The Commercial Appeal from Memphis, Tennessee • 3

The Commercial Appeal Memphis Wednesday January 14 1981 i Bid Review Delays Obion Contract Fro Tk Camnwrcl White Promises Fiscal 'Realism-At First Speech By JEFFREY KATZ UnK Rack awra state finance and accounting office The lowest bid submitted by Gregory A Grace of Jack-son did not include technical proposals required by the authority according to director Richard Swalm The firm'i per-hour rate ranked third among the tods submitted Board members expressed concern about recommending an engineering firm given the disparity of bids due to the criticism the authority received last year for its engiv neering choice In 1979 Continental submitted the next-lowest bid but won the contract based on its experience in the basin's' -work Still Finance Commissioner Lewis Donelson forced the agency to trim nearly 8200000 from the contract items he said should have been abaorbed by the engineer- ing firm as overhead JACKSON Tenn The OMon Forked Deer Basin Authority postponed a decision Tuesday night on a personal service contract for engineering work for the bain pending further study of six bids submitted by West Tennessee firms The bids ranged fmmsoaa non in tarn million included other varying bids on the per-hour labor rate for engineering work Theauthorit Continental Engineering Inc of second-lowest total bid of S1J6 million Board members favored further review of the six firms' offers before making a final recommendation to the LmiEROCK-Prtnk White ushered lninewRepub-Ucn administration Tuesday whan ha declared moments alter being sworn-in as govemonthat "the era ot unchecked governmental fiscal rpnin is over He said the next two years would be an of realism" which not mean llmita educational opportunities or masnve curtailment of necessary services or a step backward tor our people It simply means that we will take a dose look at the economic trend and plan realistically for the years ahead" white 47 a framer savings and loan executive took the oath of office at from Chief Justice Richard Adkisson of the state Supreme Court The Arkansas General Aiaembiy convened in a joint session in the chambers of the House of Representatives to see White become the state's second Republican governor since Reconstruction White painted a gloomier picture of the state's condition than did Bill Cunton who addressed the legislators from the same dels the day before in his final speech as governor White stunned Clinton at the polls Nov 1 picking up 52 per cent of the vote to Clinton's 48 per cent It was the third time this century that an Arkansas governor lost a bid for a second two-year term In his inaugural address White said his upset victory Nov 4 "was a victory for a conservative philosophy" Later he said "State government will adopt the same fiscal attitude that you and I have lived with for years and that is that you cannot spend more money than you have" Clinton 34 who was the nation's youngest governor did not attend White's inauguration He was not mentioned in White's speeches Tuesday although White Indirectly criticized him several times after bong sworn In White said accelerating tax Instead of cutting state spending early last year gave Arkansans "a false sense of security that ignored economic He said "statements that the state has a surplus in any category" as Clinton did Monday "are untrue and irresponsible" And he maintained that the budget for the current two-year fiscal period "raised folse hopes" He began the day witn about 600people who attended a prayer breakfast at the Little Rock Convention Center He spoke of a personal crisis that began in 1972 after his divorce from his first wife and ended in 1973 when "I asked the Lord to come into my life Today my life is in the hands of the Lord" JCKOur natural fruit and save a dime Pick plump purple gropes Pick ripe red strawberries Pick raspberries peaches and plums Put up naturally by Kraft At The Opeaiag Ab Artificial Flavor No Art iheial Color Sen John Ford (left) and Sen EdiarGU- 92nd General Assembly convened in Nash-lock conferred yesterday as villa They are Memphis Democrats STORE COUPON 10C TbnOT QD0T2 Opening Assembly Has Focus On Ford MRGROCER: Kraft Inc iRctad Food Group) wHI rwimburac you for the face value of this coupon phis 7f handling allowance provided you redeemed on your retail Mies of the named produces' and that upon request yo it agree to furnish proof of purchase of sufficient product 10 cover ell redemptions Coupon is void where lascd prohibited or redacted by law and may not be aawgnart or transferred by you Cash value I 30 Cuatomei must pay any applicable tax For redemptnn mad to: By WILLIAM BENNETT and JAMES BROSNAN Frara Tk CmmimcW Save 10C on one jar any size any flavor KRAFT natural fruit jellies jamsor preserves KRAFT DC RFC FOlMK 1600 CUNTON KNK 53734 relations this year But Alexander conceded the Issues facing this session may prove more difficult More than 100 bills were profiled in the Senate and about a third that number in the House Among them were bills toe Establish a commission to rale on hospital rate Cut off state funding beginning in 1983 for any school system with less than 1000 students Exempt persons over 6S from the state's Hall income tax on dividends project within two miles of Disallow proficiency tests that are used to S1D0D IDbm HI LA ipc l0cj RDXZM Fftownr ONE COUPON PER TTBi PURCHASED the legal ramifications Leech said opinion is that Ford cannot seek rejection to the seat if he resigns or is ousted NASHVUE The 92nd General Assembly And when the vacancy does occur the Shelby convened Tuesday with the focus on special com- County Board of Commissioners will be the body mittees appointed to Investigate the qualifies- to appoint a replacement probably for the rest of tions of three legislators including Rep Emmitt the 1981 legislative session A special election Ford (D-Memphis) who did not show up to he would be held later in district for a sworn in Ford is scheduled to be sentenced today by UA Dist Court Judge Harry Wellford on 21 counts of mail fraud House Speaker Ned McWhorter (D-Dresden) said he had been told previously by Ford that he would not come to Nashville prior to sentencing After 98 House members were sworn in and McWherter was unanimously reelected speaker he appointed separate committees to investigate the qualifications of Ford and Rep James Hudson (R-KnoxvUle) who is being challenged by his opponent former Rep BUI Nolan on grounds that Hudson Illegally voted in Chattanooga when he was registered to vote in Knoxville The committees each composed of three Republicans and three Democrats wen fold to report their findings on Jan 26 when the House wUl reconvene after concluding its organizational session todav and Thursday House majority Leader Tommy Burnett (DJa-mestown) called the Hudson committee together immediately after Tuesday's session but the chairman of the Ford committee Democratic Caucus Phirmn jin McKinney (D-NashviUe) said it would not meet until after today's sentencing McWherter said he stlU expects Ford's situation wUl itself honorably" a statement taken to mean that FOrd wUl resign before the House is forced to oust him Nevertheless the speaker said ha was following the advice of Atty banking laws and partisan wrangling Gen William Leech in appointing the Ford study to reapportion the state's congressional committee lative districts House leaders say that FOrd has little choice but to resign or be ousted But they speculate privately that FOrd wanted to wait to aee what kind of sentence he receives ft oa Wellford before making a decision After several weeks of debate among the law- lican Pedro Paz to the seating of Crouch (DMcMinnville) Paz is claiming election irregularities Wilder told the committee to return a report by Thursday ly West-the panels was Rep who will sit on the Hudson committee Before adjourning for the day both houses adopted a resolution calling a joint session at noon today to name constitutional officers It is virtually certain that the Democratic incumbents Secretary of State Gentry Crowell Treasurer Harlan Mathews and Comptroller William Snodgrass will be returned to office The legislative Inquiries and filing of new bills probably will be the major action until Gov Lamar Alexander presents the proposed 1981-82 budget expected about FOb Whether to enact new taxes at the state and local level because of I ed to bra major issue of the 1981 There also will be renewed debate over old issues such as litter liquor credit life insurance rates judicial organization and salaries gambling and an Interindustry fight over branch overhow andlegia- Members of the Democratic majority have indicated they may not be as friendly they have been with Alexander who threw down an olive branch of sorts Tuesday The governor said he had waked well with the legislature the previous two years and since most of the same faces school unless funds are allocated for education Give residents of an unincorporated area the right to vote on whether to be annexed Require all beverage cans sold in the state to be made of recyclable aluminum Set a 5- to 15-year sentence for acts of crosu-burning Require judges to postpone judicial proceedings if they meant a legislator would have to miss a meeting while the assembly is in session Mandate a minimum five-year sentence for of Economic and Community Development to loan up to 850000 to small businesses Allow the state attorney general to prosecute criminal cases in which someone is charged with bid-riggin on a contract with a public body out of sample ballots place within one mile of a Eliminate the exemption that allows persons to hold a child rather than use a child restraint device in their car Prohibit state prison inmates ban voting Increase fees for hunting and fishing licenses Require that all police departments forward mplalnts of police brutality to the Tennessee complaints of police bratalit Department a Investigation which would have isibility lot ini the responsibility investigating those complaints Officials Find Cash In Free Book Samples Alexander Retargets Credit Life Insurance (CRISP CRUST 1 CLASSIC PIZZA SINGLE SERVE- ifaiidmr Js CRISP CRUST CLASSIC PIZZA SINGLE SERVE WL Fram Tk CimmwtM Fran Tk CamnwxM CRISP CRUST A hlgha credit life Insurance rates The others are all unda 65 cents an 12 states have maximum rates less than the 86 cents recommended by Neff Tt is time for the legislature to act by bringing down the cost for consumers Alexander's statement continued yea I made this same recommendation to JACKSON Miss Sample textbooks have been a little-known source of extra cash for state officials Involved in deciding which texts will be available fa use in the public schools according to a legislative committee Fa 40 years members of the Mississippi Textbook Purchasing Board including governors and state education superintendents have been able to sell to the privately ran textbook depository sample texts publishers gave them according to the Legislature's Performance Rvalue-tion and Economic Review (PEER) Committee The panel led by Rep Charlie Williams of Senatobla said members of the board and its executive secretary received S37J6B after texts were adopted in 1976 and 84223 alter the 1978 adoption While the PEER Committee did not charge that the sales were illegal copies of its Tuesday report to legislators CLASSIC PIZZA SINGLE SERVE lie awareness will make a difference this Earlier in the day Alexander announced he would propose eliminating election day as a holiday for state employes Instead Alexanda said state employes should he given their birthdays off The governa is believed to have completed consideration of his legislative proposals Including whether to recommend an increase in maximum track weights and length a gasoline tax increase new taxes fa local governments and a litter bill Aides have indicated he plans to announce the proposes ova the next few week SINGLE-SERVE CLASSIC-! and the State Ethics Commission their consideration The panel recommended that the Legislature approve a measure prohibiting members of the textbook board ftom selling free samples they receive from publishers The panel reported that among other officials trading the books fa cun Dr Charles Holladay the state superintendent of education received 84228 born School Book Supply Company for his sample texts in 1976 and drew a check for S6J52 from the firm last February But the committee reported that in October Holladay repaid the company with a personal check and asked the depository to issue a check fa the same amount to his son saying he had given him the books NASHVILLE Gov Lamar Alexander Tuesday again called on the General Assembly to end the overpricing of credit life insurance an idea he conceded "didn't get to first base" with legislators last year "Tennessee consumers last year paid S23J million too much for credit life insurance because we have a law that permits the legislature instead of the insurance commissionr er to set rates" Alexander said in a statement released late Tuesday by his press office "The law I am supporting would treat credit life insurance the same as other forms of insurance "Tennesseans who buy credit life insurance now collect about 38 cents fa every dollar of premlum paid" while the National Association of Insurance commissioners suggests claims should equal 60 per cent of the paid premiums the governa said Credit life insurance is sold when a person takes out a personal loan or borrows money to buy an expensive item like a cv Moat of the profit goes directly to lenders such as banks and car dealers a to reinsurance companies they control The present Tennessee law sets the maxima premium rate at 78 cents pa 8100 fa the cheapest form of credit life insurance Insurance Commissioner John Neff has proposed reducing that rate to 86 cents pa 8100 and adjusting the otha premium maxi-mums accordingly if given the authority Alexander's announcement that he would again propose such legislation was no surprise Neff already has oeen before a House-Senate committee formed after the proposal failed to emerge ftom committee last yea in the foes of opposition ftom lobbyists pap ticularly Richard Satterfield executive vice it of the Tennessee Automotive I Now you can have the delicious deluxe topping and incredible Crisp Crust of our regular Classic pizza in a new single-serve size thatfe perfect for one! Want a free single-serve Classic pizza? just buy two single-serve Classic pi (any flavor) and send us proof-of-purenase along with the attached name-end-address coupon Ana send you a coupon good for a free single-serve Classic pizza The new single-serve Classic pizza by Combination Cheese or Sausage The great taste of our full-size Classic pizza just smaller Baker Listed Satisfactory WASHINGTON (AP)-Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tenn) remained in satisfactory condition Tuesday at a Washington hospital where he is undergoing treatment for acute diverticulitis "He is doing better and respond ing to treatment" said David Spear of Baker's staff He saldBaker might be released from the hospital Saturday a Monday Baker was admitted to Sibley Memorial Hospital Sunday after developing abdominal pain His condition was diagnosed as diverticulitis an intestinal inflammation fOUSPCRUM) CLASSIC PIZZA iWjUSUM Arson Not Indicated In 12-Apartment Fire ay A Staff atr WEST MEMPHIS Preliminary results of an investigation into a fire that gutted 12 apartments at the Rivergrove Townhomes Saturday indicate that the blaze started in an electric furnace officials said Tuesday "The preliminary findings (of the state fire marshal) were that the fire Saturday night was not the result of said police LL Jerry Hubbard He said howeva that three mina fins reported Friday night and Saturday mailing in the apartment complex were apparently set deliberately "There is evidence that (the smaller fires) were the result of arson Evidently the one Saturday night is just going to be a coincidence though" Hubbard said He said the fire marshal determined that the blaze which spread through the attic and heavily damaged Apts 2M6 started In a furnace in Apt 35 Corrections Amplifications he- THE PILLS BURY COMPANY PQ Bn 1175 Minneapolis MN 55460 Name Rep Robin Beard of Tennessee was identified as a nocrat in a news stay merdal Appeal Beard is Alexander said Tennessee consumers would sava 8303 million in the next year if the rates were set by Neff He died an example where one company collected sure than 86 million in premiums for credit life insurance in 1979 and paid out only 813 million in claims a loes ratio of 26 pa cent Another company had oily a loss ratio of 72 per cent The governa noted that only six Mississippi Alabama Louisiana Oklahoma North Carolina and South Carolina allow FREE! Addraaa Slate Zip City The Comaurdal Appeal trial to correct pnmiptly any erronin factor cltrifyeny misleading information appearing to news articles That is the panose of this column To report any error or Deed for clarification please cell 529- 2m ij A.