European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes sunday August 18, 1991 health care assailed by . Governors Seattle apr americans pay too much for health care and get too. Jit tie in return says a policy statement that is the Centrepiece for the annual summer meeting of the National governors  started saturday on the proposal that would Call for making affordable health care available to All americans by the end of the decade. Pressing for full scale debate of the Issue was gov. Booth Gardner of Washington a Democrat who is this years Nga chairman. Republican gov. John Ashcroft of Missouri will succeed Gardner at the close of the meeting. If adopted the statement would put the governors on record sharply criticizing the current system and calling for sweeping changes in delivery of services and How they Are paid for. A clearly the nations health care system is in trouble a said the draft policy statement. A the system costs too much and provides too  joining in the opening Day discussion of health care were House majority Leader Richard Gephardt d-mo., sen. Bob Kerrey d-ncb., arid Roger Porter White House assistant for Domestic policy. The health policy statement concedes that while there is growing agreement a on the nature and extent of the health care problems that confront the nation there is Little consensus on the  the draft statement urges the states to act As testing grounds for potential solutions and urges the Federal government to relax regulations to give the states additional flexibility. Health care was the principal topic for the four Day meeting which also will hear discussions of transportation agriculture Trade crime and the Economy. The meeting was taking place at a time when Many states Are struggling to Cope with economic hard times. A Survey of governors on the eve of the conference found nearly half saying their states were in a recession. Even those who said times were getting better said they did no to expect a dramatic upturn. Gov. Lowell Weicker or. Of Connecticut was unable to attend the meeting because of a budget impasse. Weicker is pressing for enactment of a state income tax while legislators Are holding out for an increase in the sales tax. Nga officials said 42 state governors had indicated they would attend. The partisan lineup of the nations governors is 29 democrats 19 republicans and two independents a Weicker and Walter Hickel of Alaska both former republicans. President Bush planned a Brief address to the governors today via a satellite Hookup. Lived to Tell the tale second it. Mark Riccardi had a run in with a grizzly and was Lucky to survive. The Soldier mauled by a Mother Bear recuperate from his injuries at a Fairbanks Alaska Hospital thursday. Showing photos of his wounds Riccardi said he stumbled on the Bear and its cub during training at fort Greely and escaped by playing  buried amid doubts he committed suicide Arlington a. Apr a writer who died mysteriously while pursuing what he said was a major Story on government corruption was eulogized As a Man with a a passion for a  free Lance writer Joseph Daniel Casolaro 44, was buried Friday amid his family a lingering doubts that he actually committed suicide. At the funeral Casolaro a longtime Friend John Elvin remembered Long Midnight conversations with Casolaro he was a always diving in or discovering or sharing some  his body with both wrists slashed was found last weekend in the Bathtub of a hotel room in Martins Burg w.va., where friends said he had gone to talk to a source about a Story he said would a Bury the Justice  he was writing a Book and pressuring his agent to find a publisher who would pay an Advance but a relative said Casolaro a Money problems were not that great. A i went through his Bills a said his brother Anthony Casolaro. A the owed $2,000 and he had $2,700 in the Bank. He was never very concerned about  the brother said Casolaro had taken a second mortgage on his Home to finance research on the Book but there was still equity in the House that could be drawn upon. Autopsy results were consistent with suicide but foul play was still being considered said West Virginia medical authorities. There was no evidence of a struggle. Drug test results Are  patient gets wrong heart in Oregon Portland Ore. Up a transplant patient who was Given the wrong heart was a a upset by the mistake but still confident in his doctors As Hospital officials scurried Friday to find a compatible Organ a spokeswoman said. The patient who was not identified was listed in critical but stable condition. The oregonian newspaper reported Friday that the heart came from the St. Alphonsus regional medical Center in Boise Idaho. Ironically he was actually doing better than the average patient who undergoes a transplant and receives the right heart said Marcia Williams a spokeswoman for the Oregon health sciences University a a he a pretty groggy and sleepy still a she said. A the is upset but has every Confidence in the  doctors at the Hospital admitted that on wednesday they transplanted the wrong kind of heart into the Man giving him a heart with Type a blood when his is Type o. Doctors said they arc Uncertain How the Man will fare with an incompatible heart but they placed him at the top of the Hospital s transplant list and began looking for a compatible Organ. A we Are hoping beyond All Hopes that we can find a heart for him a Williams said. The patient identified Only As a Portland arca Man under the age of 65, needed a new heart because he was suffering from cardiomyopathy Williams said. A it basically Means he had a weak heart muscle a she said. Hospital officials were investigating How the mistake was made but they accepted responsibility a in this Case they done to know what happened a Williams said. A regardless of what happened the physicians have final responsibility for the care of their patients and they accept  ohs officials did not think the Hospital that supplied the heart made the mistake the spokeswoman said. Williams said that because of time constraints donated hearts Are tested for blood and tissue Type at the supplying Hospital. The Organ is then picked up by an ohs team which rushes it Back to Portland. There is too Little time for further tests so they Are done after the operation she said. The botched transplant occurred wednesday morning and a went Well a according to doctors. The University a tissue Laboratory called later that morning and informed them of the  police officials found guilty of bribery London by. A a Federal court jury found five of six Eastern Kentucky Law enforcement officers including four sheriffs guilty Friday of taking bribes to protect drug dealings. The jury deliberated about 20 hours Over three Days before returning the verdict one year to the Day after the six were arrested and charged. They were charged with accepting bribes from undercover Fri agents posing As drug dealers tapes of transactions were presented at the trial. The 42-count indictment also charged them with conspiracy to distribute drugs. Breathitt county sheriff Dean Spencer was acquitted of All charges. Each of the other five lawmen was convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 Fine. Moreover former Lee county sheriff Johnny Mann Wolfe county sheriff Lester Drake and suspended Beattyville police chief Omer Noe were All convicted of at least one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine which carries penalties of 10 years to life in prison and up to $4 million in fines. Mann was convicted on 18 of 19 counts while Drake was convicted on 13 of the 17 charges he faced. Noe was convicted on seven of 13 counts. Owsley county sheriff Billy Mcintosh was convicted on eight of the 14 charges against him and Wolfe county Deputy sheriff Wilson Stone was convicted on two of nine counts. . District judge Eugene Siler or. Scheduled sentencing for oct. 17. Spencer thrust both fists into the air As his acquittal was read. A i thank the lord a Spencer said standing with his wife Gloria in front of the court building afterwards. The defendants sat impassively As the announcement was made. Drake with tears Welling in his eyes was the Only Law Man other than Spencer to show any reaction. Noe and Mann contended that they believed they were dealing with members of the mafia and were coerced into taking part for fear of their lives and those of their families. Mcintosh and Spencer claimed they were conducting their own investigations of the alleged drug dealers. Drake said Only that he was in financial trouble and was entrapped through the offer of thousands of dollars. Stone testified that he got involved to help Drake one of his oldest friends but did not take any Money. However hours of secret Fri tapes played during the monthlong trial showed the lawmen jovially accepting bribes witnessing drug drops and offer ing to provide information and even drugs for Sale