Page 2-Tuesday, August 5;:1980-The Michigan Daily
Justice Dept.
drops civil suit
against Diggs

4

WASHINGTON (AP)-The Justice
Departm~nt yesterday dropped its civil
damage'suit against former Detroit
Rep. Charles Diggs Jr., saying the im-
prisoned ex-lawmaker would be unable
to pay any penalty the court imposed.
The suit was filed in U.S. District
Court last Aug. 16 to recover money
Diggs took from House staff members
ina payroll padding scheme.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
spokesman Robert Stevenson said the
legal action was dismissed because
Diggs "is in pretty poor financial con-
dition and our chances of recovery were
not good."
Stevenson said department reports
show that Diggs is at least $130,800 in
debt. In addition, the Detroit Democrat
has received a $46,000 bill for additional
taxes from the Internal Revenue Ser-
vice.
Any IRS judgment against Diggs
would have taken precedence over
penalties imposed in the civil suit,
Stevenson added.
DIGGS, WHO founded, the
Congressional Black Caucus, began

serving a three-year prison term July
24 at the federal facility at Maxwell Air
Force Base in Alabama.
Diggs was convicted Oct. 7, 1978, of 18
counts of making false claims against
the government and 11 counts of mail
fraud.
Specifically, a federal court jury
found that Diggs inflated the paychecks
of staff members and had them kick
back part of their salaries to him. Diggs
admitted during the trial that he was
broke and said the money was used to
pay personal bills and House office ex-
penses.
The civil suit was formally dismissed
Monday by U.S. District Judge George
Hart Jr.
The suit sought to force Diggs to pay
at least $240,46Win civil penalties. The
government said the ex-congressman
took the $120,228 from staff members
whose salaries were inflated.
Diggs, who resigned from the House
June 2, had been censured by his
colleagues for his financial misconduct.
He was the first congressman to
receive that punishment in 58 years.

Not for engineers only
A calculator company has discovered its product not only can take a
licking, it can lure rabbits, too. W. B. Alcorn, who ranches south of Saratoga,
Wyoming, said she saw a group of rabbits congregating in a pasture recen-
tly. Upon investigation, she discovered they were attracted to an alarm
coming from a combination clock-calculator her husband had lost several
months earlier. The calculator had survived 30-below temperatures during
the winter, and had been stepped on by a horse, but was still operating. John
Cameron Swayze was reportedly interested in purchasing the calculator. Q
Soldiers of fortune
The two insurance agents and the plumber say they were just doing a story
for an adventurer's magazine. The police say they were equipped to,start a
war. The three were free on $5,000 bond yesterday while state, local, and
federal authorities tried to figure out where they got the $30,000 worth of
military equipment they lugged out into the wild's of Chicago's southwest
suburbs on a sort of make-believe commando mission. Police said the three
had a collection of equipment that included two M-16 automatic rifles, 2,000
rounds of ammunition, and seven hand grenades.[The men were arrested
Friday night in Willow Springs, Illinois by police responding to complaints
about explosions in the area. The men told police they were working on a
freelance photo story for Soldier of Fortune magazine, which bills itself as a
trade journal for mercenaries. Authorities found the guns and ammunition,
along with machetes, a bulletproof vest, 14 canteens of water, C-rations, six
military radios, jungle boots, and Army-issue foot powder ina van parked in
a hilly field. LI
On the outside
Expect a chance of thundershowers today with a high temperature in the
high-80s.
Happenings
FILMS
AAFC-Damn Yankees, 7 p.m., Carefree, 9 p.m., Angell Aud. A.

AATA tells strikers
to return to work

(Continuedfrom Pagell
ACCORDING TO Ursprung, the
management decision was one seldom
used but available to public sector em-
ployers in Michigan.
Ursprung said an employer may put
a final offer into effect providing: the
parties are at an impasse; the em-
ployer is engaged in good-faith
bargaining; the final offer was made
without contingencies; the offer was
rejected; the emplyer clearly
notified the union of its intent to put the
final offer into effect; the terms are the
same as in the last offer made; and, the
employer does not refuse to engage in
further discussion.
Union officials have charged that the
final offer lacked a no-reprisals clause
that was contained in the previous offer
rejected July 27.
BUT A MEMO signed by board
members said it "intends to take no
reprisals for participating in the illegal

strike if the members return to work
within the time period provided."
However, the board has singled out
eleven employees who would be subject
to reprisals due to charges of inap-
propriate behavior on the picket line.
The charges include verbal and
physical harassment of employees
crossing the picket line.
The union spokeswoman said she
expects union members will not accept
the idea of anybody having to go back to
work without an assurance of no
reprisals. "It doesn't matter if it's 12 or
one, the union won't accept the idea of
anyone going back if there are going to
be reprisals."
Simonetta said the Authority will
have no trouble finding new employees.
"We've had phone calls from people as
long ago as a month asking when we
were going to take applications," he
said.

PERFORMANCES
University Summer Band-School of Music, 7 p.m., poolside.

F1

FLIPPER McGEE's
early bird
* -a.
504 FREE PINBALL
every Tuesday thru Friday
from 10-10:30Oam
This offer good at FLIPPER McGEE'S
1217 S. University, Ann Arbor
Limit 50C per person per day4
*
***************************

The Michigan Daty
(USPS 344-900)
Volume XC, No. 53-S
Tuesday, August 5, 1980
The Michigan Daily is edited and managed by students at the University
of Michigan. Published daily Tuesday through Sunday mornings during the
University year at 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109.
Subscription rates: $12 September through April (2 semesters); $13 by mail
outside Ann Arbor. Summer session published Tuesday through Saturday
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Business
Editors-in-Chief .......... TOM MIRGA Manager ..... ROSEMARY WICKOWSKI
HOWARD WITT Display Manager ... KATHLEEN CULVER
Editorial Page Editor ..........NICK Clasified Manager .... AIDA EISENSTAT
KATSARELAS Circulation Manager .. TERRY REDDING
Arts Editor... MARK COLEMAN Ad Coordinator.. E. ANDREW PETERSEN
Sports Editor ...........ALAN FANGER BUSINESS STAFF: Barbara Forslund,
Executive Sports Kristina Peterson, Roberta Zais.
Editor ........MARK MIHANOVIC SPORTS STAFF WRITERS: Dan Conlin,
NEWS STAFF WRITERS: Sara Anspach, Tony Glinke, Buddy Moorehouse, Jon
Maureen Fleming, Joyce Frieden, Bonnie Moreland, Drew Sharp
Juran, Geoff Olons, Elaine Rideout, PHOTO STAFF: Paul Engstrom, Davic
Mitch Stuart, Kevin Tottis Harris, Jim Kruz

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