European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 6, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday april 6, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 5 National debt tops $2 trillion for 1st time Washington a the National debt which has doubled in the past five years has passed the $2 trillion Mark for the first time in history the government said Friday. The debt topped the $1 trillion Mark for the first time at the beginning of president Reagan s first term in 1981. The $2 trillion level was reached sometime thursday and by the end of the Day the total owed by the govern ment stood at $2,008,201,000,000, Only $70 billion below the current debt limit set by Congress last dec. 12, according to a summary of the nation s finances released each Day by the Treasury department. The ceiling set in december was supposed to have been adequate to cover spending through sept. 30, but Treasury officials say the administration probably will have to seek another increase in the limit before then. Raising the limit above $2 trillion was so controversial that it got through Congress last year Only with an amendment requiring that the annual Federal budget be balanced by 1991. That amendment named for sponsors Sens. Phil Gramm a Texas and Warren Rudman r-n.h., became the Gramm Rudman Law which has already triggered deep cuts in Federal spending. According to both congressional and administration estimates the deficit for the current fiscal year which ends sept. 30, is expected to be in the Range of $208 billion. Rep. Hal Daub r-neb., a member of the House ways and Means committee commenting through a spokesman said the outrageous $2 trillion debt should inspire everyone in Congress to reduce the Federal deficit this Home Sweet Home a photo Michael Ranstrom of Oakland Calif.,shows off the 8-by-12-foot packing crate that he has called Home for the past six weeks. Ranstrom 41, a computer Consul Tant rented his House and moved into the Box in his backyard to save Money and pay off debts from a custody Battle Over his daughter. He shares the Box with his cat and a couple of spiders that wander in now and Sands Tim in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. April 6, 1946 in Paris Marcel Petiot the bluebeard was condemned to death for 27 murders and 24 robberies. He said he was pinning great Hopes on a reversal of the decision. 30 ears ago today. April 6,1956 Spain is trying to negotiate Morocco s full Independence from France while preventing communism from getting a foothold at Europe s Back door it was reported in Madrid. 20 years ago today. April 6, 1966 a Compromise appeared to lift the threat of civil War within the vietnamese armed forces at Danang. But a Buddhist demand for establishment of a National Assembly within three months maintained political tension. To years ago today. April 6,1976 the supreme court refused to review the conviction of former army it. William Calley for the murder of civilians in the vietnamese Hamlet of my Lai in 1968. Green bereft might train Contra forces Safe department says Washington up the state department confirmed Friday that it wants to Send Green berets to Central America to help train Contra forces that Are battling the marxist led sandinista government in Nicaragua. The administration has stated on sever Al occasions that military training would be a desirable part of any assistance provided to the resistance forces state department spokesman Bernard Kalb said. He was referring to reports that the government May Send several dozen . Army special forces trainers to Honduras to work with the .-backed contras. The training by the . Warfare experts he said would help to counterbalance the training Given the sandinista forces provided by the cubans soviets and other East bloc the House last month ministration s proposal for Aid for the contras $70 military Aid. The Senate the same Bill which is now action by the House. The . Government there Are More than 3,000 advisers inside Nicaragua. Rejected the and $100 million in million of it in narrowly passed awaiting further estimates that cuban military Kalb said no details of a . Training program have been finalized but the re ports suggested that the . Training Camps would be located in Honduras where most of the contras Are based. I am not going to comment about locations of such training if it does Materi Alize Kalb told reporters. There would be no . Personnel deployed anywhere near the nicaraguan Border or obviously in there Are about 1,100 . Army train ing advisers in Honduras mostly Engineer troops working with honduran engineering groups to build an Airfield. No . Military advisers Are authorized to be with the Contra forces now since the Only . Aid that has gone to the anti sandinista forces so far has been humanitarian assistance such As food and medical supplies. The Washington Post reported Friday that the administration wants to use a few dozen Green berets for the program which would be similar to the 4-year-old training Effort by 55 american military advisers in Al Salvador. The Green berets would be prohibited from entering combat or crossing into Nicaragua with the rebels the Post said. Case of scrambled signals inked to Reagan s visits san Bernardino Calif. A whenever president Reagan visits his Cali fornia Mountain ranch thousands of re Mote controlled garage door openers fail and area residents believe it s an open and shut Case of electronic jamming. Reagan s Rancho Del Cielo is about 200 Miles Northwest of san Bernardino near Santa Barbara. But when he is in califor Nia his e4-b command plane a modified Boeing 747 packed with electronic gear sits ready for him at March fab 10 Miles South of san Bernardino. It had us buffaloes for a Long time Larry Murdock of Genie garage doors said Friday. It did t seem to matter what we did. Finally we got Down to the fact that it always happens when the president is called the doomsday plane the e4-b is designed to be a flying command Center in the event of nuclear War. On the ground it s merely a nuisance to nearby residents. We re apparently being bombarded by a communications satellite sending scrambled signals said Murdock. It affects the 300 Megahertz he said he can fix the frequency on the Remote control and its receiver for $10 in his shop or $40 for a service Call. But he also advises customers that they can simply wait out the president s visit. March fab spokeswoman Cathy Rubin said the e-4b has special satellite and other communication equipment. The plane is under the control of the Pentagon s joint chiefs of staff and is operated by the air Force. Murdock said he has received thousands of Calls Over the years and about 800 to 900 Calls in the past week after Reagan arrived for his latest stay at the ranch. He said complaints poured in from the nearby communities of Riverside Redlands Loma Linda and Corona. First he narrowed the problem to electro Nic interference because direct controls for the garage doors continued to work while the hand held Remote units failed. These things just Don t Stop working one Day and then Start working the next said Veronica Paul one of Murdock s customers. If they need the frequencies then so be it. It s really just a minor inconvenience. To me a garage door opener is a luxury she said she expected her Remote control to resume working on sunday when the president was to leave. White House spokesman Peter Russel declined to comment on Murdock s theory. We have not heard of the complaint he said. We would be Happy to we Are concerned the president is in a Safe and secure environment and that plane is just that secret service spokesman Bill Corbet said. Said Murdock now they la probably keep the satellite beaming Down for a few Days after Reagan s gone just to make a fool of
