February 13, 1991

Buoyed by the Legislature's passage of his anti-crime package today, Mayor David N. Dinkins began what could become an even more difficult struggle -- fighting state spending cuts -- by harshly criticizing Gov. Mario M. Cuomo's budget proposal. Mr. Dinkins, who was in Albany to witness the passage of the crime bill and to lobby against budget cuts, accused Mr. Cuomo of underestimating the financial hardship the budget would impose on New York City. The Cuomo administration has said its budget would add about $400 million to New York City's $2 billion budget gap in the next fiscal year, which starts on July 1. But Mr. Dinkins said the actual added burden would be $600 million.

GET with it, man! I mean, where have you been ? Ed Debevic's in town. Who ?

A Chinese court sentenced two longtime democracy advocates today to 13 years in prison, the longest sentences announced so far in connection with the Tiananmen protests and a clear warning to the Chinese people not to take on the Government. The trials at the Municipal Intermediate People's Court may have been the last held in connection with the Tiananmen Square demonstrations of April, May and June 1989. The proceedings seemed to be an attempt by the authorities to place responsibility for the protests on the two men sentenced today, Wang Juntao and Chen Ziming. The court said Mr. Wang and Mr. Chen had committed "very serious crimes but have shown so far no willingness to repent."

45-Year Prison Term For Bakker Is Voided Declaring that the trial judge had improperly allowed his own religious beliefs to affect the sentence he handed down, a Federal appeals court ordered that the former television evangelist Jim Bakker be resentenced. But the appeals court declined to overturn Mr. Bakker's fraud and conspiracy conviction. Page B6. Rift on School Board There is unusually public discord on the New York City Board of Education, and some members are questioning whether their president is up to the job. News analysis, page B1. Optimism on Economy In a report to Congress, President Bush blamed factors beyond his control for the recession and offered a rosy forecast for growth. Page D1.

After some nail-biting delays and last-minute lobbying, shareholders and note holders of the Ambase Corporation have approved the sale of most of the company's assets to a Scandinavian investment group. The assets include the Home Group of insurance companies and the Wall Street firm of Gruntal & Company. In balloting results announced yesterday, a thin 54 percent majority of Ambase shareholders endorsed the sale to a group led by Trygg-Hansa Holding, Sweden's No. 2 insurer, for about $839 million in cash and assumed debts. The assumption of other contingent liabilities and administrative costs brought the total package to $970 million, a company spokesman said.