South Tucson's El Independiente, 1983-03-04

              City wins delay of Garcia payment
By ED MAXSON
Staff Writer
The Arizona Court of Appeals Thursday
reversed an order by a lower court for
South Tucson to begin paying a $3.59
million judgment awarded to former
Tucson Police Officer Julian Roy Garcia.
Garcia sued the city for negligence after
he was shot accidentally by a South
Kino cuts budget
may shut out
lower-income
By CANDACE M. TURTLE
Staff Writer
Lower-income and indigent residents of
Pima County may find it more difficult
to obtain health care after a ruling by
the Board of Supervisors that tightens
admission requirements at Kino Commu-nity
Hospital
Under the ruling, which went into ef-fect
on Feb. 23, a patient must show
proof of medical-insurance coverage or
enrollment in the state's health-care sys-tem
for indigents, or must pay a $25 cash
deposit before receiving non-emergency
treatment.
However, Kino's emergency room and
trauma facilities will continue to serve
emergency patients, regardless st their
financial situations.
The new policy is aimed at reducing
costs at Kino. Assistant County Manager
Jim Murphy estimated Kino's deficit at
$8.5 million. About $4 million is money
the state owes to Kino.
But the county's tactic of eliminating
patients who cannot pay fsr non-emer-gency
visits may cost Kino and other
hospitals more in the long run.
Eric W. Zeiters, director of the Free
Clinic of Tucson, said if people cannot af-ford
health care when their illnesses or
injuries are minor, they will wait until
they must seek emergency care.
"If they don't have $25 to visit, and
they have to go back for a $1,000 visit.
how can they pay for that? It's going to
exacerbate the situation," Zeiters said.
"In the short run, it's going to save
money, but in the long run it's going to
hurt. It's going to be harder for us be-cause
we are going to be trying to see all
those people."
However, Supervisor David A. Yetman
said the board is working on a sliding-scale
fee that wsuld allow people who
cannot meet the present requirements to
pay less, accsrding to their income.
Not that many people will be affected
by the tighter regulatisns, Yetman said
The new admission policy is aimed at
weeding out malingerers and requiring
payment from those who are able to af-ford
part of their expenses, he added.
Zeiters said the impact of the new
rules will not be as noticeable as it could
be because many people who had been
going to Kino have been using the Free
Clinic since October.
Zeiters said it is taking six to eight
weeks to enroll people in the Arizona
Health Care Cost Containment System
(ACCESS). During this time, people who
may be eligible for care are not receiv-ingit.
However, Frances Monachino,
eligibility administrator for Pima County,
said the process can be completed in a day
if the applicant has all the necessary
papers with him
Tucson policeman during a joint police
operation in 1978. The injury left Garcia
paralyzed from the waist down,
Under an order issued by Pima County
Superior Judge Robert O. Roylston in May
1982, Garcia was to have received the first
of five annual payments on Dec. 31, 1982.
South Tucson appealed the paymen)
order, contending that Royslton had ruled
improperly becaused he did not hold a
South Tucson's
El Independiente
Vol. VIII No. 3 Published by theOepartment of Jouinalism The University of Arizona
By JAN MCFARJ,ANE
Staff Writer
To discourage an increasing problem
with prostitution in South Tucson, the
city soon may strengthen the City Code.
City Manager Enrique G. Serna re-ported
at the City Council meeting Mon-day
night that he and City Attorney Rob-ert
L. Murray will propose stricter
language for an ordinance that governs
public decency and lewdness. Such
changes would provide harsher penalties
REPAIR AND RESURFACING A $325,000 repaving project on
East 29th Street between South Fourth and South 11th avenues
began last week, Keith Wilson, of 2509 N, Campbell Ave,, and
trial-court hearing to determine the city's
ability to pay.
The Appeals Court ruling does not
overturn the judgment. However, South
Tucson gained time to determine how to
pay the debt, which now is about $4.5
million. Interest has increased the amount
by about $1,000 daily.
Garcia's lawyer, Richard D. Grand,
appeared surprised by the decision.
Prostitution target of tougher ordinance
for those convicted of "aiding, abetting
or participating in prostitution," Serna
said.
"We're trying to make it more difficult
for the ladies of the night and those who
seek their favors to operate in this com-munity,"
he explained.
There have been 28 arrests for prosti-tution-
related matters since the first of
the year, a significant increase in recent
months, Sgt. Wesley M. Hand of the
"Our move now is to read and study the
opinion," Grand said after hearing of the
ruling.
"We will file a motion with the appellate
court for a rehearing. If that is denied,
then we'll ask for a review with the
Arizona Supreme Court," Grand said.
William G. Walker, the lawyer
representing South Tucson, was in court
Costisued on page 2
March 4, 1983 i
Photo by Ed Maxson
David Hernandez, of Phoenix, begin digging a trench across
Sooth Sixth Avenue to allow relocation of electrical lines, Project
completion is scheduled for early summer,
South Tucson Police Deoartment said
Tuesday.
More prostitutes than normal appear
to be working along a few blocks on
South Sixth Avenue, Hand said. Many
may be from nut of state and may come
to this region because of the sunny
weather and to he closer to a source of
drugs, he said. Many are narcotics ad-dicts,
he explained.
On Monday, the council also discussed
Continued on page 2