European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 09, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes . Tuesday. February 9,1993 White House cools talk of social Security freeze Washington a the White House on monday backed away from the controversial idea of a freeze on social Security Cost of living increases to help shrink the budget deficit. White House officials said a freeze was unlikely which increases the likelihood the administration will go for what has been the leading alternative taxing More of the social Security benefits paid to the higher income elderly. Retired couples with incomes above $32,000, and individuals with incomes above $25,000, now must  in come taxes on 50 percent of their social Security Bene fits. That level most Likely would increase to about 85 percent in the Clinton economic plan. Before asking americans to  higher taxes Clinton this week will seek to prove his credentials As a budget Cutter starting with his own staff says vice president Aigoro. Clinton met sunday with members of the Cabinet level National economic Council to review spending cuts tax increases and a jobs producing economic Stim ulus  House press Secretary dec dec Myers said increasing corporate taxes was an option under consideration. The current corporate tax is 34 percent. She also said Clinton is considering an increase in the minimum wage currently $4.25 an hour. It was Las raised in 1991. White House communications director George Ste thanopoulos said it was highly unlikely that Clinton would Call for freezing social Security Cost Omi ving raises. That s something he never wanted to do Stepha Nopoulos said on Abc to s Good morning America blaming unsubstantiated leaks for causing an uproar. The president is to present his plans to Congress in his state of the Union address feb. 17, but the administration planned in Advance to highlight its budget Cut Ting Zeal. You re going to Sec announcements. That will demonstrate quite clearly that the experience Bill Clin ton has in balanced budgets is being brought to Bear in weeding out the unnecessary wasteful kind of spending that s just been allowed to go on for too Long Foresaid. Then we re going to ask those who benefited the most from the last 12 years unfairly to  their fair share he told interviewers on Abc to s this week with David Brinkley. Gore did not specify the cuts but said they would make it unmistakably Clear that we have been wrestling with the guts of these very difficult  a senior White House official speaking on condition of anonymity said the first announcement probably today would focus on reducing the White House staff. Details of cuts elsewhere in government will follow on subsequent Days the official said. The Washington Post reported sunday that about 20 lower level workers in the White House office that deals with letters Telephone Calls and other Public communication have been Given Layoff notices. But the Washington times quoting unidentified sources in monday s editions said the administration is drawing up a $3 million supplemental appropriations measure to  for 50 More White House positions that would be Given to political supporters. No further de tails were available the paper said. Nuclear intrusion Pierce l. Nyc 31, of Bethel pa., is led away by authorities in Harrisburg on sunday after he allegedly smashed his station Wagon through the Gate of the three mile Island nuclear Power Plant and wandered through the site for four hours. Officials said no dam age was caused to the Power Plant during the incident. Gay activists surprised by support for military ban by Kim i. Mills the associated press Washington Gay rights groups toiled for years to overturn the military s ban on homosexuals but when president Clinton took the first step toward lifting it they found themselves unprepared to defend his action. It took Days for Gay activists to counter the flood of Telephone Calls and letters to Congress and the White House that conservative religious groups launched with in minutes of Clinton s action. It s very difficult to compete with churches who begin political organizing on sunday Rev up the masses on 1,000 radio stations and own television stations coast to coast said Tanya Domi Mili tary affairs lobbyist for the National Les Bian and Gay task Force. And then on monday they re beating your brains out on the  Clinton said Jan. 29 that he had or dered the Pentagon to immediately Stop asking recruits about their sexual Orienta Tion and to draft an executive order with in six months formally lifting the 50-year old ban on homosexuals in the military. Inspired by televangelists linking homosexuality to nazism satanism and Hir ing quotas evangelical christians immediately jammed Telephone lines at the Capitol and the White House to protest Clinton s action. For Gay rights activists it meant the initial message reaching the nation s elected leaders was largely against Clin ton s plan to lift the ban in six months. Eventually Gay rights groups mobilized a counteroffensive by tax machine and phone. By the Middle of last week the offices of several key senators said they were getting More Calls in favor of Clin ton s stand than a week earlier but that Calls opposing his action still were run Ning ahead. Domi said Gay leaders had allowed themselves to be mesmerized by Clin ton s Campaign Promise to lift the ban with the stroke of a  also she said activists were caught unaware when sen. Sam Nunn d-.ga., chairman of the Senate armed services committee decided to Challenge Clin ton s plan to lift the ban. Everybody knew Nunn was opposed but nobody really thought he was going to Call the hand of a Brand new presi Dent Domi said. Many in the Gay Community were sur prised by their unread Ness especially because activists had spent considerable Effort in the last five years fighting the ban. The Day that it was reported in the mainstream Media that Capitol Hill was deluged we got More phone Calls in our office asking what do i do what do i do " said Jeff Epperly editor of Bay windows a Boston based Gay newspaper. Or Washington lobbying groups had become too closely tied to the democratic party. Scott Celley a spokesman for sen. John Mccain r-ariz., said Gay activists were As shocked As Congress and the american people when president Clinton moved Forward on  Mccain voted thursday for a failed gop measure that would have restored the original Gay ban and required Congress to vote on any change. Ralph Reed executive director of the. Christian coalition a conservative group Allied with religious broadcaster  Robertson said the Gay lobby missed the window of Opportunity. The Compromise has been made and the decision has been delayed he said. Right now to bombard the Capitol with a Bunch of letters is like swinging before the Ball Ever leaves the Pitcher s  Reed s group credits Middle Ameri Ca for speaking out against Clinton s decision to lift the ban in six months after Congress has studied it. Restaurant massacre Case still baffles Illinois officials Palatine 111. Up police chief Jerry Bratcher says his frustrated investigators arc making Little Progress in solving the Jan. 8 slayings of seven people at Brown s Chicken and i Asta restaurant. Bratcher oversees a 75-member team from 18 police agencies that he said will keep working until the crime is solved. Be said evidence gathered by crime lab technicians would be a key to finding those responsible for the worst mass murder in the area in20 years. We have a Large volume of Evi Dence still being processed Wratcher said saturday. That is an asset  police have fragments of genetic evidence including fingernails blood hair and fiber samples gathered at the crime scene and some of the Dan fingerprints could belong to the at tackers he said. Bratcher said investigators also Are using a computerized automatic fingerprint identification system that can match partial fingerprints. We Are looking at a number of possibilities at least two or three scenarios Bratcher said denying re ports the Trail has gone cold. We had a lot of real Good  Falatine police said they have received letters on the crime and More than 2,000 Calls on a crime hot line. Epperly and others questioned Wyeth the delay was a sign that their flagship lawmaker wants to raise Texas stripping age to 21 Houston a a legislator is try ing to raise the Legal age for stripping and topless dancing to 21, changing the state s indecency Law that allows girls As Young As 17 to work in bars where the Yare too Young to drink. I think most people Are a Little sur prised if not shocked to have 17-year Olds working As topless dancers said state rep. Sue Schechter. You can legally dance naked in a bar before you turn 21, but you can t go in that bar an legally buy a  Schechter a Houston Democrat introduced a Bill last week that would raise the Legal age for stripping and topless dancing to 21. The Bill is supported by children s advocates. Schechter said the proposal is designed to make the Public indecency Law consist with the state s Legal drinking age of owners of Houston cabarets attacked the proposal As discriminatory and said hiring decisions should be left to owner Sand dancers. We re giving them an Opportunity to better themselves rather than working at Mcdonald s or another fast food place said Terry Allen who manages Chez pans. Bill Floyd manager of Rick s cabaret estimated a fourth of the club s 400 wait resses and topless dancers Are under 21. Tie said it was difficult to make sure the Yare not served alcohol. Robert i3yrd of the Gulf coast Legal i foundation said he knows of one 17 year old who quit a clerk s Job to become topless dancer