European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes Richard Halloran proposed military cuts prompting backlash it was bound to happen. Last november the House of representatives Coil rolled by the democrats insisted that the Reagan administration Cut the military budget for fiscal 1v89 by s3 billion to help reduce the Federal deficit. Presi Dent Reagan agreed and Secretary of defense Frank  allocated the cuts to each service. Th1 services in turn spread the reductions across various components. Secretary or the air Force Edward c. Aldridge Tor instance decreed that the air Force logistics come would absorb a s1.6 billion Cut in maintenance funds. Some of that would require laying off civil Ian workers. Predictably members of the House maintaining democratic majority have now started to howl not in my District seventeen representatives sent a letter to Aldridge wednesday saying thai As members interested i maintaining the viability of air Force logistics come we want to express our concern aver the crippling budget cuts assigned id this  the members 11 democrats and six republicans complained that the air Force had made the cuts across the Board rather than by Selling Mission or program  they asserted this would Lead to Flora Lewis the proposed furlough of civilian employee and the Layoff of temporary  the letter asked a id Ridge to reconsider Tri funding allocations fur the air Force logistics come to protect and maintain our most valuable resource the working men and women that insure the readiness four combat  the members signed their names but without their party affiliation or their districts. Still a perusal or the congressional directory and the air Force association i annual almanac makes evident the cause of their concern. Albert g. Busl Manle and Henry b. Gonzalez both democrats and Lomner 5, Smith t Republican Are from san Antonio. Five Miles away is Kelly fab where the logistics come employs 20,600 civilians. Neil door Oklahoma is Home for Dave Mccurdy Glenn English and Wes Watkins All democrats and Mickey Edwards a Republican. And also next door is tinker fab near Oklahoma City which has 19,800civilian employees. Mccurdy has been live in seeking military Reform including More effective expenditure of military Dol Lars As a Leader of a democratic task Force on de sense and foreign policy. Three ohioans who signed the letter Clarence e. Milter Bob Mcewen and John r. Kasich arc re publicans and another Tony p. Hall is a. Democrat. In Ohio is the headquarter of the air Force logistic come Al Wright Patterson fab. It Hai 17,500 civilian employees. Kasich a member of the armed service commit tee has won the conservative american Security Council s leadership award and is a four time Winner of the Golden bulldog award Given by Hii male s watchdog of the Treasury. The two georgian signers were j. Roy Rowland and Richard Ray both democrats. Robins fab is 18 mile Southeast of Macon and has 16,700 civilian employed from California Vic Fazio and Robert t. Maul Are democrats. Near their districts in Sacramento it acct clean fab and its 15,000 civilian employees in Utah James v. Hansen is a Republican and Wayne Owens is � Democrat. Hill fab near Ogden hai16,200 civilian workers. Whether inc Jetter will change anything remains Tobe seen. Even if they arc ignored however the 17 signers will be Able to say to the voters next fall  him Vort turn inf .1 a twixt democracy in Nicaragua has no proven Leader Managua. Nicaragua the peo ple Here who would have the most to gain by fulfilment of inc Central Ameri can plan for peace and democracy Are not very optimistic. Of course it is the Long suffering nicaraguan population i general who would pin. But it is he opposition leaders and human rights advocates who Are going to be inc key play ers. Most arc less openly cynical than or. Emilio Alvarez Montalban a widely respected elderly ophthalmologist who is conservative Leader. He took a few min utes away from his crowded clinic an pointed out that we have no history of democracy no experience of opposition Here. There is the regime and the restore always bought out or squelched to is the same now despite inc  nobody experts the sandinista to abandon their Leninist organization of Power and play inc democratic Gam straight. When they say they might give up the government if they lose elections but would t give up Power that is Takeno mean they would try to hold on to the army the police and the other structures through which they have melded the Power of inc party and the slate. That is Why the opposition is demand ing 17 changes in the sandinista Constitution that would permit separation of the parly and the stale. And 11 is also an important reason that the ability of the democrats to unite organize and Settle on a program and a Leader can be Deci Sive. They have made some Progress butt is fragile. No formula has yet been found to Combine the political negotiations which the Contra leaders want to conduct alongside cease fire talks with representation of the internal opposition which will have to Bear the Brunt of seeking democracy. Yet two separate sets of negotiations with the sandinista govern ment obviously puts the outs at a disadvantage. Rut this is a Tricky matter of proce Dure. The real problem lies within the opposition. In is composed of 14 parties from Well right to far left including the traditional communist party which keeps tics to Moscow but is anti saudi Nisla. There is no evident Leader or rather inc one everybody would be Happy to agree upon is ruled out by the nature of Nis vocation. He is Cardinal Obando y Bravo a Strong Independent pc peace minded Man whom the Sandinia tas have accepted As mediator in decease fire talks the second person considered to Saveall the necessary qualities is Violeta Cha Morro the publisher of la Prensa. She i known to be firm non partisan non vindictive unsullied by the past Brave honest and reliable. It is uncanny How closely her background parallels that ofic Philippines president Corazon Aquino. Viollca is a woman of great Intelli gence Grace and Beauty the product of an old distinguished family driven fro her private life by the murder of her Hus band who courageously opposed the die tutors. She is religious with no personal ambition but an intense sense of Patriot ism. It is Clear now that it was the murder of Pedro Joaqiun Chamorro 10yean ago that turned the tide in Nicara Gua. That was what provoked people from Many parts of the society to join with the armed but then marginal Sandi nistas id overthrow Anastasio Somoza debayle and end 30 years of Dynasti dictatorship. Violeta herself joined the first Junta adding respectability but be fore Long she quit in disgust. There is no doubt she would be immensely popular and effective As a Leader. Like Corazon did the Shin from Pul Ling her self Forward but is probably capable of it. But there Art drawbacks apart 1 rom her own distaste for a Public life. She is52 but in delicate health. The bad years have taken a toll on her stamina. He family situation would seem manageable Only to a scriptwriter of a to series. Of her four children one Pedro Joa Quin. B a member of the Contra director ate now in Miami. Another Fernando is the editor of the sandinista party paper barricade which carries vicious attack on la Prensa As does her brother in Law s  Nuevo Diario. A daughter Claudia is the sandinista ambassador in Costa Rica and another daughter Cristiana sides with her Mother and helps put out the paper. We see each other we cat together we Are still a family but we Don i Tel politics Violeta says with a sad smile. Somebody will emerge Nicaragua opposition lists say hopefully. That i what the plan ultimately depends on regardless of sandinista intentions be cause a democratic government could democratize the Constitution perhaps the sandinista too think it might be Violeta. Their press has been crudely threatening lately. Bui they can t go too far. They know How her husband s Mur Der galvanized the country. The opinions expressed in the columns Tad Tutonu on this Page re Prem thereof Ibe it Ithon Tad us in pm Way to be considered Ai representing the twi of the sum and stripes or the unite Suth government