European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 27, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 27, 1989 the stars and stripes pages proposed so user fee draws fire critics Coll Bush idea same As new tax Washington not president Bush said his administration is consid ering imposing a user fee on depositors at sayings and loan associations com Mercial Banks and credit unions in a Effort to raise billions of dollars to solve the nation s savings and loan crisis. Almost instantly the Bush administration encountered opposition from con Gress and the financial Industry. Critics said the fee is equivalent to tax and went against Bush s Campaign Promise not to raise taxes. But the president and two top advisers chief of staff John h. Sununu and Treasury Secretary Nicholas f. Brady insisted such fees Are not taxes. It has t come to me As a formal recommendation so i m not going to say what i m going to do but that is on option Bush told reporters. Asked to reconcile the proposal with his Campaign Promise of no new taxes Bush replied i will answer the question with question. Is it a tax when a person pays a fee to go to Yosemite Park under a plan being discussed by the Treasury and the White House the government would impose an annual fee of 25 cents for every $ 100 of insured depos its at . Savings institutions. Treasury officials calculate that the fee would raise As much As $9 billion a year and go toward paying the Cost of liquidating or Selling off More than 500 insolvent savings institutions a Cost Esti mated to be As High As $100 billion. But opponents argue that the fee would unfairly penalize individuals or Small savers who had nothing to do wit the savings crisis. They also argue that these fees Are an other disincentive for savings and will Force depositors out of Banks and int Mutual funds and other investments and could destabilize the markets by eroding depositor Confidence. Some members of Congress said the were amazed that the Bush administration at this Early Date would float such politically unpalatable Revenue raising proposal and they described it As one of the administration s first political blunders. Many predicted that the controversy would become so great that the proposal would eventually be put aside. Piecemeal plans such As the Treasury proposal Are Only served to scare depositors said rep. Henry b. Gonzalez a Texas chairman of the House banking committee. I do not think this proposals  what someone Down at the Treasury is talking about is equivalent to taking hostages in order to pay off kidnappers said sen. Alan j. Dixon d-i11., a member of the Senate banking committee. I in tend to do everything i can to see that this idea gets the Early burial it  the proposal is a thinly disguise Duck a tax by any other name said Donald g. Ogilvie executive vice presi Dent of the american Bankers association. The administration is faced with a big problem How to raise Money to address the savings and loan crisis without Rais ing the budget deficit the sensitivity of the Issue was under scored wednesday when Sununu spoke with reporters about the proposed plan arguing that it was simply an Extension of Deposit insurance programs and that it was Only one of several proposals under consideration. In the insurance Industry if a Premium is insufficient you raise the Premium to provide the coverage that the risk de mands both past and present Sununu said. The Federal government has a historic contract for Protection and All that is being suggested is modernizing the premiums associated with the  the argument made by the Treasury to members of Congress is essentially that because depositors Are the direct beneficiaries of the government s guarantee on their deposits up to $100,000, depositor should Bear at least part of the Cost of the savings and loan crisis. A proposal to impose a direct tax on federally insured deposits is the wrong approach to restoring the health of our depository institutions said Joe Belew president of the consumer Bankers association. Although Brady described the fee As very Small some might not consider it so. For a $10,000 savings account the yearly fee would be $25. Woman elected Bishop won t be feminist gadfly by the Washington Post Boston the Rev. Barbara c. Harris who has survived assaults on her character and even death threats on her Way to becoming the first woman Bishoping the anglican Church says she has no intention of acting As an ecclesiastical revolutionary. My pers9nal responsibility. Will be to serve the people of this diocese Harris said As she met report ers wednesday for the first time since a majority of episcopal Church Bishops and local dioceses tuesday approved her election sept. 24 As assisting Bishop of Massachusetts. Harris said she does not intend to be an International anglican gadfly pressing for ordination of women in parts of the anglican communion that Barthes. But she said she would certainly be As support Ive As i can of my Sisters  election of Harris 58, who is Black unleashed bitter protests and an unsuccessful Campaign to persuade standing committees of dioceses nationwide to with hold approval of her consecration. She was faulted for being divorced for lacking for Mal education and experience As a Parish priest and for her activist positions on social issues. Asked whether she Felt racism was involved in such criticism which episcopal presiding Bishop Edmond Browning called mean spirited she said Given the fact that racism is so prevalent in our society and so Woven into the fabric of our life i am certain there was some element of racism  Harris declined to discuss reported death threat that apparently forced her to change her unlisted Tele phone number several times. I prefer not to walkabout that she said. Some Church members have opposed Harris elec the Rev. Barbara Harris Fields Media questions. Berkeley plan would place Safe sex kits in hotel rooms Tion on theological grounds holding that women Are barred by scripture and tradition from  have threatened to leave the Church if she is consecrated Here feb. 11, As planned. We recognize that is a problem for some people theologically. And emotionally she said. We must always. Help them to understand what this Means inthe life of the Church and to move toward some recon  Harris provided no firm answer when asked if she would use her leverage As a Bishop to press for Ordina Tion of homosexuals. I think the Church is working at reaching out to Gay and lesbian people she said. Ordination of homosexuals has been wrestled with until the Church position is changed we Are bound to work within the Structure of the  two years ago in her column in the activist Church journal the witness Harris sharply chided Browning for not pro Viding More aggressive and prophetic leadership on homosexual issues. Harris detractors Are vastly outnumbered by sup porters of her election Church leaders said. We anticipate As Many As 50 episcopal Bishop Smay be present at her consecration probably the larg est number Ever to appear at such a rite senior Massachusetts Bishop David Johnson said. Episcopalians and members of other churches Are clamouring for tickets according to Church leaders. We re hearing about special buses and trains an planes diocesan spokesman Jim solheim said. Browning As presiding Bishop will consecrate har Ris. A native philadelphian Harris was a Public relations official with an Oil company when ordained a Deacon in 1979 and became a priest the following year. Berkeley Calif. A City officials hoping to Stem the spread of aids Are considering a proposal that would require innkeepers to put Safe sex kits beside the Bible in each hotel  if hotels can have a Gideon Bible in every room they can include Safe sex kit said nurse practitioner Leland Traiman a clinical aids researcher who proposed the idea. There could be a sign with each kit saying the Bible May save your soul but this will save your life " said Trai Man who served on the City s aids health commission last  proposal is on the Agenda for the City Council s committee on Public safety and health and also is scheduled for a hear ing before the City s Community health advisory committee next month. Each kit would contain condoms an information about How aids is transmitted. Some hoteliers criticized the idea with one saying a faulty condom could expose a hotel to a  Are three blocks from the univer sity. A lot of our clientele is associate with the University. They Are mostly older people or professors or people fro Europe it s not conducive to our clientele Here said Doris flood manager of traveler s Lodge a few blocks from the University of California. In the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Jan. 27, 1949 italian customs officials arrested and fined eight of the 35americans known to be involved in an International smuggling ring. 30 years ago foe a. Jan. 27, 1959 opening a hearing on the hawaiian statehood Bill Secretary Ofin Tenor Fred a. Seaton and House democratic Leader John Mccormack urged speedy congressional action. 20 years ago today. Jan. 27, 1969 after nine Days of rain during which some communities i Southern California received up to 24 inches president Nixon declared the Region a major disaster area and provided $3 million in Federal Relief funds. ? 0 years ago today. Jan. 27, 1979 the first of 116 f-16 fighter jets was received by the belgian air Force in a ceremony. 3 b