European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 01, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 1, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 7 Gao targets 14 Federal programs warns of potential for major losses fraud Washington a fourteen government programs including medi care and the new Agency handling the savings and loan bailout arc High risks for fraud and abuse a congressional re port says in warning of possible major losses of taxpayers Money. The general accounting office the investigative Arm of Congress said tues Day that Many of the problems have persisted for years because there is no a to Force government agencies to Correct them. Gao provided the list to two congressional committees saying it decided to identify the government agencies and programs most at risk after disclosures last year of widespread management problems at the department of housing and Urban development. The chairmen of the panels promised hearings to re View the problems. I have been concerned about the possibility of other Hud Type problems for some time and. Unfortunately. I am con Vinced that they do indeed  . Comptroller general lbs Rucj a. Bowsher said in a letter. Bowsher warned that unless reforms Are implemented major losses of Feder Al funds and collateral fraud and abuse incidents will  Gao s list included the Resolution Trust corp. The Agency set up by so bailout legislation to handle the Sale of assets of failed thrifts Worth an estimated $200 billionth $300 billion. A Sale of this Magni tude is unprecedented in history Bowsher said. The desire and potential to acquire these assets at bargain base ment prices will make this area highly susceptible to fraud wait and  management of seized and forfeited assets stemming from drug and other investigations. The Gao said the two agencies that handle these properties the customs service and marshal s service have significant internal control weak Nesses that invite abuse. Medicare. Gao said this Multi Bil lion Dollar program is riddled with waste and noted that $527 million in inappropriate payments in w85 alone illustrate the magnitude of  defense department inventory management and purchases of major new systems. Gao said at least $30 Bil lion of the $100 billion in Dod inventory was not needed and the Opportunity for fraud was plentiful As the department handles More than $900 billion unplanned purchases. Among the other areas Gao said it singled out for special attention were the failure of the irs to collect More than $60 billion it is owed the management of loan and Grant programs for students Farmers and mass transit and the Reli Ance of the Energy department the environmental Protection Agency and Nasa on private contractors. It also cited the state department overseas construction program and government oversight of the $2 trillion Pri vate pension system. The committee chairmen. Rep. John Cony Cosof the House government operations and sen. John Glenn of the Senate government affairs committee said they hoped the Bush administration would cooperate in determining ways to Correct the problems. We simply can t afford to sit around and wring our hands Over this situation while More taxpayers Money is wasted or put at risk Glenn a Ohio. Said. The real question now is what is being done to fix these problems Conyers. A Mich. Laid the blame for government wide management problems on Reagan administration deregulation policies. Great White Lark de Rechanl of Racine wis., adds the final Louth a i a loan ice and Snow sculpture of a great while shark in his front Yard earlier his week. Rechanl said he spent about three hours on the sculpture with help from his wife Anne and brother Brian. Last Winter do chant sculpted a Bear on the site. Teamsters lose bid to represent us air employees Washington a the teamsters Union has lost a drive to represent 8.000 employees who Load air planes at us air company and Al Cio representatives said tuesday. The election was an All or nothing event for the teamsters who already represented about 1.800 us air workers in Pittsburgh. Philadelphia. Buffalo and Boston. The Union s defeat Means those workers arc no longer members however. It As the teamsters third election at us air since1181 and the largest representation election in the Pri vate sector in four years. The Union won the first two contests at us air. Pie teamsters represented cargo workers at us air before its 1981 merger with Piedmont airlines whose employees were not members of the Union. The National mediation Board ordered the election dec. I. Three unions representing pilots flight attendants and mechanics at us air won the right to rep resent Piedmont workers without elections. Rex Hardesty a spokesman for the Al Cio. Said the two weeks Between the Call for the election and the mailing of the ballots did not give the teamsters Ade quate time to Campaign. "1 have every indication from the teamsters that they will be Back and that they fell they were Hurt Inthis Campaign by the fast election and All the insecurity fell these Days in the transportation Industry Hardesty said. There s fear and concern among All workers and it makes them less willing to  David Shipley a spokesman for us air. Said the teamsters needed 4,002 Voles to win the election but received Only about 2,000. N. Dakota businesses file suit to void Blue Laws Bismarck . A fifteen businesses went to state court tuesday seeking to overturn the nation s toughest sunday closing Laws which they de scribed As vague selectively enforced and unconstitutional. You cannot discriminate among Busi Nesses giving some special privileges an not affording those to others and we re saying that this Law docs  said John Olson a Bismarck attorney representing the businesses. The lawsuit filed in South Central District court in Bismarck follows unsuccessful attempts to persuade the state legis lature to overhaul the stale s Blue Laws which have existed in some form since statehood was granted 100 years ago. It is evident from what is happening nationally and globally that North Dakota s Economy will nol grow by restricting business said Dale Anderson president of inc greater North Dakota association the state s chamber of Commerce which is backing the lawsuit. Attorney general Nicholas Spaeth said he personally favors sunday shopping but that his responsibility to defend the Law overrides those beliefs. The Law lists 44 items that May not legally be sold sunday except under some Lim  circumstances like rummage sales. The list includes cameras shoes cars and trucks lawnmowers and clothing other than work gloves and infant  the Law also lists 37 types of businesses that May open on sunday. Included Are grocery and convenience stores but not department stores forcing North Dakota s shopping malls and other retail outlets to remain closed. West acres development which owns North Dakota s largest shopping mall is one of inc 15 plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The company s controller. Brad Schlossman said stores in the Fargo mall Are penalized because they must remain closed while other stores Selling similar items Are open sundays. That in t  he said. Schlossman said the state could get an estimated $20 million in additional tax revenues Over a two year period. If retailers win. The whole state  he added. North Dakota is one of eight states with some form of Law restricting sunday sales according to the National retail merchants association. Most of the other slates re strict liquor sales and Louisiana restricts the Sale of cars. Olson also a Republican state senator said the North Dakota Law not Only is discriminatory but also is very very confuse  for example he said it is unclear whether the ban on Selling work gloves extends to Winter gloves. When you have inc clerk that s staffing the till at the checkout line in the store thai person has to make i Host decisions on the  Olson said. A clerk who illegally Sells an item could be convicted of a Misdemeanour subject to a  Penally of 30 Days in jail and a $500 Fine he said. Olson unsuccessfully sponsored legis lation last year to overhaul North Dakota s Blue Laws. Sunday closing Laws had been challenged previously in North Dakota  recent decisions in other stale courts and the . Supreme court have added weight to the argument against the slate s Blue Laws Olson said