European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes wednesday june 17, 1992 care of Blind vets in near crisis group says Washington apr failure to Correct serious deficiencies has led to a a near crisis situation in Many Federal facilities for the rehabilitation of Blind veterans the blinded american veterans foundation says. Foundation president John Fales in remarks prepared for delivery with the release tuesday of a report on 13 facilities said veterans affairs department officials should Quot be commended for what they accomplish in the Blind rehabilitation  a at the same time there Are some serious deficiencies and shortcomings that Combine to continue to deny visually impaired veterans increased self sufficiency and better education and career development opportunities a Fales said. Many of these deficiencies were highlighted in a 1990 report by the foundation a but Little if anything has been done to Correct or overcome them in almost two years a he said. A this has created a near crisis situation at Many Eva Blind rehabilitation centers and clinics across the country at a time when the number of visually impaired veterans needing assistance continues to grow each year a said Fales. A spokeswoman Lisa res pass said monday that department officials had not seen the report and could not comment on it. It was being released at the foundations seventh annual congressional awards ceremony. George m. Gillispie a foundation Board member who conducted the study said the number of Blind veterans will almost double in the next 15 years. He sharply criticized an exemption under which he said veterans with retirement incomes of More than $9,000 Are being denied rehabilitation at the centers and clinics. A private and state resources still simply can to match what the Eva program does for blinded vets a Gillispie said. A this situation must be  one of the places Gillispie visited was the tvs sensory and prosthetics distribution Center in Denver and he advocated expanding it to serve veterans nationwide. Local prosthetic chiefs he said too often Purchase poor Quality goods to save Money but they Cost More in the Long run. A for instance High Quality talking watches will last up to two years without Battery replacement and will provide Many Many years of reliable service a he said a cheaper substitutes often last just a few  Gillispie also visited the a medical centers in Birmingham Ala. Phoenix and Tucson Ariz. San Francisco and Palo Alto Calif. Denver West Haven Conn. Portland Ore. Lebanon a. Dallas and Waco Texas and american Lake Wash. Escapee suspected of being phantom Pilot Little Rock Ark. A a prison Escapee is suspected of stealing two air planes and flying into airports in at least four states. Some think he is bold enough to return to Arkansas and Settle old scores. A i guess he thinks he a a1 Capone or something a said Edward a former business associate of Charles Lloyd Patterson. Patterson 47, has been missing since he allegedly stole a plane he had chartered during a five Day prison furlough in Arkansas in april. He was serving a 40-year sentence for solicitation to commit murder theft and other offences. After the escape gov. Bill Clinton the presumed democratic presidential nominee halted All meritorious furloughs in Arkansas. Last week a plane Patterson is believed to have Stofen at gunpoint in Colorado was abandoned at a Small Airport in Texas. The first plane also was left in Texas. Now police Are watching the Homes of two lawyers Patterson threatened in the past. Patterson had been in prison since 1988 for paying $25,000 to arrange the murder of one John Norman liar key of Batesville. Harkey said he was responsible for Patterson losing his Job As an Arkansas alcohol beverage control agent in the 1970s. Harkey said Patterson was taking payoffs from bootleggers and others during his Brief stint As an agent. The other lawyer Blair Arnold teamed up with Harkey to represent Patterson a wife when the couple divorced. Ward whose car rental firm once did business with Patterson a Batesville body shop said he awoke Early the Day after the first plane was stolen to find Patterson standing at his bedside holding a gun. Ward lives near Batesville a regional Airport where Patterson apparently landed the plane. Patterson said he was on the run and needed Money. Ward said. Fri spokesman Ron Wolfe said investigators Arentt sure what Patterson a intentions Are. A other than it allows him to get around and he has a background in flying a Wolfe said. A a he san experienced  a plane that landed tuesday in Marshall Texas about 140 Miles East of Dallas was stolen a Day earlier in Erie Colo. A Man believed to be Patterson asked a flight instructor in Boulder Colo., to land at Erie so he could pick up a package. The Man pulled a gun told the instructor to get out and took off authorities said. Charles Lloyd Patterson poses for his 1988 Arkansas prison photos. Schwarzkopf vies with Perot in popularity poll says Washington a Ross Perot a support among voters is nearly equated by that for persian Gulf War commander and non candidate h. Norman Schwarzkopf according to a poll released monday that found voters looking for a Strong Leader. A the Schwarzkopf finding underscores the difficulty of judging How much of Perot a standing in the polls is really support for Perot rather than a yearning for a non political alternative to Bush and Clinton a said the Survey by the times Mirror Center for the people amp the press. T he Survey showed Schwarzkopf equated Bill Clinton a support and made substantial inroads into president Bush a when voters were Given a Choice Between the three. When the choices were Bush Clinton and Perot Perot continued to hold the Lead he had in earlier surveys. The Telephone Survey of 2,512 adults conducted May 28 to june 10, showed 36 percent for Perot 31 percent for Bush and 27 percent for Clinton. A separate poll of 1,005 adults showed Bush 35 percent Schwarzkopf 29 percent and Clinton 27 percent. Since the potential sampling error for the Sample was Given As 2 percent the Schwarzkopf Clinton result was entered As a tie. The Survey also showed that 63 percent of americans believe the country needs a Strong Leader who would take direct action a without worrying about How Congress and the supreme court would  some 27 percent thought this might be dangerous. In a Gallup poll conducted for Newsweek in 1976, in the aftermath of watergate 49 percent favored a similarly described Strong Leader while 44 percent considered the Choice of such a Leader risky. Times Mirror said 56 percent of those polled believe the country needs new people in Washington a even if they Are not As effective As experienced  in a 1987 Survey 44 percent agreed. Over the same period the percentage saying it is time for politicians to step aside and make room for new leaders climbed from 62 percent to 84 percent. Bush continued to Lead Clinton in a two Way match up 46 percent to 41 percent. That is not statistically different from the 46-43 result in the times mirrors May poll. Clinton s remarks prompt lukewarm reaction from Union san d1lgo apr will Clinton kept up his latest strategy of political in correctness by pushing a  free Trade pact to a Union that opposes the Deal. The democratic presidential candidates Trade comments monday to the United Auto workers was his latest attempt to cast himself As Gutsy enough to be at Odds with fellow democrats. It followed his weekend slap at Black rap Singer sister sout Jah while speaking to the Rainbow coalition Jesse Jackson a civil rights group. The Singer had reportedly commented that instead of Black people killing other Blacks Blacks should kill Whites for a week. Clinton aides said that in this last month before the democratic National convention the prospective nominee is trying to show he is willing to stand up to the party a special interests and Core constituencies. He a also getting a much needed burst of publicity a attention that had largely been stolen away by Likely Independent candidate Ross Perot leaving the Clinton Campaign at a standstill. In his United Auto workers speech Clinton got a tepid response to his Trade comments and lukewarm support too in pushing abortion rights and gun control. A a that Sall right a Clinton told reporters later. A a you be got to say the same thing  in part Clinton is trying to shed the a pander bears tag that rival Paul Tsongas placed on him in the primaries his aides said. A a that a what this period of the Campaign is All about a getting beyond the caricature a said spokeswoman Deedee Myers. In his speech to the autoworkers Clinton said expanded Trade was key to americans ability to reignite the nations manufacturing base. The autoworkers and other unions oppose the Mexico Trade pact arguing that it will Only quicken the Export of . Jobs across the Rio Grande. Clinton also said the nation must boost its productivity a possibly by using fewer workers to make the same products a and that labor and management have to Start working together. Even though his Trade comments were coolly received Clinton ended up with three standing ovations