Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 25, 1994 TAG: 9411050027
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: E5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: COX NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A: It's true that pigs are not known to be frugal. The Bible even says not to waste good things on them - throwing pearls to swine. The origin of the piggy bank goes back to pygg, a dense orange clay that was used extensively to make household utensils during the middle ages. People saved money in pygg jars. It was not until 18th century England that potters shaped the savings jar to match the name.
Q: What ever happened to the young man who landed the small plane in Moscow's Red Square?
A: Mathias Rust, the adventurous young pilot from what was then West Germany, served 432 days of a four-year sentence in a Soviet prison for his 1987 landing. After his release and a hero's welcome back in Germany, he got into hot water again. In 1989, he was sentenced to two years in prison for attempted manslaughter after he stabbed a woman who refused to kiss him. Rust was released from prison in October 1993 after completing one year of the sentence. No word on what he's doing now.
Q: I work for a company where employees are required to work more than 40 hours a week, which is mandatory and compulsory at the supervisor's discretion. If employees fail to comply, they are threatened with disciplinary action or even firing. Does any state or federal law prohibit this?
A: No. There is no law prohibiting a company from requiring its employees to work overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act does require that employees be paid for any extra hours.
Q: Why does breakfast cereal cost so much? At $4 and $5 a box, that seems like a lot to me.
A: Since 1990, cereal prices have climbed 15.6 percent, compared with 5.9 percent for all other grocery store food items. You aren't the only one who has noticed the high price of cereal, as shoppers with an eye for savings have been switching from pricey name brands to store brands in increasing numbers. U.S. News & World Report magazine says that seven of the 10 best-selling cereals lost market share last year.
The apparent reason for the higher prices: coupons. Cereal makers, according to U.S News, are trying to hold on to customers by issuing a blizzard of coupons and steadily increasing their face value. With coupon expenditures climbing to $963 million last year, the companies' earnings are taking a hit - and you know who pays for that.
Q: How long does it take Lockheed to build an XC-130?
A: From the first cutting of the metal to when the finished product rolls out the door, it takes Lockheed about 24 months to complete one of the aircraft that are the company's bread and butter, said Lockheed spokesman Julius Alexander. Lockheed has delivered 2,079 of the four-engine military transport planes to 64 countries in the past 40 years.
Q: As I recall, some time after the Persian Gulf War, there was a movement in Congress to write a new War Powers Act. Whatever happened to that?
A: Last year, a bipartisan task force of senators was appointed to come up with recommendations for rewriting the measure. But there is no indication that they have even met to discuss it.
Q: What will be the ultimate result of the recent population conference in Cairo? Do any of the conclusions have the force of law, or treaty, or an oath, or what?
A: The ultimate result of the Egyptian gathering is a not-yet-published, 113- page document called ``The World Program of Action,'' which covers various aspects of worldwide population growth. In each chapter, there are headings such as ``What are the concerns?'' ``What are the objectives?'' and ``What are appropriate actions?'' The document is nothing more than a guideline for countries to use when dealing with population issues.
Q: Is there any agency in or out of government keeping a tally on NAFTA's effects on jobs that have been lost or gained in the United States? What is the current balance of jobs gained vs. jobs lost so far?
A: There are dozens of think tanks, research organizations, universities and other interest groups researching every aspect of every facet of issues relating to the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Add to those the number of government agencies keeping track, and you can be sure that NAFTA will be covered from stem to stern. But as it stands right now, it's too early to tell anything definitive. In fact, the supervisory bodies set up under the agreement have yet to be organized fully.
Francine Lamoriello, director of international trade and investment services for KPGM Peat Marwick, said on CNN that a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. companies found:
More than 30 percent said they already have benefited from NAFTA.
Three-quarters said they have seen an increase in demand for their goods.
Only 2 percent said they have seen a loss of jobs due to NAFTA.
There has been no great movement of production facilities from this country to Mexico, and the companies surveyed did not expect to move.
The conclusion drawn is that the giant sucking sound of jobs pulling southward has not been heard.
Q: I received a letter from President Clinton in response to one I wrote to him. It had a 29-cent stamp on it. Is the franking privilege not granted to a sitting president as it is to Congress?
A: The franking privilege applies only to Congress. For personal letters, the White House uses stamps and pays for them like everybody else. Would it be possible, then, to get a letter from the White House with an Elvis stamp? No, says the mail office. ``The White House always uses the standard 29-cent flag stamp,'' so as not to show favoritism. The current stamp shows the flag flying in front of the White House.|
Q: How does a member of Congress get on a certain committee? How many committees are there? How did this system come about?
A: The committee system, although not expressly authorized in the Constitution, has become an indispensable part of the legislative process. Committees are where the real work gets done. Committee assignments in both the House and Senate are made by (wouldn't you know) committees, and party leaders ultimately decide who goes where. There are 266 committees and subcommittees in the House and Senate, which have a combined membership of 535 and about 4,000 employees.
by CNB