The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 3

NORTH CAROLUA THE NEWs OBsERvER MONDAY JANUARY 16 1995 Till MONDA 3A From A to suggestions on downsizing state government used to talk about expanding government starting new programs hiring new farms are nothing but political posturing It's probably cheaper to go shopping at Food Lion than have the cons grow their own grub It's not Ma and Pa Kettle in the prison system I Offices Abolish the governor's eastern and western offices in New Bern and Asheville These are anachronisms in the Age of faxes and e-mail not to mention telephones Private colleges should be taken off the dole Taxpayers finance 16 university campuses and 58 community colleges That's plenty Why should the state also subsidize the state's private colleges? This is now done through two funds that provide money for Tar Heel Students attending private schools in the state That's it I would have gone all the to but I've mil out of If you have further suggestions give me a call If they're creative I'll publish some in my next column Got a suggestion or lust want to talk about Tar Heel politics? Call Rob Christensen at 829-4532 it's time to rethink our road-building or-gY- Global Trans Park This is the white man's Soul City a boondoggle in the making The dream is to turn an area near Kinston into an air-cargo facility that will be a magnet for industry Soul City the failed federally funded "new town" in Warren County had a better chance of becoming the new Cary Higher tuition for University of North Carolina system students Republicans say they want to cut government so that families have more money in their pocket With more disposable income families can afford to pay higher tuition Welcome to Newtonian economics Insurance Slash the unemployment insurance tax Hunt just proposed cutting it by 23 percent the third such cut in the past two years But at $17 billion the trust fund is still one of the nation's biggest By comparison Virginia has a $646 million fund Is the state hoarding money for the day when the textile industry moves to Mexico and all the tobacco is grown in Brazil? III Just eliminate some of our elected of coming to Raleigh asking taxpayers living in places like Northampton and Hoke counties to ante up for big-ticket projects such as Discovery Place? Oink oink Death penalty abolished We spend millions trying to kill a bunch of losers psy- chopaths and drug-crazed crackheads It costs $163000 more on 4-' average to seek the death penalty than it would cost to send ROB them to prison for life 1' I say lock 'em up and kHRISTENSEN throw away the key Eliminate the Secretary of State's office After years of the late Thad Eure at the helm we learned that we don't really need one The department's functions could be shifted to other agencies Agriculture czar Jim Graham could hire Rufus Edmisten to be his barbecue taster Four-lane highways Not every one-stoplight town in the state needs one But most politicians think highways are better than sex In the new age of austerity flees and the bureaucracy will shrink North Carolina elects more officials than most states Let the governor appoint the agriculture secretary insuranbe commissioner labor commissioner superinten-' dent of public instruction and the treasurer With fewer separate fiefdoins there'll be fewer bureaucrats Kill the industrial recruitment slush fund This is nothing but welfare for corporations If some car executive from Stuttgart thinks Alabama is a better place to open a plant than North Carolina then let him I hope he gets sick on his bratwurst 1 Lieutenant governor's office 'should be made part-time again At one time the lieutenant governor ran the Senate Now they mainly run for governor (See Jim Hunt Bob Jordan Jim Gardner and Dennis Wicker) Mansions This is my rule of thumb: one mansion per governor The gover- nor's western mansion in Asheville should be sold Ninety-two prisons is absurd Close some of them Larger prisons are much more economical And the new prison baailL39 11S5 VT Zt ILF FI But at was BC Before Clinton Now the talk is of tax cuts downsizing hiring freezes This is after the year I AD After Democrats In keeping with the new age of I submit for your consideration a se: qies of modest proposals from A to to 'either save money or reduce the size of v-state government: ABC stores should be sold to private Why should the government be selling booze? The liquor business should operated by private enterprise as it is -in most parts of the country Bodyguards The guy is surrounded by more gun men than your ordinary Me-drug lord The governor's body' guard detail should be cut in half freeing troopers to do more important stuff like guarding football coaches Charlotte is the state's economic engine It's a city filled with rich cans who claim to be rugged individual ists and all that stuff So why do they keep employees But that was BC Before Clinton 91 Now the the yer In keepi! I submi of mo( savt state gove 1" ABCs -industry selling boc operate in most pa Bodyi by more driq 'griard dett troopers tr guarding Charl gine It's a cans who ists and al Mechanization gives human hands a break 1111 Susan Smith could face electric chair Smith's lawyer says the prosecutor has made his decision to seek the death penalty if she is convicted of drowning her two sons THE ASSOCIATED PRESS r'' i 't 04r1 ''''''''''''''''''''44WilOti00040143 ''i: 144 1 1-' ttl Ak' 4t --k k1 1 '1 vfitApvic -'1 it :::5: I A r' 4 'C'i 6' 1'' 4 sz 011 ''''J' '4: -t'" 47- :411 i' 'f -1 i -4--4'''' '-'1-f' 'P'i" '4N'''-- A -1 Atv41o iiiiirt 4--k 1 afAiik mak will seek capital punishment if she is convicted track said that Poke tokrhim of the decIsiori Friday and that the prosecutor would- announce the decision with Smith present in open court today "Mr Pope and I disagreed on whether there was any valid reason for Ms Smith to be present in court for this announcement" Bruck said The defendant is often notified by certified mail he said Bruck said that he had asked a Circuit Court judge to decide Friday whether Pope could compel Smith to attend but the judge said he lacked jurisdiction in the matter Pope returned a call to The Associated Press on Sunday and said he had no comment on Bruck's announcement Bruck also said PopeAntended to hdlie 'Smith amagTed2 at tot day's-hearing He refused to comment on what would happen if she is arraigned Defense lawyer Dick -10109Itrorvrcrwrnter trTii-aaal is COLUMBIA SC A prosecutor will seek the death penalty against Susan Smith accused of drowning her two sons after claiming they were taken by a carjacker in rural Union County about 50 miles southwest of Charlotte her lawyer said Sunday Smith is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of her sons 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex Their bodies were found in her car which was submerged in John Long Lake 'After pollee obtained 'Iv written 4 confession from her Nov 3 1 a is is 1991 over repetitive motion injuries The settlement which expires this month was reached after Labor Department inspectors in 1989 cited the company for exposing its workers to relentlessly repetitive work that sometimes left them with crippled hands Out of that agreement grew an ergonomics center jointly operated by the Labor Department and NC State University The center helps companies like Perdue redesign their operations While the settlement has been in force Labor Department inspectors have been regular visitors to Perdue's four plants in North Carolina And while many companies shudder at the prospect of inspectors in their plants Perdue and Labor officials say they have developed a cooperative relationship "What Perdue learned very quickly is that ergonomics pays" said Mary Carroll Lewis head of the Bureau of Health Compliance in the Labor Department Perdue's lost-time ratio is now one-eighth of the poultry processing industry as a whole "Usually I guess ypu thihk companies and regulators butting heads" Thompson said "But it hasn't been that way They've made some very valuable suggestions" One involved work breaks The Rockingham plant was taking two 15-minute breaks each shift but an inspector mentioned that Perdue's Lewiston plant was get THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ROCKINGHAM Bird carcasses their feathers plucked off by machines swing slowly upside down as they move toward a junction on the stainless steel production line At the junction feet and legs separate from the bodies and march off on a conveyor belt to another part of the plant Farther down the main line a machine makes a small slice in the chicken bodies and the steel fingers of another machine reach inside to pull out the internal organs for inspection At each spot on The line a worker stands ready with a curved knife to correct any mistake the machines make "All of this used to be done by hand" Rex Thompson the manager of Perdue Farms' Rockingham complex says "Now the idea is to have machines do the repetitive work as much as possible with a worker to back up the machine" The workers standing on raised platforms in their hard hats rubber boots and gloves lined with $teel mesh move only occanil to correct a mistake 'If' Much of the mechanization has come in the last three years Thompson said as Perdue has invested $10 million in its Rock: ingham plant The move toward more machin ery came in part because of a settlement between Perdue and the state Department of Labor in 0: 11 CMG! their fea! machines down as junction productiot At the separate march oft another Farther machine the chicki fingers of inside to organs fot At eacl worker curved kr take the "All of hand" ager of ham corn is to have tive wort with a machine The wo! platforms $reel rnes 19 to corr 'If' Much '-come in Thompso invested -ingham The nu ery cam settlemel the state For nine days she had maintained a carjacker had taken the 11111Mttlf nigksPL-9c63449 ft and Le Dr1 be 3 re ote le 1E Cr in 6 in I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I AP 4 4 16- 014 to 0 a a 1 9: Da be re cite vo -le 4 3: 1E Cr in 6 in 1-rmajority -4 111 I 1 :1 4 6 111 40 a to' 1111111 4 Rex Thompson manager of Perdue Farms' Rockingham complex says machines do most of the repetitive work while workers correct mistakes using specially designed tools THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 14 71 c'f if Otil Sri( EC vid made nationauyletevisect0 pleas for their return e- Last week Union County Sheriff Solicitor Tommy Pope said last Howard Wells who arrestbd week he had made his decision Smith and has ties to her family about whether Susan Smith would said he thought a plea bargain face the electric chair but would would best serve the rural corn-not reveal it until a court hearing munity Many Union residents in Union County this afternoon who were interviewed after the However David Bruck Smith's sheriff's statement said they attorney said Sunday that Pope agreed with Wells week he had made his decision about whether Susan Smith would face the electric chair but would not reveal it until a court hearing in Union County this afternoon However David Bruck Smith's attorney said Sunday that Pope hours take a 30-minute break then rotate to another job on the line ting better results with 30-minute breaks Workers work one job for 212 NC lawmakers get leadership assignments on congressional committees 4th) I Appropriations: Military 11 Banking and Financial See BY ELLEN SILBERMAN Stoles News Service BY WASHINGTON Congressional organizing continued last week put several North Carolina members of the new Republican majority in leadership 'while Democrats adjusted assign: ments to reflect their new minori WASHIN organizit eand put member 'while De ments to Opportunity Committee: Post Secondary Education Workforce Protection International Relations Committee: Africa International Operations Small Business: Procurement Export and Business Op portunity REP WALTER JONES JR (R- 3rd) National Security Committee: Military Installations and Facilities Military Research and Development Public Lands and Resources Committee: Fisheries Wildlife and Oceans Native American and Insular Affairs Jones has also been appointed to a temporary Wetlands Task Force charged with developing wetlands management legislation II Small Business: Regulation and Paperwork: Tax and Finance REP FRED HEINEMAN (R Democrats in the House of Representatives chose Rep Eva Clayton D-Littleton to serve as ranking minority member on the Small Business Subcommittee for Procurement Exports and Business Opportunities In addition House Democrats tapped Rep Charlie Rose ID-Fayetteville to serve as ranking member of the Agriculture Committee's Risk Management and Speciality Crops Subcommittee Here are NC legislators' committee and subcommittee assignments: REP EVA CLAYTON (D-lst) Agriculture: Resource Conservation Research and Forestry Risk Management and Speciality Crops Small Business: Procurement Exports and Business Opportunities ranking member REP DAVID FUNDERBURK (R-2nd) Economic and Educational Judiciary: Crime and Crimi- Construction ranking National vices: Financial and Consumer nal Justice International Law Security Credit Domestic and Internation- REP SUE MYRICK (R-8th) al Monetary Policy Immigration and Refugees 7 IN Banking and Financial Ser- Budget: working group on 1111 Judiciary ConstitutiOn vices Housing Oversight and Human Empowerment Commercial ant Admin011ve Investigations no subcommittees Law: st: 1 V-14 I I REP RICHARD BURR (R-5th) III Science: Technology fSErsf LAUCH tAIRCIOTH (1) III Commerce Committee: En- Small Business: Governmeot ergy and Power Health and Programs II Environme and Pfiblic Environment Oversight and In- REP CASS BALLENGER (R- Works: Clean Air Wetlands pri- vate Property and Nuclear Safe- vestigations Ioth) ty chairman REP HOWARD COBLE (R- II Economic and Educational 6th) Opportunity Committee: Work- II Banking Housing and Urbar II Judiciary: Intellectual Prop- place Protection chairman Affairs: Housing and Urban De erty Crime and Criminal Justice Oversight and Investigations velopment Oversight and Struc Transportation and Infra- III International Relations: ture chairman structure: Coast Guard and Mari- Western Hemisphere Affairs SEN JESSE HELMS (R) time Transportation Subcommit- Economic Policy Trade and En- 111 Foreign Relations chairman tee chairman Aviation vironment Agriculture: Marketing In REP CHARLIE ROSE (D-7th) REP CHARLES TAYLOR (R- spection and Product Promotion Ilth) chairman Agricultural Produc I Agriculture: Risk Manage- ment and Speciality Crops rank- III Appropriations: InteriOr tion and Price competitiveness ing member General Farm Corn- Commerce Justice State and Forestry Conservation and Rura modifies Judiciary Legislative Branch Revitalization REP BILL HEFNER (D-8th REP MEL WATT (D-Izth Rules and Administration al Monetary Policy 7 Judiciary Constitaio-n Commercial and Admin011ve Law: -SEN LAUCH FAIRCLOTH (R) EnviiOnment and Pithlic Works: Clean Air Wetlands private Property and Nuclear Safe ty chairman II Banking Housing and Urban Affairs: Housing and Urban velopment Oversight and Strue ture chairman SEN JESSE HELMS 111 Foreign Relations chairman Agriculture: Marketing speetion and Product Promotion chairman: Agricultural Produc: tion and Price competitiveness Forestry Conservation and Rural Revitalization Rules and Administration De- In- tty status Sen Lauch Faircloth doubled the ranks of NC subcom- mittee chairman when he was -named to head subcommittees of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs Sen Jesse Helms R-NC is the delegation's only full committee chairman He leads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and 49 the Marketing Inspection and Product Promotion Subcommittee of the Senate Agriculture Commit tee On the other side of the aisle ty status Sen I 4" 4 doubled mittee -named the Public Senate -Housing SenJ delegati chairma Foreign the Ma Product of the Se tee 4: On th CAROLINA NOTEBOOK Nzt 1 THE NEWaBSERVER THE sors of Campbell University He is the pastor of Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville 'I or I 4- '4''': gitt '4 okfe serve as president Founded in 1900 and based in Washington the association has 160 member schools It seeks to improve the legal profession through educa- tion and serves as the law teachers' learned society It also is legal education's principal representative to the federal govern ment i 1444 tdt -4-- A tion of the Electron Microscopy Society of America The winning' paper "Titanium Nitride on Silicon and Titanium Nitride on Gallium Arsenide Epitaxial Heterostructures" was written by Dr Jagdish Narayan of Raleigh tinguished University Professor' of materials science and engineering Dr Kasiehainula Jagannadham of Raleigh associate professor of materials science and engi- neering and graduate student Tzvetlanka Jeleva of Durham "THE OLD RELIABLE" USPS 385-460) Vol Cal NO 16 Published every morning of the year by 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We hope not but it you bhoold miss your paper all early bur no later than 9 10 a In 1 00 a Saturday dind Sunday (919) 829-4700 rsii ayi no INK Soy Based Ink More than 29746213 Ihs of newsprint recycled since January 1 1991 Publisti THE PI POSTMA Raleigh Ddoly rind SL Ddily only Saturciyy Mail subscri able from oo We hope 11 Meymandi Seligson An NC State University crop science professor and a CIBA Inc' employee have been honored with the Pesticide Association of North Carolina's annual Walton Dennis Award The award which is given for outstanding service in environmental stewardship was shared by Dr Alan York of Cary professor and NC Cooperative Extension Service specialist at NCSU and Charles Rock of Greensboro manager of state government relations at CIBA Inc Kenneth Otis II of Durham 44v and Robert Seligson of Raleigh have been 17 named to the advisory board of the Health '0 Care Division of the Kate Reynolds Charitable Trust Otis Otis is president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Seligson is vice president of the North Carolina Medical Society The Health Care Division of the Kate Reynolds Charitable Trust makes grants to charitable organizations for programs that serve North Carolina people needing medical care or assistance Dr Assad Meymandi a Raleigh psychiatrist and writer has been elected to the board of directors of The John Locke Foundation for a three-year term The Raleigh foundation is a conservative think tank The American Historical Association has honored a UNC-CH faculty member with its top award in modern European histo- ry Dr Gerhard Weinberg WA- ham Rand Kenan Jr professor of history received the 1994 George Louis Beer Prize for his global account of World War II World at Arms" at the association's annual meeting in Chicago earlier this month Judith Wegner dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law has been sworn in as president of the Association of American Law Schools She is the fifth woman to lead the association and the sec ond UNC-CH faculty member to Dr David Crocker has been elected to serve as a member of the Presidential Board of Advi A research paper co-authored by three NCSU researchers has won first prize in a national competi I.