European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 4, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes Friday october 4,1991 Cheney defends Dod budget claims deeper immediate cuts not warranted Washington up defense Secretary Dick Cheney a fending off Calls for deeper defense cuts after the failed soviet coup and . Arms control moves a said plenty can be saved if Congress will Only leave him alone. Cheney speaking after appearing before a closed meeting of House republicans to seek help fending off moves to Cut the fiscal 1992 budget and its key b-2 and strategic defense initiative programs said wednesday the current budget agreement already makes deep defense cuts. Specifically he turned aside a suggestion from House budget committee chairman Leon Panetta d-calif., that the Pentagon and Congress work out a new five year or 10-year defense reduction plan to take effect after fiscal 1993. Cheney also noted that the current spending plan gets the United states Down to the lowest defense spending level since before world War ii a both Cheney Panetta As a percentage of Federal spending and the Overall . Economy. Some in Congress have suggested the break up of the soviet Union and efforts to reduce nuclear arms and conventional forces Are grounds for major cuts in the defense budget. Quot we Are now operating in the first year of that agreement and starting on the second year of a Deal that runs through 1995, Cheney said. Quot for us to get into the business of trying to change the defense budget every 30 or 60 or 90 Days belies the whole notion of Long term  a if Congress will simply leave me alone and let me manage the department in intelligent fashion Well save a lot of Money a said Cheney. A Cheney said defense reductions were based on the expectation of a reduced threat from the soviet Union and added Panetta told reporters a i think the reality is the defense budget is going to come Down and Secretary Cheney George Bush nobody is going to frankly Stop that. The real question is will it come Down in a Way that represents Good policy for the future. That a something they ought to be participating in. You can to Stonewall this  Panetta suggested that if extra savings Are achieved with the fiscal 1993 budget a what i Haven to heard from any of our should be applied to the deficit Rath critics is any alternative military strategy. Or than rearranging the spending Caps i Haven to seen any creative thinking on within the budget agreement. He said a anybody s part about what kind of Mili new Long term defense spending strategy tary forces you need. Is needed. A i simply hear periodically a every a the Only Way we got a 20 percent to time there a a development in the inter 25 percent reduction in defense was to National Arena a somebody yells a my establish a Long Range strategy. I think god Cut the defense  that a not the same thing needs to be done now sex a very intelligent Way to proceed. We Are cent not through 1995 but through 2000,�?� cutting the defense budget dramatically Panetta said. And what we need at this Point is for Panetta said Moscow a troubles Stem Congress to approve the present pro from pouring billions of rubles into Degram a said Cheney. Sense while ignoring Domestic needs. J Maryland troopers cheered by addicts protest budget cuts drug addicts join Maryland state troopers for a protest in Annapolis on wednesday. Annapolis my. A state troopers cheered on by a group of drug addicts marched on the Capitol wednesday in an unsuccessful attempt to Block approval of the governors $446.2 million budget reduction plan. While troopers and their momentary allies stood outside the state House the Board of Public works approved gov. William schaefers plan on a 2-1 vote. State treasurer Lucille Maurer asked for a 48-hour delay on portions of the plan that will Cut deeply into social programs and require the Layoff of 1,766 state employees. She was outvoted by Schaefer and comptroller Louis l. Goldstein who said there was no alternative but to accept the governors plan to trim the states $11.9 billion budget. A a in be been in state government since 1938. This is the first time in be seen such an Impact of budget cuts on state government Goldstein said. The plan Calls for the Layoff of 83 troopers. Several Hundred uniformed and plainclothes officers marched silently to the state House Steps to protest the cutbacks. About a dozen residents of a drug treatment Center also showed up to protest the elimination of drug and alcohol abuse treatment funds. They broke off their own demonstration to applaud the troopers. Schaefers plan is the fifth the state has adopted during the last 18 months to Cope with the slump in revenues brought on by the recession. The newest plan hits every area of state government. Quot when this round came in there was no place to go but social programs a Schaefer said. The cuts affect welfare Grants to single parents and assistance for people unable to work. They reduce funding for rape crisis centers counselling offices for teenagers and programs for the elderly. Funding for the prison system was Cut so drastically that the state May not be Able to staff two new units scheduled to open this year. Schaefer and Goldstein warned that More cuts May be needed. The comptroller said revenues fell $13 million below estimates in August and september and there is no sign of any improvement in the Economy. A where will i find $13 million a Schaefer asked. The Board of Public works can Cut the budget without legislative approval. Only lawmakers can vote to raise taxes and House speaker r. Clayton Mitchell and Senate president Thomas v. Mike Miller have resisted. State troopers meanwhile said they would not give up the  Hospital proposal to treat non veterans attacked Washington a veterans groups on wednesday criticized the Bush administrations plan to let department of veterans affairs hospitals treat indians and other non veterans in Remote Rural areas. A Minnesota congressman however suggested it May be the Only Way to keep some Rural a facilities open and administration officials said it would improve health care tur both veterans and non veterans. A hospitals in Fargo n.d., and fort Mcado ., Are vying to be among the three to five Pilot projects planned by the administration. Hut veterans groups told a House vet Erans affairs subcommittee that a hospitals should not be open to anyone who Hasni to served in the military. Many veterans already Are being turned away because of tighter eligibility requirements they said. A we firmly believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg a said James n. Mcgill director of National legislative service for the veterans of foreign wars. A once a is opened up to certain medically unders Rcd segments of the general population a however meritorious this May appear a the temptation to turn the a health care system into an Extension or form of National health care for the medically indigent would prove All too irresistible to Many members of Congress and the administration a he said. The administration plans to use medicare medicaid and Indian health service funds to pay for health care that would be offered to non veterans who could be served by underused a facilities. The fort Meade Hospital for example could care for indians from the Cheyenne River reservation where an Indian health service facility at Eagle Butte is severely understaffed. The inspector general at the department of veterans affairs has recommended closing underused surgical pro Grams at fort Meade and 32 other Rural a medical centers including hot Springs  Reps. Roy Rowland d-ga., and Tim Penny d-minn., introduced legislation calling for 10 demonstration projects that could expand a service to families of veterans As Well As non veterans. Penny urged the veterans groups to be More flexible. A there May be in coming years regions of the country where the maintenance of veterans facilities for veterans is dependent on a sharing arrangement that allows other residents to Access those facilities a Penny said