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Show Sun Advocate opmmo 4A EPA spill needs a hasty cleanup The continuing drumbeat of embarrassing disclosures about the Environmental Protection Agency requires President Reagan to take speedy action in finding out exactly what has gone wrong at the embattled agency. The accelerating controversy threatens to put the White House in the weak position of responding to new disclosures almost daily, giving the impression of a president reacting defensively to events out of his control. We applaud Mr. Reagans decision to initiate a Justice Department investigation of the charges of political favoritism and cover-u- p in EPA efforts to clean up toxic wastes. His compromise on executive privilege has produced a reasonable agreement, giving some House members limited access to documents dealing with enforcement of toxic waste regulations. Now the EPA inspector general reports that he cannot verify from the agencys records that $53.6 million from the toxic cleanup Superfund was spent for the intended purpose. Further, the suspicions raised by the shredding of documents in the agency have been compounded by the erasure of computer tapes sought by Congress. We hope the latest disclosures will convey a sense of urgency to the White House to get the full story before the public and assure that action will be taken against any past or present EPA officials guilty of wrongdoing. TAX MAN Medicare crisis: Can we avoid it? No sooner has a presidential commission figured out how to bail out the Social Security retirement fund than we hear another distress call. The companion Medicare program, according to a new congressional study, will run out of money by 1987 or 1988. Announcements of the imminent bankruptcy of Social Security are becoming so familiar that the public will be forgiven some cynicism. Having been told that higher payroll taxes and a delay in benefit increases are necessary to save the retirement system, are we being softened up to receive the same message about Medicare? It is depressing indeed to realize that all the fuss about Social Security in the last year has dwelled mainly on the problems afflicting the pension component of the system. The Medicare and disability components have problems of their own, with different causes and different solutions;, If there is a Medicare crisis looming in 1987J&r 1988, it will not be treatable by the kind of tax and benefit adjustments recommended as the cure for what ails the retirement fund. The solvency of Medicare is threatened primarily by conditions lying outside the Social Security system itself by runaway increases in the cost of . medical care. Medical costs are threatening not only Medicare but the viability of many private health insurance plans and the ability of federal, state and local governments to provide health care to the poor. Hospital costs rose 17 percent in 1981 while the overall cost of living was rising only 8.9 percent. In 1982, the cost of living increased by a mere 3.9 percent while hospital bills were climbing at a rate of 13.3 percent. Payroll taxes and premiums paid by Medicare clients cannot remain at a reasonable level and keep abreast of cost increases of that magnitude. Medicare now accounts for 1.3 percent of the 6.7 percent Social Security payroll tax paid by employees and matched by their employers. Under present law the Medicare share will rise to 1.35 percent in 1985 and 1.45 percent in 1986. Even accelerating those future increases would not keep Medicare out of the red. There should be no talk about another increase in payroll taxes until there is more serious talk about in the health care industry. It is now claiming 15 cents of every federal tax dollar, and as costs are being projected, it will claim 20 cents of that dollar within five years. The Reagan administration has proposed reforms in Medicare aimed at making patients, doctors and hospital As it is, with either goverworkers more nment or private insurance creating an illusion that health care is free, there are too few incentives for all the parties involved to consider cost factors in treatment cost-containm- cost-consciou- decisions. An joe spear Missile test violates SALT launched on Feb. 8, therefore, would be a second missile under SALT II terms. The third violation involves violated three specific encoding the radio signals from the missile. This means that provisions of the SALT 13 treaty. U.S. trackers cant read the It is a fact that SALT II has transmissions to tell if missiles never been ratified. But both the is in it with SALT II. Soviet compliance the and United States of all radio a missiles Putting Union have informally code is forbidden by in to it. For abide signals by promised : example, the United States is j the treaty. Intelligence sources told my associate Dale V$rAtta Bputting identifying devices on that this is the first time the nuclear 52 bombers that carry cruise missiles. That is one of Soviets have pulled that little at least, its the first trick SALT IIs requirements. But the Russians missile test time theyve put 100 percent of We can their missiles transmissions blows SALT II tell you the exclusive details of into code. How the Kremlins apparent that missile launch. They are in a CIA report thats so tightly violatons of SALT II will be viewed in the White House is not classified it makes look like a letter from Aunt yet clear. But it may mean that President Reagan will no longer Harriet. insist that the Pentagon observe The new Soviet missile has the PL-U.S. provisions of the unratified been dubbed by SALT n treaty. This is why intelligence experts. ELDERLY VICTIMS: There its launching violated the SALT is a whole class of Americans n treaty: It is an improved version of who feel particularly vulnerable 6 missile. And to the criminals in our midst. the Soviets 6 was specifically They are the elderly, our senior the citizens. banned by SALT H. Older people are tempting The new Soviet missile violates the SALT n clause that targets for criminals. They have their life savings. alows each country to have only money one new landbased missile. The Generally, theyre physicaly United States is counting the weak. Some of them are not as MX missile as its new one. But sharp mentally as they used to the Russians already launched be. And they suffer from a new missile last Oct. 26. As it another disadvantage; They are happened, the test was a failure. survivors of an age when life But still, Soviet Ambassador was simpler, when Americans Anatoly Dobrynin told the State helped one another instead of Department it was their one trying to rob and cheat their new missile. The one that was neighbors. On Feb. 8, WASHINGTON the Soviet Union launched a new missile for the second time in four months. The test launch - sky-hig- h. top-secr- et 5 SS-1- SS-1- Unfortunately, senior citizens fears are borne out by the statistics. Investigators for asked Sen. John Heinz, R-P- a., officials around the country for facts about crimes against the States elderly. and in- vestigators report: Overall, consumer and economic frauds directed at the elderly., are.!.widespread. . andpervasive'," touching nearly 3 every aspect of senior citizens lives. In fact, more than 80 percent of the experts who responded to the congressional questionnaire said the elderly are more frequently defrauded than the general population. What are the top perpetrated 10 frauds against the elderly? According to the survey, its appalling but true that quackery and other medical frauds head the list. Obviously, this is an area where older Americans are most vulnerable. Next on the list of frauds are home repairs, bunco schemes and insurance swindles. Then come land and investment frauds, nursing home automobile cheating and last but not least funeral frauds. Its significant that the rip-off- s, congressional survey concluded that many of the schemes used to bilk older Americans involve use of the mails. Yet on the last session of day of the lame-duc- k last Sen. James Congress year, McClure, singlehandedly blocked a bill that would have given the Postal Service greater power to go after mail fraud. Fortunately, the bill has been introduced in the new session of Congress. And Sen. Heinz is sponsoring a bill that would compensate crime victims, including the elderly. Its the least we can do for our senior riti7Pn5 HEADLINES AND. FOOT- Defense Intelligence Agency has been granted new powers over its civilian employees. The new regulations allow DIA officials to fire an employee for any reason, permit no appeal, and exempt the records from independent scrutiny. The public-worsystem in America is in deep trouble. Highways, bridges, sewers, water-suppl-y it and systems are suffering from NOTES: The ks mass-trans- severe disrepair. An unpublished Congressional Budget Office report estimates that $20 billion was spent last year to upgrade the ailing framework but that billions more will be needed to salvage it. National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials say they recently probed the vacation habits of one of their procurement directors. He attended a golf tournament in Florida and stayed at a fancy hotel, all at the expense of a contractor who was selling goods to NASA. The offending director was demoted and fined $5,000. s. system of medical insurance which simply reimburses doctors and hospitals for their costs is proving to be something the nation cannot afford. The solution to the Medicare problem does not lie with the amount of the Social Security deduction on our payroll stubs. It lies with the health care professions and their institutions. They have figured out how to provide the finest health care in the world, but not how to make it available at a cost the nation can afford. open-ende- jack anderson 1983 Copley NW Service castle country d, , Battle of the bulge By ANGIE HYRE Staff Writer Spring is coming and its time to bare all. tiny Spring means and bikinis. Spring also means the emergence of the dreaded midriff bulge. I dont know about you, but Im getting scared. Almost down right panicky. The thought of shedding my comfortable (not to mention roomy) sweaters and sweatshirts is almost too much for me to ... bare. If any of you out there are like me, beneath the sanctuary of boots, jackets and layered clothing lies a pale-whibody with unsightly lumps, bumps and bulges. What are those of us in this predicament mini-skirt- s, hot-pant- s, rts te supposed to do? especially women Time is running out. Summer vacations on Lake Powell are approaching fast and that means bathing suits. While chatting with your best friend over a cup of coffee and doughnuts try and develop a plan to shed the 30 pounds you gained in the dormant winter. If you are like me, probably all your friends are sickeningly thin. You know the bones poking out and sunken type cheeks. They could probably get lost if they turned sideways. If you want to avoid World War HI over a , discussion of how to lose weight, stick to people. talking with fat people or ex-fThat is the best advice I can give. A former fat person is probably your best bet but Im warning you, youll get absolutely no at sympathy. They know how it is to be fat and they seem to get a satisfaction about making you look into the mirror and admit you are overweight. But worst of all, the next step is telling you which of your favorite foods you have to stop eating. The list is endless ice d cream sandwiches, chocolate cake, bread, banana pudding, Snickers candy bars, potato chips and dip, alcoholic beverages, coffee with cream and sugar, Twinkies and Ding Dongs, Arbys super roast beef sandwiches and potato cakes, home-bake- Big Mac hamburgers, Pepsi, lasagna at Two Guys from Italy in Salt Lake City, pizza at Heaps Brick Oven in Provo and Mexican food from Dos Amigos in Price. Whew! I dont know about you guys but Im hungry ... again. My problem is that eating has become a social event for Americans rather than a time to replenish nutrients your body needs for survival. But you have to admit, isnt it down right fun to break out a pizza and watch a good movie with a friend all the while shoveling the scrumptious morsels into the mouth? Saturday Night Live just wouldnt be the same without a bag of Ruffles Bacon and Onion potato k chips with French onion dip, a of Pepsi and a host of Ding Dongs to entertain you through the night. Beware those of you seriously contemplating an all-odiet. Girl Scout cookie time is just around the corner. But seriously folks. Help keep America beautiful this spring. Go on a diet. Im starting mine tomorrow. ever-awaiti- ng six-pac- ut |