European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Daily Magazine Power it itching at a Ham Aai i m by William Geist new York times a pinstriped Man asked Frank How do you see All of this impacting lunch the corporate Board chief executive offi cers and the otherwise important who were Power lunching at the 21 club seemed to have a handle on the repeal of investment tax the shrinkage in tax exempt Bond financing and other ramifications of the presidents new tax and were now grappling with the troubling Issue of a proposed Cap on their deductible business president who rarely has to pick up a has proposed a Cap for tax deductions for business the Treasury department has proposed a limit for either customers at 21 this All goes to show once again that Manhattan is not really part of they said they would be Lucky to find even a hamburger for either figure at suitable business lunch restaurants in Manhattan not to mention having to beg for a Glass of water to Wash it Down because of the water use Frank will re quire a crab meat cocktail this favorite of his costs at and the addition of tax and tip puts the executive dangerously close to the Cap before he is even out of the hours this could mean an end to a whole Way of said Sheldon presi Dent and Host of where one is hard pressed to find anyone not dining on an expense he says Caps could Hurt his business to the Point that he will have to Lay off workers and Cut services that give the restaurant the atmosphere of a private it would be sad to see this world Mecca of business said a mortgage Jerry Lee setting up a Buffet serving tuna fish what Are we supposed to a some what outraged Eileen co owner of the Ford Model asked As she was about to enter the take clients to some Ham and Eggers this place is very important to its the did you see who sitting at the next table it was unclear whether she was referring to Henry Laurance Rockefeller or Felix All at separate tables next to in becoming very upset with the Republican she to think i raised Money for Reagan Melman scanned glumly Down the Winc ing slightly As he bypassed his beloved crab meat cock then passing Over the caviar and the Pate de foil gras de the salads and even the petites predict Ion by  lunch 0umch  pommes and most of the specializes de la Mai until he reached the Bottom righthand Corner of the menu he found lurking a a 21 Burg at Melman docs not eat hamburgers without which adds to the plus the tax and which together would bring the Bill to placing even the Burger outside the presidential guide without customers at the which is by no Means speeding past another the Dungeness the most expensive business lunch said there is crab at and steering Clear of All always a Way around these tax Frank Mel Man and his guest could not both have burgers and Fries even without Bever of because with tax and tip this would come to slightly above the presidents Cap of for How Melman could Cut one in incurring the 50 percent surcharge for sharing and bringing the Cost of the Bur Ger and Fries plus tax and tip to but we would still be Melman he would have to be interdicting any attempt by his hungry guest to try and order something on his while watching out for a disgruntled waiter who might try to spill something on him because new York waiters like 20 percent not the ploy being discussed by business men throughout the City to circumvent the Law would work like this a customer in Mel mans position could falsely claim that there was a third party at thereby allowing an additional deduction with which he could Purchase three martinis at and still be under the Cap for three would open him up to doing a Onet five stretch at a Federal Penitentiary for tax although he might not be concerned about this after the martinis particularly since meals come with the room at most at this Point the customer might even claim that he had lunch with 10 people and order himself a magnum of Dom Perignon at owners of several business lunch restaurants confided that most customers out for a business lunch will not cat they order the most expensive things on the said to impress their another owner said he has had to double the Price of reasonably priced wines to sell them at in a said Drummond chairman of National distillers and chemical but this is its a sop to the working Man who Doest like to see big shots getting a free lunch when he but these lunches Are we go Back to the office with deals that mean growth and you think we like to do this he do you think i  rather pack a lunch and go to the Park damned right i a Man rushed out the past the sizable number of plainclothes Security guards beginning to pile up on the leather watching the financial news drinking Pepsi and waiting for their Bosses to finish dont Tannen yelled at the who shouted Back in jest that he had that he could not afford to eat there under the new lunch Tannen gave a pained nothing wrong with paying for your own snapped a blustery old Man As he strode out the door to a waiting i dont ill pay for every and he looked As if he probably june 1985 the stars and stripes Page 13