European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes Friday november 15, 1985 Weinberger opposes major changes in Dod elimination of joint chiefs Washington a defense Secretary Caspar w. Weinberger said thursday he opposes any bid to abolish the join chiefs of staff or change the present system  Vaid he docs not believe the joint chiefs arc in Mobili cd by inter Scricc rivalry an Assumption he said underlies recent recommendations by the staff of the Senate armed services committee. In his first formal response to recommendations made by the committee staff. Weinberger said that while he is not against All change in defense organization he docs oppose change for change s  he said he disagrees with a major complaint made by the committee staff that military advice by the joint chiefs is neither timely nor useful. Neither he nor president Reagan has any complaint on that score Weinberger told the committee As it opened hearings into Pentagon organizational problems that its staff says jeopardize joint operations by the separate armed services and imperil National Security. I must Tell the committee in All Candor that i simply do not agree with the Assumption behind the recommendations for fundamental changes in the joint chiefs of staff organization Weinberger said.  Assumption is that each chief is too parochial and is solely concerned with protecting his own Power at the expense of National interests Weinberger said. This is simply not the Case with the chiefs with whom i have  Aid hat of the More than 100 recommendations made by the staff report there Are some the Pentagon can accept outright some it could accept with modifications and some that he would reject As harming the National  of the key recommendations made by the report he said arc based on problems and practices of the past which have now been corrected and changed or on assumptions of facts or on unfounded assertions no matter How often repeated about the existence of  he prefers evolutionary changes to More Radical and untested measures Weinberger said. We should be reluctant to conduct drastic experiments with the department s Structure particularly if the conditions complained of no longer exist because the potential Cost of error is unacceptable damage to National Security the defense Secretary said. Several senators disagreed. Sen. Barry Gold Alcor r ariz., told Weinberger i know you disagree with me when i say the defense Structure is broken and needs to be fixed so i la just say that it s Bent quite a bit and we just want to straighten it  Goldwater chairman of the committee and sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia the panel s ranking Democrat said they want legislation passed next year to make Basic changes in the organization of the military especially As that organization affects the Success of joint planning and joint operations. This is an Effort to make our dollars More effective and to get each of the All Star teams the services have out there to work together As one team Nunn said. He said the House armed services committee also is working on military Reform legislation and he Hopes the two bodies can work along parallel tracks in a cooperative Effort to pass a Bill. The Senate committee report also focused on possible changes in congressional procedures to remove unnecessary burdens on the Pentagon. Weinberger said a Good place to Start would be to reduce drastically the number of reports and studies ordered by Congress which he said increased from 3d to 458. Or almost 1,200 percent Over the last 15 years. . Grants Asylum to romanian Seaman Houston a a romanian Seaman who walked off his ship Here saying he wanted to defect to a place where Freedom is respected was granted political Asylum thursday immigration officials said. Paul Firica 44, said wednesday he wanted to leave Romania so he could practice his Faith and not work for the communist party. Firica walked off the romanian vessel Palau on tues Day night As it was docked at the port of Houston and on wednesday went to the immigration and naturalization service office Here. New Law again oks Cash or comp time for Public workers Washington up1 president Reagan signed into Law a Bill allowing states and municipal governments to pay their employees overtime with either Cash or time off superseding a supreme court decision earlier this year. This Law once again permits stale and local govern ments and their employees the flexibility to serve their citizens effectively Reagan said in a statement after signing the Bill wednesday. Reagan said without the legislation which had Broad support in the House and Senate costs to state and local governments to provide police firefighting and other serv ices could have increased by As much As s3 billion annual . Don Nickles a okla. And a key proponent of the legislation called it vital for employees and cities and  the legislation was introduced in response to a supreme court ruling Early this year that Public employees must be paid Cash for overtime work rather than be Given compensatory time off. State and municipal officials lobbied Congress for a change in Federal labor Law to counter the effect of the ruling saying it would substantially increase their labor costs if they were forced to pay Cash for All overtime. The Bill would allow slate and local governments the option of paying their employees overtime in either compensatory time off or Cash both at i1 times the regular rate. The arrangements will be worked out Between the employee and employer. The measure restricts the amount of compensatory time accumulated by each worker to 480 hours for police and firefighters and half that for other employees. The employees would have to be paid Cash for overtime beyond those limits. Reagan said although the legislation docs not restore state and local governments to their position before the supreme court decision it docs recognize. Their special burdens responsibilities and  the ship loaded with cattle hides left wednesday night for Romania. In an interview with the Houston Post. Firica said he had dreamed for years of defecting to the United states. Firica said he had heard during his voyage which included a Stop in Cuba of Miroslav Mcdavid the 25 year old soviet Seaman who twice jumped into it missis Sippi River Only to be returned to i up. Mcdavid later told . Officials he wanted to a Tui i Home and he was aboard his ship when it left for the Sov Union. He Firica was worried about  Suh interpreter Bugo my act. Himself a romanian defector. He thought they were going to Send him Back on the  Firica said he had waited until his family was Able to live without his support. With the help of god they la manage he said. In the Post interview Firica said he is married and has  daughters Ages 17 and 23. He said one reason for wanting to leave Romania was religious Freedom. Instead of being Able to freely practice his romanian orthodox Faith he said he had to do voluntary work for the communist  App Ioto Bob Dylan honoured Bob Dylan embraces Judy Collins and Billy Joel during. Was honoured Al a sur studded gathering for being the most ceremony at the Whitney museum in new York. Dylan influential musician of the last 20 years