The Daily Journal from Vineland, New Jersey • 2

Callers offer mixed comments on Bush visit I'Jiiat Bus!) ssid At downtown rally Speak Out Responses Excerpts of President Bush's speech Thursday in Vineland: First of all let me say, Vineland, I have never seen such a wonderful rally and it's great to be here. Every place I go I T.M. said. "I thought it was extraordinary, I thought George Bush was a marvelous speaker," M.G. of Millville said.

"I enjoyed it and I will never forget this day." But the majority of callers were less enthusiastic. "I was unimpressed with his rhetoric. All he did was pretty much tell us more of the same," D.M. of Vineland said. "What he should really talk about is that the average American has less money in his pocket than he had four years J.T.

of Vineland was also unhappy with the visit. "I thought it was a disgrace how so many people weren't allowed to show their displeasure," J.T. said. "People were being ushered out and I thought it was a disgrace f-these are taxpayers." "I think President Bush's visit was a wonderful, educational experience," J. V.

of Vineland said. "It was good to see so many smiles on the Avenue." "I stood in line for two hours to see President Bush," P.E.R. of Vineland said. "But it was well worth it I plan to vote for President Bush and he will win. He's a leader." "The event was very nice except for the rude people pushing and shoving after we had waited four hours," D.M.B.

of Vineland "Seeing the president was very nice." T.M., a registered Democrat, said he plans to vote for Bush. "I sincerely hope that the president gets elected, and I think the pollsters are going to get a real surprise I think the country needs an experienced leader," By JOSEPH MORITA Staff Writer Of 23 callers to The Daily Journal Speak Out Hotline, 12 said they were glad President Bush visited Vineland and plan to vote for him on Nov. 3. For a variety of reasons, 13 callers said they were unhappy with Bush and his visit "I didn't personally attend the. rally downtown.

I'm glad I didn't," W.M. of Vineland said. "I think the whole thing was a farce." W.M. was unhappy because Clinton signs were being taken away from people at the rally. "I attended the rally until I was asked to leave because I had a small 3-by-5 inch ClintonGore bumper sticker," K.F.

of Vineland said. "Whatever happened to freedom of speech?" E.M. of Vineland was disappointed by the event "I was hoping his visit would be something I would remember for a long time, but nothing was set up well, most people couldn't see the President, and I was overall very disappointed," E.M. said. "I think President Bush's visit to Vineland was a desperate, last, futile attempt to get votes, and people should realize that this was all setup," KM.

of Vineland said. "We're allowed to burn the American flag in the country but we can't carry a sign stating we are for Clinton or Perot" There were those people, however, who were excited by Bush's visit see signs saying "Clean House." One way to clean house is to send Frank LoBiondo down to 3 i (r the United States '1 Congress. I want to thank State Sen. Bill Non-Bush backers 'escorted' from rally He (Clinton) is campaigning across the country saying he's the candidate for change. Yeah, he wants to raise taxes by $150 billion, he wants to raise spending $220 billion.

You listen to that kind of change, and that's all you'll have left in your pocket change. We don't need it. uui miey, wnu came to meet us And, of course Mayor Joe Romano, standing here with me, give him great credit for all of this. Lew De-Marco and so many others, I am so very pleased to be here. We are caught up in a global recession.

The United States economy is doing better than most of the economies, but we are not doing well enough. The last thing we need is to put an- i imaitaHRiiipipiiiwii Staff photoAdrian Wecer ClintonGore supporter at Thursday's rally. other liberal Democrat in there who wants to raise taxes and raise spending. Lopez Many Vineland students skip school on B-Day By PAMELA M. HARDING Staff Writer President Bush's visit to Vineland was not the only historical event that happened Thursday.

Vineland High School 11-12 Principal Gerald Luongo said there was also a record number of students absent from school. "We had three-fourths of our students out of school today, the halls were empty," Luongo said. He said the school's population is about 1,100 students and about 650 either did not attend or signed out early. Luongo said the line of students signing out of school early, just hours before Bush was to arrive on Landis Avenue at 12:15 p.m., stretched a hall's length from the main office. Vineland High School 9-10 Assistant Principal Carmelo Ramos said there were about.

550 students absent out of 1,300 students. Reports from school officials throughout the Vineland District estimated about 2,500 students out of 8,858 absent Thursday, including the roughly 1,200 from the high school's two buildings. Superintendent of Schools Richard Prochaska said he knew there would be a considerable number of students who wouldbeout. "Although we decided to keep school open, we let it be known that the decision to attend was up to parents and students," Prochaska said. From A1 Bush, they attended Thursday's noontime rally and waited for Bush to step down from the platform to greet the people.

But when he made his way into the crowd, he walked away from where the Lopezes were standing. "Jonathan had flowers for President Bush," Carmen said. "He got very upset when Bush didn't come to see him and started crying." y.i With help from Vineland Police Chief Mario Brunetta, Republican candidate Allan Benardini, and Frank LoBiondo assemblyman running for the 2nd Congressional District seat, the boy was reunited with Bush outside Vineland Cold Cuts, where the president ate lunch. According to the Lopezes, members of Bush's staff took the newspaper clipping into the deli to show the president who then sent out an autograph and said he would meet Jonathan when he finished lunch. When Bush left the restaurant, he walked over to Jonathan and, according to his mother, they struck up a conversation as if they were old friends.

"We felt lucky and privileged one of our sons was able to reunite with the president," Andre said. "We are honored and glad it happened." By PAUL FOWLER Staff Writer VINELAND A member of the City Council was among several people escorted out of a rally for President Bush Thursday for displaying political signs or buttons for candidates other than the president. Councilwoman Lea Shapiro said she was escorted from the rally for wearing a "Clinton Gore" sticker during the event. "A gentleman walked up to me and ripped the sticker off. I was in shock," Shapiro said.

The man, who identified himself as an attorney for the BushQuayle Campaign, asked her to leave, she said. "He said, 'I'll have a police officer escort Shapiro said. She then was escorted out, she added. "I was there enjoying the limelight that Vineland was in. That doesn't mean I agree with the party politics," she said.

Cumberland County Democratic Headquarters Vice Chairman Lynn Merle said she was escorted from the rally after displaying a "Clinton" sign. "Someone grabbed it out of my hand," she said. Two men told her to either leave or get rid of a second sign, she noted. Henry Hill, 71, an office manager for the county Democratic Headquarters on Delsea Drive, said he filed an assault charge after being attacked at the rally. Hill said he was wearing a "Pinocchio" nose and had just raised a sign that read "Bush Lies," when three or four men "pounced on me." "One of them punched me, one grabbed me, and one grabbed the sign," Hill said.

The men did not identify themselves, he said. "They tried to throw me to the ground," he said. "When they tried to escort me, I refused to leave. "They kept handling me until the speech was over. I went right up to the police department and filed a complaint" No arrests stemming from the rally were made, police said.

Vineland resident Michael Becker also was carrying a "Bush Lies" sign. Police and other officials "escorted me out and walked me down the street," Becker said. "They told me I had to leave because it was a private rally. They grabbed all my signs inside my jacket. "I explained to them I was a taxpayer in the city.

I am disgusted. I came here to show my support for (Bill) Clinton(Al) Gore because this country needs a change," he said. Police Chief Mario Brunetta said Vineland officers would not ask people to leave if they were carrying signs. "We weren't going in there pulling signs from anyone," said. The BushQuayle Campaign leased the area 200 feet in all directions of the intersection, Brunetta said, "They (campaign members) wanted to control who was going in there," he said.

Brunetta said if the police were asked by BushQuayle Campaign members to escort someone out, "we would have done it." He added there may have been instances when police escorted people from the rally without knowing the circumstances. Vineland resident John Ass-elta, 21, said he was appalled when a sign reading "Bush Must Not Win in N. was immediately taken from him when he displayed it shortly after President Bush began to speak. I Vineland police and other officials then took him to a gate, where he was told not to display anti-Bush signs. One official who helped escort Asselta to the gate but would not identify himself said, "The Republican Party rented this space.

If they don't want you here, then you have to leave." A spokeswoman from the county Democratic headquarters said she estimated that 25 people were removed from the rally. Media members invade Vineland We have a plan, the Agenda for American Renewal to get us out of this economic rut. I say to deep six the luxury tax. We don't need a luxury tax. We need less tax.

He (Clinton) is campaigning across the country saying he's the candidate for change. Yeah, he wants to raise taxes by $150 billion, he wants to raise spending $220 billion. You listen to that kind of change, and that's all you'll have left in your pocket change. We don't need it. 1 I think of New Jersey I think of you all as a great export state.

You look around and you send a lot of New Jersey products all around the world. We must open more markets abroad so the productive workers in New Jersey can sell your products all around the world. Do not turn in, turn out. We are the leaders in the world. You know there's 72,000 jobs in New Jersey tied to exports.

You know, you look around this town and you'll see that it is small business that employs people, not the big ones. They do their part, but it is the small ones that create new jobs and new opportunity. So what I propose for small business is to give them relief from excessive taxation, relief from regulation and relief from these crazy lawsuits that get inflicted on the people. We are literally going to revolutionize education. We are going do it like the GI Bill.

We going to have the GI Bill for kids. We're going to say for parents, the power should be in your hands. We are going to help you financially to choose the school of your choice, public, private or religious. We've got a good program on health care. Give me a couple more Congressmen like Frank here, and we'll get that job done.

Help the poorest of the poor, tax breaks for the middle class, create insurance pools and leave the government out of the insurance business. And let's get private citizens involved so everyone has insurance for healthcare: On the issue of character and trust, I ask for your support as president of the United States. (Crowd chants, "Four more years, four more Some say to me, well, why do you want to be president? It's not a question of wanting to be president It's a question of finishing the job for the young people here today. And I am going to win this election, don't listen to these nutty pollsters trying to tell you how to think. I don't know who they talk to.

But they're inhaling, and we're going to win this election. Thank you and may God bless the United States America. By PAUL FOWLER Staff Writer VINELAND A throng of television, radio and print journalists converged at Landis Avenue and Seventh Street Thursday to report on the visit of President Bush. Photographers and reporters from local and national news organizations gathered in an area less than 150 feet from where the president took the stage. News reporters from Philadelphia area channels 3, 6, and 10 covered the event, as did the White House Press Corps, including representatives from CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC, and a number of print reporters.

In all, more than 60 journalists manned the press area. More than 30 cameras were set up to capture the president's visit. The White House Press Corps members of the media who cover presidential visits, rallies and speeches arrived by helicopter at the Vineland Developmental Center about the same time Bush did. Bush From A1 The majority of the crowd was in place by about 10:30 p.m.; their anticipation generated a charged atmosphere throughout the area. To entertain the crowd, bands from Vineland, Bridgeton, Cumberland Regional and Schalick high schools as well as Buena Borough Mayor Gene Ianette's Dixieland Band presented a concert featuring patriotic songs.

At 11:55 p.m., one of six helicopters in the presidential entourage flew over the crowd, which responded with screams and a flag-waving frenzy. The crowd chanted "Bush, Bush" and "Four More Years" during the 15 minutes it took the president to travel from the landing site at Vineland Developmental Center at Spring Road and Landis Avenue to the elevated podium at the rally site. A thunderous scream greeted the president, who gave a confident smile, waved to the crowd and gave a thumbs up as he walked to the podium, which displayed the presidential seal. "First of all, let me say, Vineland, I have never seen such a wonderful rally," Bush proclaimed. it's a great day for Vineland, I'll tell you it's a great day for George Bush." Bush's speech focused on familiar themes economic recovery, familyvalues and character and pounded his Democrat opponent, Arkansas Gov.

Bill Clinton. "He's campaigning across the country saying he's the candidate for change," Bush said. "Yeah, he wants to raise taxes by $150 billion, he wants to raise spending $220 billion. "You listen to that kind of change, and that's all you'll have left in your pocket change," Bush said. "We don't need it" Other Republican candidates said the president's visit put Vine-land in the national spotlight.

Freeholder candidate Allan Be-rnardini called it a "three-B day bright, beautiful and Bush." His running mate, freeholder candidate Paul Ritter added, "Vineland, this is your day, this is your moment "The Vice President was here earlier in the week," Ritter said. The president arrived in the area on Air Force One, the presidential jet, which landed at Atlantic City International Airport in Pomona at about 11:30 a.m. A helicopter, Mar rine took Bush from Pomona to Vineland, landing at the Vineland Developmental Center campus at Main Road and Landis Avenue shortly before noon. A motorcade escorted the president from the Developmental Center to the rally area. -yy' Following his appearance here; the president was scheduled for campaign appearances in the Trenton area at about 2 p.m.

and in Ridgewood, Bergen County, at about 4 p.m. i Bush's appearances are part of a week-long push in the state, which is considered crucial to his re1 election chances. On Monday, Vice President Dan Quayle campaigned in the state, including a stop in the Vineland area. First lady Barbara Bush and some Bush cabinet members are also part of this week's campaign activities in the state. "And now the president is on his way to see you the people of Vineland, the people of Cumberland County." Assemblyman Frank LoBiondo, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Bill Hughes in the 2nd Congressional District, said the issue of this election is jobs.

"If you look at the businesses up and down Landis Avenue, you'll see how the Republican philosophy of creating jobs works, LoBiondo said. "Along with Gov. Tom Kean, we created an UEZ in Vineland that has created 1,000 of jobs. "George Bush understands that we need less government regulation and we need lower taxes to get our people back to work," he said. "The issue is jobs, the question is trust, and either way the answer is the same George Bush," Mayor Joseph Romano presented the president with an honorary proclamation of welcome and a bouquet of roses from Herb Re-back's Old Mill for Barbara Bush.

Romano also renamed part of Seventh Street "President Bush Drive" for the day..