European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Retroactive a payments dispute panels ask Derwinski to reverse decision by the Washington Post Washington a leaders of the House and Senate veterans affairs committees Are pressuring the Secretary of veterans affairs to reverse his recent decision to pay retroactive disability benefits to an estimated 1,700 Vietnam veterans who have contracted non Hodgkin a Lymphoma a rare cancer. In a letter that took a officials by Surprise the chairmen and ranking minority members of the two committees questioned Edward j. Derwinski a authority to make the benefits payable retroactively and urged him to reconsider his decision. A Leader of the Vietnam Era veterans caucus rep. Lane Evans d-ill., expressed Shock at the letter. A i done to think it behoves veterans advocates to be working against retroactive benefits a Evans said. A a it a role reversal a said a spokesman Dennis r. Boxx. A a it a usually us who get beat up by Congress for not doing the humane  the leaders of the veterans committees argued that Congress a not the Secretary a typically has decided when the a should pay disability payments. They also argue that Congress generally has decreed that such payments should be paid a on a prospective basis  signing the april 18 letter were a rep. . Montgomery d-miss., the House chairman. A rep. Bob slump r-ariz., the ranking minority member. A sen. Alan Cranston d-calif., the Senate chairman. A sen. Frank h. Murkowski a Alaska the ranking minority member. It started in the House committee where Montgomery zealously guards Congress Power Over the a. He also has been wary of Benefit proposals linked to agent Orange the toxic herbicide used by . Troops during the Vietnam War. He has said that scientific evidence is needed to establish a link Between exposure to the chemical and ailments such As non Hodgkin a Lymphoma. Staff aides for the committees acknowledged Friday that the letter urges Derwinski to reconsider a March 29 decision that was widely applauded by members of Congress and veterans organizations. Hours after the National centers for disease control announced it had found Vietnam veterans have a 50 percent higher risk than other men in the same age group of developing non Hodgkin s Lymphoma a cancer that affects the immune system Derwinski announced he was ordering disability payments to Vietnam veterans who have the disease. Since the Early 1970s, the a has been urging Vietnam veterans who believe they May have been harmed by agent Orange to file claims with the Agency. Derwinski is confident that he has the authority to make the awards retroactively and is not retreating. Boxx said. Quot his position is that the decision was a proper Legal  in a report supplied to the House committee the vans lawyers rejected the committee leadership s arguments. Quot from a Legal standpoint it is Clear that an administrative Agency can Issue rules that Are effective  the report said. But John Minnick a spokesman for the american legion the nation s largest veterans organization said he feared the committees reasoning a be Correct. While the organization supports Derwinski a decision he said Quot it makes you wonder How Well this Issue was  Tough anti takeover Law challenged. Lancaster a. Apr the nations toughest anti takeover Bill was signed Friday by gov. Robert p. Casey who said it would discourage corporate raiders from stripping jobs and economic vitality from Pennsylvania. Within hours the Law was challenged by two lawsuits filed in Federal court that claimed unconstitutional infringement on shareholder and investor rights. The Law which took effect immediately is expected by analysts to create Ripples in boardrooms and Legislatures throughout the nation. For the first time in any state corporate raiders will be forced to surrender Short term profits from takeover attempts. The Law also restricts the voting rights of raiders and preserves labor contracts when corporations change hands. Casey said the buyout spree of the past decade had left a Wake of broken dreams for both workers and companies. The Law he said would protect their interests in the face of greed driven profiteers. A a we re interested in Long term stable economic growth a said Casey. A a we re not interested in corporate raiders that see Short term profits for narrow  hostile takeovers have Cost Pennsylvania thousands of jobs and such corporate mainstays As Gulf Oil co., which Pennsylvania gov. Robert Casey right and state sen. Noah Wengerr Lancaster celebrate Casey a signing of an anti takeover Bill Friday. Closed its Headquarters in Pittsburgh after it was merged with Chevron Oil. Casey signed the Bill just blocks from the corporate Headquarters of Armstrong world industries inc., the floor covering manufacturer the legislation was first drafted to protect. Its enactment comes three Days before Armstrong a annual stockholder meeting at which the Bel Berg family of Canada plans to wage a proxy fight to place four of its representatives on the company a Board. A lawsuit filed on behalf of the Bulz bergs in . Eastern District court in Philadelphia alleges the Law conflicts with Federal legislation and violates the first and fifth amendments of the Constitution. A the Federal statutory scheme is designed to create a level playing Field for management and those who would oppose management. This new legislation dramatically tilts the playing Field in favor of management a said Lawrence Fox an attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf of first City financial corp. And other Belzberg owned entities. The second lawsuit was filed by Richard Greenfield a Montgomery county attorney on behalf of a new Vork resident and an Arizona resident who own Stock in Pennsylvania companies. Bank fraud trial of rep. Ford ends in mistrial in Tennessee Sands of time Memphis Tenn. Apr a mistrial was declared Friday in the Bank fraud trial of rep. Harold Ford after the jury said it was hopelessly deadlocked. The congressman was accused of taking $ 1 million in political favors in the form of Loans that prosecutors said he was never expected to repay to Tennessee banking Brothers Jake and . Butcher or. Jury Foreman . Robinson reported the deadlock after . District judge Odell Horton removed one of the 12 panel members for failing to disclose a past felony conviction. That did not figure in the mistrial. Ford a 44-year-old Memphis Democrat had been on trial since feb. 12 on charges of conspiracy and Bank and mail fraud. A conviction could have brought a sentence of up to 95 years. The congressman said he regarded the mistrial As a Victory though he had hoped for acquittal. A a in a hopeful now that i can put this episode behind me a Ford said. But . Attorney John Gill in Knoxville said there would be another trial. Ford stood trial with former Butcher accountant David Crabtree and former Butcher lawyers Karl Schledwitz and Douglas Beaty. Ford the states Only Black member of Congress has complained often since his indictment that he is the victim of racist prosecutors an allegation the government has denied. The government called 29 witnesses in the Case. The defense did not Call any and Ford said he decided not to testify because he regarded the governments Case As weak. On wednesday after their first two Days of deliberations jurors returned to the courtroom to report they were deadlocked. Horton told them it was too Early to give up work. Before the mistrial was declared Friday assistant . Attorney Dan Clancy asked Horton to question juror Juanita Ruffin because the government believed she had a criminal record that she did not disclose during jury selection. Horton confronted Ruffin in the courtroom about her record and she acknowledged she had been convicted in 1970 in connection with the theft of $ 160. She said she was placed on probation for that felony offence. Ruffin also said she was convicted twice for shoplifting in the 1970s.in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. April 29, 1950 a president Truman spoke out Lor Extension of the draft and said he had approved a statement that the Quot Force of events Quot required a boost in defense funds.30 years ago today. April 29, 1960 a the . Government froze approval of new economic Aid Lor South Korea pending settlement of a government crisis there.20 years ago today. April 29, 1970 a looting and at least one fire bombing were reported after fighting broke out Between Black and White students at River Rouge Mich High school and spilled out into the streets of the Detroit  0 years ago today. April 29, 1980 a the coast guard rescued 24 people from the Stormy Florida Straits and . C us Toms agents seized three fishing boats As defiant exiles continued the Maricl refugee sea lift from c Uba