"we're Not All Old Fashioned: I Wouldn't Part With My Microwave." 
Food Flavors Polish Observance 
Pierogi Part Of A Bountiful 
Christmas Eve Meal Served In 
Many Area Households Following The Polish Tradition 
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Times Leader/cara Menichelli

Wvia-fm To Present 
A Live Holiday Program 
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Photo 
Spreading Some `mistletoe' -- Christopher Shaw And Bridget Ball Will Perform 
At The Studios Of Wvia-fm 
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By CHARLES H. BOGINO; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Thursday, December 17, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1D QUICK WORDS: WORKERS COMPENSATION 





With businesses threatening to move to other states unless the Pennsylvania
General Assembly overhauls the workers compensation system, Gov. Robert P.
Casey said Wednesday he expects the legislature will pass a reform measure
soon after it reconvenes in January. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 State lawmakers have been fighting among themselves for more than a year
over a plethora of proposed plans to keep workers' compensation premium rates
under control. Employers had hoped a reform measure would stave off premium
increases of up 52 percent. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; While the House of Representatives passed a reform measure last month, the
Senate failed to act on it before the legislative year ended on Nov. 30. The
next day, employers were socked with a 24 percent rate hike. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During a teleconference with editorial page editors from a score of
newspapers around the state Wednesday, Casey railed against the rate increase,
saying it "should never have gone into effect in the first place." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Unless reforms are enacted, businesses hit with the rate hike can expect to
pay $750 million before the fiscal year ends June 30. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Workers compensation certainly will be the first item on the agenda when
we come back," Casey said. "We want to stave off some of those costs." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meanwhile, state Rep. William R. Lloyd Jr., D-Somerset, announced Wednesday
he intends to introduce a new compensation reform measure next month. While
the Lloyd bill resembles the House plan passed last month, the legislative
process has to start over because the Senate failed to act. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With the election of state Sen. James C. Greenwood, R-Doylestown, to
Congress, the Democrats will have a one-vote majority in the state Senate,
albeit a temporary one. Casey said the Democratic majority should make for
quick passage of a reform measure. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Casey also said his rift with fellow Democrat and President-elect Bill
Clinton was healed. Casey, a vocal opponent of abortion rights, said there is
room to disagree but that there are other pressing issues. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I support him fully in his efforts to bring down the deficit," Casey said.
"The deficit is killing states like Pennsylvania."

Workers Compensation Solution Will Be Found, Says Casey