Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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_ Vol. 94, No. 19 Monday October 9, 2000_ ina Community since 1Q08 Restaurateur broke campaign finance laws by John Huiett The Gamecock Controversy-torn barbecue king Maurice Bessinger contributed $800 more than the legal limit last year to Reform Party presidential candi date Pat Buchanan, Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports show. Between June 14 and Aug. 5,1999, Bessinger, who owns Midlands-area Piggie Park stores, made l?0mtributions to Buchanan Reform Inc. total ing $1,800. Federal law prohibits private citizens or businesses from contributing more than $ 1,000 ■ Maurice Bessinger's lawyer said Bessinger was unaware he broke law in his 1999 contributions to Pat Buchanan, which exceeded legal limits by $800 to a candidate per either the primary or election cycle. All of Bessinger’s contributions fall under the umbrella of the primary cycle. Over-contributing to presidential campaigns is an action that would only be handled by civil, not criminal, proceedings, if even that, FEC spokes woman Kelly Huff said. While Huff wouldn’t com ment on Bessinger specifically, she said the steepest penalty an over-contributor would face is a fine, and even that is up for negotiation during what is called “the conciliatory process.” “The law generally states that if it comes to that point, the commission comes to an agreement with the party involved,” Huff said. Furthermore, the civil penalty paid would not exceed $5,500, or 100 percent of the amount in question. Not everyone in violation of campaign finance laws pays a fine, Huff said. If the FEC chose to take action against Bessinger, he would pay a civil penal ty is just as high as the likelihood that he wouldn’t. “There isn’t always a civil penalty involved,” Huff said. “It could be determined that someone violated the law, but the commission could choose to take no further action. Everything is handled on a case-by-case basis.” Bessinger doesn’t deny making the contribu tions, but claims ignorance of both campaign ft- - nance law and the amount he contributed. Bessinger attorney Glen LaForce said if Bessinger violated any laws it was only because he didn’t know any better. “Mr. Bessinger has made no secret of the fact that he supports Pat Buchanan,” LaForce said. “[But he] was not aware of the exact amount he con Maurice see page 2 Fire Safety University in process of adding sprinklers, new alarms DMaggie Stewart The Gamecock At 5:36 a.m., 639 unhappy freshmen are required to evacuate Patterson Hall because a heater has triggered a false Ore alarm. The girls stand outside for a few minutes before they’re allowed to return to their rooms. An hour later, another alarm leads to another evacuation, this ti me because of steam and smoke excess from the cafeteria downstairs. This was the scene during the early morning hours Monday, Oct. 2. It was just one of three sets of false Ore alarms to oc cur this past week. Because of the increase in Ore alarms, USC’s Department of Hous ing is in the process of enhancing and re structuring Ore and sprinkler systems on campus. ^The most common problem that the Ort Jepartment handles on campus is from students overloading suige protectors and bringing in too many electrical appliances,” said Bradley Anderson, assistant chief of the Columbia Fire Department. Maxcy, South Tower, South Quad rangle East and West, McBryde Quad rangle and Bates West are the only buildings with sprinklers and updated alarm systems aireauy ill place. It will take about seven years to get sprinklers and new alarms in all residence halls, said Gene Luna, director of hous ing and judicial programs. Some students question why the plan will take so long. “I’m concerned because, if the sys tem that we presently have is inadequate, tb'^pwe need the new system as soon as possible,” said McClintock resident Kathryn Felder. The sprinklers and alarms can only be installed during the summer, when stu dents aren’t living in the halls, and this causes the installation to take longer, Lu na said. Lack of funding is another problem, Luna said. The Department of Housing gets its money from students’ residence hall payments. The first priority is to upgrade the Ore alarm systems, Luna said. The new sys tems will provide better responses and ac tion from the fire department and uni vi # y police. The new smoke alarms will be hard-wired directly to their control panel, instead of being battery-operated, he added. When a fire alarm goes off in the new /stem, the fire department will be able j check die panel so they can see not on Fire SEE PAGE 2 HOLLINGS SECURES $4.9M FOR NEW BUSES Amy Goulding The Gamecock \ A city bus on Assembly Street crosses Gervais Street on Its way to one of the city's bus hubs at Assembly and Lady streets. City bus system to see improvements by Kristin von Karowsky The Gamecock Columbia residents who use public transporta tion will be seeing some improvements as Co lumbia’s bus system is upgraded. Sen. Fritz Hollings announced on Sept. 29 that the Transportation Department has released $4.9 million to the Central Midlands Council of Gov ernments to buy 24 replacement buses for use in fixed-route transit services in the Columbia met ropolitan area. The total represents three years’ worth of ap propriations funding that Hollings has secured for the project in transportation appropriations bills. Curtis Hamilton, general manager of Atlantic Express, the South Carolina Electric & Gas con tractor for managing buses, is pleased with the news regarding the new funding. “This is absolutely a good thing, because with new equipment, we can provide more reliable ser vices for the citizens of Columbia,” Hamilton said. Hollings, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Ap propriations Committee, said many of Columbia’s buses are run down, and that the situation needs to change. “Columbia’s bus service is riddled with old, di lapidated buses that need to be replaced,” Hollings said. “State-of-the-art public transportation systems are crucial to the longterm health and vitality of South Carolina’s economy, and this funding paves the way for the Central Midlands Council of Governments to continue upgrading the entire bus system by purchasing these new buses.” The Central Midlands Council of Governments will put the $4.9 million in funding toward its $12.8 million plan to upgrade Columbia’s bus system and shift its ownership from SCE&G Company to the city of Columbia. The funding will specifically be used to help replace old buses with new ones to serve Lexing Blit SEE PAGE 2 Creed Week celebration begins today by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock The 10th Anniversary of the Carolinian Creed will be celebrated this week as the Office of Stu dent Judicial Programs coordinates Creed Wfeek for the third time. The weeklong series of events, also sponsored by the Carolina Student Judicial Council and Uni versity Housing, has taken place for “four or five years,” according to Director of Judicial Affairs Scott Lewis. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the Creed among students, according to gradu ate assistant and Carolinian Creed Coordinator Emi ly Brannen. “They know what it is, but they really don’t think about it,” Brannen said. Lewis said the purpose of the Creed itself is to give students a standard of behavior for which to aim. “The real purpose of the Creed is to give stu dents something to aspire to,” Lewis said. “These aren’t rules so much as they’re aspirations - some thing that everybody aspires to.” The week kicks off with Creed Week Aware ness and Ribbon Campaign, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Greene Street. Garnet ribbons, mag nets and posters will be given to students. Three ran dom students seen wearing the ribbons will gel a free lunch at the Faculty Club. “Hopefully, we’ll get more awareness of Creed Week” with the campaign, Brannen said. Also on Monday, the Bates House Hall Gov ernment is sponsoring “Violence in the Movies: Should Filmmakers be Pressured to Lower Violence Levels in Contemporary Films.” That event takes place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Bates Social Room. Tuesday’s highlight will be “The Birdcage, Game cock Style,” which takes place at 9 p.m. in the Rus sell House Ballroom. The Columbia Film Society will hold an installment of their Community Me dia Literacy Series: “Killing Us Softly IB” deals with advertising’s image of women at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Creed see page 2 BGLA to present ‘Birdcage’ drag show for third straight year File Photo Drag queen Samantha Hunter accepts money from the audience while laying on-stage at "Birdcage.” by Amanda Silva The Gamecock The Bisexual Gay Lesbian Alliance will host the third annual drag show, “The Bird cage, Gamecock Style” at 9 p.m. Tuesday in the Russell House Ballroom. The show is sponsored in part by Caroli na Productions as a part of Creed Week to high light the part of the Carolinian Creed. “The Birdcage” was the most attended Creed Week activity, boasting between 400 500 people, said BGLA vice president Jon Krueger. Although admission to the show is free, donations will be accepted for the Palmetto AIDS Life Services Support Systems, which supports Midlands residents who are living ‘"The Birdcage” is a way of entertaining while educating.’ Pat Patterson Bisexual Gay Lesbian Alliance graduate adviser with AIDS and HIV, said BGLA Graduate Stu dent Adviser Pat Patterson. Patterson, who also serves as PALSS Di rector of Development, said FALSS has more than 800 clients who are cared for by “case managers” who make sure they’re getting the assistance they need medically, socially and personally. According to the Centers for Disease Con trol and Prevention in Atlanta, Columbia has Ihe fourth-highest per-capita rale of new cas es of HIV/AIDS, behind New York, Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “When I saw that alarming percentage, I knew we needed to do more education and outreach to the populations in and around Co lumbia, including USC students, city residents, migrant workers, et cetera,” Patterson said. ‘“The Birdcage’ is a way of educating while Birdcage see page 2 Today 54 35 Tuesday 59 39 ... mmmmmmmmmmmmmnm Inside Spotlight goes inside the S.C. State Fair Page 7 ©trOTE OF the Day "Defeat should never be a source of discouragement, but rather a fresh stimulus.” — Robert South Monday • Columbus Day • Yom Kippur • Carolinian Creed Week • Peer Health Educator Recruitment Begins • National Boss Day Tuesday