European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 7, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes Friday october 7,1988 House passes Reagan backed Bill to make a Cabinet department Washington a courting the votes or on of the nation s largest interest groups the House voted thursday to elevate the veterans administration to a Cabinet department ind rejected arguments that the move wiil Cost Money. On a voice vote the lawmakers approved a Compro Mise Bill thai would establish the department or vet trans affairs As he 14th Cabinet seat and the fifth addition to inc Cabinet since i960. If the Senate Fol lows suit and approves the measure As expected the change would Lake effect next year. President Reagan has already announced support of the measure. This says to the millions of men and women who be worn the uniform of our armed forces thai we care said rep. Frank Horton. . He said placing representative of the nation s 27 million veterans at the table with the president and other Cabinet Mem Bers will give greater voice to their needs. A primary sponsor of the measure rep Gerald Salomon r-., noted that the a Hospital system is suffering from a $600 million budget shortfall and that Cabinet status would help it make the Case for full funding. This will go a Long Way toward guaranteeing that the veterans of the future Are going to be taken care of Solomon said. But As dissenters pointed out the move meant that instead of cull ing the number of Cabinet departments As Reagan vowed to do when he took office in 1981, the number will have grown by one during his administration. Rep. John Porter r-ill., said giving veterans greater lobbying clout at the while House will invariably Lead to higher costs for their programs. This is an acl of great hypocrisy said Porter who said he had heard numerous colleagues complain privately that the legislation should not be adopted. Why docs Congress do things like that we do it because of special interests Porter said members Are in Craven fear of retribution at the polls i think the american people Are looking o have people of courage to govern them. You can t serve every special interesting our country without Ever adding up the Bottom  the veterans administration according to support ers of the legislation already has the fifth largest Bud get among Federal agencies and merits being put on a Par with other Cabinet departments to ensure that the Money is properly administered according to the veterans affairs committee a serves 27 million veterans and 49 million dependent or survivors with a budget of $30 billion. It will Dis Pense 114 billion in income maintenance and 1626million for education and rehabilitation assistance this year. The Agency and ill 240,000 employers administers 90,000 patient Beds tit 534 health facilities and will see 20 million outpatients ibis year. It runs 109 National cemeteries and will Bury 300,000 veterans this year. The congressional budget office estimated that converting the a into a Cabinet department would Cost $33 million Over five years. The biggest pan of he Cost would go for changing signs on a buildings. The Bill would reorganize a operations and allow the Secretary of veterans affairs to name up to six assistant secretaries and is Deputy assistants. The legislation requires that inc top operating officer the chief medical director and chief benefits director be selected on the basis of expertise and without regard to politic. Exemption for . Bonds Boug if to finance education passes Senate sen. Edward m. Kennedy Washington a the Senate voted 94-0 thursday to exempt from Federal income Ian . Sav Ings Bonds that Are bought to finance a College or vocational education. This is a simple sensible Way to help families save for College expenses said sen. Edward m. Kennedy d-mass., sponsor of the proposal. It sends a loud Clear message about our  Kennedy s provision was attached to a Bill that corrects errors in the 1986 lax overhaul Grants special tax Relief to various groups of taxpayers and includes Tan increases to pay for the benefits. The Bill is one of the few major pieces of legislation standing in the Way of adjournment of the Loolah con Gress. Kennedy s College expenses amendment is similar to one thai president Reagan proposed in the budget that he submitted to Congress last january. Under inc provision a family could avoid tax on any savings Bonds that Are redeemed to pay for Post secondary education of any family member. The full us exemption would be available to families with adjusted Gross incomes of up to 160,000 year. Those with incomes Between 160.000 and �80,000 would get a reduced Benefit no exemption would be allowed those with incomes Over $80,000 a year. The change would Cost inc government an estimated j2bs million a year by 1994. Under Kennedy s Amend ment that Cost would be paid by eliminating the la exemption now allowed parents for any dependent child Over the age of 24 who is a full time Stu Dent. Buyers of . Savings Bonds pay no lax on the interest they earn until inc Bonds Are redeemed. The already arc exempt from state and local income taxes. Jury concludes Brawley probably made up Story Poughkeepsie . A the grand jury in the Tawana Brawley Case concluded in a report issued thursday that the Black teen Ager apparently concocted her Story of abduction and rape by a gang of White men. The 170-Page report said there was no evidence that any sexual assault occurred and it suggested that the girl herself was responsible for the fees smeared condition in which she was found after a four Day disappearance. The seven month investigation went on without the cooperation of 16-year old Braw try or her family who with their advisers accused authorities of engaging in a racially motivated cover up. Attorney general Robert Abrams said he has filed ethics complaints against Brawley s lawyers. Alton Maddox or. And a Vernon Mason for making every Effort to prevent the criminal jul Isicc sys tem from uncovering the truth of what  Abrams accused the advisers of opportunism and Huckst Crisp in presenting their personal Agenda and added per haps the greatest disservice done by the Brawley advisers is the reckless manner in which they jeopardized the rights of future victims of racial  s advisers bitterly attacked the report. What should we expect from 21 Whites from dul chess county Mason said on new York City radio station lib referring to 21 Whites on the panel of 23. It is Clear they never in tended to arrest and prosecute those peo ple who did this to Tawana  another adviser the Rev. Al Sharp Ion said Abrams is not after people who rape Black girls. They want los lop anybody who will stand up for inc rights of Black people in this  the grand jury heard testimony from More than Iso witnesses and received More than 250 exhibits of evidence on the racially charged Case. Brawley was found nov. 28, seemingly dazed outside an apartment that had recently been vacated by her family in Wappinger Falls 75 Miles North of Newyork City. Her body was smeared with faces racial slurs had also been scrawled on her body with charcoal. She claimed she had been held captive for four Days and raped by White men and she implicated Law enforcement officials in the attack. There is nothing in regard Lotawana Brawle a appearance on nov. 2b thai is inconsistent with this condition having Ben self inflicted the grand jury Saidt it said she had spent some of the four Day period at her old apartment. Boston prosecutor accused of Frammi Dukakis Oides Boston a a former prosecutor was accused of planting an address Book listing names and Tele phone numbers of several prominent figures including aides to Michae Dukakis in an apartment raided for drugs authorities said. Kevin Ross fired from his Post As an assistant Suffolk county District attorney upon his arrest apparently want Edlo Embarrass the Well known Boston residents with inc address Book said . Attorney Frank Mcnamara whose office is prosecuting Ross. Ross appeared wednesday . Magistrate Robert b. Ceilings and pleaded innocent to charges of obstructing Justice and furnishing false written  he was re leased on a $10,000 unsecured Bond. The address Book included the names of Paul Brountas chief adviser to dukakis1 democratic presidential Campaign As Well As chief fund Raiser Robert Farmer the Boston Globe re ported thursday. A Dukakis spokesman Steve Akey said Campaign officials would no comment. Ross 36, of suburban Wal Ham was arrested in the District attorney s office tuesday by Federal agents following a interrogation said David Rodman spokesman for Suffolk county District attorney Newman Flanagan. Federal authorities say Ross Cre ated a Black address Book filled with More than 70 names and Telephone numbers and placed the Book in a Boston apartment raided last month in a cocaine investigation. The Federal charges also allege Ross entered at least 35 numbers into an electronic paging Beeper that was car ried by the person who was the targe of the investigation. Mcnamara said Ross wanted it to appear that the Book belonged to the defendant and so that the names on the list were contacting the cocaine trafficking  the address Book and Beeper were seized during a sept. 17 raid on a Boston apartment. Mcnamara re fused to say who was the target of the raid or to reveal any of the names allegedly planted by Ross. According to Mcnamara Ross participated in the raid As a member or the county s drug task Force along with Fri agents stale police another Law enforcement agents