Callers

The process by which candidates for the Supreme Court are selected is unfair, according to more than 57 percent of respondents to SUNDIAL. Taking that view were 235 of 407 callers, while 172 callers (42 percent) said the process is fair.The process was not productive in the Clarence Thomas case, said 70 percent (286 of 405 callers), while 119 callers (29 percent) said it was.Eighty percent of the callers (324 out of 404) said they did not change their minds about Thomas as a result of the special hearing, and 80 callers (19 percent)

More than three-fourths of callers to SUNDIAL are against statehood for the District of Columbia. The tally is 477 against, 148 in favor (76 percent vs. 23 percent) out of 625 callers.

More than 70 percent of callers to SUNDIAL, or 201 out of 284 responses, say they are using the new telephone area code 410. Eighty-three callers (29 percent) say they're not.

The federal college student loan program is in need of reform, say 258 of 299 callers to SUNDIAL (86 percent). Forty-one callers (13 percent) think not.A congressional proposal to have colleges lend the money and have the Internal Revenue Service collect the payments goes too far, say 144 of 293 callers (49 percent), while 149 callers (50 percent) say it does not go too far.

A proposal to raise property taxes for the downtown area to pay for increased security and sanitation services is warranted, say 104 of 184 callers to SUNDIAL, a figure of 56 percent. Eighty callers (43 percent) say it is not warranted.However, most of the callers (136 out of 177, or 76 percent) say the extra tax will not be enough to make the downtown more attractive to business. The other 41 callers (23 percent) say the tax will be sufficient.

The Department of Agriculture's new dietary chart is not worth the money spent for an extra year of study on it, according to 82 percent of callers to SUNDIAL, or 185 out of 225. Forty callers (17 percent) say it was worth it.Most callers (167 out of 220, or nearly 76 percent) say the new chart will not have an impact on the way they eat, while 53 lTC callers (24 percent) say it will.

President Bush's proposed health-care package is not fair, say 164 of 273 callers (60 percent) to SUNDIAL, while 109 (39 percent) say it is fair. Similarly, 267 callers, by the same percentage margin, say the plan will not make health care more affordable. The tally was 162 to 105.Of 262 callers, 178, or nearly 68 percent, say Medicare and Medicaid should not bear the brunt of the plan's financing, while 84 callers (31 percent) disagree.

Seventy-two percent of 635 callers to SUNDIAL, or 462 callers, say affirmative action programs do not work, while 173 (27 percent) say they do.Nearly 70 percent (442 of 632 callers) say affirmative action programs should be eliminated. Those who prefer that the programs be modified number 112 (17.7 percent), while 78 callers (12.3 percent) say the programs should be let alone.

Eight out of 10 callers to SUNDIAL don't want a state tax increase. Of 1,055 callers, 863, or more than 81 percent, say they would not support an increase in taxes to help solve Maryland's budget crisis. The remaining 192 callers, 18 percent, would support it.

Health-care providers at federally funded clinics, now under D DTC "gag" order, should be permitted to tell women of their legal right to abortion, in the view of almost three-fourths of callers to SUNDIAL. Of 674 callers, 496, or 73 percent, favor that position, while 178 callers, or 26 percent, are opposed.