European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 18, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 18, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 11 Art Buchwald Washington it never got too much attention but the Federal government has been unable to spend $22 billion Over the past 27 months that Congress had authorized in the budget. Furthermore experts predict that a big chunk of the $458.3 billion Congress will vote in fiscal 1978, which started october 1, will also not be spent by next october 1. You Are probably wondering As i did Why when the government has the authorization to spend the Money it in t just shelled out i went Over to a Friend of mine at the office of management and budget to find out what was going on. He was tied up writing checks but he agreed to see me for a few moments. I hear you re having trouble spending $22  it in t As easy As everyone thinks he said looking Haggard. Have you Ever tried to spend $22 billion i Haven to but my wife has i said. This is no laughing matter he said. I have to get rid of it or my Job is on the  Why Don t you Call the defense depart ment they could use it up in a  they re Lousy with Money Over there. European edition col. Billy e. Spangler Usa. Editor in chief it. Col. J. C. Taylor Usan. Deputy editor in chief Mert Proctor. Managing editor Elmer d. Frank. Production manager Henry s. Epstein. Circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for . Armed forces overseas. The stars arid stripes is published in conjunction with the armed forces information program of the department of defense. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official View of the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of displays in this newspaper concerning commercial publications does not constitute an endorsement by the department of de sense including the military departments. Military address the stars and stripes Apo 09175. International mail the stars and stripes Postrach 11 10 34, d-6100 Darmstadt ii Germany. Tel Griesheim c prefix 06155 811 m Darmstadt Airstrip prefix 2376 741, telex 0419-332. New York office room 948, 201 Varick st., new York 10014, Tel area code 212 620-3333. Second class postage paid at new York n. Y. News bureaus Kaiserslautern Germany Floyd Harrington building 2897, Pulaski Barracks Vogel Weh military 6050 or Kaiserslautern Civ 0631 52104 Nuernberg Germany Dan Synovec building 21, William o. Darby Cavern Nuernberg military 7256 or Nuernberg Civ 772019 Stuttgart Germany de Hill bldg. 4330, Mcgee Barracks Stuttgart military 7001 or Stuttgart Civ 541513 ., Gary Harris Raf Mildenhall co  Sports office Apo 09127, Mildenhall 712511 ext. 2231 or civilian Mildenhall 713882, telex 81652 Washington d.c., John Hart Oast a the Penta gon room 2e756, Washington 20301, Tel. 202 697-6695. Circulation offices Germany Berlin civilian 8331846, Mil 6187 Bremer Haven. Civ 85168, Mil 8119 Frankfurt Civ 691665 or 691660 Kaiserslautern Civ 57617, Mil Vogel Weh 6050 Munich Civ 6901503 or 6901504, Mil 6556 Nuernberg Civ 706666, Mil 7256 North German Region Rhein main Mil 7103 or 6025 Stuttgart Civ 814596, Mil 6030. Greece Athens Civ 9923390 and telex 216892. Italy Vicenza Civ 559346. Spain Madrid Civ 2057546 or Torrejon air base Mil 7546. Turkey Istanbul Civ 664372. United kingdom Greenham common Civ 44768, military 46263 ext. 209. They re having a helluva time spending what we gave them last year. I sent Over a couple of billion last week and they sent it Back. Said they did t have any place to put  what about hew i asked. When it comes to asking for Money they re always there. But throw it at them and they can t figure out who to give it to. The trouble is that All the governmental departments ask for More than they need on the Assumption Congress will Cut them Down. Then when they get the full amount they re in a  How about the Cia could t they use the $22 billion to overthrow an unfriendly government i can t talk about the Cia but they still have billions in numbered Swiss Bank accounts. After Chile they re keeping a Low profile As far As spending Large sums of Money goes. They won t take More than a few Hundred million and then they do it under  hey maybe you could give the Money in foreign military Aid we thought of that but no one seems to be Able to manufacture the stuff fast enough. We have a couple of billion dollars of hardware in the pipeline but we can t pay for the equipment until it s  you re really up against the Wall i said. I thought it was easy to give away Money in the  Don t let anybody kid you. By the time a bureaucrat does All the paperwork it takes a year to get rid of a measly $25pil  everyone thinks government people Are such big  the bureaucrats cry like mad when you Don t give it. To them. But when you do they scream bloody murder that they Don t have enough people to give it  my Friend s Secretary came in. The Treasury just sent Back $1.5 billion. They say they overestimated the interest they had to pay on government  Well we re not taking it my Friend shouted. They know Damn Well once they accept the Money they can t give it  but they dumped it All Over my office she  i have an idea i said. Why Don t you just forget about spending the $22 billion and give the taxpayers a break sure that would look just great on Ca Pitol Hill he said. How would you feel if you were a congressman or senator and you suddenly found out that the . Government had t spent $22 billion of the Money you authorized i guess i admitted i d feel sick to my  c los Angeles times letters to the editor comic Book Story is denounced having just read your article on Ameri cans and comic books i am disturbed. Does Der Spiegel honestly believe that All americans simply buy comic books we have More than 12,000 books in our per Sonal Library and even though our children sometimes read comic books we know that they Don t believe All they read in them. If my children Don t accept All that they read in comic books in t it possible that most Young men in our military Are smart enough to find out what real life is All about. It would have been better if Der Spiegel had interviewed More americans than they did. They could have found out about the people that travel and meet germans. There Are a lot of us. I think Der Spiegel would t be so Wor ried about sgt. Rocket Al. If they weren t so concerned about the number of nazis they still have in Germany. The article seems More guilt Ridden than anything else. As for americans buying comic books and not clothes. All the military people i know have Nice clothes to Wear when the need arises. I was not aware the stars and stripes required formal dress before enter ing to buy books. Maybe instead of worrying about what we Wear it would be better if we were corf corned about the people inside the clothes. We All might get along with More under standing. Mary Jane Ward Kaiserslautern Germany Reading comics not a crime in reference to your article about Der Spiegel Magazine i d like to say yes. I do read comic books and i enjoy them very much. But it s not because i can t read. I can read very Well. Reading comic books is not a crime. It does t mean that the Reader is a degenerate committing a degrading act and people should t be made to feel ashamed for Reading them. Although the majority of the vocabulary in comic books is simple there Are a few words that could be labelled As "$60 words allowing the Reader the Opportunity to learn new meanings and sentence structures. Der Spiegel should print and submit authentic sources of facts prior to printing statements such As Many american sol Diers sign up for duty behind Barrack Gates Only because they want to escape unemployment and avoid prison terms after a criminal  if Der Spiegel can t produce authentic reminder All letters to the editor must contain full printed name and address of the writer and must be signed. Unsigned let ters will not be considered for publication. Writers Are encouraged to include phone number and Economy address especially if they desire a fast reply. Because of the Large volume of mail this column receives daily letters that Are Brief and to the Point have a much better Chance of being published. Sources for these supposedly factual state ments i think they should offer the United states army an apology and in the future print facts and not hearsay. I would assume that Der Spiegel s state ment is enough for an individual establish ment or institution to sue for libel and moral slander of reputation and character. As for the Darmstadt Saleswoman who Speaks of the americans spending $12 for comic books instead of buying their Chil Dren Winter Coats i d like to know what she has to say about the German nationalist who spends Over 50 to 75 per cent of her Marks on the i at the no clubs and German pubs when she should be buying a Winter coat. Instead she walks around in skin tight pants and Blouse because according to German Law she s supposed to be the Good neighbor. Be it comic books Beer or just being a Good neighbor stupidity in values and necessities Are the same for everyone regardless of nationality. Name withheld Kitzinger Germany tops locations please Contact me if you wish to know the location of the nearest tops i take off pounds sensibly chapter. If there is no available chapter i can help you Start one. Call 06122-3461 or write Adeline Tepper area Captain for Germany tops club inc. Box6564 Apo 09633 Vav the Home delivery accept my subscription to stars & stripes a Jam pleas Rinji sir big no Oto api no 1 is i phone no i win Pav the Home div the Ca Kiik Whin he comes 10 Couk t signa1uri housing aria take advantage of the stars & stripes Home delivery service in most government housing areas. Delivered to your Mailbox every morning for $4.50 a month. Please Complete this form and mail to stars & stripes Apo 09175 attn. Sales promotion