European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 2, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday september 2, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 5 . Family income up 1% last year people in poverty also increased slightly Washington a american family income Rose by 1 percent last year bu1 the number of people living in poverty also increased slightly the census flu read reported wednesday. The economic recovery is leaving Many poor americans behind said Robert Grce Stcin of the outer on Bud gel and policy priorities a private re search group. He said the most disturbing figure dealt with Black americans who suffered a significant increase m poverty the government defined the poverty in come level Assi 1,611 for a family of four in 1987 up from is 1,203 the previous year. William p. Butz. The census Bureau associate director for demographic pro Grams said the nation s economic performance in terms of income and poverty has been mined As usual. The number of americans living in poverty last year totalled 32.5 million up slightly from the 32,4 million reported for 1986. However the poverty rate was13,5 percent Down from 13.6 percent. Median family income last year was130,850, up from $30,534 the year be fore the Bureau said. The poverty report was Likely to Fiener Alc controversy in the  elec Tion Campaign because of its bad news for Blacks. President Reagan s spokesman mar tin Fitzwater Silvil in California that the report provides further evidence that inc most effective Means of improving the life of americans is a Strong. Productive  we think this is a Good report Filz water said la documents a decrease in poverty a continuing rising income and reflects a growing Strong  saw the figures somewhat differently. The poverty Rale for Clacks in creased but not for Whites Butz said. Income went up for Whites but not  but Butz said it is premature to consider his a trend. The poverty rate for Blacks increase from 31.1 percent in 1986 to 33.1 per cent last year the study said meaning if numb of Blacks living in poverty Rose from  million to 9.7 million. Median family income for Blacks fell from s18,2t7 to si8,098, while the me Dian income for White families Rose from$31.935 to $32,274. The poverty rate for Whites dipped from ii percent to 10.5 percent indicating there were 21.4 million whiles living in poverty last year Down from 22.2 million a year earlier. For hispanics the poverty rate Rose from 27.3 percent to 28.2 percent and median family income fell from $20,726lo 120,306. The number of hispanics in poverty Rose from 5,1 million to 5.4 Mil lion. Farmers got Good news in the  farm poverty Rale plummeted from 19.6 percent in 1986 to 12.6 percent Las year meaning the number of farm Resi dents living in poverty declined from996,000 to 616,000. Bun said he had no immediate explanation for inc dec inc but cautioned that the figures do not reflect the economic hardships that Farmers suffered because of this summer s widespread drought. The study found that women s in comes continue to Trail those of men. It said women receive Aboul 65 percent of males Lake Home pay a percentage that per capita income 1987 averages by state $10,292-12.550 in 2551-14,315 $14,316-15,927 q 515,928-21,266 Hawaii Chicago Tabuno graphic source us. Department 01 go Morco has remain unchanged since 1984.families headed by a female with no husband present had a poverty rate of34.3 percent Down slightly from 34.6 percent in 1986. Families headed by Aman with no wife present had a poverty Rale of 12.s percent up from 11.4 per cent the year before children under age 18 had a poverty rate of 20.0 percent not statistically Dif Ferent from the 19.8 percent of a year earlier. The Rale for persons 65 and older was 12.2 percent Down from 12,4 per cent in 1986. Even so children made up Aboul 40 percent of the nation s poor last year an the elderly accounted for 10.7 percent meaning More than half of All poor peo ple were the oldest and youngest Ameri cans. The report said the pour vol 20 percent of americans account fur Only 4.6 per cent of All income a share that has declined from 5.5 percent in 1967. A hiding loss of Hospital Beds panel says Washington the veterans administration has masked the closing of 13,039 Beds in its Hospital system in an Effort to conceal How seriously recent budget cuts have crippled the Agency a study by the House veterans affairs committee says rep. . Montgomeryd miss the  said the study shows that a officials have misled Congress about the Impact of fiscal restraints ordered by the Reagan administration. A Headquarters is either oblivious to the problem Well insulated from its Rue magnitude or is toe ing the administration line with Little regard for it consequences to America s veterans Montgomery said in a statement. A administrator Thomas k. To Mac reacted strongly to Montgomery s charges describing the study As raising a hollow Issue. Completely Wilhour foun Dation i have More Lime and  than anyone on that committee and 1 resent any suggestion that i am not an advocate for the Veteran said Turnage a former general who spent 39 years in the army before taking his current position. The committee s Survey found that a Hospital administrators nationwide were creating phantom Beds by closing sections of facilities that the Agency reported As operational. Under a 1982 Law the a is required to maintain at least 90,000 Hospital and nursing Home Beds and it has Long been known Hal administrators were coping with budget problems by closing Beds sometimes entire wards. The extent of those problems however has not been fully documented for 12 years committee staff members said in fiscal 1988, for example the 172 hospitals in the system the nation s largest had 10 absorb $ 05 Mil lion in budget cuts the committee said. I did so by not making Maine Nancy and equipment purchases to taling More than s60 million and by cutting $44 Mil lion Worth of drugs und medical supplies the panel said. As of june 30, the committee said he a was maintaining thai it had 73,588 Beds in service which the committee said it doubted was accurate the stall reported that it could not say How Many of the 13,039 phantom Beds that administrators reported closed were being counted As operational. But a committee spokesman said that on the basis of an earlier Survey of 16 a facilities the panel believed that at least 14 percent of the a s reportedly operational Beds were closed. It is amazing the dramatic contrast Between what we arc learning from the Field and what we Are told officially by the a Central office Montgomery said citing testimony by Turnage who has defended the funding level that the administration has sought for inc Agency. Sand of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Sept. 2, 1948 delegates from the american British and French zones of Germany me in Bonn to draft a Constitution to unite 46 million germans under a West German government. 30 years ago today., sept. 2,1958 a Battle Between Britain and Iceland gunboats was averted when the icelandic government ordered its ships to hold their fire after a British fishing trawler violated Iceland s 12-mile fishing ban. 20 years ago today ,. Sept. 2, 1968 kor he second Day in a Row an earthquake  Eastern Ira killing More than 8,000 people and destroying some 100 villages. The earlier quake which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale was the greatest Ever recorded in the Region. 10 years ago today. Sept. 2, 1978 the Washington Post reported that the general services administration was not receiving up to half the supplies it ordered for government office apparently Brasue of payoffs to Federal employees. Voodoo mayor1 a guilty of impeachment charges Andalusia Ala. A the mayor who turned a National spot Light on his tiny town with a nation Al voodoo week proclamation and pardons for Drunken Drivers was found guilty of impeachment charges and removed from office wednesday. Florala mayor , Mathis 85,1ixiht Covington county courthouse without commenting on the jury verdict which ended the three Day trial. His attorney James Prestwood said he would seek a new trial Tor the mayor who testified be pardoned dozens of convicted offenders be cause he was  City clerk Betty Hooten who Testi fied for the prosecution said the town was ready to pull together and get the bad publicity behind it. The bad publicity came after the mayor sprinkled voodoo powder around cily Hall and then held Midnight news conference to pro claim National voodoo  the jury ruled after one hour of deliberation that Malhis should be removed from office on grounds of incompetence and neglect of duly