European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 10, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 10, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 7 900 Woolworth owned stores to be closed sold or rebuilt by the los Angeles times Woolworth corp., the retailer Best known for the old fashioned dime stores that once graced Many downtown centers says it will close sell or revamp about 900 Money losing outlets in the United states in an overhaul designed to boost its sales and profits. The retailer which operates 6,500 general merchandise and specially stores across the nation said that up to 10,000 of its 70,000 employees in the United states would be affected. However the company could not say How Many of those employees would be Laid off noting that Many affected workers would be transferred to other Woolworth operated stores. The changes Are expected to be completed by the Middle of 1993. Although Woolworth routinely opens and closes outlets across the country to reflect changing demographic and economic patterns company officials said the persistent recession forced it now into undertaking one of its most dramatic and sweeping overhauls Ever. A a unfavourable economic conditions that contributed to these results have greatly accelerated the urgency and magnitude of our store closing Ana redeployment program a said Harold e. Sells Woolworth a chairman and chief executive. Woolworth an american institution that traces its roots Back to 1879, said that it would close 25 percent of its Kinney shoe stores 15 percent of its kids Mart and Little Folk shops children a apparel stores and 8 percent of its More than 1,000 traditional Woolworth and Wool Worth express general merchandise outlets throughout the country. In All about 450 stores would be closed or sold while the rest would be revamped into members of one of its More successful retail families such As foot locker lady foot locker kids foot locker and athletic a press All sport shoe outlets and Northern reflections a women a outdoor sports Wear Chain. The company also said it would revamp virtually All of the 207 stores in the Wom ends apparel division that includes Susie a and Sportelly stores. It will close or sell its 268-store Richman Brothers and Anderson Little clothing units. At the same time the company said it would spend up to $400 million in its 1993 fiscal year to open nearly 850 new stores throughout the world a move some analysts interpreted As a further sign that Woolworth is increasingly seeking its fortunes internationally. The Overall plan is a a very smart move a said Kurt Barnard president of the retail marketing consulting group in new York. A if they Hadnot done this now they could have exposed themselves to an unfriendly takeover that would have done the same  through the first 11 months of its fiscal year which ends Jan. 25, sales at All Wool Worth outlets in the United states open at least one year fell 1.7 percent. Overall Woolworth sales in the United states Rose just 3 percent while total sales from its More than 9,300 outlets worldwide were up a paltry 0.9  troubled companies of nov joined a trend across the a country on wednesday and announced plans to unload thousands of employees. Hera is a breakdown of the Layoff plans a Brown shoe co the nations leading maker of women a shoes plans to Lay off an additional 1,150 workers or 13 percent of its factory work Force. Last summer the St. Louis based company announced plans to Lay off 1,400 workers. A tandem computers inc the company in Cupertino calif., will Cut about 600 jobs this year. Tandem which has More than 10,500 employees has Cut its work Force by about 3 percent since last july. A Tenn eco inc the Houston based company will Lay off 1,000 employees at its Newport news shipbuilding unit in Virginia the cuts Are part of the company s previously announced plan to reduce 6,000 jobs across the corporation. Ass  t Lams a . Gov. Mario Cuomo was among the governors who delivered a grim  awash in red Ink governors say by the Washington Post the governors of new York and California americans Behemoth bookends painted grim portraits of economic anguish in their annual state of the state addresses wednesday. Even As they sketched hopeful horizons of improved foreign Trade even As they outlined heroic vistas of renewed self Reliance one dark color overwhelmed the picture red As in Ink. More than $6 billion in red Ink is expected this fiscal year and next in California and at least $4.5 billion Over the same period in new York. Across the country 30 states Are reporting Revenue shortages while half the states reported higher than expected spending. Twenty states Are both Long on spending and Short on Revenue according to the National conference of state Legislatures. A new York like other states is struggling with a powerful Force it cannot control a National recession a new Yorkus gov. Mario Cuomo said wednesday in Albany. He compared his state to recently released hostage Terry Anderson a struggling to maintain dignity in the grip of a malign enemy. In Sacramento California gov. Pete Wilson also said the National recession has forced his state to the Brink. Noting that California lost 400,000 jobs in his 11 months As governor the former by the los Angeles times Washington two big City democratic mayors pleaded wednesday for a $35 billion injection of Federal Aid to relieve a recession induced squeeze on Public services across the nation. Their testimony before the Senate budget committee foreshadows the debate in Congress Over reviving the Economy and dealing with Domestic needs. American cities were pictured by local government officials As reeling from the business slump cutbacks in state assistance and a Sharp decline in Federal Aid . Senator said the state could not wait for National economic recovery. A we must win Back our jobs a he said. A we must transform this season of crisis into the greatest season of Progress in California  although their budgetary woes Are not measured in stupefying billions officials in some of the smaller states share the pains Felt by governors of Large states. New Hampshire is experiencing a the most difficult fiscal period of the Post during the 1980s. Those circumstances have forced local tax increases layoffs and delays in Public works construction. A we Are hanging by our fingertips in Boston and there is no net waiting to catch us if we fall a Boston mayor Raymond l. Flynn said. Flynn said that Bostons total Federal assistance has plunged from $150 million a year to about $70 million. Meanwhile annual state Aid has dropped by $80 million Over three years. This does not include the drop in City revenues stemming from the yearlong recession he added. War Era gov. Judd Gregg said wednesday in Concord. His neighbor Vermont gov. Howard Dean made his history lesson even More pointed during his address tuesday. Dean said his state faces its toughest economic climate since the great depression. In states big and Small governors have promised to hold Down taxes Cut spending and somehow find ways to Spur the  revenues similar testimony was presented by Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson who argued for a revision of the 1990 budget agreement diverting defense funds to Domestic needs. A clashing View was presented by Stephen Goldsmith the new Republican mayor of Indianapolis who said he favors direct Grants to cities without any strings attached by the Federal government. A but we must understand that All the Grant programs in the guide to Federal Domestic assistance cannot overwhelm the Impact of a sick Economy a he  previews Bush proposals for health care by the new York times Washington president Bush selection year prescription for the nations health care system is Likely to include new incentives for people to enrol in prepaid group health plans White House chief of staff Samuel k. Skinner said. Skinner outlined the administrations ideas at a White House meeting with top executives of the american medical association on tuesday As he sampled the doctors reaction to major proposals being drafted for submission to Congress later this month. Administration officials and Ama executives gave details of the meeting they attended during separate interviews wednesday. A Federal budget official told the doctors they might dislike some of Bush a proposals. That referred to measures that would encourage people especially medicare and medicaid beneficiaries to join health maintenance organizations and health care networks a medical official said. Proponents of such managed care say it controls Cost reduces paperwork and maintains the Quality of care. But doctors complain that it reduces their autonomy and income. The health care networks pay less than doctors usually charge for an office visit service or procedure. For example a family doctor might receive $25 for an office visit that normally costs $40. And an obstetrician might be paid $3,000, instead of $4,500, for the care of a pregnant woman and delivery of her baby. The proposal would reduce medicare premiums for people who enrol in health maintenance organizations or other networks of doctors and hospitals supplying managed care. The discount could be As High As 30 percent of the medicare Premium now $31.80 a month. Medicare finances health care for 34 million elderly and disabled people of whom 2 million Are enrolled in health maintenance organizations. Federal officials said a discount could substantially increase the number of people enrolled. Officials also said Bush would also address the costs of malpractice claims and litigation limiting settlements for a Spain Ana  cities caught in squeeze