European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 3, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a a a the stars and Ipser . Cities i tuesday july 3,1990 woes Washington up a the fiscal problems of american cities Are increasing even As local officials seek to squeeze More Money out of increased taxes and user fees and Cut spending the National league of cities said monday. The league in a Survey of 576 communities with populations Over 10,000, also found that More than half of the cities�?54 percent a will run a deficit with spending outpacing revenues in their current budget year. Last year just 32 percent of the responding cities reported a deficit in addition some 22 percent said they expected to see an actual decline in local revenues. Especially hard hit is the Northeast the league said where the Region is struggling with a widespread economic slowdown that is even More sluggish than the National Economy. In that Region five out of six communities reported a diminished capacity to meet their local financial needs. What was acutely True of the Northeast however was generally True across the nation. In the South 67 percenter cities responding to the Survey said they were less Able to meet their financial needs this year Titan last. In the West the figure was 65 percent and in the mid West 60 percent. A what this Means for Hometown America is that at a time when we should be investing in sur future we Are not even keeping up a said Donald Borut executive director of the Nolc. Borut said municipal leaders Are making budget decisions that Are a Tough and sometimes painful and honest though rarely what you would Call  for example on the Revenue Side 76 percent of the surveyed cities said they a were increasing fees and charges 43 percent implemented new fees Ana charges 41 percent increased local property tax rates 15 percent increased other tax rates 5 percent increased local sales tax rates and 2 percent boosted local income tax rates. On the spending Side 51 percent reduced the growth rate of operating spending 39 percent contracted out services to reduce spending 37 percent reduced actual Levels of capital spending 23 percent made cuts in the City work Force 22 percent froze municipal i and 11 percent reduced service Levels. In Runng of woman during Panama attack fort ofed Calif. Apr an army sergeant was acquitted of murdering a civilian during the closing Days of the . Invasion of Panama but was convicted of other offences and sentenced to 20 months in prison. Paul Finsel jr., 25, of Arkoma okla., was found guilty saturday of offences that included obstruction conspiracy and loss of a military weapon. He was one of three soldiers Cham cd in the slaying of Leila Diaz de Panay 50, who was shot to death Jan. 25 while taking a Bath outside her Panama City Home. Investigators said she was slain during a gunfight staged by . Soldiers to con Cal fins la a loss of his pistol at a Brothel. Col. Kenneth Mitchell the military judge who decided the Case also reduced Finsel a rank to private and gave him a bad conduct discharge. Last week pfc. Mark Mcmonagle 20, of Philadelphia was convicted of unpremeditated murder and Drew seven years in prison and a dishonourable discharge. Pfc. Marc Gussen 19, of Teaneck n.j., pleaded guilty april 23 to charges of disobeying orders and obstruction. He received two years in prison and a dishonourable discharge. Mcmonagle admitted to an investigator that he went to a bar and Brothel with Emsel who lost his handgun when the two went into a Back room to evade military police. Finsel convinced him that they should fake a firelight and say the gun was lost in the Melee Mcmonagle told the investigator. The two fired their rifles in the air and soldiers nearby took up the fake firelight. Gunshots hit the woman in a nearby courtyard. Nation in War on drugs poll says some willing to give up rights for drug War new York apr a Survey has found that Confidence in president Bush s War on cocaine is waning and conchis Are on the Rise about drug abuse in the nations neighbourhoods. Nearly half the respondents in the Media general associated press poll said drugs Are a serious problem where they live. That was up from 40 percent 10 months ago when Bush announced his anti drug Campaign. Many americans a a More than four Iii 10 of those under 45 years old a continued to say they know a cocaine user. While most believed the Golem ment can reduce drug abuse 55 percent expected the problem to Worsen. In september just after Bush declared the War on drugs 74 percent of americans believed the administration was making a serious Effort to combat illegal drug use. That Confidence has fallen to 59 percent. At the same time 18 percent said the problem of drug abuse is a very serious in their own neighbourhoods a up from 14 percent in september a and 30 percent said it was a somewhat serious a up from 26 percent. Despite that concern the poll found a Sharp drop in the number of americans citing drug abuse As the nations greatest problem Down from 61 percent after Bush a speech to 24 percent now. But that gauge is one of the most sensitive to publicity and Bush a remarks capped a summer Long Media focus on the drug crisis. Even though it fell sharply in the new Survey drug abuse remained the most cited problem facing the country. The Survey confirmed the severity of the drug plague in poor areas the poorest respondents were nearly twice As Likely As the wealthiest to say drugs were a very serious problem in their neighbourhoods. Of those earning less than $15,000 a year 27 percent called the problem a very  among those earning More than $50,-000, 16 percent said so. Black respondents were twice As Likely As Whites by 35 percent to 17 percent to Call the drug problem a very serious in their neighbourhoods. A National poll taken last fall shows a number of americans Are willing to Exchange some of their rights for Public order. Give up some freedoms in . To reduce the amount of drug use. Don t know 7% allow police to Stop cars at random to search for drugs even if it Means people like you Are stopped. Done to know 1% make it against the Law to show the use of illegal drugs in movies. Done to know 1% a allow police to search without a warrant houses of suspected drug Sellers. Even if houses of people like you Are searched by mistake. Don tknow2%biologists create Strain of minimize Athens Ohio apr scientists announced monday that they employed genetic engineering to create a Strain of midget mice a development that could be applied to other animals and Lead to treatment for gigantism in humans. In a report in the journal proceedings of the National Academy of sciences Johnjr Kopchick and Wen y. Chen molecular biologists at Ohio University said they developed a Gene that suppressed the growth hormone in mice. The mice were half the Normal size they said. The discovery could Lead to the development of smaller farm mammals that would use food More efficiently and possibly to the development of new drug treatments for gigantism when the body grows abnormally Large because of excessive production of growth hormone by the pituitary gland. The Gene was developed during experiments in which the men were attempting to grow a super mice a Kopchick said. A was often in science you get what you done to expect. This is the most exciting thing in be Ever done a he added. The scientists were building on earlier genetic engineering experiments in which joke twice As big As Normal were produced by inserting a growth hormone from cows into the genes of embryonic Mke they intended to make the mice grow even bigger by making three changes in the hormone before inserting it. The changes instead produced urge amounts of a protein that retards  is Mother celebrates 89th Kennebunkport Maine apr tourists san a Happy birthday to 89-year-old Dorothy Walker bus on sunday As one emerged from St. Annas by the sea episcopal Church on the Arm of her son president Bush a thanks for the greeting for my mom a said the vacationing president Clad m a Kelly Green Blazer dark Slacks and White shoes. Mrs. Bush whose father purchased the property at walkers Point that became the family a summer Homestead Early in this Century appeared to relish the attention. Her birthday also was noted from the altar during the service by both the Rector the Rev. Laman h. Bruner jr., and episcopal Bishop Edward chaifant who delivered the Sermon. The Bishop praised Bush who is Here preparing for a nato Summit in London this week for a your courageous witness for world peace. He said the president Over the past year has been a an instrument of god for the possibility of world peace and an unimaginable global  four generations of Bushes attended the service including the presidents daughter Dorothy Leblond and her two children Sam and Erie who helped pass the collection plates. The president is a vestry Man of the 102-year-old Stone Church which is Only open from the last sunday in june until the Day before labor Day. Bush later played Tennis. He also had boating and another 18 holes of Golf on the Agenda on the third Day of an extended fourth of july weekend stay at his oceanfront Home. President Bush and his wife Barbara escort the presidents Mother Dorothy from Church services