University to Listen to Senate Inquiry Initiated By

THETUFTS DAILY Volume XXXV, Number 28 ,, [Where You Read It First Wednesday, October 15,1997 I University Inquiry initiated by to listen Cable Commission by PETE SA” The commission specifically Daily Editorial Board cited aportion ofconsumerbilling to Senate Acting in response to a letter rule 207 CMR 10 as the regulation * .a signed by over 80 students living that was broken by the current in Hill Hall in mid-September, the billing practice. The rule requires Mass. Cable Television Commis- separateitemization ofeach charge sion has initiated an inquiry into levied. byrJrsAJESUELE the change in Tufts Connect’s bill- Tolman explained that, “be- Daily Staff Writer ing process. cause we bundled the services, it Resolutions made by the Tufts The commission is specifically isnotclearhowmuchmoney [from Community Union (TCU) Senate investigating the lack of separate the bill] is attributed to cable tele- may start to have more meaning, I I listings which indicatethe charge- vision.” following a proposal passed by Photo by Mike Weissman per-service on student’s bills. Senators Josh Goldenberg, Omar Mattox, and Jack Schnirman In an Oct. 3 letter to Tolman, the Senate at Monday’s meeting. Currently, the bill only lists the at Sunday’s Senate meeting;. Wrege wrote, “We would expect Assistant Treasurer Matt total charge, without breaking the Tufts to change [their billing pro- Behrens sponsored the creation a amount into individual charges for cedures] and/or provide written plan to ensure that Senate resolu- out a clear path ... things will go among the Tufts community,” cable, Internet, and phone ser- support for specific waivers as tions are enacted once they reach more smoothly,” he said. Goldenberg said. vices. necessary to comply with the rules the administrative level. This proposal is not to be con- Regarding UNICCO, the Sen- Saying that they were not given by no later than Oct. 17.” The plan calls for the Senate sidered as an “argument against ate announced that a forum en- the option to choose which ser- Saying that she expects Tufts first to send a letter to the admin- the administration on behalfofthe titled “Tufts’ Responsibilityto its vices they wanted, the students Connect to change its billing to istration asking for an explanation students,” Behrens said, “but Custodians” will be held today at wrote in their letter,“Regardless of comply with Mass. cable regula- ofany progress that has been made rather something that should be 8 p.m. The forum will include sev- whether we desire only one of tions, Tolman indicated that the on apast resolution, Behrens said. worked on together.. .to make it so eral laid-off custodians, as well as these services, we are forced to University would request a tem- He added that the administration it is continuous through the senior Emily Krems, arepresenta- pay for them all. We feel this is an porary waiverfromthebillingregu- would then have two weeks to years.” tive from the Students United for unfair practice that should be rec- lations. respond to the Senate and a meet- The Senate also denied $6,400 Labor Justice, and Pat Jehlen, a tified.” “We want to see if the task ing would be held between repre- to the Third Day Gospel Choir, state representative from According to a letter sent to force can’t come up with some- sentatives of the Senate and the which wanted to purchase new Somerville. The forum is sponsored Associate Director of Communi- thing. If we are going to make administration to review the choir robes for its performances. by Peace and Justice Studies, the cations at Tufts Computing and changes, we would rather do it at administration’sdecision. After much discussion between Faculty Committee in Support of Communications Services Leslie once around October or Novem- Originally, Behrens had hoped the choir and the members of the the Custodians, and Students Nelson Tolman, the general coun- ber,”she said. By Oct. 9, however, that individual administrators Senate, the Senatedecided to deny United for Labor Justice. sel for the commission, Kevin the University had made no such would deal with the heads of the the request because the choir re- In addition,the Senatereported Wrege, wrotethat the University’s request. Senate committees, but he said ceives continual support from the that it will install new suggestion “billing procedures appearto have The cable commission ensures AssociateDean of StudentsBruce Music Department and students boxes in the Campus Center and violated our files since you began that each charge is listed individu- Reitman thought this might be too can receive course credit for par- see SENATE,page 10 offering cable service.” ally on the bill in order to prevent cumbersome. ticipating in the choir. cable providers from charging ex- Behrens and Senate Historian Approval was granted, how- orbitant cable rates while hiding Eiooke Jamison plan tomeei with ever, to give the TCU Judiciary SNACK TIME! those rates from consumers, Reitman today to discuss the final $1,250 to update its computers. Tolman said. version of the plan. The ExecutiveProgrammingBoard “We are not charging preda- “I found that the reason [that also received approval for its re- tory charges,” she said. resolutions were ignored was that] quest of $1,020 to send represen- The students also complained bothsidesdon’t really knowwhere tatives to a three-day conference. to the commission that they were to go,” Behrens said. Theconference,which willbeheld forced to pay for cable months in Last year, Behrens said the ad- in the beginning ofNovember, will advance of receiving the actual ministration responded very enable the Programming Board to service. Massachusetts law pro- quickly to aresolution concerning exchange ideas with other univer- hibits companies or institutions the Task Force on Public Safety, sities about entertainmentoptions. from billing forcableservicemore but was very slow about respond- Treasurer Josh Goldenberg than two months in advance. ingto the Senate’sresolution about also updated the Senate on the Tolman explained thatthe hi- the Pan-African Alliance. “It de- Task Force on CampusLink. Al- versity argued to the commission pends on how clear-cut it is,” he though specific details ofthe Task that the advance billing was not said. Force’s meeting are confidential, breaking cable regulations be- Behrens said this new plan Goldenberg said that contract cause Tufts Connect offers a should force the administration to policiesandpayment options were Daily file photo monthly billing option. respond to resolutions more addressed. “CampusLink knows The fall weather means it’s time to get promptly. “I think that by setting about the unrest it has caused nutty! see INQUIRY, page 8 n a e. Time extended for inquiry into Clinton tund-raising- Los Angeles Times-Washington Post elected officials will be investigated by On Monday night, en route to Brazil does not recall making such calls, but does News Service outside prosecutors. from Venezuela, Clinton told a handful of not rule out the possibility. WASHINGTON - Attorney General At a news conference in Brasilia with reporters aboard Air Force One that he The Los Angeles Times reported on Janet Reno Tuesday extended to early De- Brazilian President Fernando Henrique would be willing to be interviewedby Reno Sept. 26 that in fall 1994 Clinton solicited cember a Justice Department inquiry on Cardoso, Clinton told reporters: “I know I on the matter “if she wishes to interview several major donors for contributions by whether to ask that an independentcounsel didn’t do anything wrong. I did everything me.” Reno’s decision to proceed to a pre- phone from the residential quarters of the investigate whether President Clinton’s I could to comply with the law. I feel good liminary inquiry isunlikelytomutecriticism White House, according to an eyewitness fund-raising phone calls violated federal about it.” David E. Kendall, Clinton’s pri- of her Wednesday when she makes a long- account provided to authorities by former law. vate counsel, said in a statement: “In view scheduled appearance before the House White House deputy chief of staff Harold Reno, faced with a Wednesday deadline of the many issues the Department of Jus- JudiciaryCommittee. Republicans members M. Ickes. for determining if further investigation is tice must resolve, today’s announcement is have repeatedly urged her to ask for an In testimony last week to the Senate needed, notified a special three-judge panel hardly surprising. It’s important for the outside prosecutor to investigate a wide Governmental Affairs Committee, Ickes that she could not resolve the question in department to take whatever time is neces- range ofcampaignfund-raising allegations. said that he observed Clinton solicit by the allotted 30 days. sary to complete a thorough investigation. In a Sept. 3 letter to Reno, Rep. Henry phone “a handful” of donors in connec- “Because of the complexity of the fac- At the conclusion of such an inquiry, how- Hyde, R-Ill., chairman of the committee, tion with the mid-term congressional elec- tual and legal issues presented by this ever, itwill beclearthattherearenogrounds presented adetailed list ofmatters-Clinton tions. matter, I have been unable to determine forthe appointment ofan independentcoun- and Gore - that he said merited outside Ickes also said the Justice Department whetherthere is sufficient specificandcred- sel.’’ Reno’s move came amid discussions investigation. Under the law, the date of did not question him about any fund-rais- ible evidence to suggest a violation of Fed- by White House and Justice Department that letter set in motion the 90-day period for ing calls made by Clinton until the week of eral criminal law,”Renotoldthejudges who officialsoverClinton’s offertoanswerques- preliminary inquiries; meaning that the re- Sept. 26. oversee independent counsel matters. “As tions from Justice Department investiga- viewsofClintonandGoremust end by Dec. Administration lawyers and many pri- a result, I am required to commence a pre- tors about the fund raising.

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