European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 03, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes thursday. October 3. 1985 Montana enacts unisex insurance Law . Mom i pm the  s first comprehensive unisex insurance Law went Inlo effect in Montana tuesday prohibiting companies from using gender or  status to so i Premium rates and policy benefits the state s unique insurance Law Wax passed in i9jo on the basis of  by women Thil different Premium  for men and women based on statistical records comparing the two groups risk of loss was discriminator. The la was delayed Point into effect for two years to allow insurance companies Lime to revive their Rale books. The insurance Industry fought hard for repeal of the Law but was unsuccessful. Tour other states apply the unisex principle to Auto Mobile insurance but Montana s new Law is the first to extend it to All types of insurance. Insurance is one of the few remaining areas where blatant sex discrimination is still  Ann Bax sky of the women s lobbyist i und a Montana women s rights group said. Officials said they were unsure  the full in pull of the unisex insurance Law on policy holders would be. One result May be costlier Auto insurance for women under 2 who previously  enjoyed Low rates based on statistics show ing hey have fewer accidents Young men historically charged More for insurance because they belong to a group having the largest num Ber of accidents now May be charged less for coverage. Another leveling effect May occur in health and life insurance rates. Some insurance Industry spokesmen predict that women and men will nay the same Premium rates if icy Are in the same age brackets and have similar medical backgrounds. Women have enjoyed a Price break on life insurance because hey belong to a group that generally lives longer. But the argument from women s rights advocates is that life insurance policies for women achieve less value than those for men because of a lower final payout. Individual health insurance Premium Rales will be affected too. Women have been charged More than men. Based on statistics showing women Sec doctors More often than men for a variety of reasons As Well As the child bearing Factor. The Montana women who fought for unisex insurance said the state has a tradition of leadership in women s rights. Montana women had the right to vote six years before the Constitution was amended in 1920 with the 9 h amendment expanding that right nationwide. The first woman in Congress in 1916, was Jeanne Etc Rankin of Montana. Government wants refund for embassy officer s cruise Washington a the Federal government on tuesday sought to recover payment from a foreign service officer who during a Home leave from service Over seas took a 15-Day Mississippi River cruise that Cost taxpayers $ 17,371. In a lawsuit the government asked the . District court Here to overturn a july 23 ruling by the foreign service grievance Board which supported Christopher pad Dack who was assigned to the us. Information Agency in his Challenge to attempts to recover what was described As excess travel costs in july 1982. The government called he grievance Board s ruling arbitrary capricious an abuse of discretion and otherwise not in accordance with Law and is unsupported by substantial  the suit said the Board misapplied for eign service travel regulations improperly disregarded evidence that the Mississippi River was not a usually travelled route from new Orleans to St. Louis in july 1982 and that the riverboat utilized by Paddack and his family was advertised and used by the Public As a form of luxurious water borne  under government rules Paddack was entitled to be reimbursed for the Home leave trip to Burlington Iowa from his Post at the . Embassy in Montevideo uru Guay in route to his next station washing ton . In travelling to their Home in Burlington Paddack his wife and two children took a 600-mile River trip from new Orleans to Burlington by Way of St. . The government said that Cost $12.760 More than other available modes of surface travel. The comptroller general ruled on feb. 14, 1984. That Paddack had violated the foreign service travel regulations and owed the government $12,760, minus any prop Erly reimbursable expenses. When the Usia attempted to collect $11,178, pad Dack filed his complaint with the foreign service grievance Board. Resident to the Rescue Mardjik an 8,500-Pound asian elephant pulls a Fork lift out of the mud Ai Marine world Africa i Isa in Redwood cily Calif. The forklift became stuck in a swampy area of the animal Park during moving operations. Hundreds of animals Are currently being transported to Hie Park s new Home in Vallejo Calif. $26 million spent on sex pres Denis in 84, Gao says Washington a sex presidents like to keep in touch. During the 1984 fiscal year the nation s three for Mer chief executives ran up Telephone Bills of More than $72,000 and spent another $2x,000 for postage a congressional investigative Agency said tuesday. A Sci Ocial accounting office report to the Senate appropriations committee found that the government paid nearly $26 million for services associated with sex presi dents and the presidential Library program. Gerald r. Ford had the largest phone Bill at $30,281. Jimmy Carter s Bill was $21,589 and Richard m. Nixon s was $20,704. Each of the former presidents spent More than $9,000 for postage. In addition the government paid $2,600 for postage for lady Bird Johnson widow of Lyn Don b. Johnson. One declining Cost is secret service Protection which reached $11,750,000 three years ago but dropped to $10,547,659 during the fiscal year that ended sept. 30. 1984. During that period the number of people entitled to Protection dropped due to the death of Bess Truman an the fact that Amy Carter turned 16. That figure is Likely to continue to decline because Nixon notified the government last Spring thai he no longer wants Protection. The secret service provides round the clock Protection to former presidents with eight agents assigned to each. Each former president receives a pension of $82 438 and ?,0nrcr,Tan $l00-000 for staff mrs. Johnson receives aj20.0uo annual pension and no staff allowance the government paid $21,075 for Ford s travel last year Al 1,470 in travel expenses for Nixon and $1,187 for barter. Retarded Man to invest $22,000, finds Job As aide Minneapolis a a retarded Man who was told he must spend most of a Surprise $22,000 social Security Check within 15 Days to remain eligible for medi Cal assistance will give up his monthly medical benefits and invest the Windfall his father said tuesday. As the tuesday deadline passed for Alden Kociski 28, to spend All but $3,000 of the Check the Rev. Alden Kociski of Owatonna said a series of coincidences helped resolve Hisson s predicament. Our goal has been to do what s Best for Alden and this has been his decision his Choice. The Money really was t a Factor the elder Keiski said. The Money arrived after the Hammer residence a Way Zata Home for the disabled where Kociski had lived since 1964 applied to the social Security administration for a Small monthly supplement to which Kociski was entitled. But the Agency decided that Keiski was entitled to regu Lar social Security payments of $450 a month retroactive to 1979, on his part time earnings. However in order to retain the $2,000 monthly medical assistance payments that paid for his living at hammers a e regulations required Hal Keiski spend All but$3 000 i. 7?� so url a Money on clothing and furnishing within 15 Days. Rumba ihm0rih? Emi 1h� Al ily rur8lcd with he dilemma. Burthen the elder Keiss said a handicapped Minneapolis couple called to say they were looking for a live in aide. Keiski said his son had been talking for several years about living on his own and working As an aide at a Nurs ing Home or Hospital. But there had been no openings in Hon Nepom county s Semi Independent living skills pro Gram necessary to Aid the transition. V 0li, from hat program became available in the past week and the final piece fell into place. Oris Ivins Ith the handicapped couple with county worker coming twice a week to help him with budgeting and meal preparation. Alden loves what he s doing and the people really appreciate him and it s All worked out his father said