European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 15, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12letters to the editor monday August 15,1994 thes or filpes european edition col. Steven s. Hoffman Usan commander publisher Bernard a. Zovistoski editor news and editorial Deborah Aba her news editor Bill Walker european editor Bob Wicker sports editor George Manes City editor to write us unit 29480. Apoate 09211 a. Or Postrach 11 14 37. 64278 Darmstadt Germany news Tel fax 06155-601416to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension or Dan 348-8 plus Extension As follows news ext. 237, 255. 282,226, 326. Sports ext. 225,269, 263,332,321,221. Features ext. 230, 245,341. Letters to editor ext. 208. Education Jim Jones ext. 226. Business news ext. 326. News bureaus Heidelberg Germany room 117, Rel Merar. 104. 69128 Heidelberg car 419, Box 1310, apoae09102 Telephone Dan 370-7010 or civilian 06221-23421 or Contact the City desk at the european stars and stripes Post och 11 1437, 64278 Darmstadt unit .294bo, Apo a 09211 Telephone Dan 348-8237 or cd Milan 06155-601237 Tel fax 348-8416 or civilian 06155-601418. Kaiserslautern Germany Kevin Dougherty John Bohmer and Doyle Tillman. Building 2899, Pulaski Barracks Apo a 09227-3717 Telephone Dan 489-6585 or civilian 0631-52104 Tel fax 0631-69654. Nurnberg Germany Ron Jensen building 21, Wil Ham o. Darby Cavern Apo a 09222 Telephone Dan 460-7256 or Dhian 0911-712563 Tel fax 0911-717130. Wurzburg Germany Dave Melancon building 220, room 109, Pallenberg Cavern Apo a 09036 Telephone Dan 350-6770 or civilian 0931-286956 Tel fax 0931-8896770. Mediterranean sue Palumbo and Marian Hamilton. Naples Italy pc 8t0, Box 58, Fpo a 09619 Telephone Dan 625-4880 or civilian 0817624049/4547 Tel fax 0039-81-7624049. Northern Italy j. King Cruger pc 54, Box 473 Apo a 09601 Telephone Dan 832-8176 or civilian 0039-434-66-8176 Tel fax 0039-434-668222. United kingdom Nancy Tomer Marc Mcvann and Dave Didio. Building 464 Cess us Raf Mildenhall Apo a 09459 Telephone Dan 238-2226 or civilian 0638-542226 Tel fax 0636718013. New York City Timothy Cahill room 638, 201 Varlock st., new York 10014 Telephone 212-620-3333 Tel fax 212-620-3268. A. A a Quot a Washington . Chuck Vlinch a Cindy kill lion Oast a the Pentagon room 2e756 . Box 46095, Washington . 20050-6095 Telephone 703-6976695 Tel fax 703-693-6366. Business departments maj Richard k. Major Usa Deputy commander. Dalee atae newspaper operations director Fred Shane new York operations a director James Wysocky circulation manager Jeffrey h. 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A a a  a a classified Germany 06155-601349, Dan 348-8349. Advertising Tel fax 06155-601412 a please Recycle this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes do not necessarily reflect the official views of or endorsement by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication to Dud ing inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of defense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Civilian is. Military i read with fascination what a . Defense official said about trying to compare civilian jobs with similar military ones. The official is the undersecretary for personnel and readiness. The administration has put another person in a position to make a difference for military personnel. It was Trad enough when some of us in Europe observing a Day commemorations suffered the embarrassment of hearing president. Clinton booed. It was insulting to some of us. In the United kingdom when the president jumped from his plane to an awaiting helicopter and did no to go see the crowds of Well wishers who weren to allowed on base. To make such a comment As the undersecretary rates As just another insult to the military. He is right in stating that civilian and military Jet mechanics pay cannot and should not be compared. The civilian working 9 to 5 or 5 to 1 has a stable schedule and regular Home life that his or her family can depend on. He a right about the military Jet Mechanic flying off to dangerous situations. He May be scheduled to work from 8 to 5 or 5 to 2, but he does no to go Home until the Job is done. Civilians have a Union backing them ensuring they receive night differential pay overtime double time on holidays and pay raises keeping Pace with inflation. The military person receives none of this. We have an administration calling for a freezing military pay fiscal year �?T94 and holding raises Over the next four years to 1 percentage Point below  there arc still some members of Congress who remember military life and Are trying for a 2.2 percent and 2.6 percent pay raise in. �?T94 and �?T95, respectively. Even with those military and civilian Jet Mechanic pay cannot be compared and the military loses. This civilian also has health insurance health insurance that is reliable and he or she can depend on it. # and depend on this insurance for his or her family. A t they have the Benefit of a family doctor they see regularly. It is even Good for after retirement. The military member has the civilian health and medical program for the uniformed services champs another new medical program called Tricase which i was part of in the states a right. They have Jong Waits to see doctors waiting five months for champs to reply or make payments on civilian doctor Bills and a veterans administration already admitting it cannot handle the current Retiree patient Load and claims. The military family sees several different doctors unless it  what champs refuses to cover of have a family  you know this Jet Mechanic in the military a he or she is not in it for the payor the eroding benefits. He or she is there to serve the country. Besides our military Jet Mechanic is better qualified sharper Able to accomplish several other additional duties besides working on jets live in tents keep the planes flying in the desert or the Arctic eat meals from a bag and continue a College education for one half to one third the pay the civilian Jet Mechanic receives. The defense official is quoted As saying a military pay raises that lag behind the inflation rate eventually May discourage senior service members but they wont affect the influx of  it is heartening to know the official and. The current administration Are looking out for the Best interests of All military personnel. A Charles h. Cox or. Raf Mildenhall England gun rally ignored do people realize there was a rally of thousands of gun owners aug. 4 in Washington d.c.? they were there to protest the gun ban pending in the huge pork Laden crime but this seems to be a no event in As much As the Clinton administration does not support private firearms ownership on any level. Any and All  gun stories Are kept off the news. A. Vogel Augsburg Germany. A a a a a v top medical care i recently had to make use of the services at the emergency room located at Lan Stuhl. Good news i was treated by intelligent kind and caring professionals. During this Uncertain time Many military families face it most certainly is Good to know that should the need arise the medical care and staff we have available Are top notch. A Daleen  Lan Stuhl Germany editors note j we encourage our readers a especially those who have never submitted a letter to write to us. Letters expressing readers View Points or opinions Are published Dally on this Page. All letters must be signed and include address and Telephone number. Preference is Given to Shorter letters so that More can be published in a timely manner. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and taste. Send to letters to the editor the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. Or fax country code 49 06155-601463, Dan 348-8463. I commentary attacks on health care foes ill disposed by Scripps Howard news service hours before the health care main event in the Senate last week Hilt Ary Rodham Clinton put on quite a prelim. Speaking to reporters the first lady jabbed opponents who cry a a socialism about democratic health plans and those who specialize in hateful personal at tacks. A a a  a she verbally pummelled people who resist americans becoming a a compassionate and caring  to a degree we done to blame Clinton for putting on the gloves. Some health Reform foes do indeed have hearts the size and consistency of a Pebble while civility is All too rare. We can do without signs that read a Heil  but it Isnit As if the name calling and hyperbole Are All one Way. The Clinton regularly assailed the moral purity of anyone who made a Buck during the 1980s, and the health Reform charge All a debate got off to a Nasty Start when the first couple lit into a greedy drug  a nor is the. A a socialism bogey. While the George Mitchell and Rich-3rd Gephardt health Reform plans would not say make doctors government employees the plans would establish so Many regulations that there  be much difference. Some of the democratic proposals put Forth thus far would require All americans to take a Standard health benefits package restrict the doctors a patient could see Cap annual per capita medical spending bar medical students from a overbooked Fields a sorry there Salk no research slots but we bet you a make a Crackerjack podiatrists and make Young healthy people pay the same premiums As old infirm ones. All of this and More would be enforced by Federal agencies boards and commissions. Otherwise everything would be Anas right. A 250, what a Happy Camp non \ ers Stream event1 Home from Moo Stockb. Au7h&rb-Porter can a free and voluntary. And when Hillary Clinton says that people who oppose Radical health Reform Are of the same Type who fought social Security and medicare medicaid she forgets that the former was passed amid the widespread destitution of the great depression the latter during the flush times of the great society. Neither condition applies today. Yet some comparisons Are instructive. In 1966, medicare medicaid expenses were projected to be $18 million in 1990. They exceeded $186 billion. Now Many democrats would apply these same efficiencies to 15 percent of the american Economy. To oppose the blighting hand of government and colossal waste is not to oppose health Reform much less a a compassionate  a few meanies have sorely provoked Hillary Clinton but she should not turn this debate into the children of Light is. The children of darkness. Say ill Hout moult you say  could t you Only touch rents the the a origin mov Sal a  a7uoop5tock,. / in another life a a parallel use Asa Star-7rav5lbr to a magic realm hey. Man manna go Lisina spam for three pay5t cosmic what Dusay some 7hin6?