European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 05, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes Friday february 5,1993 a at a glance 1 raids on the Homes of far right Rock band members and a Cologne Germany area music production company netted thousands of hate records and other Neo nazi Materi Al police say. See Story on Page 10. Drug prices debated leaders of a Senate panel have demanded More Federal regulation of drug prices. Page 4 family leave Bill House democrats Are hailing Quick action on a family leave Bill As a sign that Congress and the White House Are ready to return working families concerns to the forefront. Pages fair fiscal plan president Clinton trying to pre pare americans for the likelihood of higher taxes said that he won t ask the Middle class to sacrifice until he makes the economic elite pay More. Pago 6 Clinton nears decision a decision is close at hand on president Clinton s second Choice for attorney general an official said. Pago 7 Eye opener on dreams now it looks As if even dreaming May be hazardous to your health. Page 8 Rains hamper Rescue heavy Rains in the Philippines slowed Rescue operations and raised fears of new landslides in an area where a Volcano has erupted. Page 11 l Index Abby Ann Landers. 16 comics 16,22-23 commentary 15 classifieds 2528 crossword 16 faces in places 24 focus 1721 Horoscope 27 Jumble 27 letters 14 Money matters 12 sports 29-36 to listings 35 weather 13 German interest rates lowered Berlin a t under pressure from other nations Germany s Central Bank thursday lowered two key interest rates by Small amounts but said it remained committed to a fight against inflation. The move had not been expected. Ger Many s government budget woes remained unresolved and the Bundesbank the nation s Independent Central Bank had Given minimal hints that its require ments for lower interest rates were being met. But Japan had towered interest rates earlier in the Day and the danish Krone currency was under heavy pressure on foreign Exchange markets requiring five european Central Banks to intervene to support it. The Bundesbank s Central Council said after its weekly meeting in Frankfurt that it was lowering the Longbard rate from 9.5 percent to 9 percent and the discount rate from 8.25 percent to 8 percent. The Lombard rate is the rate at which Banks can borrow emergency Money from the Central Bank and acts As an effective ceiling on overnight rates. The discount rate is the cheapest form of Bank refinancing. The Bank said it would continue its inflation fight Rig policy but it wanted to help reduce tensions in currency markets. European currencies have been in tur Moil since last summer and Germany s High rates have been widely blamed. The Small changes announced thurs Day were about the same size As changes the Bundesbank made in september. They had Little effect on he turbulence in currency markets. Since then Britain and Italy devalue their currencies left the system that kept european Exchange rates relatively Sta ble. Spain Portugal and Ireland have de valued their currencies and the French franc danish Krone and other currencies have come under speculative pressure be cause of the Mark s strength. Cuts from Page budgets. Aspin s 1994 budget blueprint would Cut defense funds by about $10.8 billion beyond the $267 billion Pentagon budget the Bush administration had proposed. I Marks the first instalment in an Esti mated $60 billion Worth of reductions the Clinton administration plans to make inthe Pentagon s budget Over the next five years. Aspin s policy and programming guidance memo sets a target of 1.4 Mil lion . Troops in 1997 including 100,000 troops in Europe and orders cuts of $2.5 billion in the Pentagon s Star wars budget. It also defers the Start of production on a new aircraft car Rier and establishes a program under which some idled defense plants would be paid to maintain their readiness for future military production., under Aspin s proposal the Navy would experience the largest budget Cut $3 billion from its planned 1994 spending level. The air Force was directed to reduce its 1994 budget by $2.8 billion and the army by $2.5 billion. The figures in Aspin s memorandum correspond roughly with Clinton s Campaign promises although Aspin s Overall target for future troop Levels is slightly lower than those projected by Clinton i Campaign speeches. The proposed reductions Are much deeper than the Bush administration had planned or military Leaden have  Bush administration and Gen. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff had argued that . Forces should not be reduced below 1,620,000 troops from a current level of about 1,775,000. Bush and . Military officials have argued that . Troop Levels in Europe should fall no lower than 150,000 from the current level of about 180,000. A Force smaller than that would be unable to fight effectively they have said. The Broad policy guidelines Aspin enunciated tuesday caned for transition to a Force of 1.4 million Active duty troops by 1997, with 100,000 of them stationed in Europe. Enlistees from Page 1 several months to put in place a strict new code of conduct for military Mem Bers regardless of their sexual Orienta Tion. The president believes we have to study the Issue for six months and work with the military on How Best to fulfil his commitment White House spokesman George Steph Nopoulos said thursday on Nyics today show. We have to make sure we have cohesion in the  bowing to pressure from Congress including some democrats Clinton last week agreed to continue the ban on Gay while Congress holds hearings on the Issue this Spring. He told defense Secre tary Les Aspin to prepare a draft executive order by july 15 to formally end the prohibition. While continuing the ban Clinton or dered that recruits not be asked their sexual status and that acknowledged homosexuals already serving not be Dis charged. The questionnaires that recruits have been required to fill out include two questions on sexual orientation in a Sec Tion titled character and social adjust  t the first is Are you a homosexual Ora bisexual the second is do you in tend to engage in homosexual acts until now an applicant who answered yes to either question would be Dis qualified from joining the military. Now those two questions Are deleted. The army and air Force have told recruiters if applicants Volunteer that they Are homosexual they will be placed in temporarily disqualified  that Means the applicant could not immediately enter the service but would be contacted again if the ban is formally ended. The Pentagon order did not address that matter. In the order he signed wednesday Aspin temporarily sus Pended the formal firing of homosexuals in cases in which their discharge is base solely on sexual status. Aspin ordered that homosexuals continue to be subjected to discharge hear Ings but instead of being kicked out the would be put on standby  this Means they lose their pay and health another benefits but remain eligible for re instatement in the event the Gay ban i fully lifted. Boost from Page t local housing allowance rates Jones said. " he said his Job which covers the United kingdom and Southern Europe is to fight for the people Over Here and make sure they get sufficient pay to cover their  Edzell s housing problems began nearly two years ago and can be traced in Pareto Oil companies Grant said. It s be coming More and More expensive for our people to compete against the Oil Compa Nies in Aberdeen the Aberdeen Oil companies have the Bucks to pay their people so they cart afford to come Down and pay the High rent said Navy it. Dawn Cutler Edzell s Public affairs officer. It s simple Supply and demand the landlords know they can charge a higher Price and the people in Aberdeen will pay  Jones and Cutler said that the More affordable places in the area were Damp had mildew problems and in some cases rely on fireplaces for heat. Our people need better places than that Jones said. Major renovations involving base hous in a units have forced some families to housing rates at Raf Edzell Scotland the monthly rates Combine the Baste allowance for quartets with overseas housing allowances As of november 1992, the latest Date that figures Are available. Because of foreign currency fluctuations the rates May not necessarily reflect the exact housing allowance amounts service members in the Edzell area receive this month. E-1 to e-4 e-5 e-6 to e-9 0-1 0-2 to 0-6 $384 $422 $461 $463 $576. U s. Navy is Susan Harris move into off base quarters squeezing a already tight rental Market. The renovations affecting two bedroom houses Are expected to end in the fall two bedroom housing is scarce Grant said with some families waiting up to oneyear to move into one of those units. The average tour at Edzell is two years for unaccompanied personnel and three years for service members with families. There Are about 850 military member Sand 1,000 family members at Edzell. Which has 144 single family units on base and 102 housing units off base under a lease agreement. The majority of our people Are Youn families with maybe one or two Chil Dren Grant said. They Are lower rank ing and can t necessarily afford some of the paces charged for rent off  Ajan Stewart a local real estate agent said that . Service members inthe area get Good value for their monthly rent. We offer farmhouses and cottages ont arms that have been upgraded and in clude amenities such As Central heating utter kitchens carpeting and More he said. T Stalwart Sald a rally furnished three to in a t def Ora houses run Between $530 to 5670. However Cutler and Jones said Ade-3"ak  equivalent to that people in he United states Are  tween $750 and $1,025 per month. A & co ?ins1? officials an e-5 stationed at Edzell received about $422 in overseas housing allowance and Basic allowance for quarters in november. Overseas housing allowances Are tied to official Exchange rates and amount vary from month to month i