European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes sunday. July 15,1390 a. M Mim Llis a protesters dog championship event As the top dog world championship Prairie dog protesters arrested saturday after they disrupted the spots Prairie dogs. Hunters competed for More than shoot in Nucla Colo gets under Way a police officer Hunt. Meanwhile Hunter Don Mahlic right of Long $7,000 in prizes. The event Drew some 106 shooters Handcuffs and leads away Doug Little one of two Mon colo., takes aim As his teammate Al Porter from As far away As California and Texas. Sleek new trolley system debuts in los Angeles los Angeles apr the trolley which gasped its last in this snog by City three decades ago was reincarnated saturday As part of a $10 billion Effort to wean residents from the automobile. Hundreds of guests and curious citizens watched politicians dedicate the 22-mile metro Blue line saturday morning in the first of a series of ceremonies at stations along the route. A thirty years after the last red car served this Community today we launch the beginning of the hew Blue  declared mayor Tom Bradley. Officials reporters and guests then packed onto the sleek new trolleys at the downtown Pico station and headed South to Long Beach the Blue line is an Over had powered trolley system running Between downtown and Long Beach financed by a half cent county sales tax approved by voters in 1980. Actually it is a reinvention of the old Pacific electric red car line that began covering the very same route 90 years ago. Those trains a nostalgically recalled in the movie a who framed Roger Rabbit a a were derailed in 1961 by a City that had become hopelessly hooked on cars. =. A the movies plot a in which the villain plotted to destroy the red car line a a mimicked real life in which automakers managed to sideline the trolley in favor of buses and other Gas guzzlers. Although Sleeker and faster than its predecessor the Blue line could be sidetracked itself by a 1990s prob-1cm. Many neighbourhoods along the 25-Stop route Are now among the most gang infested in the City prompting some critics to dub it a Streetcar named  the $877 million line is the first part of a $10 billion 150-mile rail Grid planned into the next Century for los Angeles which is rib boned by freeways so jammed that the simplest commute can take an hour or More. As a result the area generates some of the worst air pollution in the country. Included in the proposed Grid is the $1.3 billion metro rail subway which suffered a setback Friday when fire ravaged a maintenance Tunnel under construction. The first four mile segment was scheduled to open in 1993, to Spur Public interest the Blue line will offer free introduce Oil rides Over the weekend with thousands expected to attend what one official called a �?o20-mile-Long Block  a computerized control room dubbed the uss Enterprise includes an arc of color screens showing the Progress of each train and 64 television monitors keep an Eye on the 22 stations. Operators of the $1 million japanese built electric trains Are in constant radio Contact with the control room but cars can be stopped or slowed by Remote control. A projected 5,000 to 7,000 riders a Day Are expected to Board the air conditioned rubber wheeled coaches that will Glide Over nearly seamless rails at speeds of up to 55 Mph for a one Way fare of $ 1.10. Ted Kalivas 66, of Long Beach said he Rode the red car line As a teen Ager but said he would stay off the Blue line. A a it a Good transportation but it goes through a bad area a Kalivas said in a Coffee shop near the Anaheim Street station. A i would say it will be very dangerous. The cops had better be right  House oks freeze on sex presidents office funds Washington apr the House voted Friday to freeze spending on office expenses of former presidents amid complaints they arc millionaires who already receive generous pensions. Quot with this government tottering on the financial Brink of disaster taxpayers in this country might wonder about the sanity of forcing them to give a half a million dollars each to four wealthy men who Are already collecting $ 107,000 each in pensions a said rep. Andy Jacobs a ind. The action came on amendments to a $20.7 billion appropriations Bill for fiscal 1991 spending by the treas i department postal service the office of the president and Independent agencies. The Bill provides new authority for the secret service to join the Fri in investigating savings and loan fraud. It authorizes 300 new secret service agents a a 50 percent increase for the Agency a to join the 600 Fri agents at work in the a amp a scandals. The secret service while known for protecting the president has Long been responsible for investigating counterfeiting As Well As securities credit card and computer fraud. The Bill approved on a 300-72 vote goes to the Senate. Jacobs a frequent critic of taxpayer spending on former presidents tried to Amend the Bill by slashing All office expenses for former presidents totalling nearly $1.6 million but the House voted 300-91 to Amend Jacobs amendment so that it freezes the office expenditure at 1990 Levels. That represents a Cut of 8 percent $156,000, in the total spending on former presidents including their $ 107,300 a year pensions. Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan receive pensions and benefits. Rep. Edward r. Roybal d-calif., floor manager for the appropriations Bill opposed Jacobs attempt to slash the presidential spending but supported the freeze. It a sends a message we re looking at this thing very carefully a he said. A they should be prudent in the expenditure of  the Bill contains other provisions that Send that message too. It orders the Treasury department to report to Congress on How to reduce Federal spending on travel by former presidents Ana their spouses when they Are being paid to give speeches including whether the government should seek reimbursement. It authorizes the secret service to accept private contributions to offset the Cost of protecting former presidents when they make paid appearances or speeches a something it can to accept now. The action came among expressions of dismay Over payments to former presidents while they use their status to Rake in Large amounts of Money. The Bill a Overall spending amounts to an increase of $2.3 billion Over 1990 Levels and $7.8 million Over what president Bush sought in his budget proposal. Gop conservatives threaten to run candidate in �?T92 Washington apr conservative leaders Are muttering about running a candidate in 1992 if president Bush does no to toe their line. Quot it is too Early to Tell what any of us is going to do Quot Howard Phillips chairman of the conservative caucus said at a new s conference Friday. But if Bush a stays in his present course he will be challenged in 1992, almost certainly in the Republican primaries and certainly in the general election a Phillips added the chief complaint is the president s abandonment of his a no new taxes Quot pledge. Bush has a dealt a crippling blow to his own credibility a said David a. Keene chairman of the american conservative Union. A we believe. That it was because of us that he got elected and we need reassurance Quot said l. Brent Bozell Iii executive director of the conservative Victory committee. A whenever there a a close presidential race and the Republican nominee aban dons his conservative voters they lose a said Richard a. Viguerie president of United conservatives of America. Viguerie cited As examples the races of 1948, when new York gov. Thomas a. Dewey lost to president Truman 1960, when Richard Nixon lost to John f. Kennedy and 1976, when president Ford lost to Jimmy Carter