Southern Illinoisan from Carbondale, Illinois • Page 2

Area schools feeling pinch of Title I funding cutbacks Thompson) accused of orchestrating budgetaoy crisis ure include allowing school districts to choose which figures they urns i 4 i I pile i framework for the 1980s." He said Thompson stressed in his State of the State address Feb. 8 that current revenues are no longer able to support state programs at the level to which taxpayers are accustomed. Foster contended that Thompson could resort to short-term borrowing to bridge a revenue shortfall that ranges between $300 million and $850 million, depending on various estimates. But Foster said short-term borrowing would require the support of state Comptroller Roland Burris and Treasurer James Donnewald, both Democrats who he said would oppose the idea unless they were told what the money would be used for. State Sen.

Dawn Clark Netsch, D-Chicago, chairwoman of the Illinois Economic and Fiscal Commission, the revenue-forecasting arm of the Legislature, agreed that Thompson had a game plan to win support for his tax package, but did not elaborate. AP Photo Watt protester Seminole Indian James Milan carries a sign calling Interior Secretary James Watt a "Born Again Liar." Watt was on hand to address the state's GOP convention Saturday morning. The secretary is out of favor with Indians for recent comments suggesting the U.S. should end Its management of reservations. Continued from Page 1 programs Johnson said.

He complained that the census overlooked some areas of his region, including the Israelite religious settlement in Pulaski County. So surprised were most districts that they were unprepared to recommend budget cuts at a time when their budgets had been riddled by delayed state aid payments, lower-than-anticipated corporate personal property replacement tax receipts and a state aid cut. "Confusion reigns supreme at this moment' confessed Franklin County Assistant Regional Superintendent of Schools Allen Patton. He said districts in Franklin County had been so committed to the Title I program that many have subsidized it out of non-grant funds, but now they may be forced into making difficult decisions about the program's future. One expected result of the cutback is that districts will have to lay off some of the teachers employed for Title I programs.

Teacher reimbursement is only one of 18 categories in which Title I funds are spent and "a district could allocate all of its Title I into staff only," to avoid cutbacks, Patton said. The cuts will not go into effect until the 1983-84 school year, for which school districts are presently budgeting. 'The superintendents and boards of education are having to make dismissal decisions without knowing their funding for next year," said Donald Stricklin, regional superintendent for Jackson and Perry counties. Stricklin said districts were hanging their hopes on federal legislation limiting funding cuts for such ongoing programs as Title I to no more than 15 percent in a given year. But the Title I losses are expected to be minor when compared to losses in state aid funding, which wouldn't be covered by the 15 percent clause.

Robert Hardy who adminis ters Title I for the state, believes specific legislation would be necessary from the Illinois legislature to keep from requiring use of the new census figures in the state aid formula. Options to using the new fig urford given little chance of keeping job Agency sanctioned 'unlisted' dumping CHICAGO (AP) A top state financial official says Republican Gov. James R. is manipulating Illinois' budget crisis to get his $1.9 billion tax plan passed by legislators, but a state budget aide says current revenues no longer meet taxpayers' needs. The clash of views between deputy state comptroller William Foster and Bureau of the Budget deputy director Richard Kolhauser surfaced Friday during a panel discussion sponsored by the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois.

Foster said a state cash-flow crisis will occur this year just "when the governor wants it to happen." "The governor is in the position comparable to conducting an orchestra," Foster said. "If he can get all the players moaning and groaning in key at the same time, and take the cash balance close to zero, he's got himself a tax increase." Kolhauser defended the governor's plan, saying the tax package would buy the state a "solid financial Waste Management Inc. of Oak Brook that they could ship the materials from a site in Seymour to two dumps not listed in a federal cleanup agreement, the Indianapolis Star reported. Vanderlaan told the Star that Beverly Kush, the EPA supervisor at the Seymour site, gave permission for Chemical Waste to dump the wastes at the unapproved sites. agency," said Molinari.

"With her at the helm, no matter what the president does, the agency is going to continue to be held in question by the public." Publicly the administration maintains Mrs. Burford will hold onto her job. David R. Gergen, the president's assistant for communications, said that when the White House staff has discussed the EPA situation in past weeks, "it has been a given that the president is solidly in her corner that not every veteran is eligible for free care at 65. Dr.

John Mather, who oversees the VA's geriatric care, said plans are being made to channel more money for beds, equipment and staff to hospitals in Sun Belt areas with the highest concentrations of aged veterans. Mountain Home was built in 1903 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) An Illinois disposal firm that dumped hazardous waste at two unapproved sites in Ohio was given permission to do so by an Environmental Protection Agency official, a regional coordinator for the agency says. Greg Vanderlaan, the EPA's regional hazardous waste cleanup coordinator, said an agency supervisor told officials of Chemical they not be identified. Congressmen, however, discussed the situation openly. Rep.

Guy Molinari of New York, ranking Republican on the House Public Works investigations subcommittee, one of six panels probing EPA, said the administration has been hurt by the EPA dispute and will not recover public confidence as long as Mrs. Burford remains in charge. "She is the administrator of the Mount Vernon TV station gearing up for first broadcasts overburden VA hospita and she is going to be directing that agency." Last Wednesday, Reagan fired EPA Inspector General Matthew Novick and John Horton, assistant EPA administrator for administration. The president named bureaucrats from other departments to the two posts, as well as that of Rita M. Lavelle, the former head of the superfund program, whom he dismissed Feb.

7. In a related development Saturday, an aide to Missour Sen. John Danforth reported that the EPA told the Republican senator's staff last year that he could benefit politically by announcing a "promising new technique" for destroying the dangerous chemical dioxin on the eve of a tight re-election contest. The aide said Ms. Lavelle contacted Danforth's staff in late October to tell him the agency was planning to run laboratory tests of the technique on dioxin-contaminated soil at Timberline stables near New Bloomfield.

Mo. as an old soldiers' home for Southern veterans who fought for the North in the Civil War. There were 20,000 applications for admission to Mountain Home last year. Six thousand people were hospitalized. Ten thousand were treated as out-patients.

Four thousand were turned away. Computer System Apple Compatible Upper Lower Case Numeric Pad 64K RAM Disk drive wcontroller NEC 12" Monitor Word Processing Program 5000 Carbondale. WASHINGTON (AP) President Reagan's "housecleaning" at the Environmental Protection Agency is failing to stop calls for the ouster of EPA Administrator Anne Burford, and even some administration sources say she may not be able to hang on as head of the agency. Congressional sources, both Democratic and Republican, said they believe the EPA's public image has been so tarnished by the broadening investigation of the agency that nothing short of changing the administrator can reverse the trend. While most congressional sources view the outcome as almost inevitable, administration sources and some in Congress are not willing to write off Mrs.

Burford, although they agree her position is difficult. "It is really tough to make a comeback from this type of situation," said one Reagan administration source. Those in the administration willing to talk about the furor over EPA would do so only on the condition ging vets MOUNTAIN HOME, Tenn. (AP) -The old veteran came heavily and slowly off the examining table. He was following orders again.

He set aside his cane, stood as erect as he could and tried to raise his right arm. Grimacing, he got it up to his shoulder before his knees buckled from the pain. The young doctor caught him and helped him back onto the table in the cramped examining room at the Veterans Administration hospital here. "Bursitis," Hugh Smith, 72, said. "Got it real bad, doc." Dr.

Ahmed Khan looked at Smith's records. The old man had no private doctor, no private insurance, no private funds. Khan wanted to order X-rays and other tests and give Smith medicine for the pain. But new guidelines from VA hospital officials told him he should send Smith away. Hugh Smith represents a problem for the U.S.

government. Under a 1970 law passed by Congress, all veterans except those with dishonorable discharges become "100 percent disabled" upon reaching age 65. As such, they are eligible for complete and free medical care at any of the Veterans Administration's 172 hospitals. It doesn't matter how much money a veteran has, or whether insurance would cover his care elsewhere. It doesn't matter if he spent the war in a foxhole or behind a desk.

It doesn't matter whether he was in the service A wisn to nave applied, removing the Title I "census" from the state aid formula and several others. But without guarantees, districts will be planning for the worst in their budget preparations for next year. That planning is likely to in volve reduction in force or layoff notices to teachers during the next month. A survey of area districts indicated 44 percent considered it likely that reduction in force no tices would be issued next month. Fifty-two percent thought layoffs would not be necessary and 4 percent found circumstances too uncertain to predict.

The same 44 percent figure applies to the number considering cuts in various non-staffing areas. A large majority of those said they expected to cut funding for extracurricular activities such as minor sports, like track, wrestling, golf and cross country. Others eyed reductions in equipment replacement or purchases, teacher aides, lunch programs and custodial help. Ironically, the cutbacks may not be the result of a reduction in the number of poor who qualify for Title I assistance to their schools in Southern Illinois. According to Hardy, the number of poor who qualified because their family income fell below the Illinois poverty level, about $7,000 for a family of four, grew from 305,000 to 334,000 during the past 10 years.

But the number whose income is above the natlChal poverty level of about $9,500 for a family of four because they receive public aid from the state fell by 60,000. Hardy said the state, laboring under high unemployment and low tax revenues, has depressed public aid disbursements to individual families while keeping overall disbursement high. "We have so many who are on public aid that the payment is simply smaller' he said. At a conference attended by hundreds of Title I teachers and administrators last week in Carbon-dale, Hardy offered some advice. "The test comes when times are tough," he said.

"We might have to do a little bit more with a little bit less." Licensee to fight cable system rejection Two Southern Illinois cable systems representing 15 communities already have given notice they won't pick up WCEE-TV of Mount Vernon, but station licensee William Varecha says he's not going to give up trying. Varecha contends the companies refusal to air his signal amounts to "restraint of trade" for cable customers wouldn't be able to pick up WCEE unless they disconnected their cable. The two companies are Jones Intercable which operates cable systems in Benton, Pin-ckneyville, Du Quoin, West City, Buckner and Christopher; and Southern Illinois Cablevision, which operates in Murphysboro, West Frankfort, Herrin, Johnston City, Carterville, Crainville, Energy, Harrisburg and Eldorado. Varecha says Federal Communications Commission guidelines require cable systems to carry all area stations. However, Jones already has filed for a waiver and Southern Illinois Cablevision has indicated it will if pressed to carry WCEE.

Varecha says national figures indicate anywhere from 40 to 42 percent of the households in his broadcast area are served by cable. That could spell serious trouble for WCEE's future if that percentage of households can't receive the station without disconnecting their sets, he says. Since then Varecha also has been occupied with purchasing production equipment and lining up a staff of nearly 20, including general sales manager Tom Meacham, chief engineer Robert Taylor, operations director Steve Schrader and news team Donna and John Skattum. riod; by motor route, $7.00 per 4 week period. By mail, payable in advance: In 18 county circulation Outside Area and Illinois 85.00 45.00 23.00 7.75 carrier service 1 year 6 months 3 months 1 month Not mailed 75.00 40.00 21.00 7.00 where available.

Office phone numbers: Carbondale 529-5454 or 997-3356 (Williamson County); Herrin 942-3187 or 937-1918 (Franklin County). Classified advertising numbers: 549-3326, 997-5432, 997-5433. POSTMASTER: Send address to the Southern Illinoisan, Box 2103, Carbondale, 111. 62901. FRANKLIN ACE 1000 for three months or three years.

And the law doesn't distinguish between treatment for corns or coronaries, bunions or bypasses. Today, 3.3 million veterans are eligible for complete care at VA hospitals, although only about 25 percent of them actually seek such care each year. But with the median age of the nation's 12 million World War II veterans now at 62, the number of over-65 veterans will reach to 7.7 million by 1990. Will every veteran who seeks free medical help actually get it? Are the VA hospitals ready? "The answer is no," said Dr. Donald Custis, the VA's chief medical director in Washington.

In truth, many VA hospitals cannot meet the demand now. According to the latest records at the VA headquarters in Washington, there were 4,666 patients on waiting lists to be admitted to VA hospitals and nursing homes last October. Custis and other VA officials say that if the demand for medical care by elderly veterans doubles or triples, Congress will have to either spend billions more to keep care at current levels or change the law so MOTEL FOR SALE 10 units. paneled, furnished, with nice living quarters. Can be converted to 20 units.

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684 3821. Ace 1000 System $1 79900 imlslhirini dote teflr U.S. 51 South 529 (Continued from Page 1) though he declines to tip his hand to the competition. Varecha indicates an important part of WCEE's programming is to be "video magazines," informational programs delivered in a talk-show format. One such offering will be "The Prime of Your Life," a video magazine aimed at persons 55 years and older.

Such programming, Varecha believes, is part of what will make WCEE a unique offering to Southern Illinois viewers something he has been promising since filing an application to operate Channel 13 in 1977. The six years it took Varecha to win the operating license is a period still filled with many unanswered questions, mainly because Varecha refused to talk to the press. The rights to Channel 13 were hotly contested, primarily because the station represented the last open VHF frequency in any of the nation's top 200 market areas. Varecha's main competitor was Southern Illinois Broadcasting a subsidiary of the firm that owned Channel 30, a UHF station originating in St. Louis.

That firm planned to use Channel 13 to broadcast Channel 30's programming to Southern Illinois over a VHF frequency. The Federal Communications Commission actually granted SIBC the right to operate Channel 13 in 1980, after Varecha withdrew his application citing lack of financing. SIBC also agreed to reimburse Varecha for his legal costs and hire him as a consultant. But Varecha's hopes were revived when SIBC withdrew its application in 19S0 after selling Channel 30. The FCC accepted no other applications for operating permits, though Car-bondale investor William Burns made overtures and several other persons presented petitions complaining of Varecha's financial and personal abilities.

Varecha's application for a building permit was approved last June, and he immediately began construction of the tower and studios at its base, he says. Southern Illinoisan (USPS 258-980) Publication Offices 710 N. Illinois Carbondale, III. 62901 212 N. 16th Herrin, III.

62948 Published Sunday and daily except Saturday and holidays by the Southern Illinoisan. Second class postage paid at Carbondale, Illinois, and at additional mailing offices. The Southern Illinoisan is the successor newspaper to the Carbondale Free Press, Herrin Daily Journal and Murphysboro Independent. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Delivered by carrier, Sunday through Friday, $6.50 per 4 week pe Lowell's Mini-Mall 1121 II. Carbon, Marion llrs: 9am 9pm Sunday 1pm 5pm OPEN MARCH.