European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 2, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Today s rates following arc fixed Rales at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell for sign currencies to . Personnel for personal use German Mark .1.61 British Pound. 1.47 dutch guilder.1.81 greek drachma 214.4374 not the rates above apply within the Host country. Figures Ere expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign currencies italian lira 1,578.73 turkish lira 9,213.80 Spanish peseta.118.40 portuguese escudo Esee St eee 151.31 austrian Schilling to Etc of a a a 11.625 saudi rial 3.7495 Bahrain Dinar. 0.37675 Kuwait Dinar  0.307 norwegian Krone. 7.028 danish Krone. 6.34 British Pound German Mark Swiss franc French franc dutch Guilder belgian franc Canadian Dollar  1 .1 a a epee est a a epee Yeeee  .4408 .6485 .5275 5.605 .6515 33.94 .2495 note figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to die Donar Gold quote 1326.75 an ounce. Silver quote s3.s9 an ounce. Democrat wants to Combine economic Washington a Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine said sunday that he would like to Combine health care legislation with president Clinton s economic package because a a that a the Best Way to assure both proposals get passed. And Mitchell appearing on lbs tvs face the nation suggested that Congress probably would go along with financing part of the health care program with higher cigarette taxes. But he called a proposed $2-per-pack tax a As being discussed by some Clinton advisers a a unrealistically Mitchell  appearing on a different interview show Leon e. Panetta director of the office of management and budget said higher cigarette taxes Are a logical Revenue source for helping pay for new health care pro Grams such As Universal health insurance. A a it a legitimate to look at a cigarette tax As part of the Way to pay for health care Reform a a Panetta said on Abc to s this week with David Brinkley. Such a tax not Only would produce billions of dollars to help provide Universal health insurance and other reforms he said a but More importantly it May try to inhibit the very kind of behaviour that products health care problems in this  Panetta also said he hoped Congress could approve Clinton a $16 billion economic stimulus proposals before the easter recess in april saying Quick action is needed for the program to do any Good. A if you re going to produce the jobs in the time Frame we re talking about put the Money out for highways and the kinds of Public works projects that we re aiming at you have to really get it Down hopefully before the easter break a Panetta said. Republicans have opposed moving on the spending programs before spending cuts Are considered. Mitchell said he did no to know whether Clinton would go along with combining his economic package and health cafe proposals into a single package of legislation and he indicated he would not do so if the White House objected. But he said a i Hope that will be the Case because that a the Best Chance to pass health care and that a the Linchpin of the whole Effort to control the  he said he hoped to have a health care package ready by May and perhaps through the Senate by Early summer. Administration officials have acknowledged that additional Federal revenues will be needed to help pay for the health care reforms. They have said so called sin taxes a on tobacco products and liquor a Are among the mechanisms being discussed. Although a Sharp increase in the cigarette tax is Likely to be met with Strong opposition from the tobacco Industry and lawmakers from tobacco states Mitchell said he expects Congress to approve a some increase in cigarette taxes As part of a health care package. A i think $2 a pack is probably unrealistically High a he said of the suggestion by some Clinton advisers. Firms to pay $43 million in Landfill suit Riverside Calif. A ten companies have agreed to pay $43.6 million a to Settle a lawsuit brought by 3,800 plaintiffs Over toxic waste damage from the stringfellow Landfill near the Community of Glen Avon. The settlement brought the total amount of damages in the 9-year-old Case to about $96 million said Melvyn Weiss an attorney for the plaintiffs. The state one of the major defendants Wasny to covered in Friday s agreement. The settlement mediated of a Riverside county Superior court judge still needs final approval by both sides. Residents near the dump claimed their health and property had been damaged after Industrial companies dumped acids pesticides and other Poison into an old Quarry. The Landfill 10 Miles West of Riverside opened in 1956 after state geologists deemed it suitable for dumping hazardous material. However toxins overflowed leaching into groundwater and blowing on the Wii id into neighbouring communities. The site was closed in 1972. A Federal jury in 1989 ruled the state should help pay Toile Anitus. Companies agreeing to pay damages in on the Street elude Mcdonnell Douglas Northrop and quantum chemical corporations Rockwell International and Rohr industries. Severance Deal set for Continental chief Houston api a Continental airlines has granted chief executive Robert Ferguson a Deal that would pay him three times his $600,000 annual salary if he is fired after new investors take Over. Air Canada and air partners an investment group based in fort Worth Texas have agreed to invest $450 million in Continental to bring it out of chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in Exchange for a controlling share of the Stock. For rare chairman Luca Dimonte Molo drivesnew348 spider 1974, brought $183,000 at a Friday Charity auction for the fed floods trigger wave of lettuce Price boosts a a fun sort in Ari. Tinny Phoenix a a flood in the Ari Zona desert is driving up the Price of lettuce across the nation. Last weeks flooding along the Gila River is hitting the state a most productive farm Belt which also is the leading Winter supplier of iceberg lettuce. Farmers rushed to Salvage what they could of crops a much of it immature baseball sized Heads of lettuce. A a you re going to see a lot of product on the Market that a not up to Standard a said Gary Pasquinelli whose family has rim Pasquinelli produce co since 1945, a a there a going to be High prices for an inferior  this time of year 75 percent of the nation a iceberg lettuce comes from this area in Yuma county in southwestern Arizona said Gary Lucier an agricultural economist for the , department of agriculture in Washington . Wholesale prices have jumped dramatically to $24 for a 24-head Carton in Arizo i a in Fram 1a j. 1 v a i. _ dime from last week. The Story was the same at an Indianapolis Safeway and a l Vons Market in los Angeles. But some bigger retail Price jumps Are being reported a even by stores with let Tuce sources outside Arizona. The food lion Chain based in Salisbury a up from $6 last week Lucier said but n r i a a r in wholesale prices can Bounce Wildie if no a buys is lettuce from  a bad news then drop Back closer Toby reduced 5uppy nationwide has Normal in a few Days he said a a you it forced 1 fat charge $1.29 a head for iceberg talk about a disaster and the Price Triolet a Iet tuck this week up from 49 cents a few he also said retailers facing consumer we ask it said spokesman Mike Mozgo. I resistance often absorb big wholesale or lip. Consumers should get some Relief w jumps. April As lettuce matures in California s at the grand Union in Greenfield it a Letual Doay Luin Valley said Steve lettuce Cost 99 cents a Hea this week up a Market an is m it Nix