European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a a the stars and stripes in toe forces patient to foot big Bill land of lakes Fla. Map a the next time Jack Mcelhinny gets a splinter he plans to take care of it himself. The last one has Cost More than $3700 to remove. The 57-year-old retired real estate broker had pulled most of the splinter out of his big toe and was Able to jog and play Tennis but the Sliver annoyed him. He went to his doctor who a Rayed the toe and referred him to a surgeon who sent him to another physician. When it became infected the doctor said he d have to go to the Hospital to get it removed. Mcelhinny thought it would be a simple procedure. Then a clerk called and asked whether he had a will and had signed an Organ donor card. A in retrospect that a the Point at which i should have realized things had gotten out of control a Mcelhinny said. He underwent tests and the surgery was done under local ails Thusia. The splinter a about a half Inch Long and thin a was removed. The Hospital Bill was $3,177.11. The pathologists asked for $ 197.35. The Anaesthesiologist a billed him for $400. A i Haven to even gotten the surgeons Bill yet.  probably deliver that in a brinks truck Quot Mcelhinny said. ,. But the surgeon Thomas Dipasquale said his fee will be less than the hospitals Bill. Extra tests May be unnecessary 95 percent of the time he said but malpractice insurance requires them. Mcelhinney a insurer paid $1,906.27 of the $3,177.11 Bill. He is supposed to pay $476, and the rest will be waived. Tuesday August 21,1990 Lack of Washington up a if White House and congressional budget negotiators fail to agree on a deficit reduction plan by oct. I automatic cuts of $105.7 billion in defense and other programs would be triggered the administration said monday. In its initial report on the potential spending cuts called sequestration the administrations office of management and budget said that under current Law the cuts would total $85.4 billion. But assuming some Likely legislative action before oct. ,1, such As reauthorization of the food stamp program and More Money to bail out failed savings and Loans Quot the final sequester report would use to $105.7 billion if no deficit reducing legislation were enacted a the bomb said. If automatic cuts occur the Agency said $52.8 billion would be Cut from non exempt defense programs. That is 43.6 percent of the $121.1 billion in defense spending that is not exempt from the cuts. Another $ 185.4 billion in Pentagon spending would be exempt from the cuts. President Bush announced earlier this month that he would exempt All military personnel accounts from the cuts. Doing so prevents cutbacks in uniformed personnel at a time of the persian Gulf crisis the heaviest . Military deployment since Vietnam. But the move hits harder on civilian Pentagon personnel and on weapons  similar $52.8 billion also would be trimmed from non exempt Domestic spending programs. That re resents 40.7 percent of the $125.1 billion that Wou not be exempt from the cuts on oct. 1. While social Security benefits Are exempt from the cuts medicare benefits Are not. But under the Law cuts in medicare cannot be reduced by More than 2 percent to help poor americans. That Means the remaining 28 percent of All Federal programs would feel the full Brunt of sequestration. Id billions in cuts the new numbers have changed Little from the administrations mid year economic review in july which put the  for fiscal year 1991, which begins oct. 1, at $168.8 billion. Since the Gramm Rudman balanced budget Law requires that the fiscal 1991 deficit be reduced to $64 billion the projected deficit for next year was $104.8 billion Over the deficit reduction target. So the Ombis latest projection of $105.7 billion is Only slightly higher than the level of possible spending cuts released in july. Congressional and administration officials both have said that they want to avoid the Steep automatic. Cuts designed As the discipline to ensure that the deficit reduction targets in the Gramm Rudman balanced budget Law Are observed. They have warned that if the cuts Are triggered thousands of Federal workers would have to be furloughed and that essential government services such As air traffic controllers would be seriously Cut Back. Air traffic control cutbacks they said could produce Long Airport delays for Takeoff or Landing clearance or could Lead to cancellation of hundreds of flights. White House and congressional budget negotiators have been meeting since May 15 to try to work out a deficit reduction package of about $50 billion in fiscal 1991 and about $5q0 billion Over the next five fiscal years. As Congress left on its monthlong summer recess in Early August the talks were stalled. Negotiators Are scheduled to meet again about sept. 6 and have Given themselves an unofficial deadline of sept. 10 to reach agreement. White House press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater said monday that a the president feels the negotiations Are on track. We re getting ready to work with Congress. We will have a significant deficit reduction package to put on the table when the negotiations  delayed by communication problem Pasadena Calif. Apr Magellan a Mission to map Venus will be delayed two Days while engineers try to figure out Why they temporarily lost touch with the space ship last week Nasa said monday. The spacecrafts 243-Day mapping Mission had been scheduled to begin aug. 29, but now will Start sept. 1, said Jim Doyle spokesman for the National aeronautics and space administrations Jet propulsion Laboratory. The spacecraft already has used its radar to make its first test pictures of the Cloud covered planet. The Laboratory was planning to release those pictures tuesday. Scientists said last week the pictures show a Venus quake faults volcanic cinder Cones and old lava flows. Engineers lost touch with Magellan on thursday for nearly 15 hours just after the spaceship sent those pictures to Earth. Intermittent Contact was restored midday Friday then steady communication was re established Friday night. In an attempt to figure out the cause of the problem engineers spent the weekend unloading Magellan a memory Banks. After that task was completed sunday night the engineers started analysing the information to diagnose the malfunction said Tommy Thompson Magellan science manager. He said engineers narrowed the cause of the communication problem to four or five possibilities. Magellan went into orbit around Venus on aug. 10 after a looping 948-million-mile trip from Earth. It was launched from the space shuttle Atlantis on May 4, 1989. The $744 million Magellan Mission Aims to use radar to peer through Venus thick Clouds and make the Best pictures yet of the planets  winnings wont go Down the Drain a her rustic Home in Rural West Virginia lacks indoor plumbing but Carol Bowyer of Raleigh plans to have this Kitchen sink and other fixtures installed now that she has won $25,000 in the state pottery. Bowyer says she had a Choice last june when she considered buying a few lottery tickets a she could either cat or put a few dollars in the lottery. One of those is tickets made her a big Winner. Sale runs 450 Miles a a through 4 states Owenton by. Apr for anyone into Yard sales it was hand me Down heaven a the . 127 corridor 450-mile outdoor Sale festival. Sunday marked the end of the fourth annual four Day four slate Roadside extravaganza which started thursday it stretched from Covington ky., to near Gadsden ala., passing through Tennessee and Georgia. Although there Wasny to a continuous line of stalls along the entire route there was no shortage of tables and truck Beds to pick Over. The festival is meant to help the economies of Small towns and counties along . 127 by luring tourists off the interstates. A a we be got Beautiful scenery along 127, and its w Orth the drive a even if you done to find any bargains said j Udy Roysden of Jamestown Tenn she said the Sale was promoted in tourist magazines and by tourism departments in Kentucky and Tennes see. Business slowed Down toward the end of the weekend after a brisk Start on thursday and Friday several dealers attributed the slump to travellers from Northern states already having passed through. George and june minor of Louisville ky., who were in route to the annual Pioneer Days festival in Kentucky a Mercer county said they did no to know about the Yard Sale Evertt but were stopping at Many of the stands. George is crazy about Yard sales a june minor said. By saturday afternoon some dealers were beginning to see trav Elers returning from the South their vans Ana cars loaded and their pockets empty