St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 1

POST-DBHSKW S5 VOL 115, NO. 12 Copyright 1 993 TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1993 (3) 5-STAR 50 R0D simsilhisiini Swoinra Don vmrair SILO Says Mission Will Be 'World-Class' Schools 1 i I ill i i if "a I 4 jfc i A II By Terry Ganey, Virginia Young and Fred W. Lindecke Post-Dispatch Jefferson City Bureau JEFFERSON CITY Mel Carnahan placed his hand on a Bible that had been his great-grandfather's, took the oath of office and became Missouri's 49th governor on Monday. He then pledged that his administration would work to improve public schools so that children such as his grandson, Austin Carnahan, would have access to a "world class" education. "That's my mission as governor," Carnahan said after repeating the oath administered by Judge Don W.

Kennedy of the Court of Appeals in Kansas City. "Nothing is so fearful to me as the specter of my 3-year-old grandson, Austin, moving through a school system where the working parts are rusting, where the spirit to learn has disappeared," Carnahan said in his 15-minute inaugural address. Carnahan's inauguration ended a TEXT OF Carnahan's inaugural address Page 1C 12-year Republican hold on the governor's office. Four other Democrats also claimed statewide posts Monday as a result of victories in the Nov. 3 general election.

Taking office with Carnahan were: Lt. Gov. Roger B. Wilson of Columbia; Secretary of State Judith Moriarty of Sedalia; Treasurer Bob Holden of St. Louis; and Attorney General Jay Nix on of Hillsboro.

Inauguration day was cloudy, with 25-degree temperatures chilled by a damp breeze whipping off the Missouri River. About 5,000 to 6,000 shiver-' ing people sat or stood during the hour-long swearing-in on the Capitol grounds. "i "I'm doing everything I can to keep from turning into a Popsicle," said a bundled-up Edward "Chip" Robertson, chief justice of the state Supreme Court. See CARNAHAN, Page 8 XV Nixon Fulfills Promise Asks Court To Drop Right-To-Die Case By Fred W. Lindecke Missouri Political Correspondent JEFFERSON CITY Fulfilling a campaign promise about an hour and a half after taking the oath of office, Attorney General Jay Nixon asked the Missouri Supreme Court on Monday to dismiss the Christine Busalacchi case.

Nixon said that if the Supreme Court accepts the motion he filed, the "right-to-die" case will be over and Busalacchi's family can remove her life support. Busalacchi, 22, of St. Charles, suffered severe brain damage in an automobile accident in May 1987. Two years ago, her father, Peter Busalacchi, tried to move his daughter to Minnesota, where it would be easier to remove her life support. But Missouri officials fought the move.

The state appealed a ruling by St. Louis County Probate Judge Louis Kohn that Christine Busalacchi was in a vegetative state. Kohn's ruling is before the Supreme Court. Peter Busalacchi could not be reached to comment Monday. But one of his attorneys, John Kilo of St.

Louis, said he was pleased that Nixon had kept his promise. "I am sure that our client is relieved to the extent that he can be at this time," Kilo said. "We are still awaiting the final action of the Supreme Court." Ceil Callahan, a spokeswoman for Missouri Right For Life, said Nixon was playing politics. She said Nixon has sent a signal that Missouri no longer will fight for the lives of disabled people. "Disabled or incompetent people will be left to the whims of their fam-See DIE, Page 8 i Democrats Get Chance To Lead Capitol Dance -IV! Ill if Wayne CrosslinPost-Dispatch Gov.

Mel Carnahan and his wife, Jean, riding in a horse-drawn carriage to his inauguration Monday in Jefferson City. Carnahan is the first Democratic governor in Missouri in 12 years. U.N. Rebukes Iraq, Wants Missiles Back haven't had a dancer in eight years. We don't want to foul it up." That was a reference to former Gov.

John Ashcroft and his wife, Janet, who did not lead the dancing during previous inaugural balls because of their religious beliefs. People crowded shoulder-to-shoulder, straining to get a look at the Carnahans. But some had to leave before the dancing began because they were concerned about forecasts of hazardous weather in the western part of the state. The event continued tate because all 197 members of the House and Senate and their families were introduced to the gathering. The ball and the brief fireworks display over the Missouri River See BALL, Page 8 Clark Clifford Needs heart surgery Trial Is Set For Clifford Compiled From News Services NEW YORK Despite the contention that a trial will kill him, 85-year-old Clark Clifford must stand trial on fraud and bribery charges in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International case, a judge ruled Monday.

Justice John A.K. Bradley rejected a motion to dismiss the See CLIFFORD, Page 9 By Terry Ganey Post-Dispatch Jefferson City Bureau Chief JEFFERSON CITY The acoustics are terrible. Few people can see. But every four years, somebody throws a big party in the state Capitol. Monday night was the Democrats' turn, as well-wishers, supporters, friends and political junkies crowded in to see Gov.

Mel Carnahan and his wife, Jean, lead the promenade in the building and then dance to the "Missouri Waltz." Jean Carnahan wore a floor-length, black sequined dress trimmed in rhinestones. The Carnahans had practiced waltzing for the event. "There may have been some instruction involved," said Chris Sifford, the governor's spokesman. "We IRAQ is trying to meet deadline to quit border area Page 1C military strike last week over the placement of anti-aircraft missiles in the southern "no fly" zone established to protect rebel Shiite Muslims. But on Saturday, U.S.

officials confirmed the Baghdad government had complied with their demands and removed the missiles. Tension escalated when Iraq banned U.N. flights over Iraq, hampering a U.N. effort to dismantle Saddam's stocks and production of chemical, nuclear and biological weapons. Russia's ambassador saw the latest dispute as part of a pattern of Iraqi intransigence.

"It's serious, especially if you consider them in a chain of events, and that is not a very nice chain," Yuli Vorontsov told reporters. Iraq is facing a deadline of Friday set by the Security Council to remove property now considered to be on Kuwaiti territory. A U.N. commission established the new border between Iraq and Kuwait in November in -accordance with Security Council resolutions made after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Abdel Latif Kabbaj, a U.N.

spokesman in Kuwait, said 120 unarmed Iraqis on Monday crossed the new border and went to a former Iraqi naval base, See IRAQ, Page 9 ffrarcR i CLOSE 3262.75 UP 11.08 Blues' Hebert Shuts Out Detroit Rookie goaltender Guy Hebert earns his first career shutout and Garth Butcher scores as the Blues beat the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 for their fourth victory in a row. ib Gov. Carnahan's Vision (EDITORIAL) Testing The Waters (EDITORIAL) 2C i 1 1 ss'. V) Thomas B. Curtis Represented 2nd district dent Gerald R.

Ford appointed Mr. Curtis as the first chairman of the Federal Election Commission. Among his other appointive posts were: chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, chairman of the Twentieth Century Fund Study on Financing Congressional Elections, chairman of the U.S. Rent Control Board, member of the board of the National News Council and board member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In his years in the House, Mr. Curtis was a negotiator on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. He made foreign trade, unemployment, congressional procedure and health care for older people his special fields See CURTIS, Page 9 Robert H. Rice 1975 photo Stone said. "I doubt if we'll see anybody of his legal ability again." He spent long hours at his law office.

"Everybody knew if you really wanted to talk to him to call Friday night, because he worked all night every Friday night," recalled John M. English, a former assistant English and another former assis- 1 fcl'l" ii Lawmaker Tom Curtis Dead At 81 GOP Congressman Served For 18 Years By Fred W. Lindecke Missouri Political Correspondent Former Rep. Thomas B. Curtis died Sunday (Jan.

10, 1993) of congestive heart failure in Pier Cove, Mich. He was 81. Michigan was his summer vacation spot; he had moved there, trademark bow ties and all, after retiring in September from his law practice in St. Louis County. As a conservative Republican from Webster Groves, Mr.

Curtis represented the 2nd District of St. Louis County for 18 years. His congressional career ended after he lost a Senate race to Democrat Thomas F. Eagleton in 1968. He challenged Eagleton again in 1974, and lost again.

Still, Mr. Curtis continued to hold high appointive offices, and in 1976 and 1980, he played a prominent role in writing Republican national platforms as a representative of presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. After his loss in 1968, Mr. Curtis became vice president and general counsel for Encyclopaedia Britan-nica. After his loss in 1974, then-Presi- Rice Dies; Ex-State's Attorney Mentor To Many Was 'One Of A Kind' By Robert Goodrich Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Robert H.

Rice, who prosecuted hundreds of people as SL Clair County state's attorney and then defended hundreds more in private practice, died Sunday (Jan. 10, 1993). He was 66. SL Clair County Coroner Rick Stone said Mr. Rice died at home in Belleville of natural causes.

Mr. Rice handled high-profile criminal cases in both Illinois and Missouri, in federal and state courts. Among them was his defense of Stone last fall on official misconduct charges. "A pop fly," Rice said with a grin after Stone's acquittal. "He certainly was one of a kind," Business 6-12B Classified S-8C Commentary 3C DollarsSense 5-BD Editorials 2C Everyday 1-12D Movie Timetable 10D NationWorld 7A News Analysis 1C Obituaries 4A.4C People 4A Reviews 4D St Louis 3A Sports 1-SB Television 9D Compiled From News Services UNITED NATIONS The U.N.

Se curity Council has condemned Iraq's weapons-grabbing raids into Kuwait and demanded Baghdad return missiles it seized in violation of the Persian Gulf War cease-fire. But the non-binding statement Monday by the 15-nation council, issued after long and complex closed-door deliberations, contained only a vague warning of "serious consequences" of Iraq's defiance. The council president, Ambassador Yoshio Hatano of Japan, did not "foresee a use of force by the United Nations immediately." Scores of Iraqis crossed into Kuwait again Monday and carted off equipment from a disputed naval base, the second border foray in 24 hours. The U.N. council did not punish Iraq beyond the jmeasures it has already taken a sweeping economic embargo and requirement it destroy its most dangerous weapons.

The council statement said Iraq's cross-border raids to seize weapons from its only naval base on the Persian Gulf "amounts to clear-cut defiance by Iraq." The base is now in Kuwaiti territory, under a new border established by the United Nations. The comments of council president Hatano left open the possibility of using force against Iraq outside U.N. auspices. The United States and three of its allies threatened Iraq with a Deficit Must Democrats Now Expect Deeper Spending Cuts Compiled From News Services WASHINGTON President-elect Bill Clinton said in an interview released Monday that he was determined to make a major reduction in the deficit, but that he would have to make deeper spending cuts than he contemplated last summer to meet his campaign pledge of halving the deficit by 1996. "The deficit has to be dealt with because it will paralyze the ability of our country to deal with other problems emergencies abroad and needs at home so it has to be dealt with," Clinton said.

Clinton's choice for budget director, Rep. Leon E. Panetta, also said Monday that cutting the federal deficit was the administration's top priority and indicated that, as a result, administration officials no longer had much interest in short-term spending to boost the economy and had de-See DEFICIT, Page 9 EPA NOMINEE wants better ties with business Page 1C Be Faced, Cb'nton Says Freezing Rain FORECAST: Today: A chance of freezing rain mixed with rain or drizzle through tonight. High 37. Low tonight 24.

Wednesday: Cloudy and cold. High 29. Other weather, 2A POST-DISPATCH WEATHERBIRD 09 11 00' Give e4)yy. )' A AP Rep. Leon E.

Panetta testifying Monday at his confirmation hearing. Panetta is President-elect Bill Clinton's choice for director of the Office of Management and Budget.