European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 5, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes tuesday november 5, 1991 diplomats ignore . Parking fines soviets head list of scoff Law foreigners  the associated press Washington apr diplomats for some of the worlds wealthiest countries routinely Roll up Mammoth parking fines in Washington then thumb their noses at the City when it tries to collect. The soviet Union which is seeking . Aid is by far the Leader on the list a accounting for More than $3.2 million out of a total of nearly $7 million in unpaid embassy parking tickets. But the list of diplomatic deadbeats also includes wealthy Oil states Allied with the United states during the persian Gulf War such As saudi Arabia Kuwait Qatar and the United Arab emirates. Israel and Egypt the two largest beneficiaries of . Foreign Aid Are on the list. Even the Vatican owes $90. Efforts to encourage voluntary payment have fallen Short and a congressman is now threatening to Cut off foreign Aid to countries that fail to Settle their local debts. Rep. David r. Obey d-wis., inserted the warning in a Stopgap spending Bill Congress passed two weeks ago a measure that extends foreign Aid spending through next March. A obviously foreign Aid is not very popular these Days a said obey referring to the overwhelming defeat of an Aid measure in the House last week. A so for these turkeys not to be paying their parking tickets is not going to endear them to Congress or the taxpayers. We ought to up their Chain on  the Roll of scofflaws turns up countries that the United states annually pays millions for the rights to maintain military bases Turkey Greece Portugal and the Philippines. It also encompasses countries emerging from communist Rule and now seeking . Aid such As Czechoslovakia Hungary Poland Romania and Bulgaria. A there is a certain amount of a you can to touch me you can to Tow my car so in a going to Park a a said a state department official familiar with the problem speaking on condition of anonymity. The department and the City acknowledge that Washington does have a serious parking shortage. A a it a a sensitive topic in this City a said Vada manager press Secretary for mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon. Diplomats he said see tickets not As a personal liability but As their embassies problem a was opposed to Normal citizens for whom it comes out of their Bank  the soviet Union which is seeking massive food and economic Aid from the West accounts for nearly half the total. Over the past three years soviet diplomats have been ticketed for illegal parking an average of More than 60 times a Day weekends and holidays included. Moscow a downtown embassy routinely has lines of cars parked out front with Pink citations under their Windshield wipers. A Call to the embassy a press office was not returned on Friday though embassy officials previously have argued that they Are ticketed unfairly because there is no other place for them to Park. Egypt for which the United states recently forgave $7 billion in old military Loans has 2,532 outstanding tickets and fines totalling $136,235. Israel which gets More than $3 billion a year in economic and military help from american taxpayers owes $71,671 in fines on 1,417 outstanding tickets according to the City a figures. Many of the tickets Are for infractions that pose Public safety dangers such As blocking emergency exits and parking in front of fire hydrants the mayors office said. Frustrated City officials turned to the state department a year ago to help collect the overdue fines but with Little Success. The department sent out a flurry of letters to the worst offenders reminding them that while their diplomatic immunity Shields them from being towed or hauled into court it does not relieve them of the obligation to obey local Laws or pay fines. Failure to pay up the department said could Lead to loss of . Driving privileges. The letters were followed by a second notice and by personal visits to offending embassies. Bangladesh one of the worlds poorest countries paid $20 of the amount it owed. But nearly a year later the collection Effort has brought in less than $25,000, according to the City a most recent figures. During the same period the total amount of outstanding parking fines grew Deadbeat dozen Here is a list of the dozen foreign embassies in Washington that owe the most in parking tines to the City government together with the number of outstanding tickets and the total amount owed. 1. Soviet Union 65,759 $3,219,000 2. Somalia 6,503 $289,455 3. Nigeria 3,009 $155,405 4. Egypt 2,532 $136,235 5. Saudi Arabia 2,752 $121,250 6. Sudan 1,661 $93,960 7. South Korea 1,814 $92,395 8. Cameroon 1,851 $90,970 9. China 1,744 $84,585 10. Gabon 1,578 $72,175 11. Israel 1,417 $71,671 12. Bulgaria 1,348 $67,915 source computerized Day records. A amp s by 8 percent to a total of $6,820,195. Although a state department official said the trend is turning around it was not Quick enough to satisfy obey. Not All of the offenders get or Are seeking . Foreign Aid. Countries such As Australia Britain France Switzerland Germany and Spain Are beyond the reach of such an enforcement tool. But Many More a especially in Africa and latin America a would stand to lose if the threat to Cut Aid were carried out. Parents in Ohio town fighting textbook series Willard Ohio apr parents Are pushing to repeal the local school tax today to pressure the Willard school system into getting rid of a series of textbooks they regard As dangerous. The a impression Quot Reading series which deals with issues such As fear and violence has been opposed by parents in other communities around the  appeals to stamp out rate increase Washington a consumer advocate Ralph Nader says More increases in postal rates arc unjustified and he is urging the postal service to reject any attempts to increase rates. Quot the 29-cent, first class stamp is already too expensive and any additional increase is totally unjustified a Nader said in a statement released sunday. The Board of governors last year a filed for a 5-cent hike in the Cost of a first class stamp raising the Cost to 30 cents. But the Independent postal rate commission approved Only 4 cents As part of a Complex package that affected virtually All classes of mail. Those increases took effect in february. Since then the postal service has asked the rate commission twice to reconsider its decision and Grant it the extra Penny saying it would lose $800 million without it. However the rate commission rejected that proposal both times. The matter is now in the hands of the nine postal governors who can overrule the rate commission but Only if they vote unanimously to do so. That has happened once in the past in 1981. Willard residents will vote on whether to repeal a tax that provides about $640,000 of the schools almost $8 million annual budget. If the tax is repealed the 2,400-student District will have to make major cuts said school superintendent David Hirschy. The school system also relies on property taxes and state and other government sources of Money. A we want to Send a message to the other Board members and the school administration that we done to want our tax Money used to fund a school system we have no say in a said Billy Inmon a school Board member. Parents first complained about the elementary school series about a year ago and the Issue has since divided the town of about 6,000. Hirschy said he believes most teachers pupils and parents overwhelmingly support the books. Curriculum coordinator Barry Pfahl said the books were chosen because they use real literature to teach language Reading and writing. Viewers go potty Over bit of americana Annville a. A doors shut for most of their existence flew open As scores of sightseers were made privy to outhouse history. Participants in Lebanon county a first outhouse talk and walk ventured into Back Yards and alleys sunday to peek at what folks used before modern sewers came to Annville in the 1960s. A i did no to know there was so much interest in our subject a said Tanya Richter a member of the preservation group that organized the commode confab. The group brought in Gus Hickok of Dillsburg who shot pictures of latrines for a recent Book on outhouse history. Hickok a former employee of the Pennsylvania historical museum commission and a font of bathroom humor said the outhouse in its prime rarely Lent itself to levity. A in our grandparents Day there was no outhouse humor. And if there was it  come in the House a he said. Many of Annville a outhouses have fallen into disrepair or have been converted into Garden Sheds. Some such As the 58-year-old specimen in 94-year-old Herman Gebhartd a Yard have been preserved seats and All. Gebhart Hasni to used his outhouse in years. The outhouse doors Bear the symbols of a time when Many could not read. A half Moon meant an outhouse for women males entered through a Star emblazoned door. During a slide show Hickok lamented the passing of what he called a piece of americana. His last slide showed a portable toilet of the variety seen at concerts and fairs. A this is what we be come to a he said. A a Johnny on the spot. That a what a left of the outhouse. Insurance won t cover repairs for Bush Home local real estate people have said however that it is Worth considerably Washington a president Bush says his insurance wont begin to cover the Cost of repairing the severe damage his Oceanside Home in Kennebunkport Maine sustained in a fierce Atlantic storm last week. Bush who inspected the battered three Story Home saturday said after a Golf Outing sunday that he expects to know the amount of the loss in a few Days. Quot its More than the insurance unfortunately a he said. A i think the Standard flood insurance is $185,000 for the building and then there a some for the inside. That a for whether you be got a big House or a Little House. A we had the full amount but it wont begin to cover the  the Home which was built by Bush a maternal Grandfather George Herbert Walker in the Winter of 1902-03, was assessed last year at $2.2 million. More. Bush said that during the storm wednesday and thursday 30-foot Waves crashed Over the House and the Rocky Point on which it sits. He said he lost Many years accumulation of books and personal belongings which were destroyed or washed out to sea