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Grasso’s First Legislative Session One of Frustration By ROBERT LAMBERT ~ ’ — was chief executive and had to catch bgth bill imposing a deposit on one-way bottles' ....Still, there was no assurance that Spen­ measures, prices for prescription drugs HARTFORD (UPI) - Gov. Ella T. the roses and brickbats for her decisions. gained the right of collective bargaining. and beverage cans. ding could be kept in line. may be advertised and prices must be Grasso pledged when she toolf office that And she did it in full view of the nation Municipal workers won binding arbitra­ In a moment of levity during the five- The governor signed a $1.68 billion state posted. tion. she would make a heroic effort to contain which watched its only woman governor month session, the Senate tried to make budget representing an increase of about 4 state spending in the face of the worst Another measure, described as leaving assume the executive mantle. man the state animal, but later undid its per cent, the smallest in a decade. —A revised freedom of information act economic decline in a generation. the way open to municipal bonding scan­ Provoking unaccustomed criticism and mischief and instead named the whale, designed to broaden public access to the For Mrs. Grasso and her overwhelming dals, would allow towns and cities to bond anger, Mrs. Grasso had to say “no” — or which faces extinction. Mrs. Grasso kept a campaign promise to business and records Of government. Democratic majority, it took unac­ development projects without competition at best, a lukewarm “yes” — to such The legislature moved to reduce the dis­ replace the Connecticut Public Utilities Grievance procedures and penalties were customed restraint to live within the or voter referendum. groups as educators, welfare recipients parities in the ability of rich and poor Commission with the Connecticut Public set up for violations. ^ budget limitations of declining revenues The lawmakers rejected equal rights for local government and state employes. towns to finance education. But because of Utilities Control Authority. Courting a lawsuit on the question of homosexuals, legalization of the private and a faltering economy. a lack of money, the lawmakers and the Much attention will be focused on how separation of church and state, Mrs. use oHnarijuana and refused to set up a The result was a level of state spending She tapped state pension funds for a $5.3 governor gambled on getting $5 million - the new agency performs when the first Grasso backed a measure to mandate a specisr committee to investigate a poten­ which represents the smallest increase in million pay hike for state workers, in­ $7 million to equalize spending by opening rate hikes are filed by electric and gas period of silent meditation at the start of tial scandal in the leasing of community a decade, trimmed programs, great creased welfare spending to coyer higher up special state lotteries. companies. During her campaign, Mrs. each school day. college facilities. frustration and little happiness. caseloads and backed a first step toward Mrs. Grasso held to her campaign Grasso implied that replacing the PUC The governor also supported revisions to Responding to charges of nursing home It was a year of little or nothing for just school finance reform. pledge to avoid an income tax but fell the 1974 campaign finance reforms, but about everybody. Despite all the budget­ would lower utility bills. abuses, the legislature approved a strict The governor unraveled many restric­ down on the question of holding the line on Common Cause, a public interest group, omnibus nursing home measure, including trimming, the state had to increase taxes Other major accomplishments in­ tions imposed by environmental statutes taxes. She restored the sales tax to 7 per said the measure will lead to the same a patient’s bill of rights and tighter state $202 million just to stay even. cluded: to get highway, construction and develop­ cent, making it the nation’s highest, in­ abuses that brought on the Watergate controls over the facilities. The 1975 session gave Mrs. Grasso her ment projects underway. creased business taxes, reimposed the —Repeal of the state’s fair trade statute scandals. baptism of political fire — for the first , Because of the threat of severe job dividends tax and hiked motor vehicle and which allowed manufacturers to set retail In addition to having most of their pay time in her 30-year political career she license fees. losses, the lawmakers refused to enact a prices for their products. Under other increment restored, state workers also (More stories on Page 24) iianrI|fHtpr lEurninn Mpralb MANCHESTER, CONN., THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1975 - VOL. XCIV, No. 209 Manchester—A City of Village Charm t w e n t y -e ig h t p a g e s — t w o s e c t io n s PRICE: FIFTEEN CENTS House and Senate Tangle Over Railroad Track Bill WASHINGTON (UPI) - Thousands of This already has delayed payment of tracks. The House first rejected the idea, veterans are threatened with a delay in nearly 50,000 veterans’ education checks then on Monday offered a compromise $5 their education benefit checks as a result and could jeopardize 250,000 more by the million in “planning money.” of an increasingly bitter dispute between end of the week. • “This is very close to an insult to the the Senate and House. Sen. Milton Young, R-N.D., said that if United States Senate,” responded Sen. The dispute isn’t over veterans. It’s over the delay continues much beyond that it Birch Bayh, D-Ind., Wednesday. He urged railroads — specifically how much, if any, could also jeopardize the timely arrival of the Senate to “stand up and demand” that money for a job-producing program to im­ unemployment benefit checks. the rail monies be included. prove the nation’s railroad tracks should The Senate did stand up, voting 78-18 to The Senate wanted to include in the bill be included in a $15 billion supplemental include $175 million for rail rehabilitation $700 million to create jobs and at the same appropriation. As a result the entire bill and returning the bill ^ the House. time rehabilitate the nation’s railroad has been held up. Except for the railroad matter, both chambers have agreed on major provisions of the bill. Some said the money bill is too important to be delayed. It also includes funds for food stamps and com­ Republicans Jubilant munity action programs. Supporters of the rail rehabilitation Over Veto Victory proposal say it will not only re-employ 40,- 000- railroad maintenance workers who (Herald photo by Barlow) have been laid off but also yield lasting WASHINGTON (UPI) - President Ford voters,” citing the energy bill in par­ public benefits. Graduates Given Diplomas and Republican congressional leaders ticular. “Everybody knows these roadbeds are celebrated their latest veto victory over “I’m not going to say that every veto is in horrible condition,” said Bayh. “I can’t going to be sustained,” said House Harry S. Godi, dean of student affairs at Manchester Com­ been given her diploma and is being congratulated by Dr. the Democra^,today with GOP Senate think of a better way to use this money Leader Hugh'^cott predicting more of the Republican Leader John J. Rhodes. But, munity College, announces from the podium the names of Ronald H. Denison, new president of MCC, at the right. than to stimulate the economy, provide same. he added, Ford’s “political clout has jobs and rebuild these railroads.” each graduate during the presentation of degrees at the Presenting the diplomas are Roger B. Bagley and Mrs. “The so-called revolution which was always been underestimated.” “These are private railroads, this is MCC commencement exercises Wednesday night in Clarke Dorothy C. McNulty, center, members of the state Board of hailed with such fanfare at the beginning Rhodes forecast an “even chance” to private enterprise,” answered Sen. Strom Arena. Here Christine M. McKechnie, 19, of Ellington has Trustees for Regional Community Colleges. of the year is going through a bad winter sustain the President’s veto of a con­ Thurmond, R-S.C. “If they can’t survive at Valley Forge,” said Scott as he troversial bill on strip mining. why don’t they sell out to a successful emerged from an hour-long meeting in the Democratic House leaders expressed railroad?” White House Cabinet room. bitterness after the override failure Dr. Lowe Honored at MCC He referred to Tuesday’s refusal by a Wednesday. Democrat-heavy House to override Ford’s But Scott said today Eastern and Wholesale Prices veto of a $5.3 billion bill to put 900,000 Midwestern senators told him they found Up Slightly Commencement Exercises jobless Americans to work —and recent during the recent legislative recess “the refusal to overturn a veto of the farm public finally has become aware it is the price support bill. Congress that has fallen on its face.” During May By MAL BARLOW Arena of Manchester High School with The Rev. Arnold F. Westwood, pastor of Ford, who told party leaders today that When asked why the administration con­ WASHINGTON (UPI) - The Labor MCC’s largest class receiving degrees. the Unitarian Universalist Society of Wednesday was “a great day,” charged sidered a $5 billion public service bill Department today reported a small in­ The 11th commencement exercise of By tradition, the Manchester Pipe Band Manchester, gave the invocation. earlier that the jobs bill was inflationary. more inflationary than a $108 billion crease in wholesale prices for May that in­ Manchester Community College took led the procession of MCC leaders, facul­ Dr.

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