Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 32

B14 Asbury Park Press Jan. 18, 1980 Legislature Legislature still 6 iggling' Plan to evaluate, label public schools defended pub lie utility tax formula Dumont repeated the complaints of teacher, parent, civic and school board organizations that classifying schools and districts would put unwanted labels on them and create a lasting stigma on the students In an "unapproved" district or school. Burke responded, "The purpose of classification here Is to put the spotlight on the problem and say you've got to do The purpose of evluatlon Is to identify the school districts that need help and those that don't." If standards are not set up to determine which schools need help, Burke said, "the first thing you're going to ask Is why us and not somebody else? I'm going to have to say I felt that way, and It won't be enough." "Shouldn't people know?" agreed state Sen. Frank J. Dodd, D-Essex.

"To go on pretending everything Is all right In education is like an alcoholic who won't admit he has a problem The system will not go on like It Is. It won't last much longer." TRENTON Education Commissioner Fred G. Burke, faced with a bill that would stop his plans to classify the quality of the state's public schools, defended his plans yesterday before the Senate Education Committee. Under Burke's plan, now pending before the state Board of Education, the state Education Department would evaluate New Jersey's 2,500 public schools and 614 school districts. Each would be classified as "approved," "unapproved" or "Interim approval," along with recommendations for improvement.

"I think you ought to do it with evaluation and recommendation, and that's where you ought to stop," said state Sen. Wayne Dumont R-Warren, sponsor of the bill to outlaw Burke's plan. No action was taken on the bill. "You're bringing down a Jot of good districts that are working on their problems and making progress," he said. least $6 million a year.

Under the Gregorio bills, it would be cut to $750,000 under a provision limiting municipalities to $500 per resident. Meanwhile, both the Senate and the Assembly passed legislation putting off the dates for municipal and county budget introductions and adoptions. The measures are designed to give the Legislature more time to figure out the utility tax issue. Under the bills, towns would have until March 19 to introduce their budget and April 26 to adopt them; the corresponding county deadlines would be March 5 and April 2. Current law requires municipal budget adoptions by March 20 and county budget adoptions by Feb.

26. The Byrne administration is said to be supporting the extensions. A year ago, Byrne vetoed similar legislation, calling it fiscal gimmickry. By ROBERT J. GEARY Press Staff Writer TRENTON Legislative leaders were unable yesterday to find a formula for redistributing public utility taxes among municipalities.

"We've got to put the numbers back in the computer and jiggle them around a little," Sen. Eugene J. Bedell, D-Monmouth, said. Five redistribution bills were listed on the Senate agenda yesterday, a package of three bills sponsored by Sen. John T.

Grego-rio, D-Union, and two competing measures sponsored by Sen. Raymond Zane, D-Gloucester. According to Bedell, the Gregorio bills have 22 votes in the Senate, enough for passage, but would fail in the Assembly, where a coalition of South Jersey legislators want more of the money sent to their area of the state. "What's the point of passing them here and having them fail over there?" Bedell asked. DURING THE RECENT lame duck legislative session, bills identical to the Gregorio package won Senate approval but were killed in the Assembly.

The Gregorio bills would create a $28 million iur.d 170 municipalities in the sx.ti, with r.uch of the money going to the state's "2iz Sis" cities Newark, Jersey City, Cair.der., Paterson, Trenton and Elizabeth. The money would be drawn from the more than $400 million utility companies are Associated Press FRED G.BURKE 'Classification spotlights a problem' now paying in revenue and franchise taxes to the towns in which they have facilities. Gregorio 's bills would limit the amount of money any municipality could receive under the present formula, creating a surplus fund that would be shared by towns with higher than average tax rates. In the Senate, the Gregorio bills are co-sponsored by Sen. Brian T.

Kennedy, R-Mon-mouth, who added his name to them after casting a key vote in their favor during the lame duck session. KENNEDY WAS ONE of just two Republicans to vote for the bills. He said his district would gain more than $700,000 if the measures are enacted, with Long Branch alone getting $210,000. Bedell is supporting the bills for the same reason, he said. But Sen.

John F. Russo, D-Ocean, who voted for them in the past session, said yesterday hell oppose them this time because Lacey Township would be denied taxes for the Forked River nuclear plant if it is completed. Assemblyman John P. Doyle, D-Ocean, is one of the South Jersey legislators who helped kill the bills in the lower house. The Zane bills are similar to Gregorio's, except that they would protect Lower Alio-ways Creek Township in Salem County, a town of 1,500 people that now gets more than $8 million in utility taxes annually because of its two nuclear plants.

Public Service Electric Gas Salem I and Salem generating stations. ZANE'S BILLS WOULD guarantee that Lower Alloways would continue to get at SUPER LOW PRICES! SCHENCK'S DISCOUNTS EVERYTHING! ipoiuiumeiit of judge 1 II in DUTY MAYTAG by 'courtesy' Byrne signs bill for referendum in Atlantic City The Associated Press TRENTON A bill to allow Atlantic City to change its form of government whisked through the state Legislature and was signed by Gov. Brendan T. Byrne yesterday. The bill sets up a Feb.

26 referendum in which city voters will decide whether to replace the current five-member board of commissioners with a government headed by an elected mayor and a seven-member city council, who would hire a paid, appointed administrator. Byrne would not comment on whether he thinks the current city government is inadequate. "I think that's a question that ought to be left to the voters of Atlantic City," he said. But he added that the city is growing rapidly because of its three new casinos and others under construction, and the voters may feel that a more flexible government is needed. The new government form was recommended by "a professional study and a collective effort of the political parties," said state Sen.

Steven P. Perskie, a Democrat from Atlantic City, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, where it passed 34-2 without debate. In the lower house it was sponsored by a Republican, Assemblyman William L. Gormley, of Atlantic City. It passed 72-0 without debate during an unusually brief half-hour Assembly session.

If Atlantic City voters pass the referendum, the city would be divided into three wards, with two city council members elected from each ward and the remaining council member and mayor elected at large. Each official would have a four-year term. Currently the city is governed by a board of five commissioners, who choose a mayor from among themselves. Let Atlantic Glass SONY COLOR TVs SUPER LOW PRICES "Tck I-Iouse Bureau 7. ON Sen.

Eugene J. Bedell said yasaraiy lie will use "senatorial courtesy" to block ncrer.ee R. Peskoe's nomination to be a :or.mouth County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge. ZzliZ raid he is blocking Mrs. Peskoe "at request of my county chairman," Momr.uuti Ccur.ty Democratic leader John R.

Ficrino. "It -othins to do with her qualifications," L.e:.:U scii. Gov. 3Tne announced Monday that he would nominate Mrs. Peskoe, currently deputy director of the state Administrative Office of the Courts, nc-rrt week.

'a'v, the governor must give seven cays r.oua.' of jcllcial nominations. uir.t time was non-committal about T.c.-Jt..:i.on, saying he hadn't given it any t.n:r:. 3ec2 said Fiorino wants Mrs. Peskoe blocked until "other appointments," including another judgeship, are settled. Ficrino wants Rumson lawyer Prospero DoIJona, r.c-w a membfar of the state Casino Control Commissi rn, nominated to a vacancy on fie strte Superior Court, according to Bedel reportedly has asked for the judgeship.

"And there are some other appointments that he (Fiorino) has suggested that are up in the air," Bedell said. He did not specify what they are. Fiorino said Wednesday he was concerned about two more Superior Court judgeships in Monmouth County that would be created under legislation that has passed both houses of the Legislature. Byrne has not yet signed the bill. In addition, Long Branch Mayor Henry Cioffi is seeking a seat on the Public Employment Relations Commission.

Under the "courtesy" tradition, the Senate will not confirm nominations by a governor if they are opposed by any senator from the nominee's home county. Bedell said he understands the governor's office will now hold off on the Peskoe nomination until Harold Hodes, the governor's chief of staff, confers with Fiorino. Prior to assuming her present post, Mrs. Peskoe was the clerk of the state Supreme Court under former Chief Justice Richard J. Hughes.

She has never been active politically in Monmouth County. Her nomination was to a Democratic vacancy on the county court created by the retirement of Judge Leo B. Weinstein. Judgeships are divided equally between Democrats and Republicans. philco ySii ip MAGNAVOX 25" DIAGONAL COLOR CONSOLE COLONIAL for a quick, reasonable, AUTHORIZED UNITIZED 100 SOLID STATE AUTOMATIC FINE TUNING INSURANCE REPLACE MC095 ,0 M524 pump bill held eiat in Senate panel 19" DIAGONAL MAGNAVOX COLOR PORTABLE With AFT and One Year On Ports Two Years on Picture Tube 90 DAYS LABOR i '319 jjij 8S75 MICROWAVES Famous Make BUILT-IN DISHWASHER COOK Only one fuel company representative, Sal Russo, of Merit claimed Tuesday that self service would mean savings.

The company, which is 49 percent-owned by Hess Oil, operates 25 fuel-only stations in New Jersey. Len Ruppert of of New Jersey petroleum Council, which represents distributors but not manufactureers, told Graves, "We saw no need to repeat all our arguments of two years ago. "I can't guarantee price differences between full service and self-service pump islands. Look at the experience elsewhere." Jerry Ferrara, New Jersey Gasoline Retailers Association, claimed fuel prices in full-service New Jersey were comparable to prices in self-service Pennsylvania. Eliminating service station attendants would put about 5,000 New Jerseyans out of work for a possible savings of $24 to $30 a year for the average motorist, the service station spokesman said.

"Lie Associated Press T77.3.''7Ci! A bill that would allow gasoline pumps was held Thursday a state Senate commitee for fror: jroups that killed a similar proposal years ago. reed some relief from high gas zvi I'm disturbed by the lack of input hy distributors who did a wonderful ci lobbying in newspapers," said state Sen. Frank Graves, D-Passaic. Grave-, tie bill's sponsor, also is cf the Ser.cte Law, Public Safety and Defense Cor. rr.lt lee, which is considering the proposal.

Distributors previously argued it would cost them amounts of money to convert independently owned gas stations to self service fueling operations. They also said there was no guarantee of lower prices if customers are their own pump jockeys. BY TIME AND TEMPERATURE TO 199" MAUI nun or 289 MENT SERVICE. 1 ATLANTIC 4 GLASS i Belmar Matawan Red Bank Jf HIGHWAY 71 110 MAIN ST. 21 MAPLE AVE.

SOUTH OF 5662838 COR. WHITE ST. 1 18th ST. AND MAPLE AVE. 1 681-1200 747-2020 1 of Belmar QUASAR MICROWAVE COOKING DEMONSTRATION Sat.

Jan. 16 11a.m. -3 p.m. at I mt SENTINEL HOME PINBALL GAME $18995 I vsi Vifr YES Heir Proposal on Ballot Schenck's lection Spsdca JANUARY 18, 1980 to 9:00 P.M. 3SAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AUDITORIUM lav kau i IAUREITOJI CIRCLE, BRICK TOWN OPEN 899T052 INSTANT CREDIT USING Master Uurje, Gn(j Electric Ctedit, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, American EipfessBank Hmmcaid.

'til 9 p.m. SAT. 10 5:30 SUN. 114 VtnKf TV M(N tt'Himrt ttf M. IMIWI liaMtd IKhnxidit ffipnilbl for Typographical Errpri SALE EN0S JAM.

21 Paid lor by Belmar Boajd of Education SOME ITEMS PLIS DELIVERY.