European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 14, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday. August 14. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 7 demos also had fingers in Hud pie Washington not As Well connected re publicans obtained millions of dollars in Grants and subsidies from the department of housing and Urban development in the 1980s. Democrats were using their congressional Power and political tics to help friends and constituents Benefit from Many of the same Hud programs documents from the department and con Gress indicate. Although their actions do not appear to have resulted in personal financial gains comparable to the fees earned by Republican consultants the democratic practices do suggest that the pattern of political favor it ism at Hud in Samuel r. Pierce or s tenure As Secre tary was not confined to his own party. In one Case documents showed that a political sup Porter and Friend of rep. Jack Brooks a Texas was awarded a $5 million Grant and subsidies for 500 apartments under a rental assistance program. At the time. Brooks headed the government operations committee which monitors Federal agencies. The panel s subcommittee on employment and hous ing oversees the Agency s operations. In fact it is that subcommittee that is now conduct ing an inquiry into influence peddling at Hud. Brooks did not return repeated Telephone Calls from a reporter Friday or saturday. Hud also awarded millions of dollars in Grants from a special discretionary fund in the last three years to projects in the Home districts of speaker Thomas s. Foley d-wash., who was then majority Leader former majority whip Tony Coelho of California and Jamie l. Whitlyn d-miss., the chairman of the House appropriations committee. None of those awards were illegal and each is consistent with a primary Mission of legislators bringing Federal Grants and awards to their legislative districts. But while successes in dealing with Hud by republicans like sen. Alfonso m. D Amato of new York have been widely noted attempts by their democratic counterparts have been largely ignored. Believe me it was t just republicans at  said one senior housing department official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Republican consultants and developers could secure favors from Hud in appealing to the political loyalties of the department s managers. Congressional democrats also approached Hud officials for Grants and subsidies the Agency s records show. But More often they used their majority status in Congress to impose their wishes on housing appropriations Hills that later became Law. The processes while different usually wound up tapping the same Hud sources subsidy programs for Low income renters called Section 8, and the discretionary fund for special projects that is managed by the Secretary s office. The activities of some democratic lawmakers can be found buried in reports on housing legislation enacted by Congress. For example the second ranking Democrat on the government operations panel rep. Believe me it was t just republicans at this  senior housing official Bob trailer of Michigan inserted language in a 1987 appropriations Bill that forgave a debt of More than $250,000 owed to Hud by the Bay City housing commission in his Home District. But by far the largest of the awards with democratic links was made in 1988 Over the objections of Hud officials to a project run by a former mayor of port Arthur Texas Lloyd l. Hayes who describes himself As a Friend of Brooks. Hayes is the Developer of Park Central a financially troubled 150 million housing and office project. A housing and Community development act passed by Congress that year included a provision creating 15-year Federal subsidies for 500 units of Low income housing so Long As such families occupy properties in the Park Central new Community project in port Arthur. The same Bill also amended previous Laws to allot $5 million for purposes of Grants under subsection b i for the Park Central new Community  Federal Mcclinn commission records show that Hayes has contributed $2,700 to Brooks campaigns since ims i. He is a major contributor to democratic causes donating nearly $70.000 to the party s Candi dates and committees in that period. The port Arthur project begun in 1979 under a Hud program that is now defunct includes 2,000 apartments about 700 presently receiving Federal pay ments subsidizing rent for Low income tenants. Most of the favors were financed by Money drawn from the Hud Secretary s discretionary fund. Democratic lawmakers inserted provisions in Bills using the fund to finance a number of projects that otherwise might not have received Hud Money. These Are some examples an award of $500,000 in the current fiscal Yea will provide improvements in downtown Ada okla., in the District of Ren. Was Watkins who is on the Rural development subcommittee of the House appropriations committee a Grant of $140.000 in this fiscal year will sup port renovations to Aid disabled visitors to the court House in Dayton wash., in the District of speaker Olcy. The appropriations Bill for Hud financing in he next fiscal year beginning oct. I contains another $520,000 for Street scape improvements in Dayton and $186,000 to improve Access to the courthouse in Newport wash., also in Foley s District. Congress has not completed action on the new appropriations. An appropriation of $500,000 in 1988 paid for infrastructure improvements in Northern Charles ton miss., in the District of Whitton. A $1.1 million appropriation for 1989 covered secondary migration assistance for Southeast asian refugees in the District of Coelho in California. A Grant of $2.9 million was made to remedy serious ground subsidence problems in Philadelphia in the District of rep. William h. Gray an appropriations panel member and now majority whip. Asked to compare his and the democratic lawmakers use of political lies with that of Republican Consul Tants who dealt with Hud under Pierce s tenure Hayes said. It s not for me to speculate Aslo what people should or should t do for their  storms wreak havoc on both coasts by the associated press residents on both coasts coped with summer downpours saturday As new yorkers slogged through ankle deep water and Southern californians were told to be water tight while an Aqueduct i repaired. Thunderstorms last week that Tore up the Aque duct that supplies three quarters of los 4ngcles water also damaged hundreds of Homes in California and Arizona. Saturday Eastern storms flooded roads Small streams subway tunnels and the roof of a Hartford conn., apartment building where collapsing ceilings chased out eight families. I be lost everything my furniture my clothes my car said Santiago Caballero a 63-year-old unemployed far worker who said he saved for 10 years to buy his modest Home in Yuma ariz., across Testate line from California. Another mudslide was reported at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming one mile West of where 15 mudslides occurred two Days earlier. Colorado Springs colo., reported Street flooding from 3 inches of rain that fell during a 90-minute period. One parking lot was under 2 feet of water and Many cars were stranded. A stationary front along the Middle and Northern Atlantic coast brought the torrential rain in the Newyork City area with 2.9 inches from Midnight to 3 . Up to 10 inches of rain fell Friday at the Eastern end of Long Island the National weather service reported. More than an Inch of rain fell in one hour in new York Early saturday morning and again in an afternoon hour but the amounts were Well Short of the one hour record of Over 2 inches set in 1983, said meteorologist Ben Scott. That provided Little Solace however to thousands of new York pedestrians who found themselves wrapped in sheets of falling water or to subway riders whose packed trains were stalled by Power shutoff caused by the flooding. Suburban travellers had problems too. In Pelham Manor just North of the City 6.66 inches fell Between Midnight and 3 ., closing roads. A woman pushes her car through a flooded new York City Street As Rains created a multitude of problems. Up to 5 inches of rain fell in the new Haven. Conn., area before tapering off around 4 30 . Friday Todd Mendill a hydrologist at the River forecast Center in Hartford said. Firefighters found 5,000 Gallons of water collecting on the roof of a Hartford apartment building where several ceilings collapsed Friday. When we found the water was coming Down through the ceiling into the Light fixtures we called the building department and began to shut off the Power and the building department suggested we evacuate the building said firefighter Lester me Bride. Forecasters said rain could continue through the weekend in the affected parts of the East coast and in Southern California. Since wednesday widely scattered downpours have inundated areas from san Diego to Las vegas