European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 05, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes tuesday november 5,1991 diplomats ignore . Parking fines soviets head list of scoff Law foreigners by Jim Drinkard the associated press Washington a 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 pull 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 fines 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 City records. A amps 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  lauds Reagan at Library dedication Simi Valley Calif. A president Bush lauded a my predecessor and Mentor As he led the tributes monday at the dedication of Ronald Reagan a $70 million presidential Library on a rustic California Hillside. Three other former presidents a Richard Nixon Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter a were also on hand with their wives and a sixth first lady lady Bird Johnson for what Bush called a a historic  under Blue skies on a picture perfect autumn Day Reagan basked in the accolades from All four fellow presidents. The 80-year-old Reagan expressed his gratitude to the donors who provided $70 million to build the stunning Spanish Mission style Library set into a Hillside with a View of mountains on every horizon. A at one time or another i be run against most of these gentlemen and they be run against me a said Reagan. A and yet Here we Are. It just goes to show that above personal ideologies and party politics we stand United As  former president Jimmy Carter who jetted Back from election monitoring in Zambia to make the ceremony Drew a laugh from the crowd of 4,000 when he complained that a the Republican representatives had four times As much time on the program As the  Carter the Only Democrat to inhabit the White House in the past 23 years president Bush with former presidents Reagan Carter Ford and Nixon at the Reagan Library dedication monday. Added a you All have another advantage Over me. At least All of you have met a democratic president. In be never had that Honor  Bush said he Felt badly about that but asked that voters a please done to do anything about it. On a serious note Nixon said of Reagan a the believed in the simple things. He believed in Freedom and democracy. He believed that America was on the right Side of history standing with the forces of Good against the forces of evil in the world. A and some have dismissed him therefore As an ideologue. But Ronald Reagan has been justified by.  the _ ceremony also Drew several of Franklin d. Roosevelt a relatives As Well As John Kennedyjr. And Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg the children of John f. Kennedy. Also in the audience in a wheelchair was Jim Brady the White House press Secretary shot in the head in the March 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan. Reagan said a i have been described As an undying Optimist. Its True. I always see the sunny Side of  citing the collapse of communism Reagan said a i have seen the world turned upside Down and conventional Wisdom utterly disproved. Visitors to this Mountaintop will see a great jagged chunk of the Berlin Wall rated Symbol of yes an evil  a today that Wall exists Only in museums souvenir collections and the memories of a people no longer oppressed a he said. Bush hailed Reagan As a an american original. A visionary a crusader and a Prophet in his  a the was the great communicator and also the great Liberator a the 41st president said of the 40th. A no Leader since Churchill used words so effectively to help Freedom unchain our