Many choices in U.S. polls

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 9

Many choices in U.S. polls

International

NZPA-Reuter New York Referendums on homosexuals, gambling taxes, and the right to smoke in public will dominate the ballot boxes in many states in tomorrow’s national and state elections. Voters in 16 stakes are being asked if they want to! join “the Great American | Tax Revolt,” started last’ (June by Californians who .enthusiastically approved; l3, a measure' i that cut property taxes there by S7OOOM. Residents of three states are being asked to approve legal gambling measures. Among them is Florida, where the issue is permitting casino wagering in ' the Miami Beach area, the ' state's co-called “Gold 'Coast,” where the tourist dollar has dwindled because / of the success of Disney world, 300 km away. I Voters in California, Miami, and Seattle are being | asked to vote on measures affecting homosexual rights. | Also in California, voters •'are being asked to approve a measure that would restrict ; smoking in public places. These propositions are i among hundreds that will ■ appear on ballots in the 50 > states tomorrow. Most are ■ local ones, dealing with such ! things as bond issues and ■creating new parks. ’ But some have national ‘ implications, such as Calii fornia’s attempt to clear the > air of tobacco fumes. If it (succeeds, other states are

certain to follow — just as|l 16 states are taking its lead:! with their own versions of i; Proposition 13. !i Other referendums, like! California’s Proposition 6 on I] homosexuality, have pro-1 1 voked fiery debate from onei corner of the country to the!; other. Proposition 6 is the brain-. (child of Senator John! ! Briggs, a Right-wing maver- j lick. If approved, it would re- : 'quire local school boards j either to dismiss or refuse to hire anyone who has engaged in homosexual activity. The" school board, however, would be permitted to hold a hearing on whether such activity made the person in question unfit to teach. Mr Briggs says. “This measure will draw a moral line right across the country for our children.” He adds: “What teachers do in private is their own business, but what they do in California’s classrooms is our business.” Homosexual teachers say the measure, if passed, would amount to a witchhunt. They say they will be open to accusations from heterosexual teachers whether or not the charges are warranted. Many Church groups ini the state agree with them.! The Roman Catholic Arch- ■ ■ bishop of San Francisco (the ■ | Most Rev. John Quinn) says the measure would wrongly! I limit the civil rights of ■homosexuals. I Also opposed to Proposi-

|tion 6 is Governor Jerryj: 'Brown, who says. “It is a'j I gimmick to stir up a lot of i I ill-will in the state.” h I The state's clean-air pro- i' 'position. Number 5 on the.; ballot, would outlaw smok-! ■ iing in many public places] ■and restrict smoking in resjtaurants and offices. jl The tobacco industry, fum-. ling at the prospect of such] >a measure is financing oppo-i sition to it. The proposal is corn-1 plicated: Californians would \ have to keep their cigarettes] out of sight at the opera and! amateur wrestling matches,ii but could smoke at profes-i sional matches and pop con-! certs. Voters in 16 states'are ton consider tax-cutting or tax-! limitation measures inspired ; by the one approved over-] whelmingly in California; last June." These states are:]; Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas.] Colorado. Hawaii. Idaho, 11-i linois, Massachusetts, Mich- ■ igan, Missouri, Nebraska,! Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Texas. The proposals in Idaho. ■ Nevada, and Oregon ask i voters to limit property . taxes to percentages of as- ■ sessed valuation, as was : done in California. i Several of the states conII sidering tax-limitation meas-] .lures are not in the fortunate; ■ position that California was] ■■when it approved Proposi-' rtion 13. The state then had a ;SSOOOM tax surplus that it ’ ’ could apply to areas hard hit by budget cuts. Gambling in various forms

is an issue in Virginia, New Jersey, and Florida. New Jersey, which successfully introduced Las Vegas-style gambling this summer in the decaying resort of Atlantic City, is now considering legal betting on jai alai, the high-speed handball game. Virginia, y/here some ot ■ the best racing horses in the i world are raised, is consid-| ering making betting on •horses legal. Florida is considering introducing casino gambling; 'along a 20km strip of its; I southern coastline. | The gambling would be; I limited to hotels on the; (waterfront in the Miami j 'area, but so far polls in the' I state say public opinion is I [against casinos. ' Many fear that organised! ■ crime would step in and | Stake over gambling. Hotel owners say they ; need the casinos because the [tourists are not coming in (the numbers as before. Dade County, home of Miami, also has a milder repeat going this year of last year’s fractious fight to out--1 a w homosexual discrimination. The anti-dis-crimination fight was lost lest year because of an antigay "campaign led by the ■ singer, Anita Bryant. I Miss Brvant is quieter this /year, having attended only Jone anti-gay-rights rally, and ■th? measure before voters 1 also bans discrimination I against a wide variety of other groups, including old > people.