European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 3, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes saturday december 3, 19b8 military vote did count election experts say by William  Washington Bureau " Washington whal appears to have been a heavy military Vole turnout could have determined a number of close elections this year including the one in which the chairman of the House appropriations defense subcommittee was Defeated a Federal voting official said. Preliminary reports show that perhaps 10 percent or More of the vote in this year s election came from Absentee ballots said Henry Valentino head of the Pentagon s voter assistance  Voles account for a substantial portion of the Abson acc balloting and in some Stales they represent a major Ity. Eight Senate and 21 congressional scats were decided by he Absentee vote Valentino said wednes Day. We know the Florida Senate race was decided by the Abs narc Vole with the military playing a big part. And a congressional scat in Florida was decided by he military Absentee  Republican Connie Mack Iii was running even with Democrat buddy Mackay for the Florida sen ate Seal until the Absentee vote was counted. Mack look the Absentee vote by 60 percent and won the scat in a very Lizhi race. One of the major defeats also occurred in Florida where House appropriations defense subcommittee chairman Bill Chappell a Democrat under investigation in connection with defense procurement irregularities lost to Republican challenger Craig James. Initial results showed Chappell with a 1.100 vote Lead but Absentee ballots and a Vole recount gave he narrow Victory to James. In Southern California Republican rep. Robert Lagomarsino was just barely re elected thanks to Absentee ballots. Voting experts generally agreed that More republicans than democrats look advantage of the Absen tee Vole beginning with president elect George  was very conscious of the military Vole said Valentino adding that Bush s Campaign changed its information tape frequently on the Pentagon s voter information Telephone system which ran for 72 Days before the election and received 20,000 Calls Many of them from overseas. Demo cratic contender Michael Dukakis and other lesser known presidential candidates also had tapes run Ning on the system. Other Senate races where the Absentee ballot made the difference were in Connecticut Mississippi Montana Nevada Ohio Washington Wisconsin and Wyoming. Veteran Liberal Republican Lowell Cockcr was the loser in the Connecticut race. Other elections around the country where the Absentee Vole made the difference included a stale House election in Florida won by one Vole an Absentee ballot. A school Board race in Florida where one Candi Date was ahead by 400 votes until the Absentee bal lots were counted. With the Absentee results theother candidate won by 975 Voles. A state representative in new Hampshire was elected with a four vote margin. Valentino won t know the percentage of the Mili tary vote until february but he is confident that it is Well above the turnout for the general population which was about 50 percent and inc lowest turnout since 1924, Valentino said checks with election officials around the county showed sometimes extreme increase in military Absentee ballot we be had reports from election officers that the Absentee vote was 10 percent. And i be been told it will be higher than that he said. I m not sure of the number but thai could have a significant Impact because lots of elections arc decided by leu thu 10percent  Valentino credited the goo a military voter response to a commitment from military officials be ginning with Secretary of defense Frank Carlucci to urge military members to Vole. Marcia Carlucci the Secretary s wife was a Leader in the establishment of the voter information Telephone service. Valentino also credited the efforts of local com Mandera and support from the non commissioned officers association a number of military wives clubs and the Uso. Other groups providing support were Anheuser Busch inc., which Baid for the vote information line. Bell Atlantic corp and armed forces radio and television. Valentino said his staff is in the process of Survey ing 22,500 military personnel around the world and2,500 unit voting officers. The Survey Wilt seek to identify problems voters had whether information on candidates was sufficient and reasons Why those who did nol Vole chose not to. News update bases in Philippines Manila Philippines up . Ambassador Nicholas Plait thursday said he expects negotiations on the future of key Ameri can military bases in the Philippines to begin next year Bui 1 Talt. Refused to be drawn into the contentious Issue of whether the treaty governing the bases expires in 1991 As filipino officials maintain or in 1992 As the americans claim. We Are focusing on the future Tott said of inc 1947 treaty on Clark a and the Subic Bay naval Complex. They Are the United states larg est overseas facilities. Final Cost of air show damage claims May not be determined for years property sales Wiesbaden West Germany the defense re utilization and marketing of fice will hold several auctions and retail sales in military communities in West Germany during the next two weeks. Auctions will be held at the Auto strip Yard in  on tuesday atthe Mainz Kastl storage station on dec. 9, and at the Gross nauheim Cavern in Hanau on dec 15. Bidder registration begins at s ., and All auctions Wilt Start at 9  / a retail sales arc scheduled for dec ? at. The Friedrichs fold service Center near Sec Konheim and dec. 16 near he commissary in ludwigs Burg at Johnson bar Racks in  and at the Auto strip Yard in . All sales begin at 9  And end at noon except for the Sale in Kaiser stauter which starts at 8 30 a. M. And ends at 0 a. M. A variety of items will be sold Ai each local Ion including household goods military clothing electronic equipment and sporting goods. All sales Are final and Only dollars will be accepted. The auctions arc open Toile Public but inc retail sales Are restricted to . Identification card hold cars. Tor additional information Contact the demo unlit various locations. By Deedee Arrington Doke  Bureau Long term payments to victims of the Ramstein air show disaster May make realistic estimates of lie Accident s ultimate Cost impossible for at least two years. West German authorities predicted this week. Nearly 1,500 claims seeking financial assistance for personal and property damage connected with the aug. 28 Acci Dent were filed Wilh . And West Ger Man agencies by inc nov. 23 deadline according to figures authorities release this week. -. V. Seventy people died and hundreds were injured in the disaster which occurred when three italian air Force Jet collided during an Aerial Man Euver. Six teen people remain hospitalized with in juries suffered when one Jet plunged into spectators. Four of the 16 Are in serious condition Rheinland Pfalz spokesman Jorgen dict zen said. Air Force and army claims offices processed . Claims for personal prop Erly damage. Personal injury and prop erty damage claims of up 105,000 Marks or about $2,924, Are being processed by the Wesl German defense Cost office in Kaiser Lautem White claims above that amount Are being handled by the office s Koblenz Branch. The Wesl German defense Cost of fico in Koblenz received 1,249 claims the highest total Only a few claimants requested specific amounts of Money said spokesman Dieter Stelz of the Koblenz office. Emphasizing that his office did nol want Lounder pay anyone Stulz said Many claims would require extensive examination to assess the disaster s Efteni on inc claim ants. After two years one can say about How much will be needed for the severely injured Selz said. An estimated 100 so called retirement cases will occupy Secli s office for 20 to 30 years he said. The Ramstein a Legal office reported 39 personal property damage claims filed by nov. 28, of which 31 already have been paid at a total ofj6,729.66. Three claims for privately owned vehicles amounting to $8.755.51 also have been adjudicated and await approval said senior airman Rich Romero a Ramstein spokesman five claims seek ing a local of about $2,100 await adjudication Romero said the army received seven personal property claims by the nov. 2$ deadline and has paid All of them at a Cost of 13,861, said maj. Phillip Kennedy chief of personnel claims at the . Army claims service Europe. The Wem German government has paid out 4,5 million Marks or $2,63 Mil lion in rams Fin re Latch claims Diel Bensaid. The Cost of the disaster ultimately could run As High As $175 million according to Stulz s rough estimate. No decision has been made on How the Cost of the disaster should be split. A least three methods of sharing the coils have been discussed source said. Under one method the americans and italians each would pay 40 percent and the germans would pay 20 percent another Cost sharing proposal one that prescribes single responsibility Calls for the italians to pay 73 percent and the germans 2s percent. The. Third proposal would  lenses evenly three ways. By Randy Mcclain financial writer i More than.56,000 German National employees of the . Forces will be gel Ling a pay raise of roughly $60 per month retroactive to sept. I . Officials have announced. The pay hike should show up in the employees december checks. The raise amounts to a 2,86 percent increase Over 13 months said harms him Nel a senior position classification specialist with the civilian personnel division compensation management Branch Usa eur Cost of the pay raise amounts to More than 130 million and applies to several categories of employees with the army air Force and cafes. Roughly  of the employees affected work for Usa eur Himmel said. The pay hike is the result of several -. Months of contract negotiations with three German unions representing both Blue Collar and White Collar workers. Among workers getting the pay raise Are those in clerical administrative and technical positions Himmel said. Also affected Are Hospital workers guards firefighters and foremen. Negotiators for the German unions the Trade Union for workers in Public services transportation and communications the Industrial Union of Metal workers for the Federal Republic  and the German salaried employees Union began by asking for a 5 percent pay hike for 1988-89, Himm Elsaid. The pay raise that was ultimately agreed upon is slightly less than the 3.4 recent increase inc German workers got for their part us officials made an attempt to eliminate Severance pay from the German workers Tariff agreement this year but that move was repulsed by the unions. -. . Officials say Severance pay in any Given year amounts to a relatively Small amount. It would Only come into play Ina big Way if there were a Large scale Cut. Back in the number of american military bases in Europe. Thai would mean Here would be less need for local National labor and numerous layoffs would result. However us. Officials stress there Areno such plans in the works this year s Tariff agreement on wages will remain in effect until the end of sep tember 1989