Ukiah Daily Journal from Ukiah, California • Page 65

Daily Journal, Mkiah Wednesday, Merry-go-round The Demos and Ma Bell June "HI l' 1,972 Bill would limit VI By JACK ANPKRSON WASHINGTON -r- It looks as if the.Democrats are now as cozy with as the are with- "Tucked away in the Democratic Natiorial Com- mittee's files is evidence some strange dealings over the telephone service at the up- i coming Miami convention. IttThe scenario began last December when threatened to cut off the phone service at the Democratic convention unless the party paid its back debts to the company. Seeing an opportunity, an independent phone company affiliated with" ITT made a determined bid for the. job. The company, 6eheral Cbm-s munications Electronics of Nashville, offered to provide communications for the convention for $1.7 million.

meanwhile, moved to repair, their relations with; the Democrats, The company agreed to provide phone, service, despite the back debts, if the Democrats would merely keep their, 1972 phone bills paid. Then, suddenly, came up with an astonishing offer to furnish the communications at the Democratic convention for about $75,000. The independent company, which had based its bid on an exhaustive appraisal, protested that $75,000 possibly cover all the costs: Heated Exchange The national committee's files contain.a number of sharply worded letters, which were exchanged between the company's lawyers and party officials. The lawyers suggested that offer could only be considered an diitright gift to the party and, therefore, was forbidden by law. When we.

started asking the Democrats insisted it was. the independent company, not AT which was out of tine. The difference between $1.7 million and however, seems too far out of line. One suggestion Was that the two companies were bidding on different jobs. The independent's $1.7 million bid covered the entire convention communications system, including service for the various candidates, news services, television networks and security officials.

on the other hand, was a price for only the share of the system that, the Democratic National Com- mittee would use. If this explanation accounts for the vast discrepancy in bids, party officials failed, to recognize it during weeks of detailed negotiations. Indeed, they professed to us that both companies were bidding on the same specifications. Were the party officials simply stupid? Or did they deliberately promote the confusion so they could deal with Whatever the answers, will provide the phone service at bargain Footnote: Convention manager Dick Murphy acknowledged to us that, despite the well-publicized threat by to cut off phone" service, his With Southern Bell in Miami continued as usual. Southern Bell officials, he said, never gave any indication they might not do the job.

Strange Easter Crusade Some Easter eggheads are trying to get the, federal government to ease its ban on. dangerously flammable Easter grass. The ban was ordered by the Food and Drug Administration for the 1973 season, green, crinkly cellophane in Easter, baskets can caiipl fire and burn children. Most of the grassmakers went along with the ban. But Erwin Weder, owner, of Highland Manufacturing and Sales, heard about it too late.

To his horror, he found he was stuck with a $250,000 inventory, all packaged and'ready to sell. Since the grass has absolutely no Use except to cushion Easter eggs, Weder faced a financial crisis. In desperation, he took his problem to Rep. Phil Crane, -ni. The able and articulate Crane, demonstrating a certain callousness for the safety of little children; showed "more, concern about all colorful cellophane shreds OR Weder's hands.

Crane mobilized a save-the- cellophane lobby which, at one time or another; included such, congressional stalwarts as dashing; BarnT Goldwater, bigTbushy Tip O'Neill, Ken Gray, Bob Michel. and two Oklahoma eggheads, Tom Steed and John Camp. They trekked down to the FDA for meetings with officials, fired off letters and flooded the FDA switchboard with calls against the Easter graW ban. They even summoned FDA Commissioner Charles Edwards to a private meeting in O'Neill's Majority Whip Office. The FDA memos began to fly.

One urgent internal message tells how Weder turned up with "his supporters" from Capitol Hill to put on the pressure but added bravely; "No delay in could be an- ticipatedi 'y' Crane Wen made a House Speech quoting Justice Brandeis in support of his By FRANK P. BELOTTI Assemblyman, 2nd District Candidates for public office in California spent about $26 million in 1970. Thatmeans that. for each citizen who actually voted about $4 was spent on him personally by candidates seeking to attract his favdr. presidential year, figure will swell dramatically.

The economics of campaigning is becoming a matter of grave public concern. Not only do the dollar figures needed to conduct an effective campaign put politics but of the reach of many independent citizens of moderate means, but. also the costs of campaigning require incumbents and office- seekers alike to spend as much or more time trying to raise funds as they spend discussing state problems and solutions to those problems. Spending ceilings are needed. More thorough contribution disclosure procedures are needed.

The public has a right to know how much a candidate is spending an is donating fund. To these ends, Republican VVssembiymah Paul has introduced a bill which set-specific limits on amounts which" could be spent for campaign advertising and communications, require full disclosure of contributions and expenditures, in excess of $100, place a ceiling on the amount an individual, a candidate or his family labor or political committee could contribute, and prohibit such unfair campaign tactics as use" of letters from phony organizations. Patterned after the Federal Elections Campaign Act- adopted earlier this year for national office-seekers, the Priolo bill would limit the amount which could be spent on media advertising to 15 cents multiplied by the voting age population of the electoral district, or to $25,000, whichever is Contributions by in-" dividuals or organizations' would be limited to $25,000 in iven statewide races and $5,000 for legislative races of several newspapers, including, the Los Angeles Times which editorially supported, it early this month. Additionally, a great number of local and state political and social mentators have voiced strong support for the concept of expenditure limitations. The need, for this kind of legislation is urgent, i The chief obstacle which the Priolo measure (AB 2247) now faces is the Assembly's Elections and Reapportionment Committee.

Chaired by Democrat Henry Waxman and controlled by a Democratic majority, capitol observers are skeptical that the measure will ever get a fair hearing this year. The political advantage of holdinga majority in the lower house could well be jeopardized by a campaign expenditure law as tough as the Republican measure, observers note, and Democratic fundraisers, particularly those working under the aegis' of organized labor, are-known to oppose measure. WORLD CHESS CHAMPION Boris Spassky checkmates a slice of melon during a tennis session in Moscow. This is the "pawn broker" U.S. champion Bobby Fischer is so anxious to get at.

Nonetheless, the issue of campaign expenditure limitations must be dealt with sometime. And, the sooner the better. Without some dramatic reforms, for. elective Office may soon preclude legislative making. Tax, farm will select officers LAYTONVILLE of officers for the coming yeaf will be the chief item of business during a joint meeting of the Farm.

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