Federal SMSA funds: State College controls County's share By JOHN SCHLANDER Daily Collegian Staff Writer Although the federal government has designated all of Centre County as a standard metropolitan statistical area, State College alone gets to decide how and where within federal guidelines federal funds resulting from SMSA status will be spent. Dennis Elpern, senior planner in the State College planning commission office, said about $750,000 in federal funds will be available to State College upon application a's a result of its population growth as shown in the 1980 census. This money, called entitlement funds, is guaranteed to the municipality provided proper paperwork is carried out, he said. These entitlement funds must be used to benefit people with low or middle incomes, Elpern said. Specific projects on which to spend the funds are decided by whichever town is termed the center of the SMSA in this case, State College. Elpern contrasted entitlement funds with specific project grants: "Here, the money is available. You don't have to compete against other municipalities. "This money has been earmarked for the borough," Elpern said. The State College Municipal Council may elect to spend money outside the municipality, but it is not federally required to do so, Elpern said. In fact, according to federal stipulations, the money must benefit State College even if it is spent outside of State College. Mark Heuer, news secretary for U.S. Rep. William F. Clinger, R-central Pa., said Clinger's Washington office has received nd complaints from State College officials about being termed SMSA, but has received some complaints from officials elsewhere in Centre County. College Township Municipal Manager Elwood Williams said since the whole county population contributed, to its being named an SMSA, it is unfair that State College • The University Board of Trustees Committee on Finance will meet today and tomorrow to consider requests for 1982-83 approprtations for operations Page 8 , • The Lady Lion field hockey tearrifiegini its national title defense at 3:30 this afternoon at Bucknell • Breeding research is taking place, with plants such as geraniums, African violets and exacum, in the greenhouses behind Tyson Page 15 *The Calendar Convereion Council will discuss the possibility of renumbering University courses and setting up a trial registration for the fall of 1983 Page 23 We'll have partly sunny and seasonably mild weather, today but there will be a few cloudy intervals. High temperatures around 73 degrees. Becoming mostly clear tonight with lows around 57. Partly sunny and pleasant tomorrow with high temperatures approaching 80. "f ••• • • • Look out below! A jump off the abandoned diving tower would make more than just a big splash in the few feet of water that remain after maintenance crews drained the pool for the daily decides how all the money will be spent. "I don't see any good news as far as College Township is concerned," Williams said. Anyway, he said, "There's two towns worse off than State College namely Bellefonte and Philipsburg." Harris Township Municipal Manager Ruth C. Kistler said money spent in State College would still benefit Harris Township residents since many of them work or shop in State College. However, she said, the full impact of being an SMSA is not yet understood. "I think there are too many unknowns at this point to react one way or another," Kistler said. Gregory J. Gaul, Clinger's local district administrator, said State College will apply for the entitlement funds in December, and estimated that the municipality will receive the funds approximately April of next year. As the center of an SMSA, State College can receive entitlement funds annually, Gaul said. The amount will probably vary from year to year, but State College could likely get a similar amount next year compared to what it gets this year, he said. The main problem with being an SMSA, Gaul and Elpern said, is the increased administrative work associated with the more complicated metropolitan funding process. Centre County communities must now, in many cases, compete for project funds in the metropolitan rather than the non-metropolitan category, Gaul said. This means Philipsburg will have to compete in the same category as county seats and other large towns and cities, he said. A problem that was narrowly escaped, Gaul said, was Bellefonte's near loss of eligibility for Farmer's Home rural housing funds. A community must have a population of less than 10,000 to receive these funds, and after the results of the 1980 census came in, Bellefonte just slipped under that limit. To be an SMSA, an area must have a city of at least 50,000, or an urbanized area of 50,000 with a total population of at least 100,000. inside weather .. .. .. .. ~.. . .... . ;:..; ~..., ''':.':;::.';,i';,!..:..:7 • -,. olle • iarl Reagan seeks to renew Israeli ties By BARRY SCHWEID Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) President Reagan, moving to allay Israel's concerns about U.S. arms deals with its Arab foes, offered yesterday to establish new strategic ties with the Jewish state. He told Prime Minister Menachem Begin that "We know Israelis live in constant peril." 'For us security is not a word or a concept, it is a way of life.' Begin told reporters after meeting with Reagan and Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. that the practical effect of the president's offer would be an alliance between the two nations. Still, he said, it would fall short of a mutual defense pact something Begin has long sought. While there would be no formal military treaty, Begin said, "the term alliance . . . is a practical term from the point of view of both countries, and it is important also for the Free World." Begin's disclosure took the edge off differences between the Israeli government and Reagan on the pending $8.5-billion U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia. Still, the Israeli leader registered his opposition to that deal during his private talk with the , president. "I told the president," said Begin, "that it endangers Israel's security." Asked whether the Saudi package poses a mortal danger to Israel, Begin replied: "We don't use such dramatic words. Israel will live forever." 0 ,7 4 "t0 4A,t Begin said Reagan agreed that "We shall make an effort to reach an agreement on strategic cooperation," and the two leaders left it to their respective cabinet officials to work out the details, expected by the end of the Page 10 An end to waiting week. Begin concludes his visit tomorrow. At a state dinner given by Reagan last night, Begin reminded the president that "peace without security is hollow for us." He reaffirmed Israel's interest in extending its peace treaty with Egypt to its other Arab neighbors but said —Prime Minister Menachem Begin this is not simple to achieve because of security needs. "For us security is not a word or a concept, it is a way of life," Begin said in. a toast to his host. He praised Reagan and said the president "gave us today a good day." Reagan's tribute to the Israeli leader was also a warm one. He said he was convinced the two countries were started down "the right road." Begin said his defense minister, Ariel Sharon, would be working with Haig and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Sources said elements of the new arrangement could include storage of U.S. weapons and supplies in Israel for emergency use by an American Rapid Deployment Force, and use of Israeli facilities to repair and maintain American naval and Air Force equipment. Earlier, Reagan and Begin exchanged tributes at an elaborate welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. When the two men met privately, Begin outlined "quietly and without the slightest bit of rancor" his opposition to the Saudi sale but did not ask Reagan to withdraw it, according to a senior U.S. official who asked not to be named. After hearing Begin out, f ~t Jennie Reed (7-Food Science) finally gets her refund at the Bursar's Office in Shields Building and learns why Penn State is famous for its long lines. Refund lines are just one of many kinds of line found on campus this week as students also must fight crowds in bookstores and dormitory cafeterias. Reagan then "indicated he expects the . . . sale to be approved by Congress," the official said. Still, that test on Capitol Hill looms as extremely close, by all accounts, and the administration hoped Begin would indeed muffle his heretofore vehement opposition to the Saudi deal. In exchange, Reagan was expected to offer even closer military links between Israel and the United States —including, possibly, intelligence gathered by American satellites. But Reagan left no doubt Arab countries have roles in his strategy to protect the Persian Gulf oilfields against Soviet encroachment. "Working with all our friends in the Middle East we seek to reinforce the security of the entire region," Reagan said in his public remarks. And yet, he said, "the security of Israel is a principal objective of this administration." "We know Israelis live in constant peril," Reagan declared at the ceremony under sunny skies. "But Israel will have our help." 'Working with all our friends in the Middle East we seek to reinforce the security of the entire region.' Begin, on his 12th visit to the United States, has assailed the Saudi arms sale as "endangering very seriously the security of Israel." It would give 62 American F-15s the Saudis are buying the range to reach Israeli territory. Also included in the deal are five modern radar planes which operate as a far-seeing flying command post. In his speech, Begin stressed Israel's vulnerability. He said it had to fight five wars "out of necessity to defend our people and to save its existence and sustain our independence." 20' Thursday Sept. 10, 1981 Vol. 82, No. 35 28 pages University Park, Pa. 16802 Published by students of The Pennsylvania State University At the same time, he assured Reagan "we shall stand together and Israel will give its share in defending human liberty." Reagan and Begin met for nearly two hours, initially with a handful of advisers, then with a larger group. According to one account, Begin told the president that "security is a matter of life and death" for Israel and "we have to be very concerned about anything that. touches our security." On Capitol Hill, :::: , n?tc Republican Leader Howard Baker said the vote on the Saudi package "is very close and it will be a difficult fight." The leading opponent, Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., said recently that 44 or 45 senators are committed against the sale, 37 or 38 are for it and the remainder undecided. Congress has until Oct. 30 to try to veto the deal. Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. will meet on Saturday with Crown Prince Fand of Saudi Arabia in Malaga, Spain. It is a stopover on a Haig trip to Yugoslavia and West Germany. —President Reagan Saudi Arabia leaders have called for Palestine Liberation Organization participation in Mideast negotiations and described Israel, rather than the Soviet Union, the principal threat to peace in the region. There was no official announcement of Haig's meeting with Fand, who plays a leading role in formulating Saudi policy,*The meeting with Haig will follow by a day the conclusion of Begin's talks here with Reagan, Haig and Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger. ,~.~ , Photo by Stenos Vartas
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