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Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
September
Year
1976
OCR Text

ELECTIONS

To the amazement of pollsters and the surprise of Richard Austin, maverick Congressman Don Riegle handily defeated Michigan Secretary of State and far outdistanced third and fourth place finishers Congressman James Ohara and attorney James Elsman in the Aug. 3 Democratic primary. On the Republican side Congressman Marvin Esch ran away from challengers Thomas Brennan, Robert Huber and Deane Baker.
Riegle and Esch, both of whom entered Congress 10 years ago as Republicans- before Riegle's conversion to the Democratic Party three years ago- have already hit the campaign trail and engaged in face-to-face debates.
In state Congressional races, all candidates endorsed by the Sun- Democrats John Conyers, Ed Pierce, David Bonior and Charles Diggs (Sun, July 29)- were winners.
Only two incumbent Democrats, House majority whip Josephine Hunsinger and Michael Novak, the House's longest-tenured member, were defeated in state races. Wayne B. Sackett was the only incumbant Republican to be unseated from the legislature.
Detroit voters rejected a school property tax increase which would have prevented deep cutbacks in the city's educational programs. The defeat of the millage proposal signals an end to the funding of high school athletic programs.

POLICE LAYOFFS

Nearly 700 of the 913 Detroit police officers laid off since July 1 will be back on the job by Sept. 1. Funds for rehiring the officers and 54 Emergency Medical Service ambulance attendants came from a recently-passed federal anti-recession bill and after President Ford permitted the city to use federal Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) monies.
Police Chief Philip Tannian has told City Council that the newly-returned police will be evenly distributed between the eastern and western precincts and assigned primarily to Street patrols.
In addition to rehiring police and EMS technicians, the city will use federal funds to purchase five new ambulances and 21 one-man garbage trucks, hire 100 new bus drivers and 25 bus mechanics, and expand recreation facilities.

NUKES ON MAINSTREET

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has made no comment on a Consumers Power Co. charge that "if it weren't for government changes," the construction cost of its nuclear plant in Midland would not have skyrocketed from an estimated $267 million to $1.67 billion.
The changes referred to were made mandatory by a U.S. Court of Appeals ruling late last month that instructed the NCR to reconsider its approval of a construction permit for the multimillion dollar facility.
The ruling, handed down by Judge David Bazelon, favored seven Midland-area citizens groups that cited "unresolved safety problems" (Sun, June 17) in their suit to halt struction.
Myron Cherry, a Chicago attorney who represents the citizens groups, said as a result of the ruling he will try to have all work on the plant stopped. Spokespersons for Consumers Power, however, state that $360 million has already been invested in the Midland plant, and construction is not about to be halted permanently.
"But we may have to pass on increased construction costs to the consumer by way of rate hikes," one official said.

MEANS

Russell Means, leader of AIM, the American Indian Movement (Sun, July 1 ), has been acquitted by a Circuit Court jury of a charge of murder in a March 1975 barroom killing. The verdict came last week after 20 hours of jury deliberation following a three-day trial.
Means, who gained national attention as a key participant in the 1973 occupation by Indians of the Wounded Knee reservation in South Dakota, had been accused of aiding and abetting in the shooting death of Martin Montileaux in a Scenic, S.D., bar. The charge was the most serious Means has faced n four years of legal battles.

SWAINSON

Former Governor and Michigan Supreme Court Justice John Swainson, convicted on three counts of perjury last November for allegedly lying to a grand jury investigating charges that he had taken a bribe from a convicted burglar seeking a retrial (Sun, March 11 ), has been recommended by Mayor Young and approved by City Council as one of the city's two new Lansing lobbyists.
Contracts naming Swainson and former Wayne County Board of Commissioners Chairperson Robert Fitz Patrick to represent the city's interests during the legislative session which begins Sept. 1 were approved last week. Their firm will receive $30,000.
"They'll both make very effective representatives for the city," Council President Carl Levin said. "Both have a great amount of experience in the legislative process and both are well-known, well-liked and highly regarded."