European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 24, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tit staff a Ano Btu in i .  of Bru by 4 1�3new lawmakers seek pay freeze la the Washington of a it Washington a pc Sidoni Clin Ion proposal to free the pay of Federal employee would not affect the 535 members of Congress who arc scheduled to get a Cost of living increase next year but eight democratic freshmen have a different idea. The freshmen led by reps. Luis v. Gutierrez of Illinois and Eric fingerhut of Ohio last week proposed legislation to forgo a 1994 raise that is otherwise Auto Matic under the 1989 Law designed in part to take politics out of the setting of congressional pay. And the party s Lead cars in the House at least appear to agree. The Issue has yet to surface in the Senate. Last month a 3.2 percent increase under that Law lifted the pay of House member and senator to $133,644. After hearing Clinton proposal for other Federal employees on feb. 17, Gutierrez and fingerhut said they concluded that congressional pay should Rise no higher next year. A your salaries Are certainly generous and competitive when compared to those of other Public servants a Gutierrez and fingerhut said in a letter to colleagues circulated thursday. A if a Federal employee with a salary of one fifth of our salary can bite the Bullet so can  Gutierrez who has already gained an upstarts reputation among some House leaders called their congressional pay freeze Bill Quot a Quick response to the presidents economic message. A House democratic leadership aide asked monday about the legislation responded quickly too a if the president is going to freeze the pay raises of Federal employees there s no Way member Are going to take a pay raise a the aide said. The aide recalling recent jurors Over congressional pay increases estimated the political costs of keeping a 1994 raise As High especially if other Federal employees done to get one. Quot it  be pretty a he said. But House members have not rushed to co sponsor a freeze of their own pay since six other freshmen signed up thursday a fingerhut aide said the office had received a a few Calls in response to the letter. A Gutierrez aide said no members have responded to that office. Both said Many lawmakers returned to their District for the weekend without seeing the letter. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader an opponent of congressional pay increases enacted since 1989, said he has received a similarly paltry response to his a humility pledge asking members to Roll Back those raises and eliminate their Cost of living increase. A these people talk a Good game before an election and then they done to want to hear from anybody that asked them to share in sacrifice a he said. Nader noted that during the depression Congress in two consecutive years Cut lawmakers pay from $10,000 to $9,000 and then to $8,500. A these people done to even have the prudence to keep their salary the same. It goes up a Nader said. Entrepreneur Larry Villella 14, displays the $1,000 Check before mailing it to the president. Boy 14, sends Clinton $ 1,000 Fargo . Apr others complain about president Clinton a plan to trim the Federal deficit by raising taxes. A 14-Ycar-old who fears the proposal will get bogged Down in politics has sent Clinton a Check for $1,000. A a the Economy is hurting now. I think we have to do something now to get things going a said Larry Villella of Fargo who started his own business three years ago. A president Clinton needs to bypass All the governmental red tape to stimulate the  a my solution makes this possible because it eliminates the a Middle Man a and the Money gets to the government much faster Quot he wrote to Clinton. The Check was still in the mail when the president got wind of it and called from aboard air Force one to thank him. A a in a really really impressed that you did this a Clinton told him. A i think you re really a Symbol of what a Best with this country. 1�?Tjm proud of you a Larry a sister walked at sending so much a but he said he wanted to make a Point and the $1,000 would be More powerful a said his Mother Debbi Villella. Clinton said he would have to make sure the government could accept the Money. He said he would get Back to Larry on that adding that he hoped to eventually meet him. Quot one of the things that in be asked my staff to do since citizens Are not in the habit of sending Money like this is to see whether we can legally receive it and spend it just the Way you want a he said. The Money came from Larry a Bank account for conserve products a company that markets a tree and Shrub watering system he invented. His parents help run the company. Socratic leadership aide Many lawmakers returned to their Dis goes up Nader said. Former congressman insists he did t fall for it whatever it was Washin Rstom map _ Ruthin Tallin Cave he a a Tho or Tiara of Washington a Robin Tallon says head just settled into his chair at a Capitol Hill restaurant when he heard the Job offer of his life. Three Guys in suits offered the retiring congressman from South Carolina a Job at $250,000 a year a double his government salary. He smelled a rat paid for his Orange juice and promptly left he says. He thought maybe it was the Fri trying another sting a but a weekly newspaper says it was a team for inside edition a syndicated television show. The shows producers Arentt talking. Tallon a Democrat who retired from the House this year said the pitch went this Way at the meeting last fall head be driven around in limousines. He  have to work very hard. And after a while he  have to work at All. The bad news was head have to travel abroad. But he could go first class. And they would pay to Send his family along. But first they needed some help with a teens problem. That a when they started chattering about fasteners and regulations that the Commerce department was writing. Tallon says he got suspicious immediately. In the first place he barely knew what they were talking about. In the second place the stuff just did no to ring True he says. A a in a thinking a if this is the Fri they must think i fell off the cabbage truck a Quot Tallon said. A i was furious. It was an insult to my intelligence. I really wanted to Tell them this is a poor excuse for a sting  Tallon had reason to be sensitive to a setup. His predecessor John Jenrette was nailed in an Fri sting and the Fri had just rounded up 28 people in a sting operation in the South Carolina legislature. So he says he Wasny to buying it. A your entire conversation could not have lasted More than 10 minutes a Tallon said. He says he stood up tossed Down some Money for his juice and left. To this Day he does no to know to whom he had been talking. But Roll Call a newspaper that circulates on Capitol Hill says it was inside edition. Tallon May not have been the Only retiring member of Congress to get the offer that was too Good to be True. Former rep. Robert w. Davis r-mich., said he was contacted too. Beyond that he wont talk. Judy Geder a spokeswoman for inside edition said she had a no answer when asked whether the program had attempted a videotape sting operation on members of Congress. A the policy of this show is not to comment on stories that Are in Progress or Are potentially in Progress or any ideas we May Nave a she said. A i have no further  Tallon says he got an education out of the incident a i did no to know what a Fastener was. I did no to want to. Appear ignorant. I finally realized a Fastener is a nut and Bolt. Somewhere in the conversation a Light came on a he said. As he was walking out on the breakfast Tallon thought head hedge his bet. A i said a this is interesting. Why done to you All get Back in touch with me after Jan. 3?�?T a calt13was of cede s waiting for a 2 of 5 skiers Safe in Colorado Aspen Colo. Apr two of five Cross country skiers missing since saturday Are Safe at a trading Post about 25 Miles South of Aspen. They contacted authorities from a pay phone tuesday morning. Authorities identified the two As Ken Toro 50 of Conifer and Elliott Brown 43, of Golden. Torp was chief of staff for former Colorado gov. Richard Lamm. They had split up with the other three skiers who remained missing tuesday the men reportedly needed medical attention but were coherent. A they Are dehydrated and have some frostbite Quot said Ilene Cranor who works at the Taylor Park trading Post where the men showed up. A but otherwise the Are in pretty Good condition. A a they re just really tired and hungry a she said. Gunnison county officials said a Road and Bridge Crew was dispatched to take the two to a Hospital in Gunnison about 45 Miles South of Aspen. The two apparently skied Over Taylor pass into the Laylor River drainage and followed it until they reached the trading Post Gunnison county authorities su1u. The Cross country skiers failed to return from weekend trek in Mountain Back country. A couple w them returned safely by a different route. 14 5ackpack belonging to one of the skiers was Foi a a pass where searchers i hoped the three men and two women had taken Shel near be to temperatures. But the local sheriff e Ura dts said there was no indication the skiers i been in the hut. See was cached off at dusk monday and i e ? resumed tuesday morning. A win Lle act with As much As 15 inches Sny. F p? w the Region by tuesday night. 40-Lnhmnssln-8.w.re? Schluger 50 Dee Duff 40, and Dubin s husband Rob Dubin 38, All of Dot and a r1esort Friday camped Loverni some food urn sunday they had sleeping bags a and a o Riff Mimer a 8roup� Richard Rost and Al lint Ziehn Aldrea Brett 42> split off when to to return i Are a re experienced skiers decide to return by a More difficult route Rost said