News stories from Saturday November 22, 1975

Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

Carrying baseball bats and placards supporting Gov. George Wallace of Alabama, hundreds of bitter antibusing demonstrators, led by rank-and-file union members, chanted and shouted outside a hall in Louisville, Ky., where liberal Democrats from around the country, including labor leaders, were debating economic issues. While Leonard Woodcock, president of the United Automobile Workers, took part in a discussion of incomes policy, members of his and other unions stood in the streets outside, hemmed in by more than 200 policemen wearing riot helmets and gas masks. But there was no violence. When the leaders of the demonstration were invited into the hall for a conference, the protesters disappeared. [New York Times] Property taxes have soared in hundreds of communities across the country this year, a result of inflationary pressures on school and local government budgets, reassessments of property that reflect the rapid rise recently in home prices, and recession-induced construction cutbacks that have meant there are fewer new homes than usual on which to spread increased government spending. The tax increases are bringing hardship to the elderly, and are squeezing middle-income homeowners as well. [New York Times] New York City's major banks informed Governor Carey's office that they would refuse to commit themselves to the city's three-year financing package until steps were taken to close the state's own budget deficit. The banks' position meant that even if the legislature approved the $200 million in taxes for the city and President Ford endorsed federal loan guarantees, the intricate financial arrangement that had been made to rescue the city from default remained in jeopardy. [New York Times] The state legislature failed again to pass the $200 million New York state tax package and recessed until tomorrow. It appeared that the complicated plan to avoid a city default, predicated on short-term federal aid, was now in serious jeopardy. "Any further delay is perilous and frankly unreasonable," Governor Carey said. The obstacle in the way of the bill's approval was in the Assembly, where 14 black and Puerto Rican Democrats decided to withhold their votes until they were promised minority-group representation on the Emergency Financial Board, which runs the city's fiscal affairs. [New York Times] The American aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy and the cruiser Belknap collided last night about 70 miles east of Sicily during flight operations in the Mediterranean. At least one crew member was said dead with reports of others injured. Pentagon sources said the Belknap had apparently suffered substantial damage. The Kennedy carries a crew of about 4,500 and the Belknap about 350. The Pentagon said other Sixth Fleet ships in the area were providing rescue assistance. [New York Times] Juan Carlos de Borbon was proclaimed King Juan Carlos I of Spain today after he swore fidelity to the principles of the present political regime and promised to stimulate "profound improvements." The short ceremony took place in the Parliament building in Madrid in the presence of Sophia, Spain's new queen, 551 Deputies, 17 members of the Council of the Realm, and guests representing foreign governments, including Vice President Rockefeller. Juan Carlos's crown of gold and crimson remained on a cushion at his right. There was no coronation. That ceremony was abandoned in Spain in the Middle Ages. [New York Times] United States and Soviet officials, looking for ways of salvaging the talks aimed at limiting strategic arms, are leaving open the possibility of a high-level Soviet-American meeting in the next two months to seek a formula to break the deadlock. The date or other details are not known, but interviews with key American officials left the impression that they expected Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to make a trip to Moscow in the near future to confer directly with Leonid Brezhnev. [New York Times] A night of violent clashes along Beirut's "confrontation line" and in the suburbs, killing at least 27 people and wounding 32, left the latest cease-fire in tatters. Prime Minister Rashid Karami said the situation had sunk "below the zero point" and he threatened to name violators of the truce on Monday if the cease-fire he had laboriously put together was not reinstated by then. [New York Times]