Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 1

1979 CADILLACS NOW ON SALE Coup DeViUei from 10.982 IMIJ-397J Dew Cadillac Swwty High in upper 70. Low in upper 50. tower 60s. winds 10-15 mph. Map.

data 2 -A. Florida Best Newspaper VOL. 95 NO. 76 268 PAGES ST. PETERSBURG.

FLORIDA. SUNDAY. OCTOBER 8. 1978 SO CENTS A COPY 0 0 Dim PSC dMou'ti tam.F SO pi? lb dtarita tund to pocket commissions from both ends of utility fuel deals. WHAT THE PROSECUTOR did not know was that nearly three months before, Both Swafford and Talbott say they relied on Weeks then the senior PSC staffer to peas on what they had teamed about tha oil scandal a "I wouldn't go in and try to tell an attorney (Weeks! how to do his job," Talbott said last week.

After the oil scandal became public on March 10, 1977, Pinellas-Pasco State Atty. knew critical details about Florida Power Corp "daisy chain" oil scandal but did not tell inquiring law enforcement officials. Nor did the staffers pass the information to their bosses, the three state public service commissioners. The staffers former General Counsel William Weeks, Executive Director David Swafford and Accounting Director William D. Talbott already have once been accused of trying to cover up the utility scandal But they have repeatedly denied the charge.

WEEKS, 52, IS among nine persons nominated to fill a new appointive PSC seat in January. He was fired as general counsel last summer because of matters apparently unrelated to Florida Power. relating to a possible fraud against Florida Power and its customers." Weeks answered Russell's letter May 20, making no mention of the contract. "Russell was an attorney and Weeks was an attorney, and 1 just assumed whatever Russell wanted that we could provide him, I'm sure we would." said Talbott, an eight-year PSC official "Weeks was aware of anything that I was aware of." AT A PSC MEETING on Aug. 31, 1977.

Weeks offered to clear the air about suspicions that he, Swafford and Talbott had covered up or "whitewashed" other aspects of the oil case. SeeCOVERU.31-A lasf month i federal grind fury fjmpj indicted two former unary executives and five 7eas mrnsn in ftortak Power 'otsy cnaei" orf scandnf. 77m fuOAc Ser-vea Commission responsibte far regulating utilities, and was tha first state agancy to ngure about tha oi transactions. For months, many officials have questioned how wal that agancy parformad its watchdog row. By WUJAM NOTTMGHAM Taw to Wraar hts.

Tiwtt ewowsT TALLAHASSEE In early 1977. three Public Service Commission (PSC) staffers utility General Counsel Stanley A. Brandi-more had voluntarily shown the questionable contracts to Weeks and the other PSC staffers. "He (Brandimore) wouldn't give us copies," recalled Swafford, a 16-year agency employee. "Although he couldn't give it to us, he'd tell us and let us look at those contracts, the open-ended contracts or what not, the Granlund contracts." These staffers had seen the contracts on March 29.

On April 7, Russell wrote PSC officials seeking "any information you may have James T. Russell opened a criminal investigation into the transactions. He spent weeks trying to wrestle "daisy chain" documents from balking Florida Power executives. On June 24, the executives gave in, and Russell discovered a pivotal piece of evidence contracts in which Florida Power had allowed Houston oil consultant Raymond Gran- Poll: Tax revolt' aimed at federal inefficiency By BARRY SUSSMAM aajssfftjtosa Bqsjt mi nu of taxes they pay. The great majority does not want cuts in specific programs, such as welfare.

Their real concern, the survey suggests, is that it is the bureaucracy, not the public, that benefits from taxes. Tax money is seen as largely wasted by local, state and federal governments that have padded payrolls and employees who are- overpaid, lazy, discourteous and inefficient "This city here, it's probably typical," a retired farmer in the small town of Obey in southeastern Illinois told a Washington Pott reporter. "They're raising a hellacious amount of money in taxes You can see them down on Cricket Street down there. Sports fans cry foul when Channel 10 goes dark 'Than you for eating WTSP. Wa ara having problems and wH have them repared as soon as WTSP-Channel 10 switchboard operator Glenda Hardman is saying the 18 words that she has learned by heart.

's better than a recording. another Channel 10 operator says, as Ms. Hardman reaches for her fifth cat less than a mmuta. By PAUL ROACH St Nar Tun tm Wr rMr While the Lee Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies were battling for baseball's National League pennant Saturday afternoon, WTSP-Channel 10 in Sl Petersburg was waging a battle of its own. The station's transmitter had blown a tube.

With the Dodgers batting in the bottom of the first, about 430 p-m, Channel 10 shut off its transmitter and went off the air much to the dismay of thousands of Tampa Bay sports fans. The Dodgers won 4-3 in the 10th to eliminate the Phils, but Channel 10 missed it all. And as the New York Yankees were winning the American League pennant with a 2-1 decision over the Kansas City Royals, Channel 10 technicians were trying unsuccessfully to get the station back on the air. MOST OF THE nation was watching the stage being set for the World Series, but screens in Pineilaa County remained dark except for cable-TV. Cable subscribers could watch the games on WXLT-Channel 40 from Sarasota, which is picked up locally on cable Channel 11 "We first thought we might be able to get back on the air before the game (Royals Yankees) began," said WTSP Saa TV.

14-A What did Eckord know about tho GSA ccondal? Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Eckerd served for 15 months as admmistrator of the General Services Administration GSA). Now the federal agency is in the middle of a scandal alleging widespread fraud and corruption, and questions of Eckerd" performance at GSA have been injected into the race for governor and pose a danger to his candidacy, a By MARTM DVCKMAN St. ewnhura Tii Itiow Cmim pondml WASHINGTON There was once a janitor at a federal courthouse in Florida who would pester a reporter to "look into this GSA." "It's crooked," he would say. The reporter, absorbed in one of the state's own scandals, recalls smiling indulgently and saying to himself, "What could a janitor know?" Years later, the General Services Administration (GSA) is Anally purging itself of what special counsel Vincent R. Alto has said may become "the biggest money scandal in the history of the federal government" Weak management structure and poor business practices allowed fraud, corruption and outright thievery to become a way of life at GSA," says Administrator Joel W.

"Jay" Solomon. GRAND JURIES in at least six cities are probing everything from phantom paint jobs to six-figure kickbacks. In Baltimore, two businessmen already have admitted bribing GSA employees with 1.3-million in cash, jewel ry, appliances and other gifts to approve in phony office supply invoices. And that, says Alto, is "just the beginning." What did Jack Eckerd know? What didn't he know And uhy didn't he knots it? Those questions pose a clear and present danger to his candidacy for governor of Florida. It has nothing to do with honesty.

Eckerd has never been in doubt But there is a question of credibility. A run-of-the-mill politician could shrug and say, "I didn't know about the corruption." But Eckerd's candidacy, based as it is on his business reputation, invites the rejoinder "Why not?" Saa ECKERD, B-A WASHINGTON Americans aren't nearly as angry at how much they have to pay in taxes as they are at how little they get from government in return, a national poll by The Washington Pott suggests. The results indicate that the so-called "tax revolt" across the country is aimed less at taxes than at the quality of government employees' service, which most people perceive as poor. People in all regions say, by 3 to 1, that they would vote for any measure such as California's Proposition 13 that would cut federal, state or local taxes. At the same time, however, two out of three surveyed say they would prefer to see taxes kept at present levels if only government could be made to work, rather than have taxes and the level of government services reduced.

And when asked what they consider the nation's most important problem, only per cent in The Poet's pott listed taxes exactly the same percentage as reported 15 years ago by the Gallup PolL THAT DOES NOT mean, of course, that people are unconcerned about taxes. But it does put things in a somewhat different perspective from the one most often heard. Many people see tax cuts as a way of eliminating-waste in government and forcing public officials to become more efficient. Many others feel government won't become more efficient even with sharp tax cuts. In all, seven of every eight persons surveyed said they are more concerned about the way tax money is spent than the amount Saa TAXES.

B-A I tB fwmnmn, east paw essse sneae BeaMeaspsw sa against em another a quaaaon easing wah a lmCB hypothec cmgrewon race: l5w''a? YisaTasiiAaayaie Taneaewta Basra taw ONi JV atmwUeefmnmem shovU keep taxee the ZJ 7 and redeem government program mere etHomM so that I I 31 voted for candidate 1 I St. Pexarabaerf Ttmm FRANK Pf TERS Syrian declares unilateral cease-fire in Lebanon By FAROUK NASSAU mand as saying the "security situation continues to improve since the cease-fire started." The government radio said the Syrian troops had been ordered "to exercise extreme self-restraint" and not to return any Christian gunfire. Before the cease-fire, Syrian-Christian fighting raged in east Beirut and artillery exchanges crumbled buildings and set fires throughout the Christian sector. The U.S. Security Council adopted a resolution Friday night calling for a cease-fire and the Carter Administration had urged the batants to put down their weapons.

On Satur The Christian rightist Voice of Lebanon radio said Sarkia carried a seven-point peace plan with him to Syria that provides for a Syrian-Christian disengagement and a comprehensive solution to the Lebanese crisis. THE RADIO said the plan includes a six-month extension of the peacekeeping force's mandate; withdrawal of Syrian troops from sensitive areas of Beirut; formation of a new Lebanese government, and initiation of a dialog between moderate Christians and Syria. An hour after the cease-fire went into effect, the government radio reported the city was calm. It quoted the peacekeeping com day Egypt issued a statement calling for a pull-back by Syrian troops and calling on Israel to end its support for the Lebanese Christians. MANY diplomats fear that continued fighting here and a deeper involvement by Israel might threaten the likelihood of peace under the Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt The Christian radio said earlier Saturday that new battles had begun in the city's northeastern quarter, which is cut off from the rest of the capital by roadblocks and snipers.

Saa LEBANON. 22-A BEIRUT Syrian peacekeeping forces declared a unilateral cease-fire in Beirut Saturday after a week of fighting against Christian militiamen that devastated the Christian quarter of the capital. The Syrian peacekeeping command said its forces had been ordered to stop shooting at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. EDT), government-controlled Beirut radio reported.

The announcement came as Lebanese President Elias Sarkis and Syrian President Hafez Assad con- -ferred in Damascus. Florida artist Robert Rauschenbarg is ona of tha great talents of tha 20th century and ha fcvas on Captrva Island. Rauschenbarg works in a variety of medkjms exploring areas which ha claims he knows nothing about Yet his work is splashed across tha walls of the world's art collectors and the best modem art museums. TncFloridan Run for the flannels and tha blankets! Chitty weather blankets the Suncoast right on time for its yearly appearance. Pagal-B Nicaraguan Prasidant Somoza blames tha U.S.

human rights policy for leacftng nationalists to believe they could overthrow tha government. Pag2-A Tha Sonata becomes bogged down in tax-cut legwiation. Page3-A Older women ask NOW for help Rep. Diggs found guilty of fraud By LARRY MARGASAK By KELLY SCOTT St twunbmrt Tmtm San nw 1 Dodgers and Yankees to meet in World Series. Psoel-C SECTION A National.

Foreign Local. Stat SECTION SECTION Sports. Classified posed an Equal Rights Amendment to Congress in the 1920s, died penniless and alone in a nursing home last year, Ms. Sommers said. "ONE OF five women in this country dies in a nursing home," said Ms.

Sommers, who thinks nursing home reform from employee pay to patient care should become a major NOW issue. Three-quarters of the patients in nursing homes today are women, she said. "The people are shunted into the homes, treated like some kind of storage," Ms. Sommers said. "And poor, often minority, but mostly untrained people are the only people who will take those jobs." In a movement characterized by outspoken younger women, a few, more mature feminists are struggling to bring to light the peculiar discrimination older women face.

IT STARTS with "internal age-ism." Ms. Sommers said. "We don't want to he called girls, but we want to be one." Ms. Sommers said. "Why did Betty Ford, such a lovely person, feel necessary to get a face-lift? If she has to get one, what about the rest of us?" Ms.

Sommers called Social Security "the biggest piece of institutionalized sexauB in the country." And she demanded that it be reformed. "Every time there's an advance in Social Security, they take it away on another front," she said. JCae WOMEN. 1 S-A SECTION Perspective. Business 1 1-, I WASHINGTON Dorothy Haegele was a ho me maker in Alton, HL, a neighbor of Phyllis Schlafly for 26 years, living "exactly the lifestyle she prescribed for us.

"My silver was gleaming, my kids were clean I took my savings and launched my husband's business," Mrs. Haegele said. Typing her daughter's papers in a women's study class began a change in 57 -year-old Mrs. Haegele traditional, stay-at-home lifestyle. Then last year, she opened an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) headquarters across the street from Fred Schlafly't office.

Fred Schlafly is the husband of Phyllis Schlafly, head of the Stop ERA movement Mrs. Haegele was cheered at an older women's discussion group at the National Organization for Women (NOW) issues conference Saturday. BUT THERE were other sobering stories. "Sometime in the night last year, a woman got out of her bed at a nursing home, dressed only in her shoes, and pimped or fell off a fourth-floor balcony," said Tish Sommers, NOW leader on older women's issues. "When they found her at 6 a she was still alive.

But she didnt live until the ambulance came. There was one person responsible for 29 patients on that floor. And the nursing home owner was never even required to make a report about the 86-veer -old woman's death." Alice Paul herself, the woman whrfirst pro WASHINGTON Rep. Charles C. Diggs Jr.

was convicted Saturday on all 11 counts of mail fraud and 18 counts of filing falsified congressional payroll forms. A date for sentencing was not set in the federal corruption trial of the 12-term representative, the senior black member of Congress and founder of the Congressional Black Caucus. The Michigan Democrat faces a maximum five years in prison on each count and up to $191,000 in fines. DIGGS told reporters after court adjourned that he would appeal the verdict. The government said Diggs used his employees in an illegal kickback operation and placed two persons on his congressional payroll to conduct his personal business.

The key government witness and Diggs' former office manager, Jean G. Stultx. testified that Diggs inflated her salary so she could pay his personal bills. U.S- Atty. Earl Silbert will decide what sentence to recommend.

Diggs also could face exclusion, censure or reprimand by the House. Asked if the conviction would have any effect on his House seat he said, "I don't know what the interpretation will be of these circumstances. That's not for me to determine. Exclusion is highly unlikely. SECTION Family.

Fashions i I 4 i SECTION Homes. Hobbies SECTION The Arts. Travel Magazines: Floridian. TV Dial. Parade Bridge 18-f Hocoocopo B- Cheea 17-P Jumble 13- Crossword 18-f Landers 3-t Diggs arrives at court to hear jury's verdict Saturday.

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