker Newt Gingrich has called on the Phoenix Art Museum to close its provocative American flag exhibit and then declined an invitation by the museum's director to come see the show for himself. "I don't have to look at a U.S. flag in the toilet to know that it is wrong," Gingrich told reporters Tuesday in Cobb County, Ga. "They have a constitutional right to do it, but it's wrong. "When I talk about elite versus classic American Newt Gingrich "When I talk about elite versus classic American values, I think the Phoenix Art exhibit is a perfect example." Commuting to the Mure See page A 14 Ax hoverim over 2 state '4'" 'r '0m a 1 iimmji nil property taxes $200 million cut forecast i I Tk -i RELATED STORIES TORT REFORM: Backers vow push for ballot item.

A2. SPRAWL: Senate OKs guidelines for moratoriums. A17. LOBBYING: Groups hope to revive reform bill. A17.

John SamoraStaff photographer Without new solutions, experts fear even worse gridlock than this Friday evening rush-hour backup on the northbound lanes of the Black Canyon Freeway. By Martin Van Der Werf Staff writer The Legislature is on the verge of eliminating two state property taxes. Combined with some changes in technical laws affecting utilities and mines, taxes would be reduced by $200 million, fulfilling a promise made last year by state lawmakers. In practice, the plan would shave a dollar off every $100 of assessed valuation, saving the owner of a $100,000 home about $100 each year. The Legislature has been considering a multitude of ideas this session for reducing property taxes, but most of them have been rejected as too complicated.

That has drawn lawmakers back to a plan that simply would wipe out the state property-tax rate, now 47 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, and the county equalization-tax rate, now 53 cents. HEADING FOR WORK Percent of commutes, or trips, by single-occupant vehicles and by other means. Technology can brake work drive Although the plan still is taking shape, it appears to be the tax-reduction plan on which leaders have settled. "This will get the state out of the property-tax business," said Sen. Randall Gnant, R-Scottsdale, the author of the plan.

"It's a simple, quick, clean kind of a program that the general public can understand in a nanosecond." He said he wants to remove the See AX HOVERS, page A2 100 'I I 60 I Single-occupant vehicle i I I 40 I Alternate modisi 0 I I 1989 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 Nancy EngebretsonStaff photographer The state Transportation Department monitors 29 miles along Interstates 10 and 17, reducing accident-response time from 45 to five minutes. INSIDE Ginton tied to illegality in trial See Page A2 By Mary Jo Pitzl Staff writer At Salt River Project, nearly 1,700 employees have said goodbye to busy Mondays and Fridays at the office, and hello to longer workdays that get them an extra day off. To help clean the air, the utility offers workers the chance to push more work into fewer days. An unintended benefit is fewer traffic-clogging commutes. "It has changed the whole culture of the company," said Laurie Singleton, SRP's environmental-initiative coordinator.

"You know if you want to have a meeting or get something done, you schedule it on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday." It's one way the Valley of the Sun is learning to cope with clogged roads. Experts say traffic congestion could turn into gridlock unless See GRIDLOCK, pageA6 Breakdown Single-occupant vehicle Drive alone 70 Motorcycle -1 Total 71 Alternate modes Carpool 15 Ride a bike 2 Take the bus 3 Walk to work 5 Alternate modes (non-trips) Telecommute 2 Compressed schedules 2 Total 29 Poll has error margin of plus or minus 4.6 Source: Regional Public Transportation Authority Palo fix is delayed again Pump shutdown fuels criticism By Steve Yozwiak Staff writer Officials at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station on Tuesday delayed for at least a day an attempt to budge a highly radioactive fuel assembly stuck for more than a week in the Unit 2 reactor. They also confirmed that even as the public eye was trained on the nation's largest nuclear plant this another mishap, small but disturbing, occurred. Late Monday, a worker pulled a wrong switch, accidentally cutting power to the pumps that keep reactor water cool so a meltdown can't occur, officials said. Power automatically was restored with backup diesel generators, and the pump manually was restarted in 45 seconds, said Bill Stewart, executive vice president for nuclear operation at Arizona Public Service which operates Palo Verde.

See PALO VERDE, page A 10 Astrology Bombeck Bridge Business Chuckle C4 C4 C4 El A2 Classified CL1 Comics B3, CL23 Staff artist 1 1 MXMtoaJ I In COMMUNITY I Commutina Michael GingStaff photographer Riding with Jesse Sanchez to their jobs are vanpoolers Andy Leal (front), Jeannie Schafer and Kamal Abdul Rasheed. Story, Page A8. C4 C4 B4 FD1 CI CL26 A2 C4 Dl B6 B2 Dear Abby Dr. Gott Editorial Food Life Obituaries Prayer Puzzles Sports Television Weather Willey I frcn A New dawn: KTVK's Jodi Applegate says goodbye Arizona, hello 'Today' contract, which expires June 8, but the NBC offer would have been hard to top. "I'm sure they would've put something attractive together to get me to stay but as soon as this possibility came into being, I just couldn't think of anything else," she said.

"This is the most wonderful job in the universe." Neither Applegate nor Ken Lindner, her Los Angeles-based agent, would reveal financial details of her contract, which covers four years. "It's a very generous offer," Applegate said. "(But) if I'm hanging out with Bryant Gumbel, I'd expect him to pick up the lunch tab." Lindner said Applegate also had serious talks with ABC and CBS and made several trips to New York in recent weeks to meet with officials from each of the networks' news divisions. See CHANNEL 3'S, paeAS By Dave Walker1, Staff writer Jodi Applegate, who helped drive Channel 3's weekday wake-up show, Good Morning Arizona, to local ratings dominance, has signed with NBC News to co-host the weekend edition of the Today show. Applegate, 31, said Tuesday that she also will substitute occasionally for weekday Today co-host Katie Couric and anchor newscasts on MSNBC, a 24-hour cable news network scheduled for midsummer sign-on.

"Morning shows are still basically the only place in network TV where you can be sort of free-form and do a variety of things, hard news as well as lighter things, and not be totally scripted," Applegate said. "I figured this is a chance to really challenge myself." Applegate said she had informal discussions with Channel 3 (KTVK) about renewing her I Jodi Applegate TV host is headed to New York. DAILY.