European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday december 21, 1990 the stars and stripes Pago 7 firebomb guts Home of Man who exposed odometer fraud Houston a an explosion Early wednesday destroyed the Mobile Home of a Man who appeared on �?o60 minutes to expose odometer Tampe Hng by used car dealers a it s really something driving up on your Home. And seeing it going up in flames. Its a travesty a said Charles Vance a Houston construction company owner and former used car dealer investigators said Vance a Home unoccupied at the time exploded about 3 . After someone apparently threw a firebomb made of a flammable liquid. All that remained of the trailer was the outer Shell. Shards of Glass were thrown hundreds of Yards from the House along with clothing toys and debris. No injuries were reported. Quot in a in Shock at this Point a Vance said. His Nephew David Smith was next door at Vance a business office when the blast occurred. A i just heard a Boom a a Smith said. �?o1 ran outside and the whole House was in a Sam Price a spokesman for the Houston fire department said the fire was ruled an arson. But he. Would not provide details of the investigation. Vance is convinced the blast was tied to his speaking out about odometer fraud in Houston. A a it a retaliation to the odometer segment we did on �?~60. Minutes a a Vance said. A i would have done the same thing again. I believe it was something that needed to be Vance and his partner John Haclett notified the lbs news Magazine several months ago about a scam prevalent among Houston used car wholesalers to turn Back mileage odometer readings. Charles Vance in front of his Houston Home which was destroyed by an arson fire. �?o60 minutes featured interviews with Vance on dec. 9, said Roy Brunett spokesman for the show. A a we re Happy that he s Safe and we re thankful that no one was Hurt Quot Brunett said. ��.�, a a Brunett said the Fri believes the illegal odometer practice accounts for a $4 Bil lion a year National scam in the Industry Vance told authorities he had been get. Ting death threats even before the Story aired. He said last week he received a phone Call saying he would be dead by wednesday. P Vance said he has been moving his family from the Home frequently to make it appear they were staying at the House. He said the family stayed there monday night but stayed elsewhere tuesday. Shots were fired at Vance s trailer oct. 31, Brunett said. Redesign of seat belts washing i on a the National. Transportation safety Board on wednesday urged the Aulo Industry to redesign seat belts so Thev can Vasily be used by children Short adults and the elderly. In a letter to 33 american and foreign Auto companies the Board said the change would increase seat Belt use and promote safety. The Hoard Hopes to persuade in stall an adjustable upper Anchor Tor the shoulder strap portion of the scat Bell in All new cars. European automakers generally offer1 ail jus table upper anchors but the system in t generally available in the United sinks the Board said. Earlier this year the Hoard proposed change on a a most wanted list of safely Board said in its letter that serious Accident injuries May result from improper Seal Belt use because of an inability to adjust them to the size of the occupant. Thomas Carr director of safety for the motor vehicle Mami Faehr Eros association in Detroit said the group and its member Auto not spa Nies would a discuss and consider Quot the recommendation. Carr agreed that if seat belts were More comfortable fewer poo pie would object id using them. Quot the Only Issue is to what extent people might mis adjust belts not hitting them in the Best position Lecause its a lot More comfortable a he said contending that scat belts now Are positioned a to the advantage of the vast majority of the , Survey says Washington up a a Survey of mayors in 30 major cities reported a Rise in both hunger and homelessness during the past year. _ and most expect the economic recession a now hitting most cities a to heighten the problem the . Conference of mayors the same time the City officials also reported wednesday that Public sentiment is turning against the homeless. A More than three out of four of the Survey cities report that they have experienced an economic slowdown in recent months and All but one of the cities which reported it had not experienced an economic slowdown. Anticipated the recession will affect the problems of hunger and Homes Ness during the next year Quot the report every one of the responding cities said they expect the demand for emergency food assistance and shelter to increase during the next mayors Survey confirms a report issued last week by the National coalition for the homeless predicting that As the recession deepens Many americans a Espe Chilly those working in Low wage jobs a Are at risk of becoming homeless and the problem could become Crit Ica if the Bush administration fails to respond the Survey said requests for shelter increased by an average of 24 percent. Ten percent reported the number of requests remained the same while another 10 percent reporting a a just under 75 percent of the Survey cities reported an increase in the number of homeless families needing emergency shelter ranging from an increase of 60 percent in Phoenix 40 percent in new Orleans and 36 percent in Cleveland to 10 percent in Norfolk va., and 5 percent in san Antonio Kansas City mo., Minne Apo Jis and san Francisco reported declines in the number of homeless families. J in 70 percent of the cities shelters Are forced to turn away homeless families needing Aid because tote shelters Lack resources. V the City officials estimated that Overall 19 percent of the requests for shelter by All homeless people went unmet last year and 16 percent of the requests by homeless families could not be met despite an average increase of 3 percent in the number of emergency shelter Beds and a 12 percent increase in the number of transitional housing units available a officials in four out of five of the Survey cities have seen evidence of change in Public sentiment toward homeless people and in the majority of these cities a 57 percent a there Are More negative attitudes a the report said. According to the Survey those who Are homeless Are remaining that Way longer a another sign that the recession is taking its toll and making it More difficult for people to re enter the mainstream of the Economy. A about 20 percent of shelter users have been without their own Home for. More than a year a according to Minneapolis officials. Alexandria va., officials have found that the average length of stay particularly for families has significantly increased Over the last year. Alexandria along with Kansas City los Angeles Louisville new York Philadelphia Portland ore., san Antonio and Trenton n.j., said families with children account for 40 percent or More of their homeless. Overall the report said single men make up 5 j percent of the homeless population families with children Are 34 percent and single women 12 percent. Sacramento Calif. A t the handwriting is on the Wall for California Graffiti artists a scribble could leave them walking for a Jan. 1, a new Law will allow courts to suspend the driving privileges for a year for anyone convicted of Graffiti Type vandalism. Another new Law that takes effect with the new year will permit cities and coun tics to tax aerosol Spray cans 10 cents each and indelible Felt tip markers 5 cents each to pay for Graffiti cleanups. The Laws Are aimed at curbing the gang related scribbling and unsightly markups that deface the environment such As a recent Case in los Angeles in which one youngster caused $500,000 in the economic consequences of Graffiti vandalism Are enormous a said state sen. Quentin Kopp author of the License Bill. A san Francisco spent Over $2 million Las year cleaning up Graffiti. The City of los Angeles spent million. Graffiti also debilitated Urban dwellers because it bolsters the impression that our cities Are crime Ridden and unsafe a said Kopp an Independent from san Francisco. Other new a Graffiti related Laws will make it an infraction to write Graffiti on Public transit buses or trains and will require convicted Litt Ereis to be sentenced to picking up litter or cleaning up Graffiti Kopp said the California legislature is gelling Tough on Graffiti because of the proliferation of scrawls and scribbles in Public places in Urban areas. Last week an 18-year-Oldl los Angeles Man was accused of painting the word a on 1 ,0uu traffic signs Utility poles buildings acid Walls in Southern California causing about $500,000 in damage. T he new Law will allow a judge to suspend for one year the Drivers License of a person convicted of Graffiti related vandalism. If a 13-or j 4-year-old does no to yet have a License the court can delay Issue Aiice of the License for a year after the teen would otherwise be Able to get it
