Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 14

rPage Two Section ffibcAriiona Dailn Star Tucson, Tuesday, August 7, 1990 2 Democratic candidates for attorney general list their supporters By Mary K. Relnhart The Arizona Daily Star PHOENIX The two Democratic candidates (or attorney general held separate news conferences in Tucson yesterday to announce a string of new endorsements. Several prominent Tucson Democrats appeared with Phoenix attorney Richard Segal to endorse his bid to be the state's top law-enforcement official. Georgia Staton, also a Phoenix lawyer, has won the endorsement of the Arizona AFL-CIO following recent endorsements from six county attorneys, including Pima County Attorney Stephen Neely, and the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association. The state's largest labor organization, with more than 300 affiliated locals, said it supports Staton as the most electable and honest candidate.

"We like her honest, independent approach and have full confidence her ability to deal with our state's crime problems," said Chuck Hug-gins, secretary-treasurer of the state AFL-CIO. "Her experience as a state and federal prosecutor, along with her extensive civil law background, puts her head and shoulders above the other candidates," Huggins said. "We are particularly concerned with consumer-fraud issues and protection of our elderly, two of Georgia's major strengths." Staton said she was grateful "to the hard-working men and women of Arizona, and the tremendous support their endorsement will lend to my grassroots campaign." Staton also has been endorsed by Phoenix Democratic Reps. Debbie McCune-Davis, Sandra Kennedy and Sue Laybe, Sen. Tony Gabaldon, D-Flagstaff, and Alfredo Gutierrez, a political consultant and former state senator.

Segal, a Phoenix trial lawyer and former State Bar of Arizona president, was endorsed by 20 Tucson-area Democratic leaders, including eight state lawmakers. "Of all the candidates for attorney general, only Richard Segal understands that the key to environmental protection is taking action before the damage is done," said Rep. Cindy Resnick, D-Tucson, calling Segal the "environmental candidate." District 13 Democratic Sen. David Bartlett, an attorney, called Segal "the most qualified candidate for the office of attorney general in recent memory." Segal said he was proud to receive the endorsements and be noted for his environmental proposals. "I want to send a message to those corporate executives who have thought nothing of poisoning our air and water for some economic advantage," Segal said.

"When Richard Segal is attorney general, corporate executives responsible for environmental crimes are going to jail." Other Tucson-area Democrats endorsing Segal include: Sen. Jesus "Chuy" Higuera and Reps. Peter Goudinoff, Carmen Cajero, Phillip Hubbard, Eleanor Schorr and Ruth Solomon; Tucson Vice Mayor Bruce Wheeler and council members George Miller, Steve Leal and Molly McKasson; South Tucson Mayor Victor Soltero and Vice Mayor Shirley Viliegas; Pima County Supervisors Dan Eckstrom and Raul Grijalva; former U.S. Congressman Jim McNulty; environmentalist Myra Jones; and community activist Betty Liggins. Segal and Staton square off in the Sept.

11 primary. The winner will face one of three Republican candidates former chief assistant attorney general Steve Twist, Mesa attorney Grant Woods or Tucson lawyer David Eisenstein. fTUCSONARIZONA Youth gets $1.5 million lor bungled operations 1 ir lit jfW 1 i mm? 'j 7. I 1 1 4't 1 By Dan Huff The Arizona Dally Star A Tucson youth whose congeni-tally deformed penis was damaged allegedly bungled operations has won $1.5 million in out-of-court settlements. The settlements were made with insurance companies representing the doctor who, in 1976, delivered the infant and circumcised him, and with the osteopath who, in 1980, operated on him in an effort to correct the defects.

Tucson attorney William T. Healy, who represented the youth and his family, said Dr. Robert L. Hyde delivered the infant in the fall of 1976. The infant suffered from a congenially abnormal bending of the penis and another disorder which caused the urethra urine exit to be misplaced along the shaft of the penis, Healy said.

According to court documents, Hyde circumcised the infant in the delivery room despite the malformations. Experts were prepared to testify that circumcision is not recommended in such a case, Healy said. That's because the foreskin com monly is used as replacement tissue in subsequent surgery to correct the problems, Healy said. Dr. Don Ranney operated on the boy in 1980 in an effort to correct the malformations, according to court records.

Healy alleged in his filings that Ranney had never performed that type of operation before, and had seen it done only once in the 1940s. "His (Ranney's) procedures caused irreparable harm requiring complete reconstruction of the urethra and parts of the penis," the plaintiffs case alleged. Healy said Ranney "cut into the urethra in three places and really didn't repair it at all." As a result, Healy said, Ranney performed three more surgeries on the boy, who was forced to undergo an additional five surgeries by another physician to correct the problems. The youth, who is now entering puberty, suffered emotional damage requiring counseling, Healy said, adding it is not yet known whether the youth's future sexual functioning will be impaired. Neither physician admitted fault in the out-of-court settlements, according to court records.

David The Arizona Daily Star Hitting the road Todd Wren, 7, home In Bisbee during a shower. The three used a left, Angel Wren, 6, and Derrick Wren, 5, head cardboard sign yesterday to keep dry on the way. Tax Steiger would cut civil-service protection The 39th Legislature gave all counties except Maricopa authority to levy the half-cent tax by a unanimous vote of supervisors. Voter approval Is not needed. ment knows that we have removed the incentive to produce by making it almost impossible to apply private-sector standards to employee performance," he said.

Cathy McGonigle, assitant director of the state personnel department, said state workers can be disciplined for a variety of reasons, including failure to do work and insubordination. "Management doesn't hesitate to fire when there is good reason to," she said, adding that state workers who have completed their probationary work-status can appeal disciplinary actions. Sam Steiger, a Republican candidate for governor, proposed Friday that the state set aside for 90 days civil-service protection, a move that would allow supervisors to eliminate bad state workers. "Under present regulations, covered state employees cannot be removed for simple failure-to-do-the-job habits," he said in a prepared release. Steiger said his proposed legislation would spark increased work performance, and said he would like to see the review-process implemented each year.

"Anyone familiar with govern Council Continued from Page IB later during the regular meeting. Steve Weatherspoon, a Tucson lawyer representing the Tanque Verde. Well Owners' Association, said the well owners, including agrb-culture users, a golf course, and the development Lakes at Castle Rock, use about 3,000 acre feet of water a year. Tucson Water's pumpage last year in the area was 14,000 acre feet, he said. "The subsidy for the Lakes at Castle Rock is an abomination" Wheeler said.

Wheeler then won support, with a 4-2 vote, to end the May 14 action and to table the discussion. But the council continued its discussion. Molly McKasson and Janet Marcus, who have pushed for the restrictions on Tucson Water, voted against Wheeler. Mayor Tom Volgy, who criticized Tucson Water and City Manager Tom Wilson for Tucson Water's use of restricted wells in June, was absent. He is in Europe serving as a lecturer for a University of Arizona program.

After discussion of nine more items, Councilman George Miller resurrected the Tanque Verde well issue. He said he and Councilman Steve Leal did not intend to reverse the council's decision of May 14. The restrictions were reinstated on a 5-1 vote. In other action yesterday the council voted unanimously to direct the city manager to negotiate to buy 4.7 acres of land at the base of Mountain known as Mission Gardens, part of the original San Augus-tin Mission. The property, at South Mission Road and West Mission Lane, is sought for a park and reconstruction of the mission.

The property is; owned by Luis Castaneda, the for: mer husband of Gayle the woman who successfully; blocked the city from compacting a -former city landfill nearby for the extension of Mission Road. 1 Wheeler and Leal, who have; pushed for restoration of the propi erty, and other councilmembers had reservations about the property; price ranging from $200,000 The property has a full cash value, for tax purposes, of $129,636, according to the Pima County Assessor's Office. The council also voted to appoint Michael Lex as a city magistrate! Lex, 39, has been a special magistrate and was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for county Justice of the Peace in southside District 2 in 1988. Alberta G. Kemp is dead at age 92; longtime Tucsonan Longtime Tucsonan Alberta G.

Kemp died at her home July 30 from natural causes. She was 92. Kemp, a native of Kansas City, came to Tucson about 60 years ago, said Tommye Rae Wilkes, a granddaughter from San Diego. She worked as a legal assistant in Pima County Superior Courts until 1938, the year she married her late husband, Byron Kemp, the owner of a liquor distribution company. Kemp was active in social and civic affairs and was a member of the Old Pueblo Club, the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club and the Tucson Country Club, said Wilkes.

In addition to Wilkes, Kemp is survived by a daughter, Jacque Rae; Barr, of Riverside, Calif; grandr daughters Jonette LaPorte of Bea-verton, and Judy B. Lehman of Riverside, and seven greatgrandchildren. No services were held. Kemp was cremated. Woman held in Memphis in slaying of Mesa man MESA (AP) FBI agents in, Memphis, have arrested a woman wanted in the November 1988 slaying of a Mesa man, authorities said.

Maria Catherine Armstrong, 25, was arrested Friday outside a laun-, dry, Sgt Mike Hayes said. Armstrong allegedly killed Robert Neil Argenti, 29, by beating him with a small sledgehammer and stabbing him. Steiger to speak at Cushing St. forum Continued from Page IB need some form of property-tax relief," Mathieson waid. Griffis said that since he became county manager in October, several major companies declined to locate in Pinal County "due to the fact that the property tax is so high." Griffis had recommended that the sales tax be imposed with 60 percent to hold down property taxes and 40 percent to the county's general fund.

In an effort to appease critics, the board opted to have 70 percent go toward lowering property taxes. Supervisors also argued that the tax would spread more of the burden to renters and visitors and would make up for a $160,000 a year loss in state sales tax revenues, that shift from Pinal to Maricopa County under other provisions of the new tax law. A property tax rebate provided by the state is already expected to lower Pinal's property rate by about 24 cents. Combined with the sales tax revenues, Griffis said, Pinal's primary rate should drop about 45 cents from $4.54 to $4.09. Opsahl said after the meeting that his group saw the sales tax as a benefit to some industry in his area, where 12 large businesses account for 11.5 percent of countywide property tax revenues.

"But it became very obvious to us that it was not going to be a dollar-for-dollar trade-off," he said. "So as far as I'm concerned, they just raised taxes in Pinal County and that's going to hurt us. I'm very disappointed." Keith Hilgendorf, executive director of the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce, said as he left the meeting: "They may have given us all an opportunity to speak, but they didn't listen to us." Officials said the tax should raise $1.6 million during the first partial year. That should increase to more than $3.15 million in fiscal 1991-92. All three Cochise County supervisors say they want a half-cent sales tax, but yesterday they failed for the second time to approve it.

Board chairman Gene Manring, a Sierra Vista Re- publican, said he will try to call a special meeting tomorrow on the sales tax if the members can reach an agreement. Democrat Kim Bennett of Willcox cast a negative vote last week and offered an amendment yesterday that Manring accepted, but Democrat Ann English, of McNeal, did not. "I wanted to be sure that the sales tax money benefited property owners and I insisted on a sunset clause," Bennett said yesterday. But English said she will not accept a sunset clause. Bennett's amendment would have ended the sales tax by June 30, 1993, unless the supervisors re-approved the tax.

"I want to guarantee the public that the board will look seriously at the tax again," he said. "Now it is for waste management, but we could go to user fees or a sanitation district for that and use the tax money for something else." English said, "There is no way to earmark the tax revenues for any specific use they go into general revenues." The sales tax would get a late start this year, going into effect Oct. 1 to raise an estimated $1.6 million by June 30, 1991. In the year starting July 1, 1991, it would raise about $2 million. Yesterday's proposal would use $1.2 million of the 1990-91 money for a solid waste management plan a new landfill, a recycling center, 17 garbage transfer stations and upgrades of six transfer stations.

The other $400,000 would reduce property taxes by 15 cents per $100 assessed value, from $2.96 to $2.81 per $1 00 assessed value. Manring and English said they agree with using the sales tax money to cut property taxes. Arizona Daily Star reporter Keith Bagwell contributed to this story. Former Rep. Sam Steiger, a Republican candidate for governor, will speak tonight at the weekly pub-! lie forum at the Cushing Street Bar and Restaurant downtown.

Steiger, who was in the U.S. House of Representatives for 10 years, also worked on the staff of then-Gov. Evan Mecham before Mecham was impeached and removed from of-; ice. Steiger is scheduled to speak at 8 p.m., followed by a question-and-an-Iswer session and an open-micro phone soapbox for audience members. Radio talk-show host Roy Laos, formerly on the Tucson City Council, is scheduled to be moderator.

Rep. Jim Kolbe, will be the speaker Aug. 14, followed by Mecham on Aug. 21. The forum will be held at the bar, which is just south of the Tucson Convention Center at the corner of Meyer and Cushing streets.

For more information or reservations, call 622-7984. Phone book has wrong library numbers bers are: Main Library, 791-4393. Overdues and fines, 791-4126. Library administration, The new US West telephone di-! rectory lists incorrect numbers for the Tucson Public Library. The library said the correct num Tainted Continued from Page IB "There is no public notice requirement until a bad reading is confirmed by a second one." Jon Dahl Environmental Quality Dept.

3 A i- ii mi; ifiiiMi- in EXTRAS) Your Name vm i tzJ IS UZAlLzi TAKE ONE REGULAR OR SUNSET HORSE BACK RIDE AND YOUR GUEST RIDES the system that is "prior to the point where the system is chlorinated," she said. Jon Dahl, manager of the water compliance unit in the state Department of Environmental Quality, said the confirmation testing is standard for water companies in Arizona. "There is no public notice requirement until a bad reading is confirmed by a second one," he said. "There are the possibilities of lab error, which is rare, and sampling error, which is more common." State rules require that at least two "check samples" of water be taken from any system that shows bacteria content, "one per day each day after a bad reading is received," Dahl said. If a water system fails on either check sample, the public notice requirement is triggered, he said.

Then, a water company must take a sample every day and have it tested until there are two days in a row without bacteria, he said. Vactor said began daily sampling and testing yesterday and will continue for as long as necessary. He said that the city's Tucson Water utility recently reduced its pumping in the area "and the water levels in our wells are up 20 feet, up into areas that haven't been tapped on a long time." David Esposito, county Environmental Quality director, said the problem is not due to a leak in the county sewer system. "It's a septic tank area, and when the water rises, it can get bacteria in it," he said. Although chlorine affects taste, customers have no cause for concern, Esposito said.

"If there is a complaint, however, we can test a person's water at the tap," he said. Johnson said the county will send an inspector to study system and will take its own water samples for testing at the state Department of Health Services laboratory in Phoenix. (A $2 1 or 23 value) Offer good through August REDINGTON LAND AND CATTLE CO. Eoil end of Redington end of pavement ot 4w foot of Rcdington Pass. For reservations call 749-5555 To receive your EXTRA Card, just subscribe to either The Arizona Daily Star or Tucson Citizen for 24 weeks or longer.

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