The Kansas City Times from Kansas City, Missouri • 10

A-10 The Kansas City Times Wednesday January 13 1988 Japan to seek talks on trade tensions Officials move toward easing constraints against US builders The Kansas Gty Times invites you to publish your prose The sanctions which Congress passed as part of a spending bill late last year require Japan to show that it has opened its domestic market before any steps are taken to end the American sanctions The Cabinet has been considering other actions against Japan steps similar to those taken last spring in a dispute over computer chips when the president imposed sanctions on hundreds of millions of dollars of Japanese exports to the United States The process requires a determination of the amount of American trade lost by restrictive practices and then should the president agree action to exclude that amount of exports from the offending country to the United States Secretary of State George Shultz persuaded the Cabinet not to take any action before arrival American wrath had been stirred by alleged refusal to permit American construction companies to work on the new airport in Osaka Bay The airport construction dispute was almost resolved last year during a visit by Nakasone The talks collapsed however American officials said when Japan refused to go along with the American demand that all Japanese government projects be open to foreign said at a White House briefing for reporters that hope and that the prime visit will resolve the construction issue On Capitol Hill the reaction was not so optimistic Sen Frank Murkowski of Alaska a Republican who is a co-sponsor of sanctions against Japan said the proposal simply represented an offer to we have been the senator said been talking for two years and it has got us Japanese officials said that Takeshita like his predecessor Yasuhi-ro Nakasone wanted to establish close personal ties with Reagan and contribute to the easing of trade tensions Even as the Japanese officials were discussing the forthcoming proposal on public works another trade dispute intensified A big Japanese agricultural cooperative group said Monday in Tokyo that it planned to cut imports of American grain by up to 1 million tons to protest what it called excessive American demands Of the 1057 million tons of feed grain that Japan imported in fiscal 1986 more than 70 percent came from the United States market for US agricultural exports is the one thread that keeps all protectionist measures down to a dull said one staff assistant to the Senate Agriculture Th Nw York Timas WASHINGTON Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita of Japan will propose negotiations to open some public works projects to foreign construction companies when he meets with President Reagan Japanese officials said Tuesday Foreign participation in Japanese public works projects is one of the most contentious items on the trade agenda Unhappy with the obstacles that Japan has placed in the way of foreign construction companies Congress last month barred Japanese construction companies from American public works projects for the next year plan might lead to joint ventures between American and Japanese companies on such projects as the $25 billion expansion of Narita Airport near Osaka the $11 billion expansion of the Port of Yokohama and at least $25 billion in other port bridge and railroad work American companies would probably end up with a small part of the work Takeshita in office less than three months arrived Tuesday in Washington and is to see Reagan today The Reagan administration is prepared to tell Japan this week that despite congressional objections it will proceed with a nuclear cooperation agreement with Tokyo administration officials said Tuesday A senior administration official Japanese concessions you tell until you see the market Mark Chalpin National Constructors Association Committee Congress ever realized that that market was being eroded the floodgates of protectionism would open fairly quickly against A statement from the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives a non-government unit that buys feed grains for Japanese beef producers and other farmers was the first time that any Japanese agency or group had threatened agricultural retaliation against the United States The cooperative union said it would first buy 500000 tons of grain from other foreign suppliers and possibly increase those orders to 1 million tons Such a policy would mean more Japanese purchases from Argentina Australia and China Of the public works dispute Mark Chalpin vice president for government and international affairs at the National Constructors Association a trade organization based in Washington said Japanese concessions you tell until you see the market Uncf A yoore rer- aaOrn 'nay Hug-a-bunch I 511 "HO I think I takeyou torTer Ashcroft looking to election foes say Court-ordered desegregation payments made by the state 2105 In millions of dollars Kansas City desegregation case I St Louis 120 2 desegregation case Estimated THIS DAY PUT YOUR FEELINGS INTO WORDS IN THE CLASSIFIED What better way to say "I love than to create your own Valentine? Here's how it works: COMPOSE YOUR OWN SPECIAL MESSAGE The form below will help you create your own Valentine's Day Love Lines CALL IT IN To arrange for your Valentine's Day greeting just call classifieds at 234-4000 and charge your Love Lines (Visa or Master Card accepted for $250 per line or The Times will bill you later for $350 per line) Or fill out the form below and mail in your checkmoney order for the appropriate amount at $250 per line ADD AN EXTRA TOUCH Choose any of the illustrations below to add an extra Valentine touch to your message (For No 1-6 add $1750 for No 7 add $2500 to figure your total) LOOK FOR YOUR LOVE LINES ON DAY You and your loved one can look for your Love Lines in the classifieds on Sunday Feb 14 CALL CLASSIFIED AT 234-4000 by Friday Feb 1 2 Or fill this out enclose your checkmoney order and mail to: 1981 82 83 84 85 86 87 88' Fiscal years The state paid $128 million for Kansas City school desegregation in 1986 and $367 million in 1987 It will pay about $543 million in 1988 and $621 million in 1989 Continued from Page A-l tive Ashcroft who generally has been blessed with good financial conditions since he became governor blamed school desegregation costs for much of the budget troubles Federal court orders to desegregate public schools in Kansas City and St Louis bleed more than $210 million from the state he said More money for schools Key parts of his budget most of which were not publicized until Tuesday: A $50 million or 5 percent increase for basic state aid to public schools and a $9 million boost in a state program designed to increase teacher skills and pupil performance known as the Excellence in Education Act A $27 million increase in state aid for two- and four-year colleges and universities raising the total to more than $600 million Ashcrofi said he was open to ways of providing tax-free savings bonds to make college costs more affordable A $100 million expansion or 50 percent increase in low-interest loans to farmers and small-business owners to allow more loans for businesses that promise more jobs Ashcrofi also endorsed proposals to help small towns and rural areas and to establish an development to boost Missouri exports A ban on increasing the one-tenth of a cent state sales tax now used only for rural state parks and soil conservation unless a companion cut in the general sales tax is approved Some lawmakers favor increasing the one-tenth of a cent sales tax so that parks in Kansas City and elsewhere can benefit A plan to require state prison inmates to disclose their assets so they can pay for their prison stays in some cases He also proposed a "boot for young offenders at the Boonville Correctional Center to improve their character through mental physical and moral training Both corrections-relaled ideas appear to face opposition in the General Assembly The budget for the current financial year which ends June 30 is $67 billion Ashcrofi assumes that state revenue will increase 65 percent to provide enough money to pay for state services at the level he proposes Budget officials said the entire $189 million that the state expects because of federal tax changes known as the tax windfall will be Times chin Asked about the 5 percent increase for public schools Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Roger Wilson of Columbia said think his estimate probably went up $20 million when Betty Heames Heames a state representative from Charleston is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor Ashcrofi is expected to seek re-election While lawmakers traditionally approve a higher level of aid for public schools than Ashcrofi seeks Griffin and Proffer said a $50 million increase appears big enough this year Proffer said House leaders think the potential for state revenue growth is not as promising as budget assumes proposals were praised by two members of his party our problems with the budget he proposed a balanced budget to meet some of the more important said Sen Bob Johnson a Summit Republican education program shows the state is a national leader in the field said House Republican Leader Derek Holland of Summit the economic conditions $50 million is a very good Holland said vitriolic and vile The 1 5-member Missouri Legislative Black Caucus blasted complaints that school desegregation costs hamper his budget plans Such criticism an improper posture for the chief executive of the state of Missouri to articulate in a devoted to state programs Ashcroft in a reference to last session-long stalemate on whether to return some of the windfall to state taxpayers said be pleased to listen to any new legislative proposals but no point in simply replaying a discussion that went Election-year politicking? The governor said his proposed $50 million boost in state aid for public schools and money to upgrade teacher and pupil performance would mean a 48 percent increase in state aid for public schools since he took office He said the state is just providing more money for education but also getting more education for the His economic development goals of more loans for businesses an export office and extra help for rural areas will mean progress for all Missourians he said we attract and retain Missouri he said build new opportunities for our workers to break free from conventional restraints and define new possibilities for The governor said his suggestion to force some prison inmates to pay for their prison costs is needed because time to stop giving free room and board in our state prison system to those who can Ashcroft proposed allowing the attorney general to seek information about the assets of prisoners In evaluating budget legislative leaders accused him of the very election-year politics he urged them to avoid The Kansas City Star Timas Classified Advertising Dept 1729 Grand Ave Kansas City MO 64108 Times chart vitriolic and vile voice against the court-ordered desegregation in Kansas City and St Louis" said Sen Jet Banks a St Louis Democrat who spoke for the group Other Ashcroft plans would: Allow students with good grades to earn daytime driving privileges when they are 1 years old Lower the two-thirds majority requirement for passing school bond issues to a four-sevenths majority Require some recipients of state aid to get high school diplomas or face a cutoff in aid Loosen constitutional restric tions on the state lottery and designate proceeds to be used only for education Increase the allocation to fight the epidemic in acquired immune deficiency syndrome from 1 80000 to $18 million The governor also said he backs efforts to curb the use of all-terrain vehicles on public roads and in public streams Money was not recommended for developing a hiking and biking trail from near St Louis to Sedalia Lawmakers said there was an informal agreement to await the outcome of a legal challenge to the trail Name Address- City State Zip-Phone Number Your message (one word per square your cost is shown on the last line used): KZKC accused of indecency violation Illustrations (circle one optional): 1 4 television stations and 20 radio stations for alleged broadcasting violations Kamp said but no other enforcement actions are imminent In November 1986 the general manager of KZKC at the time said the station had adopted a new policy that would remove scenes of explicit sex and nudity from movies The station before that had broadcast movies without cutting any nude scenes The program director last May said that the station had edited Other programs have been edited at the company headquarters in Chattanooga to remove sexually explicit scenes appeared a month after the FCC adopted new restrictions on the broadcast of obscene and offensive material warning station owners that they could risk fines or lose their licenses if they broadcast programs that contained sexually explicit language In the April ruling the FCC said it would enforce its earlier decisions aimed at restricting hours when stations could broadcast indecent material Later in November the FCC clar ified that position by saying that stations could broadcast indecent programming between midnight and 6 am without risk of government sanctions At other hours the FCC ruled indecent programs may not be broadcast because children might be in the audience Relying on a Supreme Court ruling the FCC defines indecency as or material that depicts or describes in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium sexual or excretory activities or organs" The FCC ruling affect obscenity which still is defined under a 1973 Supreme Court decision that employs a three-part test It must be something that taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interest that depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way and that lacks serious artistic political and scientific value Media Central is operating under Chapter 1 1 of federal bankruptcy laws Media Central sought court protection from creditors last July Continued from Page A-l gramming the commission has never done it against a television station Kamp said The FCC has tried to establish boundaries for broadcasters in presenting adult programming Morton Kent chairman of the board of Media Central Inc which is the general partner that manages KZKC said the station manager who decided to broadcast the movie was replaced late last year violate anything as far as Kent said in an interview from Media Central offices in Chattanooga Tenn only thing that was violated by the now-departed management was our company The movie was edited for television but was rated when it appeared in theaters after being released in 1981 An rating means no one under 17 years old is admitted without a parent or guardian are not Kent said our managers know what our standards are We do try to do the right thing in the Media Central owns or manages seven other stations besides Channel 62 an independent UHF station that has been operating since December 1983 Neither Media Central nor the station received the letter from the FCC detailing the complaint before the commission made the decision public Kent said he said The station licensee identified as Kansas City Television Ltd has 30 days to respond to the complaint The full commission will make a final decision about a penalty after it reviews the response or after the deadline passes Kamp emphasized that the KZKC broadcast had not yet been ruled illegally indecent However he added FCC has before it a complaint that raises a substantial question about the indecency" The FCC move against the station came after a Kansas Citian complained to the headquarters in Washington The FCC fields about 20000 complaints a year about indecent programming The FCC investigating 10 other 9 6 THE KANSAS CITY STAR lattsas (Tity.