Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 22

22 Section 1 Chicago Tribune, Friday, May 2, 1997 SW NW WC FROM PAGE ONE 4 0 Jt Lost havens for homeless Until the shelters reopen in October, many homeless in the suburbs will head to unsafe places for rest, such as a forest preserve, under a bridge or even in an auto dealership's unlocked vehicles. James Rudden, 68, before an Arlington Heights shelter closed Thursday for the summer: "This place is like a haven for me, someplace I can count on." wuiiiinuuww jiiLijimiiimii mi iiijiuniLi i- JJ 'u'" "'-J x' St. James Catholic Church in Arlington Heights. Until October, no more guests fa if will Budget: The Democratic leadership in Congress is far from happy with the deaL Continued from Page 1 other proposals. The most controversial proposal would call on the Bureau of Labor Statistics to adjust the Consumer Price Index to reflect a lower rate of inflation, amounting to 0.4 percentage points less that its calculations would otherwise show.

Many economists support revising the CPI calculation, saying it overstates the real inflation rate by as much as 1 percentage point. A by-product of such a change would be to reduce cost-of-living escalators for a broad range of government benefits, including Social Security, for which increases are tied to the inflation index. Medicare savings would total $115 billion, largely from reducing payments to doctors and hospitals, but some of the savings would come from a rise in monthly Medicare premiums. Sources said another $25 billion to $35 billion would come from the Medicaid program. As a whole, cutbacks in the growth of such federal entitlement programs would amount to $200 billion over five years.

Some $60 billion would be added to spending over five years for education, environmental cleanup and other federal discretionary programs. In addition, Clinton insisted on $32 billion in extra spending to provide for children's health care, restoring welfare benefits for elderly and disabled immigrants, and other programs. The White House cautioned that a final deal had not yet been worked out. "Some of the loose ends might unravel if you pull on them too hard," one official said Thursday night. The official said that negotiations were particularly dicey on Medicare changes and tax proposals, and he stressed that Clinton wouldn't agree to the deal if his priorities weren't addressed.

Both Democratic congressional leaders, Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri and Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota, assailed the emerging deal and left doubt whether they would support it. The White House, embarrassed by their remarks, said it would try to line up a majority of Democrats behind the accord. Gephardt said that what he had heard about the deal "does not give me great optimism or confidence you'll get enough Democrats" for a package.

Daschle criticized the size of the tax cut and insufficient spending for the environment, crime-fighting and other domestic programs. "I'm declaring my independence," he said. "I'm not going to sell it if I don't believe in it." Liberal Democrats expressed anger at their exclusion from the budget talks. They criticized the deal as a giveaway to the rich. "This is a budgetary pinata for the wealthiest in our society," said Rep.

Edward Markey Markey noted the proposed agreement included doubling the estate tax exemption, a move Republicans support. Liberal Rep. David Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat, said the agreement would widen the gap between rich and poor by reducing taxes on upper-income Americans and limiting spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security for middle- and lower-income people. "If that's the case, no Democrat ought to support it," Obey said. Sen.

Phil Gramm (R-Texas) led conservative opposition to the proposal. "This thing will be like a dead fish. You set it on the table for three or four days and it will begin to stink." But Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) supported the accord's outlines. "Republicans have every reason to feel good about entitlement spending.

And Democrats have every reason to feel good about the discretionary spending" in the agreement. "This is finding common ground between a Republican Congress and a Democratic White House," Shays said. "Blue Dog" moderate Republicans, who have worked with a similarly nicknamed group of conservative Democrats to forge common ground on the budget, declared the agreement historic. Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) said there is "widespread, enthusiastic support" for it.

Rep. Billy Tauzin a former Democrat, conceded that the "four corners" of Congress might not like the agreement, referring to the extreme right and left wings of both parties in the House and Senate. "But the great center of politics in the House is applauding today for the extraordinary progress that has been made," Tauzin said. Rep. Roger Wicker another "Blue Dog," said of the agreement: "We don't quite have a baby yet but we have seen the sonogram." "There is bipartisan agreement at the center," Tauzin said.

"Will that include the Democratic leadership? Obviously not." Rep. Mark Neuman a leader of the large class of House Republicans that was elected in the GOP sweep of 1994 but lost a showdown with Clinton over the budget two winters ago, said conservatives are hopeful but cautious. "We're in the 'trust but verify' stage," he said. 1 i. Tribune photos by Jose More facility that would certainly draw in the homeless from across the suburbs, he added.

But more importantly, a stable source of funds to construct and staff such a facility simply isn't there. "There's clearly a need, but the federal government isn't in the business of homeless shelters," Hanafee said. PADS officials said they don't have the resources to provide the homeless with food and shelter during the summer months. They struggle to obtain donations to pay for the food and personal hygiene items they give to homeless people in the winter. At some PADS sites the volunteers are asked to donate $15 for each day they work.

The money is used to buy food, paper plates, cups, coffee and other items. "Our volunteers tell us they are tired around this time of year. It's an emotional strain," said Mike Wasserberg, executive director of the South Suburban PADS, which runs 17 shelters in communities such as Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Park Forest and University Park. Pam Digioia, director of a PADS site in Wheaton, said she is interested in finding churches in her area that would be willing to fill in the gap during the months PADS is closed. "I don't think people realize," Digioia said, "that when the homeless are kicked out of shelters, they remain in town." having a blend of soft and hard news.

You always need that. That's why I can find my horoscope in the Tribune. But the blend still has to on balance be good journalism." But adding Springer, she said, simply symbolized disrespect for staffers and viewers alike. "Just say Jerry Springer's name, and it is a statement of the kind of television that descends to the lowest rung," Marin said. Marin said she first learned in February that management was planning to bring Springer in and tried to talk them out of it Then, her lawyer met with station management in early March, she said, to begin talks about getting out of her contract which was to run through the end of the year.

It wasn't until Thursday, she said, that the terms of her departure were made final. Marin said that although she wants to stay in broadcast journalism, she has no immediate plans. "My goal is not to get out of the business," Marin said. "I want to be proud of it as I do it" Said WBBM's Price, "I don't think Carol will have any trouble finding work." Continued from Page 1 disappear, and we won't ever see them again. I hate to tell them, 'See you next because I hope they can get their lives in order so they don't have to come back," De Leon said.

Homeless advocates estimate that there are about 47,000 homeless people in the suburbs. Few organizations provide them with permanent shelter. Thus, the PADS operation, was created almost two decades ago and now operates shelters in 17 districts it has created across the suburbs. Each district has about 15 sites for the homeless, usually a local church that opens one night a week as a shelter. A single PADS shelter often handles more than 30 people per night.

In DuPage County, where the demand for beds is the greatest, PADS shelters serve more than 1,000 guests each week. PADS provides the homeless with a warm meal, a place to sleep for the night and a sack lunch they can take with them. Only those 18 and older are allowed to remain overnight. The women are segregated from the men, though parents with children are allowed to bunk near them. The shelters lock up about 9 p.m.

and don't allow anyone to exit until after 6 a.m. the next day. Returning to the streets each morning, many suburban homeless spend the day working their way from one shelter to the next, often killing time at a public library, train station or shopping mall. Those with some money may rent a room at a transient motel. People lucky enough to have cars often convert them into makeshift mobile homes.

In the summer months, many homeless' people spend more time outside, and often a park or forest preserve becomes their home. Brian Berg, a spokesman for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, said forest preserve police do get a handful of complaints about homeless people who linger or pitch tents on public lands. "Our preserves are open at sunrise and closed at dark," Berg said. "If their visit is not within those hours, we tell them to leave." some of the homeless sleep in these preserves, often at their own peril. A few are preyed upon by muggers or other homeless people who steal their meager possessions, according to homeless advocates.

"Some of them have it real bad because they have no money, no transportation and no prospects for employment," said Matthew Hanafee, director of the Illinois Coalition to End Homelessness. "Safety is a real problem for them. It just makes it worse Marin Continued from Page 1 are if you feel it's a matter of "It feels like a death in the family," Ron Magers, Marin's broadcast partner and a lead anchor at the station since 1982, said Thursday. "I've been blessed by this partnership, and I'm very grateful and now unbelievably sad." Magers, who has been less vocal than Marin since the temporary hiring of Springer was announced April 23 but clearly shared her anguish, said his course of action remains uncertain. The two held hands on the desktop at 10:30 p.m.

Thursday as Marin delivered an upbeat farewell message, thanking colleagues for their professionalism and viewers for their trust and referring only obliquely to the internal controversy. When she was finished, a phalanx of staffers visible in the newsroom applauded vigorously. Somebody turned out the lights. "It's a moment of truth in the history of broadcast journalism in this city," said John Callaway, the host of WTTW-Ch. ll's "Chicago Tonight" public affairs show.

"It's a very sobering Guests leave St. James Church on Thursday with sack lunches provided by volunteers. Public Action to Deliver Shelter closes its shelters during the summer months to preserve the group's limited funds. stay at the homeless shelter at 1 I i Si'" -if -5 the car at night. "I feel a lot safer when the shelters are open," she said.

"These places lend a helping hand." Hanafee said his group has sought to enlist support from local governments and other But in an interview last week after announcing the hiring of Springer for a trial period lasting the month of May, Banks said the decision was about creating interest in the news and adding diverse voices. What Springer does on his talk show, which tapes in WMAQ studios, was not relevant to his credibility on a news broadcast Banks said: "Jerry Springer will be the first one to tell you that there is Jerry Springer and there is the show, and people should view that show in a tongue-in-cheek sort of a way, and the show is designed to make fun." Critics of the show a recent episode was called "Our Brother Is a Pimp" point out that it does not often let its guests in on the joke, using their seemingly genuine emotional pain as the focal point Springer was in California and could not be reached Thursday. But the former Cincinnati mayor, who was a respected news anchor and commentator in that city for, a decade before beginning his national talk show in Chicago in 1992, fueled the flames last week by saying that news exploits people more than does his talk show. "Everybody has gotta lighten up," he said. "This is local news.

when they have to scrounge around to survive," Hanafee said. Tina Peters, a woman in her late 50s, said that during the summer she often spends the night inside her 1991 Ford Tempo. She feels unsafe inside moment, and I'm proud of her. "That which was best in that tradition of all the giants was what she was trying to uphold, and that day has simply passed. It probably passed some time ago.

She could have made this decision based on other factors some time ago, but for her this was the straw." "This is a bombshell," said Carol Fowler, managing editor of WGN-Ch. 9 news. "It really is. Carol Marin is very respected among her peers, and it just signals that something's wrong with the business if she is forced into a corner like this." WMAQ management, led by President and General Manager Lyle Banks and new news Vice President Joel Cheatwood, who was successful with tabloid news formats in Miami and Boston, would not comment Thursday. In a statement, Banks said, "Her contributions to the market and this station are well documented and we wish her all the best." Some news-business observers speculated that WMAQ was trying to use Springer to force out Marin, 48, who makes a high salary and enjoys unusual independence to pursue her own stories, in favor of someone more malleable.

advocacy group's for help in constructing a permanent shelter that would serve the homeless. The idea hasn't received much support because no community wants to shoulder the burden of having to host a It isn't life and death." In February, WMAQ brought in Cheatwood, although his approach to news that earned him national renown at a Miami station had been imitated by WBBM-Ch. 2 here and rejected by viewers. "When WBBM tried it a few years ago, it was a disaster," said Hank Price, general manager at the CBS affiliate. "Chicago is not a town where people want to start their news with body bags.

It's a city where people like their news to be straightforward." Among the three network affiliates, WLS-Ch. 7 has held the viewership lead in news since 1986. WMAQ has been a strong second, often running neck-and-neck with WLS in the demographic groups that advertisers covet. And WBBM, after its failed tabloid experiment is in a distant third. In an interview Wednesday, Marin, whose reporting has won her a bevy of journalistic prizes, said she has had to make peace with the balance between news and entertainment values in the past "I'm not talking about being dull," she said.

"I'm not talking about ignoring production values. I'm not talking about not.