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OCR Page 1 of 81PAGE
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1ST STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1999 Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque Journal
February 02, 1999, Tuesday
SECTION: New Mexico; Pg. D3
LENGTH: 577 words
HEADLINE: Domenici: New-Schools Plan Faulty
BYLINE: Patrick Armijo Journal Washington Bureau
BODY:
* Indian country projects should be funded upfront and not through issuance
of bonds, senator says
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Pete Domenici said Monday that the federal government
ought to find the funds over five years to pay for badly needed schools in
Indian country.
At the same time, he slammed a Clinton administration proposal to finance the
building of the schools by authorizing tribes to issue as much as $400 million
in bonds during a two-year period.
The idea of financing Bureau of Indian Affairs schools with tribal bonds was
proposed in President Clinton's budget, released Monday.
The bonds would also include a tax credit aimed at making them more
attractive to investment houses.
"I believe it is absolutely wrong to make this construction plan dependent on
such an arcane approach," Domenici said. "We ought to do it up front, find the
money, and make sure that we start picking up this backlog now."
Domenici estimates a backlog of some $750 million in new construction for BIA
schools. On Monday, Kevin Gover, head of the BIA, estimated the backlog at $1
billion.
In presenting the administration's proposal to issue tribal bonds to pay for
school construction, Gover said he didn't know how the proposal would be greeted
by Capitol Hill Republicans.
"We've just now put the details on the idea," said Gover, a Corrales lawyer.
"I think there are some shortcomings in the idea that have to be addressed, and
I have every confidence that we can work with members of Congress in both
parties to make this a better proposal."
Gover said tribes have never issued bonds for school construction, and he
said that before the bonds are issued the law would have to be changed to allow
tribes to do so.
Domenici, R-N.M., said the bond proposal amounted to a tax increase and said
BIA school construction should be financed by cutting spending in low-priority
areas or killing failing federal programs.
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