European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes Friday october 18,1991house oks death penalty Extension Washington a the House voted wednesday to extend the Federal death penalty to drug Kingpins and a variety of other criminals even if no death resulted from their crimes. Beginning debate on a $1.2 billion package of new anti crime measures sought by the Bush administration and the Senate lawmakers voted 213-206 to allow juries to impose the death penalty for any Federal crime in which Quot reckless disregard for human life results in death. Republicans said the measure was needed to Stop what they called the a drive by shootings plaguing Many Urban areas particularly in drug infested neighbourhoods. They said the death penalty is Seldom imposed in such cases because prosecutors rarely can prove that defendants in such cases Quot intentionally or knowingly killed bystanders. Quot the american people for a Long time have expressed their willingness to accept the death penalty in those serious vicious and heinous cases that we read about too often a said rep. George w. Gekas r-pa., the measures chief sponsor. Opponents however said Gekas amendment could Lead to imposing the Croton base out As Senate oks building Bill Washington a the Senate gave final congressional approval wednesday to a $8.6 billion military construction Bill that rejects the building of an air base nato wants in Italy. The Bill which passed 99-0, covers a wide Range of projects at . Military bases at Home and abroad. It now goes to president Bush for his signature. The Bush administration argued strenuously to support a nato air base at Croton. The Alliance wants the facility As a Home base for a Wing of 72 . F-16 fighter planes. The Bill includes $2.5 billion for army Navy and air Force construction projects $3.5 billion for housing cd military families and $225,000 As the . Share of natos common defense budget. The Bill stipulates however that none of the . Money for natos budget can be used for building the base at Croton. The Bush administration said the base is needed to meet nato defense commitments in the Mediterranean Region. The 401st tac fighter Wing that would use Croton had been based in Spain but the Spanish government ordered the Wing to leave. The spending Bill earlier passed the House overwhelmingly on a voice vote. Bush has not indicated he would veto it. If he did a two thirds vote would be required to override the presidential veto. At the same time the Senate gave final approval to spending Bills for agriculture and transportation. Death penalty on someone convicted of no More than reckless driving in an traffic Accident in which a internal Revenue service or other Federal agents were killed. Quot do we really want to impose the death penalty on a kid on a saturday night Joyride who shoots a gun into the air and unfortunately the Bullet comes Down a mile away and kills somebody a said rep. Charles Schumer . A in inmates Jost Bonilla and Michelle Mcginnis right break up their prison gardening routine by picking wildflowers. Inmates Harvest dreams greens for soup kitchens san Bruno Calif. A a prison farming program has turned two vacant lots into a Blooming Field of dreams for a group of former drug dealers who have begun to Harvest some self respect along with crops for this City s soup kitchens. The 12-acre farm which also includes chickens rabbits geese and two goats supplies seven City soup kitchens with food that goes to about 3,000 people a Day. Inmates have Hurt people. A now they re giving Back and starting to feel better about people Quot said Cathy Marcum founder Ana director of the program. The 8-year-old program provides classes in cultivation and counselling arming prisoners in dorm a of the san Francisco county jail no. 7 in san Bruno with gardening skills and hopefully a jump restart for their lives. A it gives us a Chance to work on some of our mental stress and focus on something positive a said Steven Foster 22, who Degan dealing drugs at age 17. A we have weapons in Here to fight with a he said pointing to the rakes and shovels. A but we done to do that. In the old jail its All about being Tough a fighting to keep respect. Over Here its respect for others. The four dozen Farmers in training most arrested on drug related charges must enrol in a recovery program and anyone causing a disruption is immediately removed. A a we re changing apathy to compassion. Changing a criminal world View to a healthy world View a said Arlene Hamilton the farms horticultural therapist. A we want people to find new growth in themselves like cultivating  since the first seed was planted the Field has yielded 8,000 pounds of potatoes 4,000 pounds of Green Beans 1,500 pounds of spinach 1,500 pounds of red Swiss Chart and 1,800 pounds of garlic a among other crops. Through donations Marcum and Hamilton refurbished a $135,000 greenhouse and purchased gardening tools and starter seed. Law enforcement officials and politicians were sceptical at first but Marcum and the prisoners believe they have proven themselves. Our desire to get Tough lets not work ourselves into a  Gekas measure was the first of what will be several efforts by republicans to toughen a Bill approved last month by the House judiciary committee. Republicans called the legislation a a fraud a and said it will be a a Lap in the face to americans worried about crime unless it is amended. They said it must include More stringent provisions which have been demanded by president Bush and already passed by the Senate. A this is a feel Good Bill that is full of empty promises a said rep. F. James Sensenbrenner jr., a wis. A there Are very few provisions that represent the interests of society rather than the interests of criminal defendants. It is really nothing but a  cops release audiotapes accusing Smith of rape Palm Beach Fla. A police on wednesday released audiotapes of the sworn statements by the woman who accuses William Kennedy Smith of raping her. Often emotionally sometimes obviously in tears the 30-year-old Florida woman describes meeting Smith at a Palm Beach nightspot going to the Kennedy estate with him then she claims being tackled and raped on the estate grounds in the Early morning hours of March 30. After the alleged attack she said she ran inside and asked Smith who was sitting in a chair Why he had done it. A i was asking him Why did you rape me a and he was saying that he Hadnot raped me a the woman said. A i said. I had called my friends and they were coming to get me and that i was going to Call the police and that a when he said that no one would believe me a she said. Transcripts of her statements in interviews with detective Christine Rigolo state attorney David Bludworth and other investigators were made Public in May but her voice Hadnot been heard publicly before Smiths attorney Roy Black who was at the police department to question the woman in a pretrial deposition said making the woman a voice Public was another example of state generated publicity in the Case. _ a once again the state wants to try this in the press a Black said. A a we re objecting to this. We re going to try this Case in the  Smith has denied wrongdoing. His attorneys say the woman a troubled background and emotional stability May have led her to fabricate her accusations. St. Paul bastion of rights for Gays to vote on Bias Law St. Paul Minn. Apr for the second time in 13 years this City that helped Pioneer Gay rights is considering whether to undo its Legal guarantees for homosexuals. A the ballot on nov. 5 will include a referendum on whether to repeal a year old ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing Public accommodations jobs and education. Gay activists worry that the voting May amount to a referendum on homosexuality. A it is difficult for us to win our rights through a popularity contest such As a ballot vote a said Robert Bray a spokesman for the National Gay and lesbian task Force in Washington. The repeal Effort is familiar territory for activists on both sides in St. Paul. The City Council in 1974 approved one of the nations first municipal Gay rights ordinances following the District of Columbia and Portland Ore. It was repealed in a 1978 referendum. Mayor Jim Scheibel who opposes the repeal Effort predicted a close vote but said repeal Isnit As Likely As it was in 1978. A there is a lot More understanding of people with different sexual orientations a he said. A education has taken place. There a a lot More awareness a a group called citizens Alert gathered More than 6,000 signatures to put the question on the ballot. The St. Paul ordinance has drawn considerable attention. It s important to us because its in the Midwest and the Midwest has Long been a bastion of . Gay rights a Bray said. St. Paul estimated to have 20,000 Gay residents shares a Large and politically Active Gay Community with neighbouring Minneapolis. Minneapolis has a Long standing Gay rights ordinance As Well As a Law permitting homosexual couples to Register a Public affirmation of their relationship