European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes tuesday april 15, 1986 columns & comments James Kilpatrick balanced budget amendment not going to go away the Senate last month fell just one vote Short of approving a constitutional amendment intended to compel a balanced Federal budget. It would be pleasant to say Good riddance to bad rubbish but we have not heard thelast of this Folly. This was the proposed amendment outlays of the United states for any fiscal year shall not exceed receipts to the United states for that year unless three fifths of the whole number of both houses of Congress shall pro vide for a specific excess of outlays Over  a second Section would permit Congress to waive these restrictions in wartime. A third Section would make this amendment effective in the second fiscal year after its ratification. About the Best that can be said for this proposal is that it was far better in its drafting than a score of foolish resolutions that have come before it. This Resolution at least had the virtue of relative simplicity. Its predecessors floundered in a morass of statutory language dealing with Gross National product and National  one such proposal demanded an algebraic formula to compre Hend its meaning. Gary Hart of Colorado made the Best speech in the Senate against the proposed amendment. The gentleman had to begin with a Little demagoguery never mind he said that today s ruinous deficits were created by the same president who is this amendment s leading adv  the notion that Congress has had nothing to do with creating these ruinous deficits is a remarkable no Tion but As the senator says never mind. Hart made four Points i the Resolution lacks constitutional feel. 2 from a parliamentary standpoint it is plainly grotesque. 3 its terms could easily be evaded. 4 it is unenforceable by any acceptable Means. The amendment he said would wage War on the Constitution s Majestic  indeed it would. Constitutional amendments ought to address either the rights of the people or the Structure of government. This Resolution invites a Hundred questions having to do with outlays receipts fiscal years estimates of Revenue and the like. The Treasury would live in constant uncertainty that the government s checks might unconstitutionally Bounce. Under this Resolution three fifths of each House could provide for a specific excess of outlays Over  this is bizarre. As Hart observed it takes Only a simple majority of those voting to take the nation to War. What sense docs it make to require a three fifths majority to Mary Mcgrory mum is own Mtika Falls Oft a Fate Short. Raise the Ante for soil conservation proponents respond that such super majorities should be required to prevent endless exceptions that would de feat the purpose of the amendment. But the amendment said Hart could easily be circumvented through at least six major loopholes including phony economic  Hart wondered How the amendment would be enforced. Suppose outlays did in fact exceed receipts would it be left to the Federal courts to pass on the accuracy of budget estimates would the supreme court decree cuts in spending or increases in Revenue the Resolution would virtually mandate judicial activism on Federal taxing and  sen. Nancy Kassebaum r-kan., speaking against the amendment made another excellent Point. Federal spending is divided roughly into two categories capital outlays and current operations. The Amend ment would make no distinction. Investments in an air Craft Carrier a courthouse or an interstate Highway would be lumped into outlays with the salary of a clerk or the Purchase of paperclips. A balanced Federal budget ought not to be constitutionally mandated whether by an amendment that Origi nates in Congress or by an amendment that originates in a constitutional convention. It is a bad idea in either event. The Way to get a balanced budget is to elect responsible men and women to Congress. It is a humiliating confession of irresponsibility that this amendment should Ever have been considered at All. C Universal press Syndicate March is Good metaphor for peace prospects a few Hundred stragglers from the great peace March were wandering across the Mojave desert. They were to have been part of a mighty Host of 5,000 that was to walk across the country gathering adherents As they went and striding into Washington this fall demanding the elimination of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth. The tattered remnant begging alms As it went seems As Good a metaphor for peace prospects As can be found in this sixth springtime of the reign of Ron Ald Reagan. Four years ago at this time the country was on fire to end the arms race. The nuclear freeze movement was a wave promising to engulf the cold Warrior in the White House. But the president fought Back. He assailed the naivete of those who would freeze soviet superiority. He finally smothered the freeze with Star wars a trillion Dollar High tech umbrella for the Good Guys. The great peace March the dream of anti Vietnam activist David Mixner was damaged by bad planning insufficient insurance and sniping from other peace groups that claimed that Mixner wanted to be the whole cheese. What ultimately Hurt it probably was Public apathy. Mixner was focusing on tents and water supplies and camping permits. What took the life out of the project though was the indifference of the country which has a Short although intense attention Span on matters relating to the future of the planet nuclear holocaust and other melancholy considerations. The president having soothed the masses by going to Geneva where he refused to discuss arms control is now reassuring members of his right Wing hard Core that they need not fear any serious consequences to the arms build up from his fireside encounters. The evidence is that Reagan having reluctantly abandoned his evil Empire rhetoric is prowling the Globe in search of opportunities for the soviets to make his Day. We had this month s successful baiting of the odious khad Afy who obligingly fired on our ships and got a fateful of missiles in return. He also acquired the Martyr s Crown in the Arab world but that is not the kind of nuance that troubles the combative Leader of the Western world. The line of death drawn by a soviet client has been successfully breached. In Nicaragua the president has shown a new Militancy and inflated a Border raid into a full scale invasion of Honduras. The hype generated a Little bulkiness in the usually supine Senate but it advanced the cause of the hot War in Central America since Honduras which has been trying to stay out of it was drawn in for $20 million in emergency Aid and . Helicopter pilots Are flying honduran troops to Points near the Border to repel the intruders and their soviet weapons. In direct encounters with the soviets the president is displaying vindictiveness and contempt. He opened with a demand that 100 soviets be kicked out of the . Mis Sion. He coupled it with new charges of society violation of existing arms treaties. He compounded it with a Flat rejection of the soviet proposal for negotiations on a comprehensive test ban treaty. To make sure that nobody missed the Point Rea Gan responded to a new soviet Call for a test ban one that the soviets have observed unilaterally since last a gust by inviting the soviets to a nuclear test in Nevada. It was like asking someone who wants to ban Capi Tal punishment to come to an execution. The soviets declined. Nobody in the administration is arguing for the president to comply with the provision of Salt ii that would require the dismantling of two of our Poseidon nuclear submarines in May. Richard Perle the Pentagon watchdog who guards against any arms accords says that since the soviets Are cheating we should make proportionate departures from pre Vious agreements. Apparently we will wiggle out by dry Docking the subs. The easter message from the White House was that Reagan has the soviets right where he wants them on the run. Mikhail Gorbachev hints that he will not come to the United states As promised in Geneva unless he has some arms control Progress to talk about. Perle sees this As another treaty violation since he Points out Gorbachev signed a communique promising unconditionally to come. It s Ideal for Rea Gan. He can say that he is willing to talk and claim that Gorbachev is reneging. The single Forward development in the Reagan years was accomplished Over his dead body. The House enacted a ban on anti satellite testing. He objected strenuously. It imperils Star wars which incidentally 63 percent of american scientists polled by Peter Hart says is dangerously  those folks out West May not know where they Are going or How to get there but they sure know How bad things Are in this Era of peace through  press Syndicate the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As. Representing the views of the Sta Sand stripes or the United states government