Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / Feb. 6, 1993, edition 1 / Page 1
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WILSON LIBRAPy CB 3930 UNC-CH chapel hill i,ir ^'C 27599-3930 /OLUME 71 - NUMBER 5 DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA — SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1993 TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913 PRICE:30 CENTS Black Marines Angry About Racism Looked For White Man To Kill CAMP LEJEUNE (AP) — Six lack Marines looked for a white to kill because they were ngry about racism, one of the larines testified. Lance Cpl. Terence D. McDonald -as sentenced Monday to 28 years I prison for his part in the slaying f Lance Cpl. Rodney L. Page, 22, f Oswego, N.Y. Page was shot in le chest with a shotgun on March 7 outside of two bars near Jack- onville. McDonald, 23, of Freeport, N.Y., leaded guilty in December. He aced up to life in prison, but the nilitary judge, Lt. Col. David A. Vnderson, agreed to the lower enlence as part of plea bargain that eludes McDonald’s agreement to siify against the other defendants. He was also given a dishonoiable discharge, reduced in rank to pri vate and ordered to forfeit all pay, the Morning Star of Wilmington reported. McDonald testified Monday ^(February 1 that th^six Marine! drank a case of beer and quart o gin in a barracks before the slaying He said the group got into heated discussion about racial in justices against blacks, leading an other defendant, Lance Cpl. Ken neth G. Paiker, to tell the groiq "We are going to get us a white bo tonight.” He also testified that d> victim begged for his life, and tha when the six defendants got togeth er later, Parker was elated ani trying to hug the others. "When we got back to the bai racks, Parker was still bragging about killing the white guy," McDonald said. Among the five prosecution wit nesses was Melissa R. Page, the victim’s widow, who was four months pregnant at the time of her husband’s murder. A second of the six defendants, Lance Cpl. Frederick Brown, also pleaded guilty in the slaying and is scheduled to be sentence later this month. Lance Cpl. Joseph Adams and Parker are awaiting trial, as are Lance Cpls. Wade L. W^er and Michael L. Curry. All six Marines were charged with murder, conspiracy, kidnap ping, robbery and possessing an un- registered firearm on the base. ?tate Facing Some Lean Budget Years, Belt ightening Necessary By Dennis Patterson RALEIGH (AP) — A $1.2 billion idget shortfall two years ago ught legislators that they must jnsider the effects of their finan- al decisions well into the future, :p. David Diamont says. Nobody wants to go through that Diamont, D-Surry, said uesday. "We did just about every- ling we could — raised taxes, cut i rvices, all those things that lilicians don’t like to do. ' ... One thing we learned from '91 was to look down the road, past the next election, which is amctliing different from what «’ve done," he said during a brief- ig for House members on the ale’s fiscal outlook. Analysts lold lawmakers that tlie ate should have enough money to ay its bills through 1998, but there ill be little left over for salary in- rcases, educali jn improvements or oilier new spending. David Crotts, the Legislature’s senior fiscal analyst, said the state tlirough the next five years will have only enough extfa money "for one-fifth or one-sixth the spending demand from the ’70s and ’80s." In 1994-95, for instance, the state should have just over $100 million left after it pays for continuing state programs, Medicaid increases, premium increases to the employee health plan, required increases in prison spending and the expected increase in public school students. But there will be nearly $600 mil lion in demands for increased spending on higher salaries, educa tion improvements, infant mortality jirogiains and other projects, based on spending requests over the past 20 years, Crotts said. A 1 percent increase in the state payroll alone costs about $58 mil lion. Crotts’ projections are based on the state taking no action — either through spending cuts or tax in creases — during the next five years. While leaders of the House and Senate have said tax increases are unlikely this year, spending cuts are likely. House members will soon be given a briefing on a year-long audit that includes more than 400 recommendations for streamlining government. The recommendations total about $275 million in savings to the state for the first year. Both House Speaker Dan Blue, D-Wake, and Senate President Pro Tern Marc Basnight, D-Dare, have said that some of those audit recommendations must be imple mented this year if the state is to have any new money to spend on early childhood programs and other projects promoted by Gov. Jim Hunt Arkansas State Senators Want Jerry Jewell Out, But Not By Force Actor Danny Glover, above, came to NCCU to perform recently. In top photo Glover delivers Langston Hughes poetry. He was accompanied by Felix Justice, right, who performed with Glover. (Photos by Trent) By James Jefferson LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Sen. Jerry Jewell, who stirred statewide eiitrage by freeing a convicted mur- lercr, remains in the state Senate’s top post — but not because his col leagues want him to stay. Jewell is still Senate president partly because some senators fear the ramifications of kicking out the first black to hold the post since Reconstruction. Such a move, some said, could be Jevastating to the image of a state brimming with pride and great ex pectations from having sent its na tive son to Washington to be presi- Jent. "A great many members, perhaps a majority, love the state so much [that they don’t want to subject it u. (be image erosion, nationally and internationally, that would result from the forced removal of Sen. Jewell," said Sen. Travis Miles, R- Fort Smith. Were it not for that, I believe Sen. Jewell already would have; been removed." Others were less’ concerned about the national image' problem than about the internal strife that might result in a state where race remains a strong social tnti political undercurrent more ban 30 years after the Little Rock chool desegregation crisis. Sen. James Scott, D-Warren, raised the specter of demonstra tions, street riots or even bloodshed if the Senate fired Jewell. "We fear a backlash that may cause some unnecessary harm to th? general public," Scott said. 'We don’t know (what would happen). That’s • why there’s no con sensus." In a poll of senators con ducted Thursday and Friday (Jan. 28-29) by the Associated Press, 11 senators said Jewell should resign as Senate president. Fifteen said he should not and nine refused com ment or said they were undecided. Most senators dutifully noted that Jewell acted within the framework of the state constitution, and that the chamber has had no specific provision for removing a colleague for taking a legal act But privately, many of those who said in the survey that Jewell should stay also said they would go against him if his fate as Senate president were put to a vote. None of them would say they suiqxtrted Jewell’s actions, and few acknowledged receiving comments from constituents supportive of the. Democratic senator from Little Rock. Most said they doubted he seriously deliberated before taking action, and some were miffed that he gave no assurances that he would not take similar drastic ac tion the next time he becomes ac-, ting governor. "He’s not given me any personal assurances, but I can assure him that if he does it again, I would certainly vote to remove him," said Sen. Jay Bradford, D-Pine Bluff. Jewell, a veteran civil rights ac tivist and the son of former eastern Arkansas sharecroppers, became the stale’s first black senator since Reconstraction following his elec tion in 1972. Twenty years after taking office, his colleagues unani mously elected him the state’s first black Senate president pro tern. His rise to power was a source of pride for blacks across the state. Then, barely two weeks into his tenure, Jewell became the state’s first black acting governor. It oc curred during the Legislature’s week-long recess — Jewell co sponsored the resolution authoriz ing the recess — for Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration. Gov. Jim Guy Tucker went to Washington for the festivities. During his three-day sunt as gov ernor, Jewell granted executive clemency to Bill Ray Davis, who was serving a life sentence for mur-; der, and to Tommy McIntosh, who! was serving a SO-vear sentence fori dealing cocaine. He also pardoned two prison parolees. (ConUiiued On Page 2 ) Black Arkansas Lawmaker Says He May Quit Over Pardon Issue By Dennis A Byrd Associated Press Writer LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A black lawmaker, upset over swift action on legislation to limit the clemency powers of governors, told a com mittee he was considering resign ing. Rep. Jimmie Wilson, D-Lexa, told the House Judiciary Com mittee on Thursday, January 28, that he was considering giving up his seat in the Legislature if they recommended approval of an ad ministration bill requiring 30 days’ public notice of a governor’s intent to commute a prison sentence or pardon a felon. Wilson, one of four blacks on the commiuee, said putting the legisla tion on the fast track made it a ra cial issue. Last week, the state’s first black Senate president, Jerry Jewell, D- Litlle Rock, granted executive clemency as acting governor to two felons and pardoned two others who already had been released from prison. ■' This week. Gov. Jim Guy Tucker offered the bill that Wilson said was moving too quickly. It was submitted Tuesday, approved by both a Senate committee and the full Senate on Wednesday, and by the House Judiciary panel on Thursday. The House was expected to take up the measure Thursday after it got a recommendation from the Ju diciary Committee despite opposi tion from Wilson and others. "I guarantee you that if Jim Guy Tucker had made the same pardons, we wouldn’t have this legislation," Wilson told the committee. "He (Tucker) has pardoned people, the president has pardoned people, others have pardoned people," he said. "I wouldn’t have pardoned any of the people they pardoned because I have a different perspective on life." Wilson said the committee’s refusal to postpone action on the bill for 30 days showed that black people have no respect among lawmakers. "As of this moment 1 have no choice but to seriously consider resignation," Wilson said after the measure got 12 votes in the 20- member committee. "I don’t how we can function in a body that for whatever reasons shows a dis respect for our concerns as mem bers. "It makes it difficult to be a tr.aiu jlaycr when you arc excluded fro]ii ever getting your turn at bat or evci getting a chance to have the ball," Wilson said. The lawmaker said he would meet Saturday with his supporters in Helena and with members of the local chapter of the National Asso ciation for the Advancement of Colored People before making a final decision on resigning. Wilson is president of his local NAACP chapter. "This isn’t about Jerry Jewell ... It’s about the question of respect. And if I don’t have the respect of my colleagues. I’m nothing," Wil son said. "If that had been a similai situation, I assure you if my i ot leagues had asked me to defer a; don, I would have deferred is.' Wilson said that if he decided m keep his seat and run again, he would have no problems getting re elected. But, he said lawmakers who supported the bill who live in districts Wim a large numbei or (Continued On Page 2)
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