1996_02 Insight February 1996

              FEBRUARY 28, 1996
Insight
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
VOL. 27, NO. 15
Overtime bill could trim paychecks
■ Bonus pay wouldn't
kick in until worker
exceeds 40-hour week
by Sheryl Logue
Staff Writer
Most employees would notice if their paychecks were short by S120.
VS. Army Cpl. John Carroll, a junior studying computer science full-time al California
Slate University, Fresno, certainly would.
So would Carroll's wife and two children.
To supplement his family's income. Carroll
works two 10-hour shifts weekends as an electrician for Foothill Climate Control. Like
many California workers, he receives time-
and-a-half pay after eight hours.
The overtime pay he earns, $\ 20 a month,
makes working longer shifts worthwhile to
Carroll. This is money he can spend either
taking ihe kids to see thc new Walt Disney
movie or treating the family to a sit-down dinner at a favorite restaurant.
It is money his family would lose ifAssenv.
bly Bill 3l)8 becomes law.
Overtime provision eliminated
The bill, seeking to amend Section I 198 of
the Labor Code for the state of California,
eliminates a provision requiring employers lo
pay overtime for hours worked after an eight-
hour day.
Thc Legislative Counsel's digest accompanying AB 398 states that it would "preclude an
order... from requiring an employer lo pay its
employees overtime compensation based upon
the number of hours worked in a day."
The Assembly passed Ihe bill Jan. 29. 1996,
on a 41 -34 vote All of the "aye" votes came
from Republicans, including Charles
Poochigianol l-'rcsno. according loan Assembly roll call.
Cm/ Bustamantc. D-Mariposa. voted against
the bill. Brian Setencich. R-lresno. did not participate in Ihe vote, according to ihe roll call
The bill is currenllv in the Senate Indus
trial Relations committee.
Calculating compensation
If AB 398 became lav,, overtime compensation would be calculated according lo the
federal hair Labor and Standards Act. which
requires thai workers be paid time-and-a-half
alter working 40 hours in a week
AB 398 would apply "only to "non-exempt'
workers, those who are not union or government employees, or who do not hold mana
gerial, executive, professional or artistic positions." according to a question-and-answer
handout supporting the bill distributed bv the
California Manufacturers Association.
Part-time workers, such as Carroll, would
be directly affected by thc bill.
According to the CM A handout. "A part-
time worker who works more than eight hours
per dav but less than 40 hours per week will
lose overtime pay under AB 398 However,
part-time employees make up a very small
portion of California's adult work force —-
and il would be unfair lo use this as an excuse
to deny the majority of California workers
(non-exempt, full-time employees) flexible
work schedules."
Carroll disagrees. He considers the bill anti-
labor, but expects that workers may have to
put up with it.
"Options are really limited  People have
responsibilities." he said..
Opposing views
Laura Vasqucz. a sophomore studying prelaw and student assistant in the Mass Communication and Journalism department office,
does not think die bill is fair.
"There is potential for employers to abuse
the regulation." she said. "Many employees
won't speak out (against the bill) because they
won't know."
However. AB 398s author. Assemblyman
Fred Aguiar. R-Ontario. believes the bill
would bene fit employers and their workers.
"This bill would have a positive effect for
employees and employers. It will maintain
overtime for over 40 hours worked in a week,
and it w ill allow for flexibility in work schedules." he said.
See OVERTIME, page 6
Forbes'
campaign
lags, tax
plan lives
by Jim Ward
Staff Writer
Steve Forbes' presidential campaign may be on life support, but the
flat tax is'siill alive and kicking.
The 48-year-old Fortune magazine
heir's recent poor showing in the primaries has seriously wounded his bid
fortheRepublican presidential nomination. However, his main campaign
issue — the flat tax — may live on if
Forbes becomes a political footnote.
Forbes' plan would scrap the current five tax brackets and replace
them with a single 17 percent fiat
rate. There would be no taxes on So-
Capita
. pensi,
estate
"People are fed up with the complexity ot the current lax code." said
Dav id Prov ost. professor of political
science at California State University,
Fresno. "I think something closer to
a 'flatter' tax may be passed, but vv ith
a deduction for home mortgages, unlike Forbes' plan."
Forbes argues that his plan is "a pro
growth, pro-family lax cut that puts
an end to the taxing and spending
party in Washington D.C." He also
said it would generate "the greatest
economic boom in history."
But Don Leet. professor of economics, said Forbes' plan would add
nearly S2(X) billion to the annual deficit. The plan would require a four to
five percent growth rate to offset lost
tax revenues, according to Leet.
"It's really pie-in-the-sky. It is very
unlikely that we can get the kind of
growth rate that the plan would need."
Leet said.
Also, according to Leet. if the home
mortgage deduction is eliminated as
called for in Forbes" plan, home values would drop about 15 percent.
"About 27 million people would be
hit with a decline in the value of their
homes." Leet said. "That would make
a lot of voters unhappy."
Not all of the effects of Forbes'
plan would be negative. Leet said.
"If interest income is excluded
from taxation, more people would be
encouraged to save their money."
Lcci said. "And not just thc fat cats.
Ordinary people would also be encouraged to save."
James Cypher, another professor of
economics, said Forbes' plan is an
attempt to cut the wealthiest Americans' taxes.
"If all interest income and capital
gains arc excluded, the richest Americans would pay virtually no taxes at
all." Cypher said. "The financial market and brokers would love it, but Joe
Six-Pack would probably end up paying more taxes in the end."
Forbes' campaign may be dead after his poor showing in New Hampshire. The flat tax may still have enough
political support lo .survive if Forbes
drops out of the race.
"The flat tax has several key supporters in Congress." Provost said.
•'The flat tax will probably outlive
Forbes' campaign."
Gambling fever sizzles at casino
I Table Mountain
draws full house at
Indian reservation
by Chad Holcomb
Staff Writer
They enter with pockets full of
money, and most of them will
leave with their eyes glazed over
in a mummified state because of
what just happened to them.
The chance to make a quick
buck — to pay off the house, send
the kids through college, earn back
thc rent money — shines in players' eyes as they walk through the
doors at Table Mountain Casino.
Settled about 25 miles northeast
from life in Fresno on Friant Road,
Table Mountain Casino is a short
getaway for those longing to
gamble in a real Las Vegas-type
setting.
"My stomach turns and jitters as
I get closer [to thc casino], and my
hands begin to shake," said Naz
Vartanian of Fresno.
Vartanian, who considers himself an avid gambler, said that
"gambling is a fever. It's a sickness."
From the outside, visitors can
get the feeling that they are in Las
Vegas because of the overhanging structure that leads them into
thc casino.
The flashing lights outside Table
Mountain Casino can be seen from
several miles away.
This hasn't always been the
case, though.
Built on part of an Indian reservation, the casino has made some
drastic changes in the last three to
four years to improve its image.
A constant flow of cars to Table Mountain Casino attests to the ifs popularity with Valley gamblers.
The casino installed new carpet,
added a room for more slot machines
and tripled the number of blackjack
tables since opening four years ago.
"This place is great." said Janice
Danking of Kingsburg. "I come up
here about once a month with just a
certain amount, but I don't always
win."
The slot machines are what most
visitors see first — but these slots are
not quite like those in Las Vegas.
These slots have no coin slots or
handles to pull down.
Instead, the gambler inserts a dollar
bill and pushes a button to determine
their fortune.
When it's time to "cash out," the
player hits a button and a receipt
comes out. Gamblers turn in their receipts to a cashier to gel their money.
"You should never gamble money
you need, only gamble extra money,"
said Jerry Samora, 20, of Fresno.
Avid gamblers will sit at blackjack
tables for hours, either happy with
their wins or believing that they will
somehow make back their losses.
Vartanian's formula is to play
"three hands, and if you don't win
once, change tables. If you're on a hot
streak, and someone sits next to you,
change tables."
"Even though I won tonight, I am
still stressed," Vartanian said. "You
are anxious until you get there, and
it sticks with you hours after you
leave."
To relieve some of this stress. Table
Mountain Casino patrons can try the
food at the casino's Eagles Landing
restaurant.
The Eagle's Landing offers a
prime rib dinner for S5.95 and a
breakfast plate of eggs and bacon for
hNQaJH photo by Todd W
S1.99.
"The food is good, and for the
price, the deals are real good."
Samora said.
Thc casino's layout requires patrons to walk by all the tables and
slots once more before leaving the
casino after eating.
As the players leave the casino,
whether smiling or not, a sign
above the door reads "From our
people, for the people."
"The thrill of winning is great,
but there is no thrill in losing,"
Vartanian said.
Pavilion
ahead of
schedule
by Tommy Monreal
Staff Writer
Thc Pavilion, located between the
Kennel Bookstore and the University
Student Union, is finally taking shape
from below ground level.
"'We arc two weeks ahead of schedule." Joel Zarr. director of the University Student Union, said. "If we
slay on pace, we will be four to six
weeks ahead of schedule."
The completion date for the $4.8
million project is Aug. 5. but contractors have set an earlier date of June
30.
Students have become used to the
sights and sounds of construction.
The screams of grinding metal can
be heard. Pools of water and mud
splash upward as feet step on the cement floor. The iron beams tower into
a ceiling of concrete.
Two days out of the week, Zarr
walks through the scattered nails,
twisted wire and leftover pieces of
metal to check the progress of the Insight photo by Twnmietynri Del Real
 :     Continuing work on Pavilion construction, Steve Rodriguez (left)
See CONSTRUCTION, page 6    and Gary Souza check measurements.
Activist campaigns
for campus access
by Kelly Hansen
Staff Writer
Michael Just has been a man on a
mission for the last two years.
His mission: education, awareness,
change and reform.
The result: Some real tangible
changes on campus.
The administration has appointed
Just to the Campus Planning Committee as a student representative for
students with disabilities. He also
serves on the President's Committee
on Disabilities.
Because of Just's efforts, students
with disabilities can expect changes
to the California State University,
Fresno campus.
Changes include installing automatic doors on more buildings and
adding ramps at six locations on campus.
Ramp installations include the
north end of Industrial Arts, south of
the old softball field, the north side
of the Satellite Union, w est of the new
Music building, the north side of thc
South Gym and east of Warmcrdam
Field.
As a wheelchair-bound, transfer
student from California State Univer
sity. Northridge. Just noticed that the
Fresno State campus was not up to
standards.
"I am an activist who came on to a
campus where no one was really doing anything." Just said. "They say
that the squeaky wheel gets the oil.
so I just started griping."
Just said the administration has
been "very, very cooperative" in discussing needed changes and is willing to "do everything that it can."
Just cited a variety of reasons lhat
Fresno State needs to consider on the
issue of accommodation.
One reason is to attract students
with disabilities to the campus.There
are about S50 disabled students currently enrolled, roughly four percent
of the total student population.
Students with disabilities consider
parking accommodations and building access when deciding which
school to attend. Just said.
Any student on campus could potentially use improvements made for
students with disabilities, according
to Pat Blore. a disability management
specialist at Disabled Student Scr-
See DISABLED, page 6