Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 38

oi Section A Page 20 I AittligIONNORTR Fort Worth Star-Telegram I Thursday August Immigration lawsuit by Texas dismissed 101995 301'4 '4 Rodfer licensing proposal praised i 1 I 1 I 1 1 i 2t '''41 'i i 1 N-- CI 7 i 1 i 1 4 1 1 0 1- 3f I 0 A I 1 it 4- 1 i I 1- 'la- Vela who said after a hearing in December that he was inclined to dismiss the suit wrote that it is impossible for him to "fairly judge the federal immigration policy Only in a political forum can the myriad causes of illegal immigration and its costs and benefits be laid fully to rest" However Vela did find that it is impossible to hold the federal government accountable because its immigration policy is a response to illegal immigration not a cause of it Gov George Bush supports appealing the decision "and continues to believe strongly that the federal government should reimburse the taxpayers of Texas for its failure to enforce immigration laws" spokeswoman Karen Hughes said A 41 let'' vt censes in other states Nevada Florida California and most other big states regulate roofers and building contractors Some states have strict roofer licensing and others just register them said Brett Diggs of the National Association of Homebuilders in Washington Laws in other states require basic skills give consumers an avenue for complaints and compensation and make sure roofers have insurance to protect homeowners against roofer injuries The Texas contractors association president Ronnie McGloghlin of Empire Roofing in Fort Worth said he is licensed for roofing in Arkansas and New Mexico and he sees many pluses New Mexico tests roofers and has state inspectors to enforce rules and issue fines for offenses such as roofing with no license "You don't just go in there and work and they don't have nearly the kinds of problems we have down here with roofing" McGloghlin said "In Texas if you have a hammer and nails you're a roofer" said his wife Sandra who helps manage the firm "But then they're gone when things start falling down" States that regulate roofers say laws make a big difference "Even licensed people tend to be a little sloppy now and then but at least we have a license" said Bill Rizzo investigations chief for the Nevada State Contractors Board "We'll take him before the board The homeowner can testify 'I paid him $20000 and it leaked a week later' The board can revoke his license If that's his livelihood it works" Roofers can can be fined up to $5000 for shoddy work or refusing to fix problems Rizzo said "I think insurers and consumer groups would join together in supporting regulation of Texas roofing contractors" said Jerry Johns head of Southwestern Insurance Information Service in Austin Consumers Union backs the concept of roofing licensing but warns that the wording of any law will be key Businesses sometimes ask for licensing to limit competition said John Hildreth head of Consumers l'jrinion's Southwest Regional ()Wise in Austin Some rooefrs and other groups are skeptical i flicensing roofers "I don't nk it's necessary" said John eedham owner of Needham Roofing Inc "It would probably weed out some fly-by-nights but I think the roofing industry in Texas as a whole seems to be fairly well-grounded and well-run" Lyle Johansen executive vice president of the Texas Association of Homebuilders said licensing is unneeded because city inspectors monitor roof construction Roofing repair has few safeguards but he said he's not suidicenses would help "For every law there's a way to get around it" he said Complaints of shoddy or unfinished work are common at the Better Business Bureau and Texas attorney general's office BY BOB Fort Worth Texas roofing contractors insurance officials and at least one state lawmaker agree: Texas needs government help to clean up the roofing industry Despite a history of severe hail damage and what insurance officials call the most costly roofing repair losses in the nation Texas is one of few large states that do not regulate roofing contractors But as North Texas struggles to rebuild an estimated I 00000 roofs from record-breaking May storms the state is considering regulating the roofing trade for the first time A state roofing contractors group said it Ntould 'welcome licensing as a way to ward off fly-by-night roofers clean up contractors' image and protect Texas consumers A major insurance association said it would back licensing and a major consumer group also offers cautious support State Sen Mike Moncrief DFort Worth said he plans to propose a law to license roofers with stiff enforcement and penalties for those who don't follow the law Complaints of shoddy work and contractors who take the money and run particularly from low-income and are common at the BC't0 BAiness Bureau and Texas attorney general's office "We have seen numerous examples of people who see an opportunity to make a quick buck by presenting themselves as qualified experts" Moncrief said "A lot of these people don't know what they're doing" The Roofing Contractors Association of Texas said out-of-state roofers nicknamed "stormchasers" who flock to Texas after storms are behind most fraud and shoddy repairs The group said it would prefer state licensing but has launched a "roofer certification" program to help consumers pick reliable roofers Contractors in business for at least three years who pass business and roofing tests and show they have insurance are listed in advertisements as "certified roofers" They can lose the designation with complaints Consumers Union a consumer watchdog group said the group's "certified roofers" labels may help people shopping for a roofer but urged shoppers to "take them with a grain of salt" Almost a dozen roofing firms say in local adsiih'ey are "licensed" even thdugh Wolkefising exists in Texas Some roofers defend the ads saying they believed that Texas had licensing they hold city building permits or they hold li BY CARLOS SANCHEZ Fort Worth Star-Telegram Austin Bureau 'AUSTIN A federal judge in Brownsville dismissed a lawsuit yesterday that the state filed to seek $5 billion in federal reimbursement for costs associated with illegal immigration US District Judge Filemon Vela said in a I 6-page ruling that the problem of illegal immigration "cries out for a political solution in the legislative arena" Texas Attorney General Dan Morales vowed to appeal the ruling in the lawsuit he filed in August on behalf of Texas nine local jurisdictions and then Gov Ann Richards "We have always anticipated that this issue would be ultimately resolved by the US Supreme Court" Morales said in a written statement Poll From Page 17 Among the 485 respondents 143 said they are eligible and plan to vote in the March 12 Texas GOP primary Among eligible GOP voters Dole is the favorite of 43 per-tent and Gramm 41 percent The margin of error for results of this question was plus or minus nearly I 0 percent The poll carries varying margins of error ranging from 423 percent overall to nearly 10 percent because some questions are posed to all eligible voters and others are directed at the smaller sample of those who say they are likely to vote in the Republican primary Despite criticisms of the poll's sample size Dole's camp is enthusiastic about the results a stunning show of sup-Odd for Bob Dole in Texas" said Richard Collins co-chairman of Dole's Texas campaign 'Gramm campaign spokesman Gary Koops said he agrees that Clinton is in trouble but doubts that Dole is leading in Texas Koons criticized the sample size and said a Mason-Dixon poll con: ducted last month with a larger sample showed Gramm ahead of Dole "'Phil Gramm will carry every tounty and every congressional district in Texas" in the March 12 Super Tuesday primary Koops said 5 The Mason-Dixon poll of 809 likely Texas voters showed Dole gaining ground on Gramm in Gramm's home state The July survey found 41 percent saying they prefer Gramm to 33 percent for Dole About 26 percent said they prefer another GOP candidate or are undecided '1 he error margin was plus or minus 35 percentage points Similarly the Texas Poll showed six GOP candidates registering single-digit support led by 4 per-'cent for Patrick Buchanan and 3 percent each for California Gov Pete Wilson and radio talk show host Alan Keyes The Texas Poll found light support for Clinton In the head-tohead question among eligible voters Gramm outpolled Clinton 49 percent to 43 percent Dole out: polled Clinton 53 percent to 39 percent Of the 145 people who said they are eligible and plan to vote in the Texas Democratic primary March Prisons From Page 17 previous year the second-largest such increase the government reported The national total reflected an 86 percent increase over 1993 Here are some other trends cited bythe Justice Department: Texas had 636 inmates per 100000 residents sentenced to more than a year in prison the nation's highest rate Louisiana was second with 530 per 100000 and Oklahoma third with 508 per 100000 North Dakota was ranked lowest with 78 per 100000 residents "Truth in sentencing" provisions contributed to increasing the median time served in federal prison from 15 months in 1986 to 24 months in 1992 One in four state and federal inmates Ivas in prison for drug 1 I 4 Amanda Wilson shows a dress to northwest Arlington Sale From Page 1 7 grungy garages he said "It's not as upscale as an antique show and it's not as pedestrian as a garage sale" Dwyer said "It is not a garage sale in the sense that this is not stuff that has just been taken out of people's homes The merchandise is gleaned from estate sales and auctions from around Texas and around the South "It's like they've picked out the cream of the crop It makes it easier They've done the groundwork" That's the trouble according to garage-sale purists like Storto who prefer to do the legwork themselves "It's not what you get It's the hunt" said Storto after netting two I Barbies and an antique gold ring for $5 Shunning the classified ads Storto searches for sales by roaming the roads She said she doesn't favor any particular area of Arlington or any neighborhood "There's no such thing as a bad neighborhood because everybody's got something to offer" Storto said "There's not a piece of wood not a stick that you can't find a use for" Storto isn't a garage sale shopper out of economic necessity despite having six daughters from 2 to 25 Her husband is a pilot and they live in a stately seven-bedroom home But the garage sales help "The reason I can afford that house is I haven't been to the mall for 25 years" she said Security From Page 1 7 no specific threats against any form of transportation in the United States The measures at airports were to have gone into effect tonight but were moved up a day because of widespread media reports yesterday of the impending action airline and airport sources acknowledged Most of the changes at airports will be "behind the scenes" said Michael DiGirolamo DallasFort Worth Airport's deputy executive director for operations But DFW airline and Federal Aviation Administration officials declined to describe the measures saying that keeping the information confidential is part of the strategy "Passengers at DFW probably won't notice anything different" DiGirolamo said "And frankly we're really not going to do much more than we're already doing because we like to think that this airport already is at a high level of security" Several passengers at DFW last night said they favored the additional security and were not alarmed by it "I don't think it bothers me" John Gallow 42 said as he passed through the airport en route from his home in Tucson Ariz to Nashville Tenn "I'm a little worried about terrorists because I don't want to die" Cosmetic chain recruiter Laura Farris-Daugherty 36 of Akron Ohio had been in Dallas for a convention She said she had not noticed any increase in security at FW "It doesn't faze me I'd rather have it and worry less" she said Airport and airline officials met with FAA representatives yesterday morning at DFW to review the new requirements DiGirolamo said DiGirolamo and American Air Eon Worth star-Telegram BRIJ( MAXWELL a customer at a garage sale in Best Bets The Texas Rangers look to the past to salvage their future as Bobby Witt returns to the mound Saturday when the ballclub takes on Toronto WHERE: The Ballpark in Arrington WHEN: 7:05 pm $SSS: Tickets start at $6 INFO: 273-5100 If you're hot for jalapenos bonkers for bells and keen on chills head for the Dallas farmers market pepper festival Saturday Salsa judging and demonstrations begin at 10 am Children 5 to 12 are invited to decorate bell peppers from 11 am to noon WHERE: Dallas farmers market shed 2 at the corner of Harwood and Manilla streets WHEN: 9 am to 5 pm MS: Free INFO: (214) 939-2808 Coming tomorrow It has been way too hot to count fat grams Tour the area's most decadent ice cream parlors in tomorrow's Star Time Storto gets a kick out of haggling for knickknacks household goods furniture and toys Along with those items she's found a few friends "This is my social life" she said after chatting and spending a bit at the sale I 5-year-old Amanda Wilson held last week in her parents' northwest Arlington garage "Some people do drugs I do deals I get that little buzz" WHERE: Artisans Attic Arlington Convention Center 1200 Ballpark Way WHEN: Saturday 10 am-5 pm Sunday 11 am-5 pm MS: $350 for adults 12 and younger admitted free Free parking INFO: 459-5000 lines officials said the rules should not delay passengers or flights at DFW Pena ordered the stepped-up security primarily because of the scheduled October visit of Pope John Paul II to the United States Other events including the trials of suspects in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York recent arrests of key Colombian drug cartel leaders and the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City came into play as well airline industry sources said No specific threats have been made against any US airlines or airports American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said yesterday American will comply with the FAA order he said even though "we believe we have a good security system already and the system works" Industry officials said the FAA alert puts airlines and airports on a Level 2 security status one step below the level that was ordered during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 Level 2 does not require the Level 3 measures that included elimination of curbside baggage check in positive photo identification of all passengers and entrance of only ticketed passengers beyond airport security checkpoints Passengers should be ready to show photo identification if requested however especially while checking baggage airline officials said Most of the Level 2 measures concern what goes into the bellies of aircraft industry officials said These are the same measures ordered in late June for California airports after the Unabomber threatened to blow up an airliner At airports and bus and train stations carry-on and checked baggage could be subject to search the Transportation Department said But Amtrak the nation's passenger-rail system "has no plans to screen passengers or packages" spokesman Ray Lang said yesterday from Chicago 4 1 Texas Poll la If a Republican primary election for president were held today and the candidates were Phil Gramm Bob Dole Arlen Specter Pete Wilson Lamar Alexander Patrick Buchanan and Richard Lugar whom would you vote for? Dole AA 35' Gramm 33 Buchanan 3 Wilson 2c'0 Keyes Specter 1 Alexander 104 Lugar 1 None of these 3 Don't know 1904 If the 1996 presidential election were today between Bob Dole and Bill Clinton whom would you vote for? Dole :2 53 Clinton 39 111 If the 1998 presidential election were today between Phil Gramm and Bill Clinton whom would you vote for? Gramm 49 Clinton 43 Fort Worth Star-lblegram 8 68 percent said they would consider voting for someone other than Clinton Those polled were not asked to specify other Democratic favorites "Clinton is radioactive in Texas Any GOP candidate ought to be able to beat him but the fact that it's closer with Gramm is not good news for Phil" said Rob Mosbacher Jr a Republican who backs former Tennessee Gov Lamar Alexander Alexander registered 1 percent support among Republicans likely to vote Here are some other poll findings: The respondents expressed strong dissatisfaction with a state law allowing Gramm to seek reelection as senator while pursuing his presidential aspirations Of the 399 eligible voters surveyed 81 percent said they believe that Gramm should not be seek the two offices simultaneously Questioned about other national figures respondents gave the highest marks to Colin Powell former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff His 80 percent favorable rating far outpaced that of other political leaders whom some support for president: House Speaker Newt Gingrich R-Ga had a 46 percent favorable rating Ross Perot had 44 percent and the Rev Jesse Jackson drew 41 percent Inmates (Thousands) Year Total 1994 '1054 1993 970 Year Total State 1994 F959 95 1993 970 't 881 90 1992 883 802 80 1991 826 754 72 1990 774 tii 708 66 1985 503 462 1: 40 1980 330 305 24 Note: Nurnoers may not total because of roonang SOURCE: Bureau of Justice Statistics Federal f-95 90 80 72 66 40 24 Fort Worth Starlblegram offenses in 1993 The female inmate population grew 106 percent last year compared with an 85 percent increase among male inmates There were 64403 women in state and federal prisons 61 percent of all prisoners at year's end 'r Slat nd 1 10 II IN Suspect list in assault on boater narrowed I BY FRANK PERKINS Fort Wort Star-Telegram Denton 0) Linty Sheriff Weldon Lucas and his Ifyestiptors said yesterday that theyirelvihhowing a list of suspects to determine who owns the pigh-speed boat that critically injured Stephanie Booker of Dallas on Lewisville Lake on June 18 Booker was riding in a no-wake zone in a boat with two other women just after midnight June 18 when a so-called muscle boat ran up behind them and ran over her slower craft The boat's operator could face felony aggravated assault charges that carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prismupon conviction Lucas said qstcrday A combined reWardidt $10000 is being offered for leading to the arrest and conviction of the assailant Lucas said the suspect's boat is a smaller version of the Baja Well-craft Scarab Chaparral or Formula muscle boat brands He said the investigators believe that it is no longer than 27 feet Lucas said his office is re ceived calls from an anonymous source who might have been a passenger on the boat "This source has been helpful but is hesitant to release full information for fear of being harmed by the suspect" he said Since the accident investigators with Lucas' office Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas Rangers have spent hundreds of hours on the case Lucas said "We have good information that the suspect boat was trailered out of the lake that night just a short while after Stephanie was injured" Lucas said "This confidential information indicates the boat was trailered from the lake and towed away by a pickup truck We have a description of the pickup and we know which ramp the boat was towed from but we are not releasing that information at this time" Lucas is asking anyone with information about the incident to call the Denton County Crime Stoppers at (800) 388-TIPS or the Sherifrs Department at (817) 898- 5600 4.