European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday March 12, 1993 . The stars and stripes Page 5reports warn of possible Hud scandal by the new York times Washington a four years after the depart ment of housing and Urban. Development became a Symbol of inept government and graft reports have warned that the departments management systems remain out of control and that a another Hud scandal is a distinct  the reports say problems in staffing data systems and accounting controls Are leading to the misuse of hundreds of millions of dollars leaving the department with an Uncertain grasp of More than $1 trillion in financial commitments. A confidential report prepared by president Clinton a transition team said mismanagement at Hud was a Clear and devastating and that it a opens the door to the systematic plunder of Many millions of taxpayer  it also said the problems would take a literally years to surmount and warned that they could hamper the Clinton administrations plans for economic development. The existing business of the department is in bad shape. A housing Secretary Henry g. Cisneros the document offers few examples of projects gone awry but in the past year congressional investigators have produced graphic ones. They found department programs giving a Low inter est loan to a saudi Sheik spending s3 million to renovate housing built on a toxic waste dump in Florida and paying More than $5 million in rent subsidies to the Philadelphia housing authority for buildings that had been destroyed years earlier. A a speaking of the weak financial safeguards in a do eastment that spends $25 billion a year and stands be ind hundreds of billions of dollars in mortgage guarantees housing Secretary Henry g. Cisneros said in an interview wednesday a a it a like a car without headlights. It does no to mean its going to go off the Road but it enhances your chances of not making the next curve. Jack Kemp the previous housing Secretary was widely credited with improving the ethical environment he inherited from Samuel r. Pierce or. In a wave of scandals concerning favouritism to politically connected consultants. No one is suggesting that Hud now is Rife with corruption. But the reports warn  lacks the management systems to prevent and detect such abuses. Cisneros praised Kempis emphasis on ethics and said most of the problems began before Kempis watch. But he also said Kemp had been attracted to a ideologically attractive themes like the Sale of Public housing while a there was some inattention to Basic management. A the existing business of the department is in bad shape a Cisneros said. Kemp could not be reached wednesday but a spokesman Bill dal col said Cisneros was criticizing his predecessor to protect himself in Case a scandal Breaks out in his tenure. Re in the stars and stripes 10 years ago March 12,1983 a a move to repeal tax withholding on dividends and interest threw the Senate into disarray and prompted a veto threat As debate ended on the $3.7 billion recession Relief Bill. 20 years ago March 12,1973 a the common Market virtually abandoned its attempt to solve the monetary crisis by linking nine West Europe an currencies in a joint float against the Dollar and japanese yen. 30 year Sago March 12,1963 a . Defense Secretary Robert s. Mcnamara told Congress that if the soviets sent in More troops in response to an uprising in Cuba he would consider such action a an  40 years ago March 12,1953 a . Ambassador George Wadsworth protested to czechoslovakian attack by its air Force planes on two american jets Over West Germany. 50 years ago March 12,1943 up to 2,000 factories have been smashed and a million germans made homeless by recent Royal air Force raids. World War ii 3 the world War ii summary for March 12 was unavailable for this edition. Cautions against cutting maintenance funds by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington the air forces top uniformed official cautioned lawmakers thursday not to be Short sighted in squeezing operations and maintenance funding too hard As they Cut the defense budget. Gen. Merrill a. Mcpeak air Force chief of staff told the House armed services military personnel subcommittee that congressional support for robust funding of of amp Mas it is known is one of his most important priorities because it not Only enhances readiness but in the Long term actually saves Money. Cutting of amp a is an easy Way to attain Quick savings because it is considered a fast spending account in which All the. Money appropriated is spent in a Given year. In contrast funding for other accounts such As procurement and research and development is usually stretched out Over several years and does not readily produce immediate savings. Mcpeak used a vivid illustration to show How investing in of amp a a major portion of which goes to pay for aircraft maintenance and spare parts pays Long Range dividends. A a we be had a 57 percent reduction in class a aircraft mishaps Over the past 15 years through Strong operations and maintenance funding a Mcpeak said. The rate of air Force class a aircraft Accident a those in which there is a loss of life loss of aircraft or More than $1 million in damage a dropped from 7.46 mishaps per 100,000 flying hours in 1978 to 3.23 per 100,000 hours last year. In effect that Means Strong of amp a funding helped the air Force Quot save about 527 multimillion Doltar aircraft an amount equal to the entire inventory now deployed in Europe Mcpeak said. The hearing was the third in a series of four that was scheduled to conclude thursday afternoon with Gen. Gordon a amps John Dormor Gen. Merrill a. Mcpeak a Sullivan the army chief of staff. Subcommittee chairman Ike Skelton d-mo., has called the hearings so that lawmakers can be briefed on the link Between current service missions and personnel Levels. They will use that information As a basis for making their decisions on the military personnel recommendations contained in president Clinton a first defense budget which is scheduled to go to Capi Tol Hill Early next month. All the chiefs Are taking full advantage of this Opportunity to show lawmakers the unique capabilities of their respective scr ices and How those capabilities can Best be applied to further . Interests in the rapidly changing world environment. A this is an air Force that is not on autopilot but an air Force that is Active and engaged a Mcpeak said. Mcpeak listed some of the air forces current missions such As airlifts to Somalia and the former Yugoslavia patrols Over the two a no Fly zones in Iraq and drug interdiction efforts in the Caribbean and the Pacific coast of Mexico. At the same time he said the air Force is engaged in the most extensive organizational restructuring Effort in its 46-Ycar history As it looks for ways to Cut fat White building muscle. The restructuring has allowed the scr ice to Cut overhead costs while putting More emphasis on its Core Mission a ensuring that in any Given situation the United states can get and keep operational control of what he called the vertical  for example by july the service will have reduced the number of major commands from 13 to nine. An entire layer of management in the form of air divisions is gone. Numbered air forces have been restructured and made smaller and More combat oriented. And the a one Wing one Bossy concept has consolidated operations at virtually every air Force base under general offt cers who have moved from Headquarters staff positions to the Field. A fall these changes Are designed to build an air Force that is less bureaucratic and More capable Quot Mcpeak said. A the net result is not Only a leaner air Force but an air Force better organized trained and equipped to Deal with Post cold War  leak leaves 4 dead 2 Hurt drug Industry s marketing techniques criticized Greeley Colo. Apr four family members died of Carbon monoxide poisoning at Home and two surviving boys were critically Hurt police said thursday. The dead were identified ased Ferguson 29 his wife Erlinda 29 his Mother Jesusita Ferguson age unknown and an unidentified child relative. Two Ferguson boys 12-year-old Eddie or. And a year old Patrick were listed in critical unstable condition. Washington a there was just one catch to the physicians movie club in which thousands of doctors received free unsolicited copies of film favourites such As on Golden Pond. The videos including that love Story featuring Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda coping a itt Fleir Sunset years included a five minute commercial for pame Lor an ant depression drug for the elderly. A the Only thing you Supply is the Popcorn a said the pitch from or. William of. Westlin medical affairs director for Sandoz pharmaceuticals corp. The movie club and other giveaways Are part of a torrent of marketing activity that the Industry uses to persuade physicians to prescribe its drugs. The Industry a techniques Are drawing scrutiny amid complaints from president Clinton about drug prices. A recent congressional study estimated the Industry annually spends $2 billion More marketing drugs than on the research to develop them. Where does All that Money go to fund promotions like the physicians movie club a a now defunct after running afoul of american medical association ethics guidelines a As Well As Glossy ads in medical journals seminars free pens prescription pads Coffee mugs and other gadgets distributed by a Small army of sales people. The Industry in its defense says its marketing expenditures Alert doctors to advances in Medicine