Banner Graphic, Volume 18, Number 254, Greencastle, Putnam County, 5 July 1988 — Page 3

House ponde bill; passage

WASHINGTON (AP) A $2.5 billion-a-year child care expansion bill is finally beginning to inch its way through the congressional maze, seven months after it was introduced as the answer to working families’ day-care woes. But the chances of a child care solution emerging from the 100th Congress are dimming, as the end of the session nears with no sign that lawmakers have mustered the political resolve to work out a bipartisan approach. “I’M NOT CERTAIN there’s as much interest in passing a bill as in creating a political issue,” said Rep. Tom Tauke, R-lowa, head of a GOP task force on child care. Some of the dozens of interest groups backing the $2.5 billion Act for Better Child Care, or ABC, are anxious to transform election-year interest and rhetoric into a vetoproof child care bill before Congress adjourns this fall. But others are urging lawmakers to resist elec-tion-year compromises. Given the upcoming election, Tauke said, ‘‘the easiest course right now for many members is to coast along, respond favorably to the groups, not offend anyone.” More than 100 child care bills are pending in Congress, reflecting

Farmers fight to salvage a crop as Mutz lobbies in Washington, D.C.

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) Hamilton County, Joe Galloway looks at his stunted, withering com crop and remembers last year’s towering stalks. Galloway’s com was nearly 7 feet tall July 4, 1987. This season’s crop is uneven in height and 4 feet at most. “We had perfect conditions last year,” said Galloway, who grew up in Hamilton County and has farmed 31 years. “This year, it’s gone wrong from the start There hasn’t been a good enough rain since I planted to even soak the ground.” THE DIFFERENCE is apparent on farms throughout the state. The average height of com in Indiana is 29 inches, three inches below the average for this time of year, officials say. On the holiday weekend last year, the average height was a record 53 inches. The growing season was one of the best in the state’s history. Experts say the next two weeks are the most critical for com yields in Indiana. “Without moisture, the ear won’t develop properly,” said Galloway. “The com is about ready to tassel out. The tassel sheds pollen onto the silks to make a kernel. We need it cooler and moister so it will accept the pollen. If there’s too much heat, it bakes the silks, and it doesn’t pollinate properly.” J. WILLIAM UHRIG, an agricultural economist at Purdue University, says the drought is the worst in recent history. “Based on the rainfall received during May and June, the situation is far worse than the droughts of 1934, 1936, 1940 and 1983,” he said. In 1934, com yields were 40 percent below normal. Because of improved technology, it would take a drought worse than 1934 to cause a 40 percent reduction in com yields, Uhrig said. But without enough rain in July and

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a high level of public concern over day-care availability, quality and cost. PROPOSED FEDERAL policies range from tax credits for every family with young children, pushed primarily by conservatives, to the ABC bill championed by Democrats and over 100 groups representing children, women, labor, medical personnel and others. The ABC bill would make money available only to providers that meet minimum national standards on health, safety, staff size and training. Three-quarters of the money would help pay day care expenses for families making under 115 percent of a state’s median income. The rest would go for capital improvements, staff training and salaries. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the leading conservative proponent of new federal action, has introduced, a bill giving states $250 million to improve or expand child care; SIOO million for liability pools; and $25 million for capital improvements. States would have to develop and adopt their own standards. DEMOCRATIC sponsors of the ABC bill, bucking the American

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JOHN MUTZ Seeking drought relief

August, yield reductions of greater than 40 percent for com and 30 percent for soybeans are possible, he said. GALLOWAY leases 160 acres at the Richard H. Roudebush farm in northeast Hamilton County near Noblesville and farms another 440 acres in the county. He and Roudebush, the former five-term Republican congressman, looked over the crops Sunday and pondered the possibilities if the drought continues. “If there’s no rain in the next 10 days to two weeks, we’ll have a disaster on our hands,” Roudebush said. “I’ve never found a way to raise a crop without rain. Irrigation isn’t practical here. The cost of equipment and operating a well is more than the grain brings.” Galloway is still hoping for enough rain to salvage what he can of the crop. “THE PRICE HAS gone up (because of the drought), so that keeps you a little more positive,” he said, comparing the $1.50 a bushel last year with the current price of $3.35. “With a 65 percent

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Civil Liberties Union, are rewriting the bill to make sure day-care programs run by religious groups will be eligible for the new federal money. The changes were sought by conservatives and church groups. But on other points of conflict mandatory national day-care standards, the relatively high-income faihilies eligible for federal assistance, the wide age range of the children states are permitted to serve (well into the teens) key Democrats have indicated they are inclined to stand firm. “I’m not going to compromise the basic principles of the ABC bill,” Sen. Christopher Dodd, DConn., Senate sponsor of the measure, told a group of magazine writers last week. THE HOUSE EDUCATION and Labor subcommittee on human resources approved the ABC bill by voice vote last Thursday after rejecting a series of Republican amendments. A full committee work session is expected at the end of the month. Subcommittee chairman Dale Kildee, D-Mich., said he would like to see the House to pass the ABC

yield, I’ll get the same money as last year because of the price difference.” Lt. Gov. John M. Mutz and officials from 21 other droughtstricken states will go to Washington this week to ask for federal help for farmers. Mutz, who is Indiana’s agriculture commissioner, is scheduled to leave Thursday to review 36 aid proposals with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Richard Lyng. The proposals were made June 23 at a National Governor’s Association meeting in Chicago which Mutz attended. MUTZ SAYS ONE of the most

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ORRIN HATCH $375 million for kids bill this year. But he predicted the window of opportunity will still be open next year perhaps even wider than it is now. “Whoever is president next year will probably provide a better climate for child care,” said Kildee. “You can’t fall off the floor.” A Labor Department report concluded there is no day-care crisis in America, but said there are spot shortages in parts of the country. President Reagan has not formally endorsed any bill and Education Secretary William Bennett said in April that administration officials were still debating various approaches.

important issues facing Hoosier farmers is com deficiency payments. Congress will be asked to authorize payment of the normal subsidies, already in the federal budget, even if there is no crop. Mutz says another important issue is changing eligibility for low interest emergency loans. Currently, only farmers with crop insurance are eligible, which amounts to about one out of seven Hoosier farmers. A livestock feed proposal calls for farmers to pay half price for government-owned grain to feed their hogs, cattle, sheep and poultry.

Home equity loans popular

WASHINGTON (AP) A new government study shows that home equity loans are enjoying a boom in popularity because of changes in the tax law, with more than 3 million homeowners choosing the loans over second mortgages. The Federal Reserve, conducting its first comprehensive look at the new consumer credit lines, found that three-fourths of all existing

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loans were taken out in the past two years and that they now account for more than $75 billion in total consumer debt. In fact, the Fed found that the most prevalent use of the home equity loans, reported by 53 percent of all borrowers surveyed, was to pay off other debt, mainly credit card debt or auto loans.

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