European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 2, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday november 2, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 7federal workers proving to be super savers by Mike Causey the Washington Post Washington a although Federal workers in some occupations earn 30 percent less than their counterparts in the private sector the feds Are Way ahead when it comes to saving Money for College a House medical expenses and retirement. More than 1.2 million of the 2.9 million . Government workers Are investing in stocks Bonds or Treasury funds that have Given them accounts with balances that Range typically from $6,000 to $8,000. The 4-year-old Federal investment plan is already Worth More than $10 billion. Some High income workers invested the maximum from the Start and now have accounts Worth More than $50,000. Investments and earnings Are tax deferred. Workers in the Federal employees retirement system fers May invest up to 10 percent of pay a maximum of $8,475 this year and get a 5 percent government match. Those who invest nothing of their own still get a government contribution equal to 1 percent of pay. Sixty one percent of fers employees Are actively contributing to their retirement accounts. Workers in the old civil service act tement system cars can invest 5 percent of pay but do not get Matching contributions. About 32 percent Are investing. The typical fers investor is 36. Earns $25,714 and has More than $8, pm in a retirement account. The average cars investor a people hired before 1984 _ is 45 years old and earns $36,310. Starting nov. 15, workers who Arentt in the savings plan will be Able to join it. Those who Are in the plan can redirect where their payroll investments will go a into stocks Bonds or Treasury funds a until the open season ends Jan. 31. To Mhz . 8 pupils preview miniature White House Siml Valley Calif. A former first lady Nancy Reagan kicked off festivities leading to the dedication of her husbands presidential Library by unveiling 60-foot-Long miniature White House. Youngsters from neighbouring Vista fundamental elementary school witnessed wednesdays event the first in a series leading to mondays historic gathering of five . Presidents for the Library dedication. President Bush and former presidents Reagan Cartier Ford and Nixon Are expected in Ventura county 50 Miles Northwest of los Angeles Tor the opening of the $60 million Ronald Reagan presidential Library and Center for Public attains. The Model White House includes in miniature the first Public display of the upstairs private areas As they looked during the Reagan years said the creator John Zweiful. The Model hand carved and decorated by Zweiful and his wife Jan took More than 500,000 hours to create and Cost nearly $1 million. The Model will be on display at the Reagan Library through december. It will then be taken to Washington d.c., for display at the smithsonian institution. Former first lady Nancy Reagan gives Vista fundamental elementary school pupils a Lour of a smaller White House officials jailed in protest of defendant s Legal Bill l1ncolnton, a. A Lincoln county a five commissioners got out of jail thursday saying they won a Victory even though they ended up paying the court ordered Legal fees of an indigent murder defendant. It was their refusal to pay the $6,004 in fees that landed them in jail wednesday. A your Point was made. We crossed the first hurdle a said commission chairman Walker Norman. The commissioners cited for contempt of court were arrested at noon wednesday the deadline set by Superior court judge Purnell Davis for the county to pay the fee. Norman said commissioners chose to spend a night in jail to draw attention to their Effort to change Georgia Laws on local judicial authority. The commissioners want local governments to be Able to question Legal Bills presented to fiem. They also want a Law that would require the state to pay for retrial caused by what Norman called errors on the part of the states District attorneys or judges. The Georgia supreme court had overturned a death sentence for Johnny Dee Jones for a 1988  court cited excessive pretrial publicity and ordered a new trial a at Lincoln county a expense. A if they allow something to go before that court that  or that is overruled because of pretrial publicity that is an error by the judge or the a and the state should foot the Bill for the retrial a Norman said. He estimated Jones Case already has Cost this Rural Eastern Georgia county about $100,000. The county with a population of fewer than1 7,500, has a budget of $2.2 million. A Lincoln county raised taxes to cover the costs of Jones 1990 trial and plans to raise them again in 1992 to pay for the retrial Norman said. Hundreds of sympathetic residents gathered to watch the commissioners arrest wednesday shaking their hands and congratulating them. Dean Flanigan sent each commissioner a halloween balloon that read a a we re with  a i Hope them going to jail will make legislators think and Wake up to the fact that our smaller counties done to have that kind of Money a Flanigan said thursday. The commissioners refused to pay Jones Legal fees because they weren to allowed to examine and Challenge a claim by his attorney Jimmy Plunkett that he worked 156 hours on the Case. Plunkett said he billed the county a minimal amount. A i done to have any Choice but to represent the defendant and the Appeal is mandatory by state Law a he said. Quot to just simply deny payment of counsel in an indigent Case is the same As denying him  Norman said he and county attorney Ben Ross tried unsuccessfully wednesday to persuade the judge and Plunkett to reduce the fees. Lincoln county officials Are not alone in facing huge Legal Bills. In 1987, the governors office and the general Assembly granted Seminole county about $625,000 to help pay for the retrial of two men charged in the 1973 murder of six members of a . Wrestles deficit amid speculation on Cuomo by new Day Albany . State budget officials thursday began work on solving a >689 million deficit amid speculation about the Impact the unsettled futures of Jov. Mario Cuomo and Assembly speaker Mel Miller will have on the states Lis Al problems. Cuomo spent thursday morning at an inti crime event in a subway station and ousted with reporters about his presidential ambitions. State Senate majority Leader Ralph Marino warned that if the governor seeks the White House while remaining governor it could make Resolution of the budget crisis tougher. A a it a a very difficult task to try to do both especially with budgetary problems a Marino said. Meanwhile Miller faced questions about his ability to run the Assembly As jury selection began in his fraud trial. While acknowledging that the trial will probably keep him from presiding at a legislative session scheduled for december Miller echoed comments he made wednesday after the state disclosed the size of its projected deficit. A a we la Deal with it a the Brooklyn Democrat said. A there Are other very capable people around. The stall is still the same staff. And i have Powers if i have to use them to appoint someone to sit in for  he is on trial for allegedly bilking clients of his Law firm in a real estate scheme. C Homo on thursday remained As cryptic As Ever about his presidential intentions saying that head a love to do it but still Isnit sure whether it would be fair to new York to either resign As governor or try to Campaign at the same time he is in office. It. Gov. Stan Lundine who would take Over if Cuomo resigned said i thursday that he had discussed the situation with Cuomo but did not know the governor s plans