Hearings

It was a pleasure to see the hearings with Shultz testifying without an attorney at his elbow telling him when to say, "I can't recall" or "I don't remember." Shultz was direct, revealing and moral in stating what are obviously the facts. His testimony certainly should convince those who thought otherwise, that Poindexter if anything is a phenomenal liar and North is a national liar. JEROME K. LEVIN Encino

During just the first two days of his confirmation hearings, Bork disclaimed or reversed many of his previous opinions. I mean many! Before the hearings end, pro-choice groups, civil rights groups, separation of church and state advocates, the American Civil Liberties Union, homosexuals and intellectuals may also reverse their opinions and give him their support. Liberals on the committee may wind up voting for his confirmation. Conservatives, under the "don't you agree?" leadership of Hatch, may feel they have been double-crossed, and will vote against him. It would be amusing if Atty.

The state Insurance Department has summoned another 26 sellers of Medicare supplemental insurance to show cause why they should not be barred from doing business in California for engaging in allegedly unfair and deceptive sales practices. Insurance Commissioner Roxani Gillespie, noting that two groups have already been ordered to cease doing business in the state, said the new round of hearings will be held in San Francisco Tuesday through Dec. 12.

A magistrate opened hearings Monday seeking to settle the government's $200-million suit against the President's son, Neil Bush, and other executives charged with negligence in the collapse of Silverado Banking, Savings & Loan Assn. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. filed the suit last September against Bush and 12 other former Silverado officials, alleging that they were grossly negligent in the 1988 failure of the thrift. It was one of the biggest suits ever filed by the agency.

An aide to Supervisor Todd Spitzer has drafted a private security plan for former U.S. Rep. Robert K. Dornan and his legal team, calling for armed, off-duty county marshals to assist sheriff's deputies for today's congressional hearing in Santa Ana. Spitzer immediately disavowed the memo, saying it had been drafted and sent without his knowledge. He said he apologized Friday to Assistant Sheriff Dennis LaDucer, who received the memo from Spitzer's office on Thursday afternoon.

A hearing to consider an appeal of The Wicked North's disqualification in last Saturday's $1-million Santa Anita Handicap is scheduled for March 19 at Santa Anita. After The Wicked North was moved from first to fourth by the stewards for alleged interference early in the stretch, owner Philip Hersh and trainer David Bernstein appealed. Steven Schwartz was named the hearing officer by the California Horse Racing Board.

A public hearing on recent cable rate adjustments was indefinitely postponed this week by the Yorba Linda City Council. Assistant City Manager David Gruchow said the city is waiting until the Federal Communications Commission issues its final ruling on what cities can regulate in their franchise agreements with cable operators. "We have a general sense of what the FCC's ruling will be but there has been no final ruling yet," Gruchow said.

A proposal to stiffen controls on nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from industrial plants and motor vehicles will be the subject of public hearings Feb. 26 and 27 in El Monte, the South Coast Air Quality Management District board decided Friday. Board member Larry Berg, who headed a board NOx task force, recommended next month's hearings, saying that further NOx reductions are needed to reduce ozone, or smog.