European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 the stars and stripes monday. December 17,1990don t Rush Star wars panel warns Washington apr the House government operations committee warned sunday that deployment of the first phase of the strategic defense initiative could become another ill fated Hubble Telescope citing Pentagon documents testimony at hearings and a general accounting office report released in july the panel raised serious questions about deploying the system a commonly known As Star wars a in 1993. In january the Pentagon incorporated the Quot Brilliant pebbles Quot concept into phase i of the ski system. That technology involves several thousand interceptors that would orbit the Earth to seek and destroy a target by smashing into it at High speeds. Phase 1 also involves seven highly integrated cd a mints including two space based sensors a space based weapon two ground based sensors a ground based weapon and a command and control system the Gao the investigative Arm of Congress also said that detailed tests planned by the strategic defense initiative organization wont be completed before the scheduled presidential decision on deployment in 1993, the organization is a defense department Agency that oversees the Star wars program. Based on the problems of incomplete testing the Gao said it does no to believe the Star wars organization Quot will be Able to give the president enough information to support a 1993 decision to deploy phase 1,&Quot a the fallacy of sacrificing adequate testing for Early deployment is highlighted by the Hubble space Telescope a democrats and republicans on the committee said in the 39-Page report. A this is but a Small example of the problems that could beset a far More Complex ski system composed of thousands of space based shortly after the $1.5 billion Hubble Telescope was launched from the space shuttle discovery fast april officials discovered a problem with the primary Mirror that was providing a blurred View of the universe. Nine of 15 republicans on the committee dissented from the report saying it was unclear Why the pane prepared the report. The gop members also contended that a possible delay in deploying the ski system would not of due to problems with the program but rather congressional cuts in the Star wars budget. President Bush recently signed a defense budget for the fiscal year that began oct. 1, providing $2.9 billion for ski nearly $2 billion less than he requested from Congress and $900 million less than Congress provided last year. Maj. Mike Doble a spokesman for the Star wars organization said Friday that the Agency had riot seen the report and would have no immediate comment. The report is based largely on a Gao study that said deploying the first phase of Star wars would be a premature and fraught with High risk because of problems with design and testing the investigative Agency said the introduction of Nolc Quot Brilliant pebbles concept drastically changed the sys terns design leaving it in a stale of flux. The committee report also questions the Cost estimates of the ski program. The Pentagon plans to spend from $69 billion to $87 billion to develop and deploy the j first phase of the strategic defense system designed to protect the United states from a soviet nuclear ballistic missile attack. To Date $2 billion has been spent on the phase 1 aspect of the system. The committee contends that the Cost could easily increase. Eleven of the 23 democrats on the panel said in an addition to the report that the country Quot could ill afford the Folly of Reagan a Star wars dream a decade ago. Twenty billion dollars later we can barely afford even the More prudent course of continuing with its Basic de Tauber counts his change counts As extra work for some Washington a while the rest of America is plunking Down in front of to sets to watch parades and football games on new years Day Alice Tauber expects to be Well,., counting bottles. A a in a freaking out a she says Fie smiles As she says this but there a a hint of panic As her eyes Dart Over thousands of bottles m the liquor store she and her husband de have owned for 16 years. You see All those bottles have to be counted so the tubers can figure How much have to pay to cover the new Federal excise tax they wont be alone. Everyone who Sells alcohol and cigarettes a some 600,000 retail outlets plus producers importers and wholesalers. A must count every bottle and every puck As of Jan. I the Day the increase goes into effect. And come Jan. 2, mrs. Tauber said with a laugh a either ill be in the Hospital or to a be Washington up while studiously avoiding the word a recession a Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady acknowledged sunday what All the governments numbers have been showing a that the nations Economy is in a a significant slowdown a a a Brady said however that a recession is a no big deals and that this one will be Short a Over in less than a year. Nonetheless he called on the Federal Reserve Board to lower interest rates to Spur economic activity and bring the nation More quickly out of the downturn. Brady making his comments on no cd so meet the press a said a a in be been a Little slow to declare a National recession Day.�?T. But its quite Clear a there a no Point in being unrealistic a that we re going to have a significant economic slowdown in the fourth Quarter of this year. �?�1 expect that that will continue into the first Quarter of next year a he continued. A we done to know How much but we expect that during 1991 it will turn around and we will be Back on the growth path of jobs and investment during a he did say however that a there is ample room for a further reduction in interest rates. He added thai he hoped the fed which is scheduled to meet tuesday would take note of both a recession and the agreement worked out Between Congress and the White House last fall As reasons for an interest rate reduction. Brady also said the Economy is begin ring to feel the effects of the persian Gulf. Crisis. A a a a. A a a a. A a. Private analysts have predicted that the severity of the recession May depend on How quickly the Gulf situation is resolved but Brady said he a has never heard the Economy d is use d As a by k i and o f i Nee n five for action arring top administration officials. Michael Boskini chairman of Bush a Council of economic advisers also said the recession is Likely to he a mild and v \ he told Abc s a issues and answers that he expects the fed to lower rates but he sliced away from urging such a course. A i like to conduct my business with the fed in private a he however seemed concerned that the current economic troubles could be aggravated by the fragile system of the nations institutions. William Sci Man chairman of the Federal Deposit insurance corp., has estimated mat the of Dick a which insures Bank customers against losses a will lose $4 billion this what the Bush administration planned to do about getting the nation out of the recession Brady offered few plans other than the budget agreement and the hoped for reduction in interest rates by the Federal Reserve. Then he said strength of the Economy would take up the Slack and a economic activity would return and Well be Back on our feet sometime in the. Next a. He also indicated however that Bush will be Given additional options in the new budget for fiscal 1992 that will be presented Early next year. But he refused to discuss them a before the president hashed a Chance to look at them a z new York apr two leading education research centers announced sunday they have received Grants to devise better ways to measure the thinking skills students will need to become successful adults. The University of Pittsburgh a learning research and development Center will receive $1,15 million from the Pew charitable trusts of Philadelphia. A for a related study the National Center on education and the Economy in Rochester n.y., will get $1,3 million Frony the John p. And Catherine t. Mae Artilur foundation of Chicago. The Pittsburgh group will Deal primarily with technical aspects of the study while the Rochester Center will focus on broader policy questions bets Brown. Ruzzi senior associate of the Rochester groups Washington office said in a Tele plume interview. The Grants will fund the first 18 months of what could become a decade Long Effort to replace the common multiple Choice. Tests with a new testing method that measures How Well students perform in real life situations officials of both centers Sumiji. A. A 1 a a a a growing numbers of educators and n i n is s the a de is h ave to n i p 1 a in e d t h at standardized tests give miste Dinely positive signals about How Well prepared Are for the Complex problems they w ill face As workers and ii Zens. 1 a i in a n Cic twee five officer i. R i chairman of the presi Dent s education policy , called the Grants a very Good a improved assessment will help us to understand Lai National and internal comparisons and Point the was to necessary changes in our education process he said. 1 die first glimpse of the proposed assess Morns upper ire m l he Koe Hosier Center s Kin do a i k report last june Quot a mar teams Choice High skills or Low wages a which decried . Students Lack of i Pas for the level of Ihm Keg and organization a needed to thrive in the workplace. According to the two research centers the proposed new testing methods would Likely include v a a performance examinations a in which students would demonstrate their Mastery of specific skills to panels of exam i n v is a Mic h As an o Lym p in Fig ure skater tries to impress a panel cd judges said Ruzzi. projects in which students show t heir ability to use problem solving skills Over time often in cooperation with other students. A Quot portfolio a consisting of the Best work done by students in a variety of areas Over time. A the Goa 1 of the new assessment sys Tern is not simply to create better Evains. The nation ill served it High standards were put in place but Lew sue dents were Able or motivated to reach them a a said Mare Tucker president of the Rochester based Center
