European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Vol. 50, no. 306 Zurr 350 saturday february 15,1992 �wha�tbsi3kssges3 d 8693 California gets Brief respite motor Homes and cars stuck in debris litter the Countryside in Ventura county after storms struck an re  bracing for More rainstorms los Angeles up rain Clouds that dumped millions of Gallons of rain on Southern California this week dissipated Friday and gave flood weary residents a Chance to clean up before the arrival of a fourth storm system. The National weather service said the storm was 800 Miles off Northern California and moving Southeast with thunderstorms expected to arrive before dusk and continue through Friday night. Forecasters predicted 4 More inches of rain. At least five deaths were blamed on the latest storm that struck last wednesday causing mudslides and Flash flooding in Ventura los Angeles and Orange counties. At least five people were reported missing and scores were homeless. Dozens of Homes in Hillside and Canyon areas were inundated with mud and 20 recreational vehicles and Mobile Homes were swept away from a Ventura Seaside Park. States of emergency were declared in los Angeles and Ventura counties and in the City of los Angeles. Preliminary damage estimates were placed at $7.6 million for los Angeles county but the figure will Rise As cleanup efforts uncover new damage and the new storms bring More problems. The los Angeles unified school District cancelled All classes Friday giving 630,000 students and thousands of school employees a Long weekend. The recess would also Idle thousands of school buses reducing traffic on roads where workers were repairing damage from flooding and mudslides and shoring up hillsides before see respite on Page 2democrats version of tax package assailed Washington a House democratic tax writers Are nearing agreement on a plan favouring the Middle class at the expense of the wealthy. But the White House on Friday attacked the plan As a forerunner to tax hikes for everyone. The democratic Bill would Cut taxes on capital gains and corporations but put the bite on High income individuals. And responding to widespread complaints about the multimillion Dollar salaries of some corporate executives it would prohibit a company from deducting any compensation above $1 million. President Bush a spokesman Marlin Fitzwater on Friday lashed out at House democrats accusing rep. Dan Rostenkowski d-ill., of laying a trap for Bush. He said Rostenkowski chairman of the House ways and Means committee asked the White House for a pared Down Early version of his economic package that could be passed More quickly and that contained easy ways to pay for its proposals. But the democrats immediately blocked that seven Point plan and Bush was subjected to criticism that he was abandoning other parts of his plan including Middle class tax Relief. A a there a a feeling that he set us up a Fitzwater said of Rostenkowski. Democrats on the ways and Means committee spent several hours behind closed doors thursday writing a substitute for the tax plan recommended by Bush. The democrats Hope to Complete work on the measure this week which would Clear the Way for a House vote As Early As next week on what kind of a tax reduction the country will get in this election year. A a it a basically a fair credible package that is pretty balanced Between Middle class cuts and incentives for economic growth a said rep. Robert t. Matsui a Calif. At the heart of the emerging Bill is a tax credit of up to $200 per wage earner $400 a couple this year and next. It would be financed by imposing a new 35 percent tax rate on High income people and a 10 percent surtax on millionaires. Bush would not comment to reporters see tax on Page 23 members of Cis reject combined armed forces Minsk Belarus apr three former soviet republics refused Friday to participate in a United Commonwealth aimed Force. Ukraine Moldova and Azerbaijan opted out of any military role in the Commonwealth of Independent states said a belorussian foreign ministry spokesman. The remaining eight republics appointed a group to set up a temporary a unified command a spokesman Stanislav Ogurtsov said. During a two year transition individual republics could form their own armies that May or May not join the unified Force. The latest division is another blow to the commonwealths fragile Unity and widens the split Between its most powerful members Russia and Ukraine. Wrangling Over military issues has preoccupied the Young Commonwealth of 11 nations that arose from the disintegrated soviet Union nine weeks ago. It has overshadowed other pressing issues such As the coordination of economic Reform. Russia has been pressing for the unified military while Ukraine believes that a single military would dominate and even threaten individual members. Ogurtsov stressed that strategic nuclear weapons a now housed in Russia Ukraine Belarus and Kazakhstan a would remain under a previously agreed to Central command. The agreement by eight republics to create a United Mikitaw appears to be based on a proposal by kazakh president Nur Sultan Nazar Baev presented to fellow see Cis on Page 2aeroflot s fare for foreigners encounters . Turbulence Moscow up the . Embassy is protesting a new fare system introduced by Aeroflot the Cash strapped russian airline that requires foreigners to pay much More than russians for the same flights. Embassy spokesman John Ohta said officials were continuing to travel at the inflated rate while awaiting an answer from the russian foreign ministry. Other embassies and resident foreigners whose jobs brought them to the russian capital were pondering what to do about Aeroflot a action. In some cases they Are not flying. A a we re still trying to decide what to do about it a said Noel Jones of the British embassy. A a we re still carrying on. But it could have quite an Impact and could be quite a  a a we re looking at How it will affect us a said Canadian embassy spokesman Robert Todd. Todd said Canadian officials were discussing the Issue with other members of the Moscow diplomatic corps. On thursday russian officials shrugged off the separate fares crafted last week As no big Deal. A we Are being charged a lot of Money too a said russian foreign ministry spokesman Vitaly Churkin. A a done to think you Are being discriminated  Churkin said he was warned to expect protests but had not yet seen any. Journalists also were affected and see fare on Page 2