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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 19, 1993                   TAG: 9303190516
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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SCREWED UP AT THE TOP

THE MARCH 1 editorial ("What? Efficient government?") quotes John Sharp as saying to The Washington Post, "The people who really provide the services, the lower-level government workers, know where it's screwed up, and it's usually screwed up at the top."

A news report on the front page quotes U.S. officials as saying that the U.S. air drop will also provide aid for the "Serbs and Croats." In the last paragraph, it says that Russia has agreed to supply $360 million worth of arms, including sophisticated missiles, to Serbia and Serb-controlled areas of Bosnia and Croatia. These missiles are not retrofitted to deliver food or medicine, and they can be used against us.

Now comes the icing for the cake. On the same date, in an article from the Los Angeles Times entitled "White House seeks more aid to Russia," it's reported that budget documents suggest a rise to $700 million in aid from the current $417 million. Meanwhile, Congress is making defense cuts, changes in Social Security and entitlement costs, increasing taxes, etc.

If I understand this correctly, we are sending aid to Bosnia, which is long past due, to alleviate starvation but we also budgeted another $283 million to Russia so that they can provide $360 million to the rebels who are creating this "ethnic cleansing," murder and rape.

Guess who doesn't get any of the cake or even get to lick the pan? The American people who never question our efficient government.

Let's provide food, medicine, clothing and shelter to those in need, but let's not take away from our own needy to help provide sophisticated weapons to create war. JAMES M. HAWLEY ROANOKE

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