European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 c the stars and stripes sunday february 23,1992 stiff opposition forces a to abandon Rural project from wire reports Washington a fearful of the Wrath of the nations 26 million veterans the Bush administration on Friday cancelled a health care proposal that would have allowed the Rural poor to be treated in two veterans hospitals. Less than five hours after the Senate voted 91-3 to Block the program veterans affairs Secretary Edward j. Derwinski announced he was killing the plan because of the juror aroused by veterans groups. Quot i decided hell i have a Choice of getting rolled Over or getting off the Road a Derwinski said. The project was to include veterans hospitals in Tus pc ice ala., and Salem a. It was strongly opposed by veterans who feared that the plan would diminish the Quality of health care the hospitals could offer. "1 underestimated the intensity of feeling among the veterans a said Derwinski. A i did not think that two Pilot projects carefully monitored in two of the vans 172 institutions would draw such a huge juror from the  the test which was to be run jointly by the a and the department of health and human services had been designed to improve Access to health care in Rural areas by sharing available facilities. The three largest veterans organizations a the american legion veterans of foreign wars and disabled american veterans a had launched a massive lobbying Campaign to kill the initiative. They charged that non veterans have no right to be treated in the nations 172 veterans hospitals. A we believe veterans hospitals exist to provide care to veterans first a american legion commander Dominic d. Difrancesco said. The organizations had carried their Campaign to the White House and received a sympathetic hearing thursday from chief of staff Samuel k. Skinner said John f. Heilman the disabled american veterans legislative director. A obviously for political reasons they done to want to see George Bush beat up by the sos veterans sender organizations for the next seven months a Heilman said. Quot they want to see it go  Derwinski who announced the first test Sites with health and human services Secretary Louis w. Sullivan last month said he cancelled the program on his own. But he acknowledged he had kept the White House informed of the a a pounding the a was taking Over the Issue. A privately everyone was saying a a great idea but Washington apr a Pentagon scientist who claims he was fired because he complained about waste fraud and mismanagement in the a Star wars program said saturday that he has been Given a two week reprieve. Aldric Saucier who has been associated with the strategic defense initiative since 1983, said he was told Friday that his firing was suspended and that he was put on administrative leave with pay until March 6 while the Secretary of the army reviews the firing. Saucier was Given his dismissal notice feb. 14 after he returned to his office from a conference with the staff of a House government operations subcommittee on National Security which is investigating his allegations. His dismissal notice said he had not a demonstrated that he can acceptably perform the duties of a government scientist regardless of Grade or assignment. Rep. John Conyers jr., d-mich., chairman of the panel intervened on Saucier a behalf and asked Secretary of the army Michael Stone to review the circumstances surrounding his firing said a Conyers aide who los Angeles apr a shopkeeper who has killed three would be robbers in his store since 1989 has added two More to his list. The men walked into Lance Thomas watch shop on thursday pulled out semiautomatic handguns and began firing said police detective Lee Kingsford. Thomas and one of his employees fired Back killing the men Kingsford said. Thomas and the worker were not injured but a Man at a Yogurt shop across the Street was slightly wounded by a stray Bullet. A the suspects went in to commit a robbery and they lost a Kingsford said. No charges were filed after the Hail of at least a dozen shots. An investigation continued Kingsford said. One Man died in the doorway of the watch co. And the other died at the counter said police it. Ron Hall. This is an election year and we can to vote for it a a Derwinski said. He said a a poll of House and Senate veterans committees showed �?o10-to-l�?� support for the project but also �?o10 to 1, i can to vote for  veterans hospitals treat some non veterans under sharing agreements with affiliated University and military hospitals. However Many veterans feared the project would have opened a wider door to non veterans at a time when budget cuts Are restricting the care the a can offer some veterans. A there was a distrust among veterans a said Larry Rivers head of the a fwd a Washington office. A when Secretary Derwinski looked them in the Eye and said a no Veteran is going to be denied care a they did no to believe  when the plan was disclosed last summer officials solicited proposals from about 12 to 15 a hospitals and promised the test would not Block any eligible Veteran from receiving care. Derwinski maintained it would pump additional revenues from has into the a system and help expand veterans care in Rural communities where Veteran populations were dwindling. As opposition mounted the test was restricted to the 810-bed facility in Salem and the 660-bed facility in Tuskegee. Care in Virginia would have been handled mostly at Public health clinic sin mountainous areas. The Tuske gee facility would have offered the Only Hospital services available in a largely Black Rural Community. When the Issue came to a vote on the Senate floor Friday morning its Only supporters were Sens. Daniel Patrick Moynihan . John c. Danforth a to. And Alan k. Simpson a Wyo. Asked who were the losers As the result of his decision Derwinski first said there were none. A Fien he added that a whoever is in my seat 10 years from now will be doing things like this if they want to keep 172 hospitals open. A the just wont have the patient flow then. This was a great idea just a Little  spoke saturday on condition of anonymity. After talking by phone with Conyers on thursday night Stone suspended the firing Friday and put Saucier on administrative leave with pay for two weeks while he reviews the Case the aide said. A in those two weeks Well try to convince the Secretary to reverse the firing the aide said. The Pentagon had no immediate comment on the Case. Saucier said in an interview that he is confident that he will get his Job Back because a fall along i Felt i did my  a this has proved that the Check and balance on our Constitution is working a he added. A i done to have my Job Back yet but at least i have a Chance for review under an unbiased  Saucier chief scientist for advanced technologies and architectures has said that the $25 billion missile de sense program known As Quot Star wars has been mismanaged that Money has been wasted and that the Public has been misled about accomplishments that never  their identities weren to immediately released. It was the fourth time Thomas outgunned gunmen inside his store. Thomas fatally shot two armed robbers in november 1989 and wounded a third in another Holdup earlier that year. Last dec. 3, Thomas shot and killed a Man who vaulted Over his counter and said he was robbing the shop police said. Thomas Wasny to charged in the past shootings. A obviously or. Thomas is intent on not becoming a victim not being injured and not being robbed a Hall said. Sharon Minch who owns a balloon shop across the Street said after the december shooting that Thomas a can whip out four guns no matter where he is in the   woman baby killed by freight train from wire reports Pomona Calif. A a woman and her baby were killed by a train when their shopping cart got stuck on the tracks police said Friday. The 31-year-old woman was pushing the baby girl in the cart when they were hit by a Union Pacific freight train shortly after 7 . Thursday it. Bela Laszlo said. Tie 20-car train was travelling at 60 Mph. Laszlo said the conductor and Engineer spotted the two and tried to Stop in time but  kills Mother 3 kids Hampton Tenn. A a fire swept through the top floor of an apartment House killing a woman and her three children. A there is absolutely no evidence of anything other than an accidental fire a said Ken Potter chief sheriffs Deputy in Carter county. The fire was reported about 12 30 . Friday and brought under control in two hours. The cause was under investigation. The apartment building known As the Mae Tollett House has two floors. The victims lived upstairs. Residents of three apartments on the first floor escaped unharmed. The victims were identified As Rita Russell 42 daughters Jessica 12, and Melissa 14 and son Leon 16.Navy pilots eject safely Norfolk a. A two Navy aviators ejected safely Friday after their f-14a tomcat fighter Jet apparently developed engine problems Over North Carolinas Albemarle sound the Navy said. The aviators based at naval air station Oceana in Virginia Beach va., suffered minor injuries a Navy spokesman said. The aircraft went Down shortly before 2 . In an area about 15 Miles West of Kitty Hawk . The aviators members of fighter so 14, were taken from the water by a nearby civilian boat said cmdr Stephen Honda of Norfolk naval base. The Jet was conducting Low Altitude training Over the Navy a dare county Range at the time of the Accident he  s release nears Robbinsdale Minn. A a teen Ager whose arms were reattached after being torn off by farm machinery probably will be released from the Hospital this week officials said Friday. John Thompson 18, of Hurdsfield n.d., underwent surgery Friday to reposition a Bone in his right forearm Hospital officials said. He was listed in Good condition. Or. Allen  Beek Thompsons physician May have a definite Date for Thompsons release by monday said Maggie Drury a spokeswoman for North memorial medical Center. Thompson was working alone on his family a farm Jan. 11 when he became tangled in machinery. His arms were torn off 3 to 4 inches below the shoulders. He made it to his House twisted doorknobs with his Mouth and then clenched a Pencil in his Teeth to Telephone for help. His arms were reattached in a six hour  emergency red Wing Minn. A a Low level emergency was declared Early Friday at a nuclear Power Plant when the water temperature Rose in a reactor Cooling system during maintenance. The reactor at the Prairie Island Plant was shut Down for refuelling and maintenance at the time of the incident and no radiation was released said Northern states Power co. Spokesman Tom Bushee. Workers were draining water in one of the plants two reactors so steam generators could be inspected he said. When the water level dropped a pump supplying Cooling water began shaking and was shut on he said. The pump was replaced and Normal Cooling was restored. In the process the water in the Cooling system heated to 211 degrees he said. The water temperature limit during maintenance is 200 degrees. Fired whistle Blower gets reprieve Quick draw merchant kills More robbers