European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 20, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes thursday october 20,1994 s Call seat Belt Laws in american by Arlene Levinson the associated press for much of motoring America sitting in a moving car without a seat Belt feels like driving undressed. But for some people in three states that have referendum challenging seat Belt Laws that mundane strap is an in american shackle on Freedom. Everyone Plain and simple is very sick and tired of government control said de Netterberg of Sturgis . South Dakota s seat Belt Law is an insult to free thinking  the same argument is heard in Massachusetts an North Dakota where there also Are nov. 8 ballot Chal Lenges to seat Belt Laws. It is the second attempt in both.states.,. ,"v.seat Belt defenders make their Case with cold num Bers and Dollar signs seat belts save lives reduce the medical Bills of the injured and ensure Federal Highway funds. Massachusetts state rep. Paul Caron said seat Bel opponents in his state including Republican gov. Wil Liam Weld defy common sense. You become a projectile in an automobile if you Renot seat belted. And you have an even greater Chance of losing control of your car if you re not wearing a Belt said Caron a Democrat. If you become head injured and exhaust your insurance the government society has to pick up the  seat belts saved 5,226 lives in 1992 the last Yea for which figures Are available up from 1,810 in 1985, according to the National safety Council a non profit Public service organization in Itasca Iii. States began requiring scat Belt use in the "mid-1980s. S6ulh Dakota s seat Belt Law which lawmakers approved in february is not being enforced until citizen vote on it. The Only states without seat Belt Laws Are Kentucky new Hampshire and Maine. The Federal government requires states without Seatbelt and motorcycle helmet Laws to divert some Federal Road construction Money for safety programs. The three Laws facing possible repeal Only apply to Drivers stopped for speeding or other violations. Drivers can t be stopped just for not wearing a seat Belt. Under the Massachusetts Law passed last year a Belt less Driver can be fined $25. South Dakota and North Dakota require Only front scat Bells and Fine violators $20. /  / Massachusetts and North Dakota first passed their scat Belt Laws in 1985 and 1989, respectively. Voters re pealed them then the state Legislatures passed them  v " some voters Are getting whiplash. Tragic Lorentz once enjoyed the debate Over North Dakota s Law. Now the Fargo Secretary is All apathy acid confusion. I Don t know anymore Lorentz said recently brushing off a reporter s questions while filling her car with gasoline "i.kind. Of wish we d just Settle it once and for Alland move on to something else professor receives threats after Hacker s racist message by the associated press a while professor says he s been the target of death threats since someone broke into his electronic mail account and sent a racist message to about 20,000 com Puter users in four states. It s kind of a digital equivalent of a drive by shoot ing Grady Blount a professor at Texas am univer sity said tuesday. My door is locked. We cancelled a class last night and one today will be moved to  Blount s password was used to Send email to campuses in Mississippi Wisconsin Colorado and Texas. The message was received monday by users of the in ternet which links colleges research facilities and individuals  school determined that the unknown Hacker sent the message from Oft Campus spokeswoman mar Mcqueen said. The message signed crusader was similar to a flier produced by the White supremacist National Alli Ance based in Mill Point . It urged sending minority parasites packing to Fen for themselves condemned financing Black Breeding colonies and claimed the government funds "80 i welfare mothers and jewish organized crime  president Clinton vice president Al Gore on crutches and general motors executive William Hoglund look at am Ultra Lite on tuesday during a White House Celebration of efforts to develop an 80-mhe-a-Galkm car. Clinton helps fuel drive for 80-mile-a-gallon car Washington a president Clinto threw a White House party tuesday to celebrate the year old Effort to develop an 80-mile-a-gallon car Clinton who declared his indiscriminate love for anything having to do with cars said a successful clean car venture is essential to protect the Environ ment by reducing greenhouse Gas emissions. A partnership among the Federal government an Chrysler Cor general motors corp. And Ford motor co. Was announced a year ago. Its to Yea goal is to develop a passenger car with three times the fuel Economy of today s cars without sacrificing roominess Range Comfort or Speed. Don we have to do this Clinton said. We simply t have an option. If you look at what s happen ing to greenhouse Gas emissions if you look at what s going to happen to automobile growth throughout the world we have to do  Ford chief executive officer Alex Trotman said the automakers already had made significant and Concrete  it s better than any of us frankly would have dare to Hope for one year ago he said. He mentioned cooperative development of hybrid electric vehicles and work on fuel 6ells As evidence of Progress. Clinton said the project was As major a key to our future Economy our strength and Success in the glob Al marketplace As anything else we can be working on. We re going to keep going until the Job is done.". Ex-h6use member a herded. A .  embezzlement Schermes Washington a during his years in con Gress former rep. Joseph p. Kolter bought More than650 pieces of China and glassware 40 watches and clocks and two Gold necklaces for personal use and sent taxpayers the Bill prosecutors charged. The Pennsylvania Democrat also got personal Cash disguised As stamp purchases for official use . At Torney Eric Holder asserted. Of tuesday Kolter became the second current or former House member indicted in a Federal investigation of alleged corruption at the House Post . Dan Rostenkowski d-ih., is awaiting trial. Or. Kolter embezzled More than $40,000 from the american taxpayers by abusing his congressional allow ances Holder said. Kolter who was Defeated in a 1992 primary after serving five Terras planned to fight the charges. We intend to plead not guilty and proceed to trial said his attorney Alan Baron. But first Baron said Kolter will Challenge the indict ment using an argument similar to that attempted by Rostenkowski who was charged in May with converting$636,600 in Federal funds and $56,267 in Campaign funds to his personal use. Rostenkowski former chairman of the House Wayland Means committee had argued that Only the House has the constitutional authority to judge a lawmaker a behaviour while performing official duties. He lost his motion in . District court last week and his attorneys plan an Appeal eight House aides have been convicted of drug offences embezzlement and other charges stemming from the Post office scandal. The five count grand jury indictment against Kolte accuses him of conspiracy embezzlement and conceal ing evidence. Kolter was accused of instructing Robert Rota then the House postmaster to give him More than $11,000 in Exchange for Stamps and vouchers certifying that Kolter had paid for or received an amount of postage  some cases the indictment said Kolter Bough Large amounts of Stamps and later exchanged them for Cash. On other occasions he obtained Cash directly rom Rota in Exchange for the voucher the grand jury charged. The indictment said the stamp scheme began in 1985 and ended about May 1991, when the Capitol police and the postal inspection service began Probin embezzlement in the House Post office. Tnnn8rand jury said Kolter obtained More than3 i.3,000 Worth of valuable merchandise by charging the items to an official expense allowance even though they were not used for congressional business. The merchandise Kolter is accused of obtaining with taxpayer funds at the House stationery store Between december 1986 and aprill991 included $21,000 Worth of China and glassware. I a Worth of watches and clocks costing $95 tosi24.89 each