Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Nation & World Gore, Lieberman focus on welfare reform by Mike Glover Associated Press > Atlanta - Focusing on welfare re form and economic revival in the South, A1 Gore and Joseph Lieber man signaled their intent to contest the region despite its recent Re publican tilt. The first stop Thursday was a meeting southern Democratic gov ernors convened here specifically to tie into the Gore-Lieberman cam paign. While they planned no new pol icy initiatives, they were couching welfare issues in terms geared to sell with moderates, arguing they represent a new generation of De mocratic leaders. * “We imposed'time limits and re quired work,” Gore said in remarks prepared for the conference, tak ing pride in facets of welfare reform that angered liberals. “We moved millions from wel fare to work and gave people more than a paycheck, we gave them pride again,” said Gore. Gore aides said the southern De mocratic governors want to push welfare reform as an issue in the re gion. Gore noted that the nation now has the fewest number of peo ple on welfare - 6.6 million - since 1968 and pledged to continue the effort. If elected, Gore said he would seek “the next generation of wel fare reform, to encourage respon sible fatherhood.” Governors expected at Thurs day’s meeting were Don Siegelman of Alabama, Paul Patton of Ken tucky, James Hunt of North Car olina and Roy Barnes of Georgia. Republican presidential candi date George W. Bush’s campaign cried foul. “The Clinton-Gore administra tion resisted welfare reform at every turn and only signed it when faced with a backlash at the polls during the 1996 election. Even when he signed it, A1 Gore played little or no role - silently watching from the sidelines,” said Bush spokesman Dan Bartlett. With Bush favored throughout the region, Gore could gain by forc ing his rival to spend valuable time and money in the South. The Democratic ticket also de tailed on Wednesday its plans for a 400-mile tour along the Mississip pi River beginning Aug. 18, the morning after Gore accepts the pres idential nomination at the Democ ratic National Convention. Begin ning in LaCrosse, Wis., Gore and Lieberman will ride the Mark Twain Riverboat through Dubuque, Iowa; Moline, 111.; Keokuk, Iowa, and oth er stops, winding up in Twain’s hometown of Hannibal, Mo. But first, the Democratic pair had some explaining to do Wednes day on abortion and some other dif ferences. Lieberman has said he favors measures requiring parental con sent for a minor’s abortion as long as children are given the alternative option of seeking court approval. Gore, who takes a tougher po sition in support of abortion rights, was asked to explain the difference of opinion. He said he could sup port some version of legislation re quiring only that a parent be noti fied before minor’s abortion, but hasn’t seen a version that’s work able. “If there is a formulation that allows, below a certain age, a set of safety valves that actually work, I’d be willing to consider it and look at them. But I haven’t seen it,” Gore said. Aides said he has long opposed consent requirements. Both sought to minimize any dif ference. “The important point here is a big and honest difference,” said Lieberman. “We support a woman’s right to choose. The other ticket does not.” The issue is a touchy one for Gore, who is striving to solidify sup port among core groups such as women and who argued that his ad ministration would uphold abortion rights. “I’m not going to support any thing that becomes an attack on a woman’s right to choose,” he said. Gore and Lieberman also had to explain their differing views on school vouchers. Lieberman has supported experimental programs that would allow public funds to be spent to educate.children in private schools. Gore strongly opposes such programs. At the opening event Wednes day in Gore’s hometbwn of Carthage, Tenn., a retired teacher asked Lieberman to defend his sup- ’ port for vouchers. Lieberman said he’s backed on ly experimental voucher programs. “The differences are very, very few. We share values, we share a vi sion for the country,” he said, adding that he preferred to focus instead “on all of those other things A1 Gore and I agree on.” “I’m not afraid to have a vice president who disagrees with me on some issues,” said Gore. “Our ad ministration will be opposed to pri vate school vouchers.” Disney faces sports complex lawsuit By Mike Schneider Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. - The Walt I Disney Co. stole ideas for a sports complex from two busi nessmen and should pay $240 million in damages, a jury ruled Friday. Nicholas Stracick, Edward Russell and their company, All Pro Sports Camps Inc., accused Disney of fraud, theft of trade secrets, breaking an im plied contract and breaching a confidential relationship. i ’ ------- The six-member jury ac cepted all the claims except fraud. Disney executives denied using anybody else’s ideas for the Wide World of Sports com plex, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves, at Walt Disney World. “Disney is an honorable company,” Louis Meisinger, the company’s general coun sel, said Wednesday outside court. “We don’t steal other people’s ideas.” The judge severely limited the scope of what jurors could consider by adopting jury in structions that said the archi tecture, site plan and busi ness plan for the sports complex were not copied from All Pro and could not be con sidered. All Pro claimed 88 similar ities between its plans and the Disney complex and docu mented more than 200 tele phone calls with Disney exec utives. Stracick, a retired baseball umpire from Buffalo, N.Y., and Russell, an architect from Fonthill, Ontar io, testified they pitched their idea for a sports complex to Disney officials in the late 1980s. Four years after Disney of ficials rejected their plans in 1989, the company announced it would build a $100 million complex. It opened in 1997. One alternate juror, dis missed from the case before deliberations began because he wasn’t needed on the jury, said he would have decided against Disney and awarded the full re quest of $1.4 billion in dam ages to teach the entertainment giant a lesson. Jimmy Johnson Jr./a 35 year-old truck driver, ques tioned the testimony of Dis ney executives, particularly architect Wing Chao, who claimed they knew nothing of Stracick and Russell’s plans. Johnson said Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner ap peared evasive in his video taped deposition played in the five-week trial. “I found most of the Dis ney executives to be less than forthcoming,” Johnson said. Former Fla. r professor accused of check theft BY SCQTT MARINARO College Press Exchange The former faculty advisor for Flori da A&M University's The Fauman stu-.. dent newspaper, a one-time journalism professor at the University, has been accused of stealing nearly $8,000 worth of checks from the paper. Keith Thomas was charged with Grand Theft on Friday and released on $1,000 bail. No date for his arraignment has been set, and neither party has declared their legal representation. The 41 year-old could face up to five years in state prison for the third Hpotpo fblnnv FAMU police say that Thomas stole a total 12 checks from the Fauman offices over the course of this past spring, worth a total of $7,802.40. Thomas allegedly endorsed the checks at a grocery store nearby; the checks were compensation for adver tisements that had run in the paper, but Thomas apparently used the money for personal reasons. In a statement given to his former employer on Wednesday - the Talla- • hassee Democrat, where he had once been a writer and contributing editor - » Thomas admitted to having problems with compulsory gambling and lottery playing, and said, "I can only say I hope my friends would say a prayer and help me get through this. ..It really grew out of depression over some personal prob lems.” Thomas was unavailable for further : comment on Wednesday afternoon; The ‘ offices of The Fauman were closed. « Robert Ruggles, Dean of the School of Journalism, Media and Graphic Arts, i had confronted Thomas about the checks after they were noticed miss- ; ing - checks that had been confirmed ! as sent by their writers. * .. *• • Plant your financial roots well! Trust your security to people who care, in a place where you are not just a customer — but a member! You will notice many differences in credit union membership -- call or come by for more information! Carolina Collegiate Federal CreditUnion I 710 Pulaski Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201 • (803) 251-8474 • 1-800-476-5861 • www.carolina.org