18- 7 The Daily Collegian Monday., Sept. 17, 1979
Old Paint
Kevin Barr (graduate-art) made his way from the congestion of campus to the
solitude of the countryside to paint his impressions of Happy Valley's farmland.
Oil reserve values may escalate
WASHINGTON (UPI) The oil reserves of the 23 largest
U.S. oil firms will soar in value by $424 billion if decontrolled
domestic crude prices reach $25 a barrel, an Energy Action
Foundation study concluded yesterday.
• The Washington-based energy , consumer group, which used
1978 oil company reserve estimates to arrive at its figure, said
American energy consumers will ultimately pay the increase
in higher fuel costs under decontrol.
"It's clear that. what decontrol does • is transfer large
amounts of money to the oil companies from the public," said
„lames Flug, who hepds,Eriergy Act*.
The . groiip said, the windfall to the major oil Companies would
cost each American between $1,500 and $2,000.
And Energy Action said higher prices for unproven oil
reserves and other forms of energy that tend to follow oil
prices would "add very substantially to the massive income
transfers resulting from oil price decontrol." ,
The American Petroleum Institute, a big oil trade group,
said Energy Action's study "totally overlooks the purpose of
decontrol.
"Our national objective is to reduce .our reliance , on un
'certain foreign sources of crude oil," an API spokesman said
Photo by Chuck Andracko
Sunday. "President Carter's decontrol action will bring about
the production of an estimated 2 million barrels a. day, more
domestic oil by, the late 1980 s than would' be produced without
decontrol."
President Carter decided last spring to phase out domestic
crude oil price controls gradually by October 1981. By that
time, domestic prices will rise to the world market level,
currently peggett to $lB-a-barrel Saudi Arabian light crude.
Flug said his estimate was conservative because prices are
rising rapidly and some foreign oil is already selling for $25 a
barrel.ot more.
The API spokesman did not dispute the figures.but cautioned
that proven reserves oil that is already discoVered and can
be produced could be misleading.
"A lot of it is estimated," he said. "They have to estimate
the amount of oil in a discovered field and that's hard to do."
Energy Action used 1978 proven reserve figures which the 23
largest companies furnished the Secui - Ries and Exchange
Commission. They totaled 24.7 billion barrels of crude or three
quarters of all U.S. oil reserves.
In 1978, the reserves were worth $192.8 billion at the average
prevailing price of $10.24 per barrel.
.
State'
~0p1:04i0doOit.':::.11-40y-':.'opeo
By TIM KONSKI
Daily Collegian Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG The state Supreme Court's rule
making process may be opened to the public.
Rep. Thomas P. Gannon, .R-Delaware County, has
proposed legislation that would bring the high court
under the Sunshine Law by defining it as a public
agency and open its rule-making proceedings.
Gannon said he initiated the bill because "several
months ago the court issued a letter saying it was not
subject to the Sunshine Law. This means it can make
rules affecting litigents without public input."
"The court merely states what it's going to do without
conferring with the public under the Snnshine Law as
intended," he said.
Gannon cited as an example the court's rule that
requires a criminal defendant to. be brought to trial
within 180 days of arrest. He ,said the rule was con-
HeOlit.:.t..tuCKo' , rti.ay--pOy
HARRISBURG (AP) Just when
lawmakers thought it was safe to return
to Harrisburg, the Thornburgh ad
ministration is pushing them for more
highway money. -
The administration wants a bill that
will permit heavier trucks in return for
increased heavy truck registratioo fees.
With $22.5 million from the fees, the
state Transportation Department says it
could make headway on the capitol
program, the long-stalled list of highway
bypasses and reconstruction projects.
Local governments would get $7.5
million for their highway projects.
This week, when lawmakers return
from their nine-week summer recess, a
conference committee of House and
Senate leaders will try to fashion a final
version.
In the midst of the budget battle last
June, the bill had been a key part of the
administration's highway package.
But the House tossed in sections lifting
the studded tire , ban and cutting vehicle
inspections from twice to once a year.
At the time, Senate Majority Leader
Edward Zemprelli said the bill had too
many extras to suit the Senate.
He said Friday that he still has
problems with the bill.
troversial because the court issues it without hearing
public opinion.
"I am certain such rule-making could benefit from
input from members of the legal and law enforcement
professions and from the general citizenry," he said.
Gannon also said the legislation would not hinder the
court's judicial freedom.
"This measure in no way would affect the court's
judicial authority to decide on cases," he said. "It deals
strictly with its administrative. rule-making process,
not its judicial function."
He said the bill would not require the court to
determine rules according to popular opinion, but,
instead, would compel "the justices to hear other
people's opinions."
However, Nick Lippincott, aide to the House judiciary
committee's chairman, Rep. Warren Spencer, R-
Wellesboro, said the bill may be meaningless because
of "serious constitutional questions." •
"I'm unalterably opposed to in
creasing truck weights," he said. "It
would be devastating to my district and
it's one of the , contributing factors to
road damage in the commonwealth."
The bill will. raise the present 73,280
pound •maximum to 80,000 pounds, but
adjust axle weights to help minimize
road damage.
In rettyri, truckers will have to pay
$1,124 a year for the h6viest trucks.
Fees for existing trucks of over. 7,000
pounds would increase between $l6 and
$269 a year.
Without the measure, Gov. Dick
Thornburgh was forced to trim $67.6
million • from the $l.l billion highway
budget that had passed earlier in June.
And PennDOT officials are com
plaining that the two cent increase in the
gasoline tax enacted in July won't be
enough to produce the kind of highway
program the state needs.
Because of reduced • gasoline con
sumption, the value of each penny's
worth of tax dropped about 5.5 percent
between June and July, said Kant Rao,
PennDOT's fiscal deputy. Each penny
now equals about $55 million in revenue,
compared to. $5B million earlier in the
year.'
Hollywood. ho(iies .ruined in fire
LOS ANGELES (UPI) Eighteen
hothes were. destoyed when a spec
tacular brush fire' broke out in an
afflUent residential area of
Hollywood Hills yesterday. Another
blaze several miles to the east burned
out of control and threatened homes.
One fireman was slightly injured
_ba!tling the Hollywood b!aze. Four
juveniles were 'taken into custody for
playing with illegal fireworks, but the
official cause of the fire was not
determined.
The.fire in Hollywood Hills, which
broke out at about 2:30 p.m., was
contained at dusk, but another
"totally out of control" fire in
Hacienda Heights, near Whittier,
In August alone, revenue collections
were down 16 percent, Rao said.
For the year, he said, the tax may
produce anywhere from $5 million to $3O
million less than expected.
Officials are also worried that the
number of drivers may have peaked and
that revenues from license fees will also
be dipping.
Rao said that if money becomes tight
as the yew; progresses, spring con
struction work will suffer.
"If it looks like in the early. months of
the calendar year that revenue is falling
... we will make adjustments in our
program ...," he said.
Zemprelli remains skeptical.
"It's the same old story," he said. "We
gave them money in July ... They have
more money now for roads than they can
spend in this fiscal year."
While tangling with those money
matters, the Legislature also has some
other major bills awaiting action that
could take its session well into
December.
Some of the bigger issues are:
Divorce: The so-called no-fault
divorce reform would allow one spouse
to walk away from a marriage after a
forced the evacuation of many
homes.
"It's total chaos out there right
now," said county fire inspector Bob
Davis at the 'Hacienda Heights fire.
"It's totally out of control. It's bad
and it's going in all directions."
High power lines webbing the area
hampered the firefighting efforts of
two helicopters and two airplanes.•
In other areas of southern
California numerous , fires yesterday
burned thousands of acres of brush.
"That's my home," said Elmer
Valentine as he stood beside the
charred ruins of his Hollywood home.
"My whole life is there. I have three
dogs and I can't find them."
One of the homes destroyed in the
"The state constitution says the Supreme Court has
rule-making power," he said. "I don't see !Tow tlic
Legislature can tell it how to make rules anymore Mil
the court can tell the Legislature , how to draft
Although Chief Justice Michael Egan was not
available for comment, Lippincott said the court
previously stated it intends to cdntinue holding its ruk
making sessions secretly because if the sessiOns.were
public, litigents may try to anticipate decisions lid
alter their cases.
Prior to his current bill, Gannon sponsored legislatign
designed to bring the Supreme Court under the SO;
shine Law by way of a constitutional amendment.
"I believe the constitutional amendment •proceisz
which requires action by two consecutive Legislatures
and by the voters, is not necessary to achieve the goal 4
Opening up the court's rule-making process," he sif
"I believe it will be easier and less time - consuming lii.
conform to the Sunshine Law."
higher fees
one-year separation. However, court
seling sessions would be mandated. For
the first time, alimony payments would
be set up in Pennsylvania.
Workfare: It would require welfarZ
recipients ,to work for state or local
government or charitable organizatha
for their cash grants. Disabled mill
elderly persons and mothers with
dependent children would be exempt.
Spending limits: State mid
governments would have to limit their,
expenditures based on an index, such al;
one indicating the value of all gocKE
produced in Pennsylvania in a year.
Pay hikes: A Senate-passed bill.
pending in the House, would give a :$8,001)
raise to all county office holders :in
January 1980.
No-Fault Insurance: Legislators are
considering whether to limit further' a
car accident victim's ability to file cogiy
lawsuits for pain and suffering. They
also will decide whether to limit the
currently unlimited medical benefits for
accident victims.
Ethics: Some legislators want to
exempt local elected officials from Ole
strict financial disclosure in the Ett - >s
Act.
" • ( ( 2,'
Hollywood Hills blaze reportedly .
belonged to British musician John
Mayall.
Throughout the afternoon, flames,
sometimes shooting as high as 75 feet,
consumed about 120 acres of brush in
the LaUrel Canyon, ,area, pt:l i tll 4 .,p.ge r ;
evacuations were ordered.,
"We'ye,got a handlebo it "
Chief Jan Gerard. •fitt could hare
been worse. The problem:was that'the •
flames started at the bottom ofl a
grassy hill and it roared up the sTinficr
and consumed 10 houses
mediately." ' 1 -1
Several homeowners in Hollywood
Hills watered down their houses.
which average $150,000 in value,_until
water pressure was gone.