European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 13, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday january 13. 19bb the stabs and stripes Paga 3 City leaders give Washington Lousy Marks Washington api officials of the nation scities gave Congress and the Reagan administration a key issues Rai Lousy report card on the Way Washington handles ranging Ham drugs to the deficit released monday said. A report the 596 local official surveyed by the National league of cities characterised Washington s work As poor or inferior on sin policy issues illegal drugs housing disposal at hazardous material unemployment poverty and the Federal budget deficit. The lowest Mark Overall went to Congress for us handling of the deficit problem and die second lowest was assigned to the administration for the tame Issue. Both received grades of under 1 0. With 1 .0 being a a on the scale or poor and 0.0 being an for  at the top end 4.0wasan a or  by any Standard this is a Lousy report card Tor our National leaders. They Are still playing Hooky from the school of responsible government while local officials arc being burdened with the Cost of doing someone cite s Homework along with their own said Alan heals executive director of the league of civics. The local officials gave higher Marks to the presidential candidates Overall an also higher Marks to the Media than it gave the Federal government for treat ment of the six issues the presidential contenders and National Media both scored a a minus the local Media got a a while he Federal government got a d. The league of cities circulated a questionnaire to presidential hopefuls on issues of concern. Of he seven major democratic runners sit responded. Gary Hart did not because he was out of inc race at the time of inc questionnaire. Of the sin republicans Only Vic president George Bush and rep Jack Kemp of new York responded. Seals said the Survey of City officials found the local picture was a combination of the Good the bad and the  the Good news was inc improving icon my that has helped Case total unemployment and 81 percent of political briefs Bush holds Lead in . Over other gop hopefuls Albany. . A vice president George Bush holds a commanding Lead among Republican presidential hopefuls in new York while there is no Clear front runner among the democrats according to the results of a poll released monday. The latest Survey by the Marist College Institute for Public opinion showed Bush a the Choice of 44.2 percent of the republicans surveyed to 20.3 percent for sen. Bob Dole of Kan Sas. Rep. Jack Kemp s support was at 10.5 per cent among his Home stale republicans. Former Secretary of stale Alexander Haig was the Choice of 7.4 percent of the 311 republicans polled Pat Kob Crlson was a t,6 percent an former Delaware gov. Pete Dupont was at 1,3 percent. On the democratic Side former sen. Gary Han was at 19.6 percent with Jesse Jackson at 19.3 percent and Massachusetts gov. Michael Dukakis Al 18. Percent. Trailing were Illinois sen. Paul Simon at 10.2 percent former Arizona gov. Bruce Babbitt at 3.8 percent Missouri rep. Richard Gephardt at 1,6 percent and ten pcs Scesco. Albert Gore or. At 1.3 percent. Of the379 democrats polled. 24.1 percent said to fiery were undecided. Mecham apologizes few attend reception Phoenix aril. A gov. Evan Mecham gave the legislature no apologetic speech three Days after his indictment but received Little so lace when a sparse crowd showed up for a recep Tion afterwards. The guards outnumbered the guests by the time Mecham took his wife Florence in disarms for a dance around the floor of his executive Tower at the capita on monday evening. At his inaugural the governor danced All night aide Albert uglier said after inc much ams completed thai r one dance and left. A four piece band was playing but Only one other couple was dancing alongside the mediums Cutter estimated that 100 people showed up Many Only briefly but barely a Dent was made on the platters of Finif raw vegetables and tend Wichi when the reception had ended. Housing search most difficult metro areas to find rental units for transferee employees try percent of 1lrrns$urveryed maw York i a Llos angelas v Boston san Francisco Chicago Washington . Nine does not add to 100%ctueto Multi Pia answers Chicago Tribune graphic source Runz Halmar International  said they expect their local economies will continue growing while 71 percent said their local economies grew in 1987. They were less optimistic about the prospects for the National Economy however with 58 percent anticipating National economic growth in the coming year com pared to 63 percent who said there was significant economic growth in 1987. The bad news is that Many of the toughest prob lems facing our cities end our nation poverty drugs Home Leune affordable housing and crime. Again showed signs of worsening in the past year and there a Little reason to expect any dramatic improvements in1988, beats told news conference. The ugly news he added is that most local officials think Washington s handling of these problems has Bee somewhere Between poor and absolutely  the City officials said inc top five areas in which Condi Tion worsened last year were drugs crime the Cost of Energy Home Lenness and the affordability of housing. Thirty five percent of the Ripon deals Aid hey expect to raise Xci in their cities this year while s9percent said taxes will slay the same and 3 percent said Tain would go Down. Sixty eight percent said fees for services would go up and 28 percent said they would stay the same. One percent of the cities expect their local fees to go Down. On a regional basis budget and work Force cutbacks were predicted More frequently in cities in the West and Midwest than in the Northeast and Sou i. City Start cuts were projected by 20 percent of the Western officials 13 percent in the Midwest ii per cent in the Northeast and 10 percent in the South. The local officials were asked to list the three most important problems facing their cities. The problems cited most often were Overall economic conditions listed by 36 percent streets roads and sidewalks. 30 percent Eily fiscal conditions 25 percent solid waste disposal 22 percent and unemployment 19 percent Bush goes before Walsh panel demo hopefuls debate in Iowa by the Amo Clard press vice president George Bush answered questions under oath monday in Independent counsel Lawrence Walsh s Iran Contra probe while four of the demo cratic presidential hopefuls traded familiar jabs i Iowa during their first debate of the election year. Bush spokesman Stephen Hart provided no details Cpl to say that the vice president voluntarily met with and answered All questions posed by the members of the  counsel stall All questions were answered completely fully and under oath said Han adding thai the vice presidents not a target of Walsh s criminal probe Bush spent the Day in Washington while most of the other Doican Republican and democratic contenders were pressing their Case with the voters. Democrat Michael Dukakis ridiculed the running feud Between Bush and sen. Bob Dole saying the two republicans reminded him of Little boys throwing. Mud pics in the Back Yard. Dukakis threw his Dan As he. Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri sen Paul Simon of Illinois an former Arizona gov Bruce Babbitt debated for two hours in Sioui City Iowa. Gary Hart who skipped the event was singled out by Babbitt who referred to Gay Hart wherever you  he said he was going to Lake his Cue to the people Babbitt said referring to Hart s statements when he re entered the democratic race. It lock