European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 24, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 9af speeds promotions to major fewer captains will make rank general says by Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau a. Ramstein a Germany fewer air Force captains will be selected for major in 1991 so that those chosen wait less time to be promoted says the air Force director of personnel plans. A the promotion Opportunity will change from 90 percent to 80 percent, said of the percentage chosen for promotion. A a it a taking too Long for our majors to pin on the rank. By changing that we can improve that time lapse a said maj. Gen. William j. Porter in an interview this week. The next majors Board will be held in july Porter said. The last was held in 1989 when 84 percent of the eligible line officers within the promotion zone were promoted. Eligible line officers make up the bulk of the air Force officer corps excluding those with professional degrees such As lawyers doctors and chaplains. In 1989, 4,584 captains were eligible for promotion of which 3,846 were selected. It took 18 months for All those to be promoted said maj. Kathy Hitt a . Air forces in Europe spokeswoman. Had the new rules been in effect 183 fewer captains would have been  time Between selection and Assumption of the higher rank depends on How Many slots Are open at the higher rank Hitt said air Force officials won t know until july How Many captains will be eligible this time around. Porter said he thinks promotion opportunities will stabilize within the next three years. Porter is visiting the Headquarters of the . Porter air forces Europe at Ramstein for a week l in is re viewing policies and proposed changes and the Impact they might have on members of the air Force according to a Safe spokesman. Among issues that Porter discussed with Safe were a new assignment policy for pilots and navigators and Pilot retention. The biggest concern. Porter said is lessening the Impact that base closures and restructuring will have on air Force members. A any time you go through changes like this there a some anxiety Quot he said. Citing unit and base Deac Tiva. Tons in Europe Porter said Quot there is an Impact on those people until they find out what it is that they re going to be doing and How Vve re going to look after  a a a a. A to help relieve the anxiety the air Force is sending teams to work with those facing moves caused by unit deactivation lie said. Teams who work specifically with enlisted personnel in units that Are drawing Down have visited nearly 20 Safe bases during the past year a command spokesman said. These teams Brief counsel and give new assignments. Assignment action teams from the military person Nel Center at Randolph , have visited Hahn a and Pitburg a both in Germany to Brief personnel workers there on assignment procedures and. Various assignment  amendment would ban Honor aria by Janet Howells Tierney Washington Bureau Washington a the Senate has approved an amendment to ban its members from earning fees for speeches or freelance writing. A similar ban has restricted such a a moonlighting activities by House members Federal workers and military officers since Jan. 1. The intent of the prohibition which is part of the 1989 ethics Reform act is to curb the Large speaking and writing fees lawmakers receive. Violators could be fined $10,000. When Congress passed the Law last fall leaders had the option of Banning the extra income called Honor aria or Tak Irig a 25 percent pay raise. The House approved the raise and banned Honor aria for its members. But senators turned Down the extra pay and decided to keep collecting their writing and speaking fees. Language in the Law extended the ban to All Federal employees appropriated and non appropriated including hundreds of thousands who did not receive the 25 percent raise and depend on the extra income from freelancing. Any payment for speeches Public appearances and writings related or unrelated to an employees Job is banned. The amendment sponsored by sen. Christopher j. Dodd d-conn., is designed to change the Public s perception that senators can be bought. A the time has come to rid this institution of the perception that the men and women who serve in this body have a Price tag on them a Dodd said in comments on the Senate floor. However the amendment is part of a Senate Campaign finance Bill that sources say has Little Chance of being passed by Congress and faces a White House veto. The Bill would place voluntary spending Caps on Senate campaigns and subsidize mailing and television advertising for candidates who follow the limits. Lawmakers doubt that the Bill is Constitution. A because it also would limit congressmen a personal investment income. Under Dodds amendment senators also would be limited in the amount of. Additional income they can earn from outside sources such As teaching or farming to 15 percent of their salary or $15,285. A a government employee unions have supported Legal action to lift the ban for Federal workers with no Success. A plea filed by the National Treasury employees Union with the supreme court was rejected in Early january. The Treasury Union and the government employees Union also joined forces to request a temporary Block of the moonlighting ban with the circuit court of appeals in Washington. That request was also denied. A a a a a a a a a. A a both times the judges cited a failure by employees to show they would suffer a irreparable injury from the ban. Still pending Are lawsuits filed by 10 Federal employees and legislation in both the Senate and the House that would Grant an exemption for most Federal employees. A a a a Hunnell breakthrough French and English workers lean through a Boring machine in the first main rail Blue Marl about 160 feet under the seabed. W Hen completed in 1993, the Channel Tun Tunnel under the English Channel. The link up occurred shortly before noon wednes be commonly referred to As the a sch Tunnel a a will permit High Speed trains to travel Dav when the massive digging machine Europa chewed through the last few feet of Between London and Paris in 3/2 hours