European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 a a the stars and stripes saturday november 24,1990 30 states facing shortfall studies say Boston apr at least 30 states face budget deficits because of the rising Cost of services falling tax revenues Ana slackening consumer spending. The deficits Range from $42 million in Tennessee to $1 billion in new York according to studies by the National association of state budget officers and the Boston Globe. A a it a unusual to have this Many states in trouble when we re really just going into a recession a said Jeny Miller head of the state budget group. The last time things were this bad in 1982-83, we were already in a the surveys concluded that the faltering Economy has dampened business output leading to a falloff in revenues from state business taxes. A corporate taxes Are the most volatile and have fallen the greatest a said George Leung head of state ratings at Moody a investors service. Leung said Consumers have been buying less leading to a drop in sales tax collections. A studies show consumer Confidence has dropped to record lows a he said. The less Consumers spend the More businesses Are Likely to Lay off workers. State governments also have trimmed their payrolls including Massachusetts where up to 10,000 part and full time state jobs have been eliminated Over the past two years. The surveys found that Job losses by both Public and private employers Are adding to state spending As unemployed workers sign up for state benefits and More families Jom the welfare Rolls. Such layoffs have also depressed states third major source of Revenue personal income taxes. Indications of economic hard times were papered Over in some states to shield officeholders running for re election said Hal Hovey editor of state budget and tax news. Hovey said that in Maine for example officials falsely reassured voters that depressed revenues would increase after the election. A Michigan budget officials predicted spending on medicaid would drop Hovey said a when everyone else expects it to go up 10 percent to 20 Miller agreed that a a number of states were not totally candid until after the the Federal government last year began requiring states to pay for expanded coverage for victims of catastrophic illness nursing Home residents and pregnant women. A just the new mandates in medicaid Cost More than the total Revenue growth in a number of states including new York Rhode Island and Massachusetts a said Miller. These Are the 30 states facing deficits As listed by the surveys which did not provide Complete deficit figures Alabama Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri new Hampshire new Jersey new York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Vermont and for october pegged at $31 46 billion Washington up the United states posted a budget deficit of $31.46 billion in october in the opening month of fiscal 1991, the Treasury department reported Friday. The shortfall follows a surplus of $20.84 billion in september. It was higher than the deficit of $26.08 billion in october 1989, according to the departments regular budget statement. Last months outlays totalled $110.17 billion while receipts totalled $78.71 billion the government said. The United states is expected to run a budget deficit of at least $176.33 billion during the fiscal year 1991, according to Bush administration estimates and a shortfall of $133.88 billion for fiscal 1992. Many economists however expect even higher annual deficits. Under the category a contribution to the defense cooperation account a the government received $1.62 billion in october mainly for the operation desert shield buildup in the persian Gulf. Overall defense spending totalled $24.09 billion for the month. Quot the United states also paid $18.08 billion in october on interest on the Public debt which includes Bills notes and Bonds issued by the Treasury department the government said. Spending on the Resolution Trust corp., the Agency created to liquidate the assets of failed savings and Loans totalled $5.68 billion in the first month of the new fiscal year. Social Security spending amounted to $19.45 billion. The United states also took in $40.69 billion in income taxes in october $1.61 billion in corporate income taxes $3.01 billion in excise taxes and $1.53 billion in customs duties the government said. Tests for hiv-2 in blood too costly cd advises Atlanta apr a rare form of the aids virus could slip into the nations blood Supply but officials at the Federal centers for disease control said Friday that it Wasny to Worth the Cost to try to detect it. There Are Only 18 known cases of people infected with the virus known As hiv-2, in the United states. Tests for the More common aids virus hiv-1, will usually a but not always a detect the rarer Strain predominantly found in West Africa. A cd study of More than 25,000 blood samples detected no blood donors with hiv-2 infection. It would Cost More than $60 million a year to test every blood donor for hiv-2, and the cd concluded that it Wasny to Worth it. Or. Lyle Peterson an epidemiologist at the Atlanta based cd who led the study said researchers chose 25,000 blood samples from the american red Cross and new York blood Center which provide More than 50 percent of the nations blood Supply. Currently blood centers conduct two tests for hiv-1 an enzyme immunoassay Ela and Western blot. Positive results from one test mean the blood will not be used. Peterson said researchers have discovered that hiv-2 carriers Are Likely to test positive on the Eia and negative on the Western blot. So the study Only used Eia positive samples. But when these High risk samples were tested solely for hiv-2, that Strain of the virus did not appear. A these samples represent Over 12 million donations so we re pretty confident there Isnit any hiv-2�?� in the blood Supply Peterson said. A generally 60 to 90 percent of the time hiv-2 carriers will have a positive hiv-1 the cd believes there is Only one hiv-2 Carrier to have donated blood in the United states. The woman who was not identified had travelled to West Africa and donated blood in 1986 before the hiv-2 surveillance project began. But because her blood tested positive for hiv-1, it was not used. The cd has biographical information on 15 of the 18 hiv-2 infected people in the United states. All of those either had immigrated from or travelled to West Africa recently or had had sexual Contact with West africans. Because of the hiv-2 risk people who have moved to the United states from West Africa since 1977 Are excluded from donating blood and officials routinely question potential donors about their Contact with West africans. Peterson said the cd is continuing the study and will report to the . Food and drug administration which would decide whether blood should be tested for hiv-2. Acting up for the Kkt Selkirk High school teacher Eva Gayle six left and her assistant Kirstin Redinger get the measure of a student who is playing a Klansman in the schools production of a the the Metaline Falls wash., school is putting on the play which spoofs the Kun flux klan to help dispel the City a image of being racist because White supremacist Robert Mathews once lived there. Angry santas picket mall to protest Elf s firing West Seneca . Up two people in Santa Claus suits picketed a suburban Buffalo shopping mall Friday angered by mall management claims that one of Santa selves made a suggestive comment to an employee. The two carried signs which read a work wanted elves out of work a to protest being fired because an Elf allegedly said he would like to a a molest a female employee at Seneca mall. Because of the allegation the mall plans to break its contract with old style music co. To provide Santa mrs. Claus frosty the snowman Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer and elves for the Holiday shopping Rush. Kevin Hejmanowski vice president of old style music said the trouble began nov. 17 a the first Day Santa and his colourful entourage arrived at the mall a when mall officials said one of the elves harassed the employee. According to Bernard Zolnowski one of the picketing santas a the mall manager Larry Rose came up to myself and Santa and said that one of our elves had made a suggestive comment to a store employee. And the comment was. 1 want to molest your a James Lagona an attorney representing old style music said he plans to file a suit against the mall in state supreme court. Difficult to break that contract on Mere allegations a he said. Hisem Lorows a a is Here was no wrongdoing by g0 and recruit bums off the Street a he Saia. We have a Good reputation to
