European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 13, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes tuesday january 13.1967 columns James Kilpatrick proposal for congressional pay raise is fair the president sent his budget message to Congress on Jan. 5, including a proposal for salary increases at the top Levels of government. By thai afternoon Sens. Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms had introduced a Resolution of disapproval. The Resolution should be Defeated. Reagan s recommendations arc fair. Members of Congo cars now arc paid $77,400 a year. Computed in constant dollars his salary is less than Mem Bers received 20 years ago the presi Dent s proposal culls for a raise to sb9.50d, far less Han the $135.000 recommended lost month by the com Mission on executive. Legislative and judicial salaries. Unless both houses of Congress agree on a Resolution of disapproval by feb. 5, the new scale will go into effect at the next pay period thereafter. The raises should be conditioned. However on a Simul Lincous agreement restricting the amount of Money a Mem Ber can earn from lecture fees. At pre sent senators and representatives May supplement their salaries by thousands of dollars in honorariums. The practice is a Bud one. It carries a faint Aroma of impropriety. When a member of a Bank ing committee accepts $2,000 for miking to a convention of Bankers an impression is bound 10 be created that the Bankers arc after something More Whanan hour of oratory last month s Overly generous proposals from the non partisan commission brought a loudly unfavourable reaction. Ralph Nader thought it absurd that top officials can t get by at salary lev Els fit limes what the average worker receives but As chief Justice Wil Liam Rehnquist pointed out in urging a substantial raise for Federal judges the judiciary is not looking for the aver age  executive agencies need skilled administrators not ribbon clerks and Hod carriers. The pay raise proposals affect the highest most responsible Levels of government. It is absurd to suggest that their pay should be irresponsibly fixed. Even so. As the Thurmond Helms Resolution suggests members of Congress Are squeamish about raising their own pay. Voters historically have regarded Congress As a kind of hog trough in which politicians Wallow. Bureaucrats Are. Al ways bloated  and judges have cushy jobs for life. This Flat Earth perspective regrettably is widely held especially by candidates thinking of run Ning in 1988 against incumbents. Mem Bers fear that Nader s average workers May Lake out their cavy at the polls. Save the congressmen in vjashiu6to some congressmen not have to cite a Lippi kiss  Force 7d eat in the Capitol Hilt cafeteria Prive them 56ui65 to work amp occasional rav their own we csome Hays Jem Beqaj seen Steep is of the noose floor this cant 60 of heres How we can help p my own thought is that these apprehensions Are overblown. American Vot ers As a whole Are sufficiently mature to understand that Public officials Are not second rate citizens. They Are at entitled to fairness As those in the private sector the Cost of the Reagan recommendations estimated at $35 million a year can be recouped by cutting fat in dec utile and legislative budgets. Looking to the future it might be. Use Ful for state Legislatures to consider a pending constitutional amendment on the matter of congressional pay. The amendment has been pending for almost 200 Yean it was part of the original package of proposals that wound up As our Bill of rights. In theory the Resolution still is pending for ratification today. This is How the Long forgotten Amend ment reads no Law varying the compensation of senators and representatives shall take effect until an election of representatives shall have  six slates ratified the proposal in 1789-90, Ohio ratified in 1873, Wyoming in 1978, Maine in 1982, Colorado in 1984, and South Dakota and Arizona in 1985, the 18th-Century and 19th-Century ratifications May be void but the proposal itself appears to be very much alive. Its adoption would get members of Congress off the Hook of immediate self interest if voters wanted to make a pay raise a Cru Cial Issue they could turn the rascals out but the probabilities Are overwhelming that proposed raises so fairly presented would arouse Tittle commotion. The presidents proposal for members of Congress lands nicely on the line that divides too much from not enough. At $89,500, subject to the same income taxes that everyone pays no member will be living a luxurious life. Many of the members have children in College they have to Homes to main Tain and although their base pay is supplemented by perquisites they Are not to be numbered in the class of tycoons. Members should screw up their courage Vole Down the  Resolution and get on with More important business at hand. In bul Pran synd Cit William Safire presidential finding9 should be subject to review "1 determine it is essential to limit prior no Tice and direct the director of Central intelligence to refrain from reporting this finding to the  so read a document signed Jan 17, 1986, by presi Dent Reagan a secret intelligence  re leased by the White House to demonstrate that Nai Vete not illegality undergirded our Iran dealings. A dismaying sidelight to this glimpse inside the most secret Workings of our government is the reve lation in a Handwritten postscript by the National Security adviser at the time. Vice. Adm. John porn Dexter. That Reagan did not even read the attached reasoning before signing his political death warrant. To those interested in the ability of a future administration to undertake necessary Covert action the Cen trial question is when should the president be required by Law to take the Security risk of informing Congress of secret actions Laws establishing congressional oversight of Intelli gence activities Are relatively new. The specific Law requiring the now famous Jan. P finding is a 1980 revision of the Hughes Ryan amendment of 1974, dealing with Cia operation in foreign countries other than those intended solely for the purpose of intelligence coiled Ion which covers such actions As bombing raids on Libya hostage Rescue missions the invasion of Grenada. Thai revision was the result of a Deal Swa Tot of Wii Kaipf Imd i a Baum it ind Uno Ani on in put no taunt and pith Lut Nofi end in i w Tiv if m to Niovi m u Itaf my Ftp u g it. Of tin Sun ind Sopin of flu mod Shioi