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December 1, 1999
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Business
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President Clinton signs fiscal 2000 budget
T he A ssociated P ress
President C 1 inton signed a $390billion
budget package today that provided
m oney for m ore teachers and police
officers. A cknow ledging it fell short
on m any o f his goals, he nonetheless
sa id the b ill re p re se n te d " r e a l
progress” for A m erican families,
" la m proud to sign a bill that 1 believe
wi 11 give us a stronger, better America
for the 21st century,” Clinton said.
The signing cerem ony in the Rose
G arden kicked o ff a busy w eek o f
activity for C linton, w ho is heading
w est on T uesday for fund-raising in
C alifornia and the opening o f the
c o n te n tio u s
W o rld
T ra d e
O rganization talks in Seattle.
C linton spoke with uniform ed police
and about a dozen teachers behind
him on the dais. A crystal apple was
placed on the desk he sat at to sign
the bill.
‘ ’W e value education and this budget
truly puts education first, continuing
our commitment to hire 100,000 highly
qualified teachers to low er class size
in the early grades,” he said. Funds
to put m ore cops on the street "w ill
make Am erica a safer place, ” he said.
T he om n ib u s sp ending bill also
inc luded m oney to pay U. N . dues and
protect m ore sensitive lands from
developm ent. But C linton failed to
w in support for a prescription drug
benefit for M edicare or changes to
spending.
In law m akers’ absence, Clinton also
plans a series o f recess appointments.
O ne is the reappointm ent o f Bill Lan
Lee, the acting assistant attorney
general for civil rights w ho has faced
strong GOP opposition over the issue
ofaffirm ative action.
A fte r th ree fu n d -ra isin g e v e n ts
T u esd ay in C alifo rn ia - one for
H andgun Control and two to support
D em ocratic candidates forC ongress
- the president arrives in Seattle for
W orld Trade O rganization talks.
Protesters w orried about the danger
that globalization presents to the
environm ent and w orkers planned a
large scale rally and m arch in Seattle
ju st before C linton arrives.
T he p resid en t C lin to n has been
upbeat about the new round o f talks.
But there is concern that governm ent
m in isters m ight not achieve any
b reakthroughs on low ering trade
barriers and that protesters m ight
overshadow the talks.
C ritics o f the W TO also are unhappy
with the prospect o f China joining the
shore up the retirem ent system
Law m akers also ended their session
w ith o u t c o m p le tin g w o rk o n a
patients’ bill o f rights, a m inim um
w age increase, and several other
issues im portant to the president.
A ides say that w ith Congress out o f
town, m uchofth e president’s activity
will be aimed at nudging lawmakers to
address unfinished business when
they return to Capitol Hill next year.
* ’ In the w eeks and m onths ahead, we
can achieve these vital goals if we
keep in m ind that the disagreem ents
we have are far less im portant than
our shared values and our shared
re s p o n s ib ilitie s to th e f u tu re ,”
C linton said. "W ith this budget we
have helped begin that future.”
T he m easure also included language
that w ould allow direct food aid to
rebels fighting against the Sudanese
governm ent. C linton has not m ade a
decision on the food aid, W hite House
spokesm an Joe Lockhart said.
R epublicans claim ed v icto ry for
rejecting adm inistration plans for
higher taxes on cigarettes and other
items, and for leaving the Social
Security surplus untouched, a claim
w hich the nonpartisan Congressional
Budget O ffice disputes.
T h e G O P a ls o fo rc e d th e
adm inistration to accept a sm all
across-the-board cut in spending,
w hich actually lim ited the grow th o f
the budget w ithout reducing overall
treaty on child labor, a m ove Clinton
is sure to use to address lab o r’s
concerns about world trade.
Clinton is spending T uesday and
W ednesday night in Seattle and
returns to W ashington on Thursday.
A lso T hursday, the p resid en t is
scheduled to attend a fund-raiser for
outgoing Philadelphia M ayor Ed
Rendell. Rendell is trying to retire
campaign debts before taking on the
re s p o n s ib ilitie s o f D e m o c ra tic
National Com mittee co-chairman.
M eantime, adm inistration officials
and congressional leaders are looking
for an opportunity to hold a bipartisan
ceremony where the president can
sign legislation that will elim inate
som e b a rrie rs fo r p e o p le w ith
disabilities who want to work. The bill
is chiefly sponsored by Sens. James
Jeffords, R -V t., an d E dw ard M.
Kennedy, D-Mass.
C ontributed story
for T he
P ortland O bserver
Sham eful and Ludicrous, says PUC
U S W est claim s that a new state law
a llo w s th e te le c o m m u n ic a tio n s
c o m p a n y to lo w e r its s e rv ic e
standards to levels com parable in
other states. But the state’s top utility
regulator couldn’ t disagree more. The
issue cam e up M onday, w hen U S
W est outlined its service performance
over the past three m onths to the
O regon Public U tility Com m ission.
The com m ission, w hich has long
criticized U S W est’s service record,
said the com pany has m et several o f
the standards but falls short in other
areas. PU C C hairm an Ron Eachus
saved his harshest rebukes, how ever,
for U S W e st’s interpretation o f
Senate Bill 622, explained in a letter
from the com pany dated Oct. 29.
Eachus said the law, according to U
S W est’s take on it, w ould allow the
company to operate under much lower
service quality standards than before.
He said that stance is “ sham eful and
lu d ic ro u s” and dared U S W est
officials at the quarterly m eeting to
prove otherw ise. “Find any editorial
board that supported the bill, find
an y le g is la to r , an y le g is la tiv e
leadership, anyone involved in the
negotiations w illing to support that
interpretation - th at’s m y challenge
to you,” Eachus said. U S W est
m aintains that statew ide standards
should be com parable to those for
the rest o f the country, and that the
standards should be even low er for
Oregon com panies thatparticipate in
the regulatory guidelines spelled out
in SB622. “The intent we have is to
follow the letter o f the law ,” said U S
W est spokesm an Jim Haynes. “The
key thing is that the bill itself is driving
the com m ission tow ard standards
that are the norm nationally.” Eachus
was having none o f that argum ent. “ I
w o n ’t apologize for O regon setting
high standards," he said. The PUC
does not have to abide by any o f U S
W est’s suggestions, E achus said.
B u t he in te rp re te d p a rt o f th e
com pany’s letter as threatening to
sue if the rules are not adopted its
way. D uring the quarterly hearing,
th e P U C h e a rd th a t s e rv ic e is
im p ro v in g in so m e a r e a s , b u t
continues to suffer in others. U S
W e st m e t th e c o m m is s io n ’s
requirem ent that it average less than
two repair reports per 100 customers.
That figure was l .96 at the end o f
O ctober. T he com pany also met the
standard for percentage o f calls to its
repair bureau that w ere answered
w ithin 20 seconds. The com m ission
dem ands an 85 percent rate, and U S
W es, reached that in Septem ber and
October for the first tim e since March.
But w hen it com es to access to US
Senate Bill 622, explained in a letter
from the com pany dated Oct. 29.
Eachus said the law, according to U
S W est’s take on it, w ould allow the
com pany to operate under much lower
service quality standards than before.
W est’s business office, the com pany
still lags behind the requirem ent that
85 percent o f calls be answered in 20
seconds. In O ctober, the rate was ju st
over 50 percent; the standard hasn’t
been reached since July 1998. U S
W est claim s that a new state law
a llo w s th e te le c o m m u n ic a tio n s
c o m p a n y to lo w e r its s e rv ic e
standards to levels com parable in
other states. But the state’s top utility
regulatorcouldn’tdisagreem ore. The
issue cam e up M onday, w hen U S
W est outlined its service performance
over the past three m onths to the
O regon Public U tility Com mission.
The com m ission, w hich has long
criticized U S W est’s service record,
said the com pany has m et several o f
the standards but falls short in other
areas. PUC C hairm an Ron Eachus
saved his harshest rebukes, however,
for U S W est’s inteipretation o f
F R E E C O U N S E L IN G !
SAVE M O NEY!
BUY A HOME OR INVEST!
O r» y o n
•
W « » h in g to r
♦
Africa
A - Z I B H A Realty Inc
George Hendrix, Broker
5 0 3 -2 8 1 -9 9 0 0
3 ,7
NE KilUngawortti St
P ortland, O 'e ^ o n
3 6 0 -6 9 0 -0 2 8 1
k
4225 NF S t Jam es Od
V ancouver, W ashington
J
W e Represent Buyers
Needed...
NEW LIQUOR STORES
-I
Apply by December 17, 1999
o rganization, d esp ite w id esp read
hum an rights abuses in the country.
In addition to a keynote address at a
tra d e
m in is te rs
lu n c h e o n
W ednesday, the president intends
to sp e a k to r e p r e s e n ta tiv e s o f
environm ental and labor groups.
W hile in Seattle, he w ill sign a new
International L abor O rg an izatio n
U. S. WestwantstolowerOregonservicestandards
S TO P !
G E T H ELP!
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has opportunities
for independent contractors to locate and operate new retail
liquor stores in each o f these areas;
Beaverton: Allen Blvd to Scholls Ferry Rd on Murray Blvd.
Clackam as: 122nd to 147* & Sunnyside Road
Hillsboro: Within one mile of200th & T V H w y.
For application forms
& additional informa
tion contact:
Applicants will be evaluated on their new store business
plans, background knowledge and work experience in:
• Retail business management
• Inventory/cash management
• Retail sales
• Customer service/public relations in a retail environment
■fl
9079 SE McLoughlin
Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97222
(503)872-5015
toll-free
(800)426-2004
Separate application forms and
detailed business plans
A re required for each store.
Application m aterials are
due by 5:00 p.m. Decem ber 17,
1999
Successful Applicants must be able to acquire and operate
their proposed new store location, and qualify for a fidelity
bond as well
Selected finalists will be notified and interviewed by
the staff screening committee in Portland Final selec
tion will be made by OLCC, based on set criteria, at
it's public meeting January 10 & 11,2000
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