European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes . Thursday february 18,1993 employee benefits tax studied for health plan Washington apr the Clinton administration is considering taxing employee health benefits to help finance medical care for poorer americans and May also try to limit insurers Premium increases to bring Down costs. President Clinton a health care task Force is also discussing ways to extend medicare limits on doctors and hospitals Lees to ensure they do not charge More than a nor private insurance plans. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton who Heads the task Force spent More than 3 i hours closeted in meetings with almost 60 members of the House on tuesday to discuss the Reform Effort. The White House acknowledged that a senior policy adviser Ira Magaziner had written a memo outlining several possible tax increases to pay for the estimated $30 billion to $90 billion annual Cost of extending coverage to americans 36 million uninsured. The Wall Street journal reported that Magaziner had Laid out such Money raising options As a tax on insurance company premiums making workers pay in come taxes on health benefits above certain Levels hew levies on alcohol and tobacco and a higher corporate tax. Hillary Clinton turned aside questions about taxes saying a there Isnit a plan  but she added it s time this country faced reality and dealt with its prob  a portion of the Magaziner memo of Jan. 26 obtained by the associated press Laid out the task Force s preliminary work plan.  Clinton a Bill would be drafted around principles that included a creating a National health Board to set a Standard comprehensive Benefit package for All americans. A forcing All employers a to pay a percentage perhaps 75 to 80 percent of the Cost of a Standard plan for their employees and  a setting up state based health insurance purchasing cooperatives to negotiate coverage for Small businesses and individuals. Consumers would choose the plan they wanted during open enrolment periods. Ties nation s recovery to end of California s slump los Angeles up Summit on californians Ailia president Clinton told a ing Economy that the nations ability to recover depends on a turnaround in the state that Nas lost More jobs than any other in the past 2 i years. The president spoke tuesday to the two Day California economic Summit in  via a television satellite link from the White House. During some _ Ness leaders. Recover until californians Economy  he said California also will Benefit from his proposed business incentives and measures aimed at buying the slumping real estate Market and financially strapped education system. The los Angeles Summit led by state Assembly speaker Willie l. Brown jr., a san Francisco Democrat was convened to seek solutions to the state s economic slump its worst since the great depression. With cutbacks in defense and aerospace industries unemployment has hovered above 9 percent for several months. Since mid-1990, the state has lost More than 900,000 jobs More than any other state. Clinton a Trade representative Mickey Kantor who is a californian addressed the Summit after the president. He said one of the key issues in calf Omta s recovery will be the North american free Trade agreement. The agreement is aimed at removing restrictions on Trade manufacturing and employment in the United states Canada and Mexico. It has been supported by Many business interests but is opposed by some key labor and environmental groups. A a Kantor told the Summit that the Clinton administration will not fully support the agreement until provisions Are included that address labor safety and environmental issues along with the anticipated surge of imports from Mexico into . Markets. T Kantor said the administrations plans to help California recover include converting what used to be defense related jobs into employment in transportation Energy and environmental  Calico a a Quot it Mac s Quot / a a i a a California Assembly speaker Willie l. Brownjr. Applauds As president Clinton uses satellite television tiie Day to address an economic Summit in los Angeles. Iraq sanctions to continue Clinton says Washington up a president Clinton told Congress on tuesday that Iraq still poses a an unusual and extraordinary threat to the Security of the United states As Well As regional peace. He made the statement in a required report to Congress and thus maintained policies that former president Bush set in motion after iraqis invasion of Kuwait and the persian Gulf War. Iraqi president Saddam Hussein has put out some peace feelers to Clinton but the presidents aides indicated they will be ignored until Iraq reverses its political behaviour and complies with several Tough . Resolutions. A the regime of Saddam Hussein continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the National Security and foreign policy of the United states As Well As to regional peace and Security a a Clinton said in his report. A because of iraqis failure to comply fully with United nations Security councils resolutions Quot the president said a the United states will therefore continue to apply economic sanctions to deter Iraq from threatening peace and stability in the Region and i will continue to report periodically to the Congress on significant developments. A Clinton said the Saddam regime continues to violate a Basic human rights by repressing the iraqi civilian population and depriving it of humanitarian assistance. He accused the iraqi government of perpetuating the suffering of the civilian population.49% in Oregon Survey say Packwood should quit from wire reports Portland Ore. A nearly half of Oregon a residents believe . Sen. Bob Packwood should resign because of allegations that remade unwanted sexual advances toward women a poll found. The poll said 49 percent of those surveyed want the Republican to quit. Forty percent said he  resign. Eleven percent were undecided. Nearly 60 percent of those polled Friday through sunday said Packwood Hasni to offered an acceptable apology for his actions. The Washington Post has reported that 23 women have accused Packwood of making unwanted sexual advances toward them Over the  the poll was broadcast tuesday by Kew to and published wednesday by the oregonian and the Register guard of Eugene. A a political Media research of Washington d.c., surveyed 812 people by Telephone. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage Points. Brighton Colo. A a former state lawmaker with a Law and order reputation has received three years probation and 400 hours of Community service for taking part in a videotaped orgy that involved a 17-year-old boy. �?o1 think this behaviour was shocking a former state rep. David Bath 46, said at his sentencing tuesday. A there Are no words i can select to properly express Haw disappointed i will always be in the myself. A the former prosecutor Ana Republican congressional candidate was convicted in december of sexual exploitation of a child and conspiracy. He acknowledged during his non jury trial that he participated in a Drunken orgy in 1991 at a Motel. Bath who was videotaped having sex with multiple partners said he did not know any of the five other participants were  Leader gets prison Phoenix a former Navajo chairman Peter Macdonald was sentenced to More than 14vi years in prison for his part in a 1989 riot in which two people were killed. The term will overlap a sentence of More than seven years that Macdonald is serving for bribery and other crimes . District judge Robert Broomfield said tuesday. A Macdonald 64, was convicted of conspiracy and burglary in the riot at the tribes Headquarters in window Rock. Two supporters were killed and six other people including three tribal police officers were injured when a March turned violent. Live violence was the culmination of five months of turmoil that followed Macdonald a ouster on corruption allegations. A Macdonald Wasny to present when the violence broke out but the judge said it was dear he was a the undisputed Leader and organizer of the  reforms backed Miami a Dade county commissioners have put what they Learned from Hurricane Andrew into practice and voted to require new houses to have reinforcing columns stronger roofs and Hurricane shutters. The improvements would increase the Cost of a on Story 1,850-Square-foot House Between 2 percent and 5 percent officials said. The vote tuesday was the first step toward overhaul of the construction code since Andrew destroyed or heavily damaged thousands of buildings last August. The new code which of ibid take effect next year is scheduled for a final vote March 2.glitch interrupts satellite Pasadena Calif. A a mysterious glitch caused the Ulysses solar explorers instruments to shut Down cutting off the flow of scientific data to Earth for Days. Eight of the spacecrafts science instruments were running again tuesday after the breakdown Over the weekend and the ninth instrument should be Back in operation within Days Nasa said. A similar still unexplained malfunction occurred in 1991.ulysses was released from a space shuttle in 1990 on a $750 million .-european Mission to study the suns poles in 1994-95. The spacecraft was 379 million Miles from Earth on tuesday