European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday March 212007 stars and stripes Page 11 Legal fights delayed Walter Reed contract by Donna Borak the associated press Washington a us army contract to privatize maintenance at its Premier military Hospital was delayed More than three years amid bureaucratic bickering and Legal squabbles that led to staff shortages and a Hospital in disarray just As the number of severely wounded sol Diers from Iraq and Afghanistan was rising rapidly documents from the investigative and auditing Arm of Congress map a Trail of bid rebid protests and appeals Between 2003 when Walter Reed medical Center was first selected for outsourcing and 2006 when a five year Mil lion contract was finally awarded the disputes involved Hospital management the Pentagon con Gress and Lap worldwide services inc a company with powerful political connections and the Only private bidder to handle maintenance Security and management of military personnel while medical care was not directly affected needed repairs went undone As the nonmedical staff shrank from almost 300 to less than 50 in the last year and Hospital officials were unable to find enough skilled replacements an investigative series by the Washington Post last month sparked a juror on Capitol Hill after it detailed subpar conditions at the 98yearold Hospital and substandard services for patients three to ranking military officials including the Secretary of the army were ousted in part for what critics said was the Penta Gons mismanaged Effort to re Duce costs and improve efficiency at the Hospital while the nation was at War map is owned by a new York hedge fund whose Board is chaired by former Treasury Secretary John Snow and it is led by former executives of Kellogg Brown and Root the subsidiary spun off by Texas based Halliburton inc the Oil services firm once run by vice president Dick Cheney map finally got the Job in no vember 2006 but further delays caused by the army and con Gress delayed work until feb 4 two weeks before the Post series and two years after the number of patients at the Hospital hit 900 the army unfortunately did not devote sufficient resources to the upfront planning part of this and when you do that you suffer every step of the Way said Paul Denett administrator for Federal procurement policy at the office of management and budget the army has confirmed the timing of the contract delays but declined several requests for com ment on Why the protest and a peal process took so Long court to hear Bong hits 4 Jesus Case by Mark Sherman the associated press Washington a High school principal was acting reasonably and in Accord with the schools Antidrug Mission when she suspended a student for Dis playing a Bong hits 4 Jesus ban Ner her lawyer told the supreme court monday the message Here is in fact critical the lawyer former inde pendent counsel Kenneth Starr said during a Lively argument about whether the principal Vio lated the constitutional rights of the student on the other Side attorney Dou Glas Mertz of Juneau Alaska urged the justices to see the Case As being about free speech not drugs the dispute Between Joseph Frederick who in 2002 was a High school senior and principal Deborah Morse has become an important test of the limits on the free speech rights of students Justice Stephen Breyer addressing Mertz said he is Strug we Lulu i to it to Tiv a real souvenir1 our Spring Auto loan can Send you Home with More than just memories visit our website or ask a Community Bank associate about a 100 financed Auto loan and our easy application Community Bank  credit subject to approval and Normal credit standards apply operated by mom Berdic gling with the Case because a Rul ing in Fredericks favor could encourage students to go to absurd lengths to test those limits a ruling for Morse however May really limit free speech Breyer said the Bush administration Back ing Morse wants the court to adopt a Broad Rule that could essentially give Public schools the right to Clamp Down on any speech with which they disagree scores of students waited out Side the court Early monday for a Chance to listen to the arguments i would never do it but at the same time its free speech said Chaim Frenkel 17 of Silver Spring my Frenkel was one of 13 seniors and their teacher from the Melvin j Berman hebrew Academy who arrived at the court at am Frederick was a High school senior in Juneau when he decided to display the Banner at a school sanctioned event to watch the olympic Torch pass through the City on its Way to the 2002 win Ter games in Salt Lake City Morse believed his Bong hits 4 Jesus Banner was a pro drug message that schools should not tolerate she suspended Freder ick for 10 Days Frederick sued Morse and that Case now is be fore the court Morse and the Juneau school District argue that schools will be powerless to discipline students who promote illegal drugs if the court sides with Frederick Fred Erick now 23 counters that Stu dents could be silenced if the court reverses the appellate Rul ing Exchange rates military rates japanese yen March South korean won March euro costs March Dollar buys March British Pound March commercial rates Bahrain British Canada China Denmark Egypt Hong Kong Hungary Israel Japan yen 11674 Kuwait Norway Philippines Poland saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea won 94518 Switzerland Thailand Bant 3282 Turkey new military Exchange rates Are those available to customers at military Bank ing facilities in the country of issuance for Japan South Korea Germany the Netherlands and the United kingdom for no local currency Exchange rates in purchasing British pounds in Germa Check with your local military Bank ing facility commercial rates Are inter Bank rates provided for reference when buying currency All figures Are foreign currencies to one Dollar except for the British Pound which is represented in dollars Pound and the euro which is dollars euro precious metals new York merc dose interest rates prime rate 825 discount rate 625 Federal funds Market rate525 3month Bill 502 30year Bond 470 sources the associated press Bank of America