European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 23, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 7bush tall in Saddle despite slide Washington up despite president Bush a big slide m the Public Sion polls he still stands tall when in dared with his immediate a reduces Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter and even Ronald Reagan. Bush a latest Public approval ratings of % percent to 60 percent Down by up to 20 Points from just a month ago remain significantly higher than the average scores posted by each of the four preceding presidents. Gallup polls show Nixon had an aver Aee approval rating of 48 percent during has two terms that ended with the watergate scandal. Ford and Carter posted identical Marks of 47 percent. Reagan the a great communicator a did no to do much better 52 percent. He had scores upward of 60 percent during Good economic times but less than 40 percent in hard times. Lyndon Johnson had an average approval rating of 56 percent and typical of Many presidents he had a roller coaster ride. Lbs a a ratings went from a High of 79 percent in Early 1964, just months after the assassination of John f. Kennedy to a Low of 35 percent in late 1968. That was at the height of the Vietnam War which drove him from office. Kennedy had the highest presidential approval rating Ever registered by Gallup 83 percent in the Early Days of  he had a Low of 56 percent in late 1963 and an average Mark of 71 percent. Dwight Eisenhower the former general and War hero had an average approval rating of 65 percent with swings from 79 percent to 48 percent. A Gallup poll and a Washington Post Abc poll both released last week found Bush a mired in the budget mess and a crisis in the persian Gulf a with approval ratings of 56 percent. A new York to incs lbs Survey put the figure at 60 percent. Those numbers Are Down dramatically from the 70 percent and 80 percent ratings Bush had last year and the 70-plus rating he got in August and september. Just As important the new polls found the president with the highest disapproval ratings of his administration a from 30 percent to 40 percent. The previous highs in the three surveys ranged from 25 percent to 33 percent. Bush entered office with an approval rating of 51 percent one of the lowest of any modern president. But he was quickly boosted by the collapse of communism in Europe and the end of the cold War. The president received a High of 80 percent in january after the . Invasion of Panama that ousted Manuel Noriega. According to the Gallup polls his average approval rating for his first two years in office was 68 percent. That places him at this Point three Points ahead of Eisenhower and three Points behind Kennedy. The new round of surveys shows that Bush has been bruised by the budget debacle a the biggest Domestic crisis of his administration a and by the slumping Economy. They also find he is experiencing an erosion of support in the persian Gulf the biggest test yet of his Mettle  s soft cell called dictator s suite Miami up a imprisoned panamanian Gen. Manuel Noriega is awaiting trial in a three room a a dictator a suite furnished with a color to an exercise Bike a private Shower an ism computer and a paper shredder. A sunday report in the Miami Herald said Noriega a suite at the metropolitan correctional Center also has a Telephone an executives desk a conference table six chairs and two safes with alarm systems. In the evening while the other 1,232 prisoners Are locked in their cells guards accompany Noriega on a stroll of the prison grounds walking among the ficus Trees on a Lakeside pathway. Sometimes hecklers peek out and shout  a Tennis at 11, Tea at 3,�?� Noriega joked one Day to defense attorney Jon May. Noriega awaiting a 1991 trial on cocaine charges leads a comfortable but isolated life in the suburban prison 24 Miles Southwest of Miami his lawyers said. A the general does no to complain about anything a said May. A Noriega inmate no. 41586, has a cell bedroom a conference room and an office. Defense attorney Richard Sharpstein who represents a co defendant dubbed it the a a dictator a suite Frank Rubino another of Noriega a attorneys said the office equipment is used by the lawyers to help prepare Noriega a defense. A a he a entitled to it because of his confinement. The general  come to my office a Rubino said. But Noriega can to open the safes which contain secret documents because he does no to have the combination Rubino said. Noriega is allowed to roam freely around the cell but he is monitored by a closed circuit camera and his phone Calls Are also monitored. He has a window but no View. The government erected a Brick Wall 3 inches in front of his window for Security. The . Government will not discuss the Price tag for the deposed dictators Security. Nor will government officials discuss the Price for his English lesson tapes his underwear or his freeze dried Coffee All of which the government supplies. Noriega buys his own oreo cookies at the commissary for $2.20 a package the newspaper said. . District judge William Hoeveler has declared Noriega a prisoner of War. As such army col. James Burger a lawyer from the judge advocate general a office in Washington visited Noriega and gave him an id card and a copy of the Geneva convention in Spanish. Noriega told the colonel he had no real complaints about his prison treatment except that his family cannot visit him. His pow status entitles him to a monthly salary of 75 Swiss francs or $59, paid by the . Government. Noriega passes his time shooting basketball with jailers watching his favorite soap opera on to and responding to letters. His correspondents have included eighth Grade pen pals at Suzanne Middle school in Walnut calif., the Syracuse Republican club and convicted Medellin Cartel Kingpin Carlos Ledger Rivas who is imprisoned in Marion 111. Noriega also spends time Reading newspapers history books and the Bible in Spanish. A the Public a idea of a prison comes from Jimmy Cagney movies a tin cups clanging against bars mean officers and Lousy food a said Warden Stephen f. Pontesso. A a it a not that Way at  fewer High school dropouts try for ged diplomas study shows1933 Packard sold at auction for $745,000 Uncertain Texas a a 1933 Packard Model custom Dietrich fetched the top bid of $745,000 at an automobile auction sunday that Drew More than 10,000 spectators. The intense bidding on two exclusive car collections owned by Marshall businessman Gene Ponder and the late oilman Samuel f. Vaughan Iii was the talk of this East Texas town located about 156 Miles East of Dallas. Vaughan was killed in an oct. 6 air plane crash at the Uncertain Airstrip. Ponders collection of mrs was recognized As the largest collection in the United states and the second largest in the world. Nearly 160 classic automobiles crossed the auction Block during the 12-hour event saturday. The buyer of the 1933 Packard was from Philadelphia but his identity was not disclosed. Among the top Sellers were a 1930 Duesenberg Model j-225 Walker la Grande torpedo Phaeton which sold for 5722,500, a 1932 Duesenberg Model j-490 Perham Tou Rister which sold for 5450,000, and a 1929 Duesenberg Model i 350 Willoughby which went for wo0,000. The weekend auction attracted More than 600 bidders from the United states Switzerland Germany Holland Japan Colombia Canada France England and Sweden. Washington a educators say evidence that fewer dropouts seek High school equivalency diplomas May Bode ill for the nations economic future. In a study of diploma candidates the american Council on education found 683,000 took the tests during 1989, 7 percent less than in 1988 and less than 1.3 percent of the 43 million adults Over 18 without a High school diploma. The number of candidates aged 18 to 24 declined by 26 percent. Only half of the drop May be due to the 12.5 percent decrease in the size of the . Population within that age Range during this period according to the study released sunday by the councils general educational development ged testing service. A if Young people Are choosing to work rather than Complete their schooling the Price May be High for both individuals and society. Individuals lose opportunities for additional training advanced education better jobs and higher wages while society loses the increased productivity of better educated More highly skilled workers a the study said. A in order to qualify for training further education jobs and higher earnings these adults must have opportunities to earn High school  earning diplomas were 376,000 who took the tests which represents about 18 percent of All High school diplomas awarded that year according to the study. Program director Douglas r. Whitney and Janet Baldwin senior research associate said the study showed a great need for More outreach efforts to increase Access to programs for High school completion. A the ged is the Gateway to educational and economic Opportunity for millions of americans a said Whitney. A a it a a matter of National concern that too Many adults who would Benefit from these opportunities find their paths blocked by obstacles that could be removed by More enlightened policies and programs to facilitate their  since 1942, the ged program has been recognized nationwide by employers and colleges. Adults must surpass the performance of about 30 percent of a National Sample of graduating High school seniors to earn equivalency diplomas and qualify for College enrolment training programs jobs and Job advancement. In other key findings the study showed a about 200,000 adults or 33 percent of candidates in 1989, took the ged tests primarily to meet educational admissions requirements compared with 29.1 percent in 1980. A the percentage of candidates who took the tests for employment reasons declined from 38.6 percent in 1980 to 32.2 percent in 1989. A the proportion of hispanic candidates increased from 6.8 percent in 1980 to 11.2 percent in 1989, while the percentage of Black candidates fell from 17.1 percent in 1980 to 14.2 percent in 1989. A the percentage of ged candidates who reported having left school due to pregnancy or marriage tripled. In 1989, one in five adults taking the ged tests 19.7 percent cited this reason As the most important compared with 6.4 percent in 1980. A in 1980, 68.5 percent and in 1989, 69.9 percent reported having completed 10th Grade or higher before leaving High school while 36.9 percent in 1980 and 38.6 percent in 1989 reported having completed 11th Grade or higher. A about three of every four candidates reported having grades while in school of a mostly a cd or better in both 1980,76.8 percent and 1989, 74 percent. Some 23.2 percent reported in school grades of a mostly a by or better in 1980, compared to just 21.5 percent in 1989