European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. May 7, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 7 Many states Reform simplify tax codes Washington apr pushed by the new Federal a Law Many states Are moving to make their own personal in come lax systems More progressive 3 Survey of Legislatures reveals. While state tax increases outnumber lax cuts this year the National con Ter ence of stale Legislatures reports that Federal tax Reform has inspired Many states to Reform and simplify their own cod often with the same features. Slates arc formulating their lax cuts to relieve a Large portion of the taxes paid by the poor the group said. In this respect states arc emulating Federal tax Reform which took 6 million poor families off the tax Rolls while Rais ing the Standard deduction and personal exemption it said in a report released Ai legit Lalon from around the country gathered for their Spring meeting. Although most states Are Hill consid ering tax Bills. 17 state Legislatures Al ready have adjourned or passed income tax legislation said Steven cold director of fiscal studies for the conference tits Headquarters in Denver. Hit Survey found that most of those states Are returning part but not All of the Windfall they stand to receive As a result of change in the Federal tax Law passed last year. Because of the Way states tie their lanes to Federal Law Stales were expected to receive an estimated of billion in additional Revenue by simply making their taxes conform to the changes that broadened the Federal tax base. Many of those Stales Are returning the Money by increasing Standard Deduc Tion and personal exemptions meth ods that tend to concentrate benefits among Low income and Middle income state and local tax Burden in dollars per capita for fiscal year 1985 nation tote average it 1,5 per person Haj hot 10 $1.645 Dabow Lowll 10 1,126 and below he $918 lowest Cut Coop Tribuna graphic source command Charing Houta Newt Bureau taxpayers. Virtually every slate that s giving Back Money is doing so in a Way that is progressive Gold said. Fifteen of the state thai have acted so far have personal income taxes and four of the Georgia new York Hawaii and West Virginia have acted to re turn ail of the Windfall the group said. Two states Maryland and Virginia Are returning the majority of the Windfall to taxpayers through adjustments in their lax codes and Arkansas returned just under half the Survey said. Seven other slates Idaho Indiana Kansas Mississippi Montana new Mexico and Utah decided to spend the Windfall rather than return it through tax cuts. Four of them Idaho Indiana Montana and Utah went further and increased income taxes. Another state North Dakota was one of Only a handful that stood to lose reve nue As a result of Federal tax changes and its legislature increased taxes. Gold said that in , the big Stales particularly in the Northeast stand to receive the largest Windfall and they arc Stales that enjoy Good economies and can afford to Cut taxes. Stales that Are worse off economically particularly in the farm and Energy belts generally arc receiving Little or no wind fall and some even have no income tax thai would be affected by Federal changes. The Survey found that eight slates have increased both their Standard deduction and personal exemption Georgia Idaho Maryland new Mexico new York North Dakota Utah and Vir Gina. West Virginia and Arkansas have boosted personal exemptions or credits Hawaii raised the Standard deduction lowered rates and added a credit. New York Virginia and West Virginia also lowered some or All income tax rate Sas a Means of towering tax burdens. New York however was the Only stale enacting a major tax Cut this year. Its reduction phased in Over four Yean Willcut Revenue annually by $4.5 million by 1990. Financially hard pressed Stales have turned to other types of taxes to raise Revenue such As on sales gasoline cigarettes and corporate taxes. Florida extended its sales tax to such services a Law accounting and advertising. State tax collections Overall mean while were up an average 5.4 percent last year according to a census Bureau report. The collections plummeted 11percent in North Dakota and there were declines in nine other states. Anti smoking rules put on hold in . New York. A a state appeals court ruled tuesday that the state cannot implement Lough new Ami smoking rules while the court Bailie Over their legitimacy is going on. The rules restricting smoking in most Public in door places was to go into effect thursday but was overturned by a judge on april 24 and that decision is under Appeal by the stale department of health which issued the Rule originally. We re waiting along with everybody else said Bill Fagel a spokesman for the health de  Tierney a spokesman for the port authority of new York and new Jersey which runs Kennedy and Laguardia airports the port authority bus terminal and the twin to Story towers of the world Trade Center said the port authority would take no action in Advance of a final ruling from the courts. If the rules Are upheld we re going to have to Post signs in our buildings and airports. But i Don t think the signs Are even ready yet,"1 Tierney said. The new rules would restrict smoking in stores Banks hospitals and restaurants and would ban it in business Halls lobbies and other areas open to the Public. Smoking would be allowed in work areas of private buildings provided there were no complaints from other , a complaint from just one worker could Force an employer to declare work area smoke free zones driving smokers into enclosed offices. The new rules would not apply to bars hotel rooms private residences correctional facilities private parties and restaurants with 50 seats or owners of Large restaurants who have challenged the Law also Are awaiting final word from the court air Force debating proposal to exhibit by b at Paris air show by Norman Black a military writer Washington the air Force with some be Hind the scenes prodding by congressional leaders is debating the idea of sending one of us new Dib bombers to the Paris air show next month. A Pentagon official said air Force officials Are advocating the plan to demonstrate our Confidence in the b-1b to our allies As Well As to the soviet  both air Force Secretary Edward c. Aldridge and defense Secretary Caspar w. Weinberger would hive to approve the  Paris air show held every other june is the largest aerospace exposition in the world and Compa Nies and countries including the soviet Union show off their newest and most advanced aircraft. The idea of sending a bib to Paris is viewed by some within the Pentagon As an Opportunity to help restore the plane s tarnished  bib program has become the subject of intense congressional scrutiny and controversy Over the past year because of disclosures that some of the plane systems do not perform up to their original specifications even though the plane is already being introduced into service. Made by the Rockwell International corp., the Dib is the first new bomber introduced into the air Force inventory in More than 20 years. Scrapped by former president Carter and resurrected by president Reagan the four engine Jet is designed to modernize the manned bomber Fleet while the air Force awaits the production of radar evading stealth bombers in the Early 1990s. Gen. Larry Welch the air Force chief of staff has acknowledged the bib is still suffering major prob lems with its radar jamming defensive equipment. He has estimated it May take another two years to Correct those problems. Other problems involving fuel leaks and the terrain following radar and flight control systems have already been addressed Welch says asserting the plane is now the most potent bomber in the world. No pact yet on Kuwait ship registry Washington a the United states and Kuwait have yet to strike any agreement thai would allow kuwaiti Oil tankers to be registered under the . Flag but such talks Are under Way the Pentagon said. Such a move would entitle the kuwaiti tankers to the same protective status afforded to other . Ships in the persian Gulf including escorts by Navy warships said Robert Sims the Pentagon s chief spokesman. We be been consulting with the kuwaitis on a number of issues including the registration of some of their Fleet As .-Flag vessels Sims continued. Procedural discussions look place last week be tween the coast guard and the Kuwait Oil Tanker corp. But As far As a specific change of registry it just has t occurred we re consulting at the  Sims was asked about the Mailer following a published report in the Washington Post suggesting the two countries had agreed in principle to Transfer up to 11 of the 22 ships owned by Kuwait to a . Corporation to obtain american registry. Administration officials had previously disclosed the kuwaitis were a cabling such an arrangement. Kuwait has aligned itself with Iraq in the Iran Ira War. As a result its ships have become a target of iranian patrol boats and warplanes. Kuwait has completed a similar although Mare modest agreement to lease three tankers from the so Viet Union which is expected to provide naval escorts. Arab countries in the Region have pursued a collective defense strategy that seeks to minimize any super Power involvement. But Kuwait is growing anxious Over the attacks against its shipping almost two dozen since last fall. The . Patrols the persian Gulf with a task Force of five to six ships. Sims said he does not know if that Force would be increased if kuwaiti tankers Are registered under the . Flag