
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, November 28, 1995                   TAG: 9511280086
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY REED
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SHUTDOWN DIDN'T SHUT OFF WAGES

Q: I'm confused by the hullabaloo about the federal government closing down. I was feeling sorry for the employees who wouldn't be getting paid here at the holiday season, but all of a sudden I learn that they had most of the week off, but they'll get their pay anyway. What was the object behind this?

D.G., Buchanan

A: This wasn't a surprise. House Speaker Newt Gingrich said right up front that employees would be paid when the so-called shutdown was over.

The government wasn't closed as tight as it might have appeared; it has 2.1 million employees, and 37 percent of them, or 800,000, were off work because they were deemed nonessential.

The politicians never debated whether to pay for the 31/2 days of lost work; it's better to have employees who are not too disgruntled and who also will vote in the next election.

While many of us think first about people we know who are affected by a shutdown, the federal payroll never was a factor in this political dispute.

One of the big issues is the amounts on checks those employees mail out monthly for Medicare, Medicaid and other kinds of benefits.

Also on the table are proposed cuts in federal programs for education, technology, the environment, community policing and similar efforts.

Tax cuts for citizens and tax breaks for interest groups also figure in the dispute, which Congress and the president have settled only until Dec. 16.

Nonbinding contract

Q: Is the "Contract With America" a legally binding contract? If the politicians don't hold up their end of it, can I engage a lawyer and bring legal action?

V.H., Elliston

A: Sorry, but unless you're a Republican member of the House of Representatives, you probably never signed this contract.

Therefore, you would have no standing to bring an action.

Even with its high-sounding name, the contract is only a party's political agenda. The only way the average citizen can sign on is through his or her vote.

Recycled oil

Q: If a service station adds a fee for hazardous waste disposal to an oil change, is that a justifiable expense? Do they really have to pay a fee to get rid of old oil? And if that fee is not included on an advertised special, does that constitute false advertising?

B.C., Roanoke

A: Many oil-changing businesses in Roanoke do not add a fee for waste disposal. Some, though, may have to pay for disposal if they do only a few oil changes.

Many high-volume service providers in Roanoke get a free pickup of used oil.

Eastern Waste Oil of Cloverdale pumps the old stuff out of holding tanks at the service sites. The oil may be used for fuel in industrial boilers or for manufacturing asphalt.

As for the advertising point you encountered, consider it a lesson learned. You can make sure you don't run into this again by asking about all charges before you leave your car for service.

\ Have a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.

by CNB