2 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 6, 1996 NATION/WORLD Governors meet to discuss Medicaid fix M W ~ WASHINGTON (AP) - Gov. John Engler and dozens of other governors met with President Clinton yesterday to try to break the deadlock between the White House and Congress on overhauling the Medicaid and welfare systems. Engler and other Republican gover- nors expressed optimism that they were close to getting a consensus on Medicaid and welfare changes among all the gover- nors-Democrats and Republicans alike. But the next slippery step would be writing it down so that the governors could endorse it in a vote today before the four-day governors' winter meeting here adjourns. Latelastnight, Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, chairman of the National Governors' Association, said the gover- nors had reached an agreement on Med- icaid and expected to have an understand- ing on welfare by today. Engler said under the broad outlines of the agreement, governors would have flexibility to design the system delivering Medicaid benefits while "maintaining guarantees that vulnerable populations are not unprotected." "It is a compromise," Engler said ofthe tentative outline. The federal-state Medicaid program for the poor eats up about 20 percent of Michigan's general fund budget, and the program is rapidly growing at about 10 percent a year. Seven years ago, Medicaid was about 10 percent of the states' budgets, Republi- can governors said. Now it is closer to 20 percent of the states' budgets on average and "headed offinto the stratosphere in the future," Engler said. "It's such a terrible threat," he said. Medicare trust fund lost money last yea NEW YORK - Medicare's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund lost moneylas year for the first time since 1972, twoyears earlierthan officials had predicted, Thi New York Times reported yesterday. "Things turned out a little worse than we expected," said Richard Foster, chief actuar of the federal Health Care Financing Administration, which runs Medicare. "We ha projected that 1997 would be the first fiscal year with a deficit." In a report to Congress in April, the Clinton administration estimated that the s fund would grow by $4.7 billion in the 1995 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. Bu officials told the Times that in fact, the balance in the trust fund fell by $35.7 million to $129.5 billion. Foster said that income to the trust fund, mainly from payroll taxes, wa slightly less than expected, and outlays were somewhat higher. There were mor hospital admissions than anticipated, patients were sicker and hospitals file claims faster than expected, he said. The deficit, though relatively small, is significant because once the trust fun starts losing money, the losses are expected to grow, the Times reported. No ta increases are scheduled, and federal officials do not expect a reduction in theti of growth of Medicare spending unless there is a budget deal between Pres Clinton and Congress. ALLIANCE Continued from Page 1. receive more feedback from other stu- dents. "(Only) after the Martin Luther King Jr. unity march and the press confer- ence did the administration decide to meet with us," said Ziehyun Huh, chair of UAAO. "These demands have al- ways been here." Joe Willis, director of the office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs, said he at- tended the forum to observe the Alliance. "I understand some of the concerns and I am hoping the Alliance will sit down to talk," Willis said. He added that one of their demands, the creation of a Minority Student Ser- vice student advisory board, is already underway. Students who attended the forum ex- pressed satisfaction with the Alliance. "I'm in support for what Alliance Four Justice is doing," said LSA senior Laura Kota. "I think they're overtaking a large project and I hope the adminis- tration takes them seriously." Sumo smush AP PHOTO Brian Howey (top) throws a body slam on his friend Kosta Alexandropoulous during a sumo-suit wrestling match at Heochi's, a sports bar in Alaska. Forbes, Dole argue over electability DES MOINES, Iowa-Dueling from distant corners of Iowa, front-running Republican presidential rivals Steve Forbes and Bob Dole traded barbs yes- terday over their electability and the likely economic impact of a flat tax - themes dominating the Iowa caucus campaign as it enters its final week. As the Iowa race showed furthersigns of tightening between the Senate leader from Kansas and the publishing heir from New Jersey, other candidates also tried to chip away at Forbes' standing with religious conservatives, question- ing him on social issues. The combination, for the first time in recent weeks, appeared to put Forbes on the defensive for much of the day. Angered by a recent Dole television campaign ad that claimed his flat-tax plan would raise the tax rate on many middle-income Americans, Forbes, campaigning by bus in western Iowa, challenged Dole to a "one-on-one de- bate." Forbes responded to a growing flurry of attacks by several rival campaigns ABRDY Semester, Summer and Year Programs Ecuador * Spain England * France Canada o Mexico Chile * taly COLLINS Continued from Page 1 woman Collins is not willing to respond to our legitimate questions," Giles said. McGruder said the negative press was "based on the record" - including her low attendance rate during roll-call votes, andthe legislation she has introduced and "seen into law." Giles mentioned questions of Collins' professional ethics, citing her "tendency to fire employees due to alleged press leaks." Collins was present foronly 75 percent of congressional votes last year, the third- worst attendance record in Congress in 1995. Cooper said Collins' poor attendance was due to personal and family illnesses. Collins was hospitalized twice for a rup- tured blood vessel in her colon and devel- oped anemia as a result ofthe bleeding. In addition to her mother falling ill, Collins faced two deaths in her family. "In (view) of her own health and her family, 75 percent is dang-up good," Cooper asserted, adding that a "fair re- view" of the allegations would prove Collins' side of the story. Giles said U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (D- Detroit) also has declined to comment during the strike, but his coverage has been very positive. "We haven't been putting any negative spin on our news coverage," he added. "We have not gone out of our way to damage Congresswoman Collins. "if she's got a side to tell, we'd love to hear it." You've got the brains. Now get the tools. 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ADMISSIONS Continued from Page 1 Spencer also said the majority of the current applicant pool already met the new standards. "Right now, 99 percent meet all re- quirements," he said. The accepted requirements include: English - four years (Previous minimum: three years). Single foreign language - two years (not required before). Mathematics - three years. History and the social sciences - three years. Biology and physical sciences - two years. A year ofcomputer science and offine or performing arts was recommended. Peres poised for May elections in Israel JERUSALEM-Israeli Prime Min- ister Shimon Peres, soaring in opinion polls and convinced that achieving peace with Syria will take too long, is poised to call early elections in May that would amount to a decisive test of Israel's course toward reconciliation with its Arab neighbors. The prospect has unnerved an oppo- sition still reeling from the assassina- tion of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin last November and the backlash it pro- voked against the right. Likud Party leader Binyamin Netanyahu, who ar- gued for two years that the Laborlarty- led government had no mandate for its concessions to Syria and the Palestine Liberation Organization, now describes the expected early elections as a cynical effort by Peres to "kidnap" a second term. Peres, who made a joint appearance yesterday with Secretary of State War- ren Christopher, said he would not an- nounce an election date until next week. But he added "we shall ask for a man- and activist groups overhis social view insisting he opposed same-sex mar riages. Simpson phones CNN lawyers on air LOS ANGELES - In a surpris interview yesterday, a combative O.J Simpson telephoned a panel of lawyer on CNN and submitted to his mos extensive public questioning about th murders of his ex-wife and her friend "I did not commit these crimes," h said in an hourlong call to the progra "Burden of Proof." "And it took all o my life savings, virtually, to prove that and it shouldn't be that way." With exasperation in his v Simpson denied he degraded or rept edly abused Nicole Brown Simpson played down a "Dear John" call from girlfriend the morning of the murders expressed suspicions the killings wer linked to the drug problems of one o Ms. Simpson's friends and suggested police planted evidence. Simpson said for the first time that h armed himself two days after the mur ders, for protection. date to continue our negotiations," and confidants have announced he will seek to hold a ballot in late May. Christopher was attempting to maintain momentum in his quest for a Middle East peace settlement. U.N. blames members for Bosnian insecurity UNITED NATIONS - Stung by charges that it has been too slow to field a civilian police force in Bosnia, the United Nations yesterday put the blame on countries that have not kept their promises to provide perso* or that sent officers who lack required language and driving skills. At a briefing and in an intervieW later, Sylvana Foa, the U.N. spokes- woman, struck back at growing com= plaints from officials of NATO, the Muslim-dominated Bosnian govern- mrent and others that the absence of a strong U.N. police presence could set back implementation of the Balkans peace accord among Bosnia, Seria and Croatia. - From Daily wire services I thinking about grad school, thinKin about paper & pencil g r ; Classes are starting st Call us today! 1-800- KAP-TEST If you decide to take the computerized G the KAPLAN GRE course also gives you al computer strategies you need for success Test Day! get ahiher score KAAN GRE... Oln GRE, 1 the s on students at the University of Michigan. Subscriptions for tall term, starting in September, via U S. mail are $85. Winter term (January through April) is $95. year-long (September through April) is $165. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of the Associated Press and the Associated Collegiate Press. ADDRESS: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1327. PHONE NUMBERS (All area code 313): News 76-DAILY; Arts 763-0379; Sports 747-3336; Opinion 764-0552 Circulation 764-0558; Classified advertising 764-0557; Display advertising 764-0554; Billing 764-0550. E-mail letters to the editor to daily.letters@umich.edu. World Wide Web: http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/ NEWS Amy Klein, Managing Editor EDITORS: Tim O'Connell, Megan Schimpf, Michelle Lee Thompson, Josh White. STAFF: Patience Atkin, Cathy Boguslaski, Anita Chik, Jodi Cohen. Lisa Dines. Sam T. Dudek, Jeff Eldridge. Lenny Feller, Kate Gickman, Jennifer Harvey. Stephanie Jo Klein. Jeff Lawson, Marisa Ma. Laurie Mayk, Heather Miller. Soumya Mohan, James M Nash, Laura Nelson Anupama Reddy, Alice Robinson, Matthew Smart. Christopher Wan, Katie Wang, Will Weissert. CALENDAR: Josh White. EDITORIAL Adrienne Janney, Zachary M. Raimi, Editors STAFF: Kate Epstein. Niraj R. Ganatra. Ephraim R. Gerstein. Keren Kay Hahn. Katie Hutchins, Chris Kaye, Jeff Keating, Joel F. Knutson, Jim Lasser, Ann Markey. Erin Marsh, Brent McIntosh, Paul Serilla, Jordan Stancil, Ron Steiger. Jean Twenge, Andrew Taylor, Mat t Wimsat. SPORTS Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Managing Edito EDITORS: John Lero, Brent McIntosh, Barry Solienberger. STAFF: Donald Adamek, Paul Barger, Nancy Berger, Scott Burton, Susan Dann. Avi Ebenstein, Darren Everson, Alan Goldenbach. James Goldstein. Jennifer Houdilik, Chaim Hyman, Andy Knudsen. Marc Lightdale. Will McCahill, Chris Murphy. Jim Rose. Michael Rosenberg, Danielle Rumore. Brian Sklar. Mark Snyder, Dan Stillman, Doug Stevens, Mary Thewes, Ryan White. ARTS Joshua Rich, Alexandra Twin, Editors WEEKEND, ETC. EDITORS: Jennifer Buckley. Kari Jones SUB EDITORS: Dean Bakopoulos (Books), Melissa Rose Bernardo (Theater). Brian A. Gnatt (Music). Jennifer Petlinski (Film. 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