European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 8, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 6 the stars and stripes tuesday novembers. 1988 cigarette spending rises As use Falls Washington a despite a decline in smoking annual spending by americans on cigarettes is climbing Ana probably will continue to do so through inc rest of this Century says an agriculture department economist. Manufacturers will face falling Domestic volume and will need to raise prices to maintain profits economist pc incr Grise said. Tax rates of Slat and local governments will continue to Rise. The need for additional tax reve Nues is mounting and tobacco axes especially cigarettes have been a mainstay of stale Revenue systems for Many  grist who pc Ciales in tobacco anal Ysis for inc department s economic re search service said that in addition to Federal and stale taxes a growing num Ber of local jurisdictions Are looking 10 inc same Revenue  reporting in the Agency s latest Agri cultural Outlook Magazine Grise said there have been dramatic changes in the last decade. Spending for cigarettes is double what it was 10 years ago he said. But the Rise reflects higher prices nol More use . Consumption has fallen 10 per cent from ils Peak of 640 billion cigarettes in 1981. Retail cigarette prices on the other hand have risen Aboul 90 per cent since 1980." most of the increase has been fro higher manufacturer and wholesale prices and from the boosts in  go up to maintain or enhance profits As Well As to cover rising manufacturing costs. Last year Grise said americans spent Aboul $33.5 billion on cigarettes a Little More than 1 percent of consumer Dispo Sable income and about the same proportion As  excise taxes totalled about j9.7 billion in 1987, compared with 16.6billion in 1980, he said. Federal taxes accounted for 49 percent with slate an local governments covering the remain  at another Way total excise taxes Only accounted for 19 percent of consumer expenditures on cigarettes in 1987, Down from 34 percent in 1980. Grise said that although lacs Rose the marketing Bill for manufacturing distributing and merchandising cigarettes increased faster. The United states has had an excise tax on cigarettes since 1862, Grise said and since 1969, All Stales have impose such taxes along with an increasing number of local governments Iowa was the first slate to impose a cigarette tax in 1921, and. By 1950, 40 slates and the District of Columbia were taxing cigarettes. Rates now Range from 2 cents per pack of 20 cigarettes in North Carolina the leading producer to 38 cents in Minnesota. Grise said that makes a weighted . Average tax of about 18 cents per pack. The increase in spending on cigarettes in the 1980s has largely gone to manufacturers he said. The farm value of cigarette expenditures was Actu ally 1100 million less in 1987 than in 1980."tobacco Farmers in 1980 received 7.5 cents of each Dollar spent by cigarette users but in 1987 growers got Only 4 cents Grise , the manufacturer s share of each Dollar spent Rose from 35 cents to 44," he said. The distributor s share stood at 24 cents in 1980 but retreated to23 cents in 1987." Federal excise lacs edged to 14 cents of the consumer Dollar last year from 13 cents in i960. In the 1950s and 1960s,Federal taxes accounted for up to 33 Centi of each cigarette  said Hale and local taxes Rose to More than 20 cents of each Dollar in the1970s and Early 1980s but dropped to about 15 cents in 1987.of about jj3.5 billion spent on Otga relics last year Grise said the farm value was about 11.35 billion the manufacturing share s14.9 billion wholesaling an retailing $7.62 billion Federal taxes $4.73 billion1, and state and local taxes,j4.95 billion. Study finds Rich poor Gap has widened under Reagan Washington apr a new economic stud shows a widening Gap Between Rich and poor since president Reagan look office with the poor falling farther behind and Middle class families holding even Only because no re family members Are work ing. The study conducted for the economic policy Institute says the top earning 20 percent made nine limes As much Money in lvb6 As the poorest 20percent, compared with seven times As much in 1979. The Institute s president Jeff Faux said the report shows average american families have been under greater economic pressure during the Pas decade than Al any Lime since world War ii. Stephen Rose a Seattle economist who wrote the report along with economist David Fasenfest of Louisville ky., said the widening Gap Between Richand poor is a reversal of trends in earlier decades. The study concludes that without big increases in ing As cent of american families would have been unable to keep up with inflation Between 1979 and 1986, the latest year for which Complete data is available. The report says the number of working wives increased from 55.4 percent in 197s to 66.1 percent in 1986. This is an important first step in measuring the real economic Benefit of having a wife work Rose said sunday. But he cautioned thai More study is needed to determine the additional costs families incur when the wife works such As greater need for child care. The Institute formed in 1986, is a non partisan non profit organization thai has often been critical of Reagan s conservative economic policies. The study showed that income for the lower two fifths of the nation or those earning under $27,000 ii slipping behind inflation. Furl a hit run Driver whose name Hod been Profe eted Bames a off West Palm Beach Fla. A a hit and run Driver whose name was kept secret by a lawyer for More than two years under attorney client privilege has surrendered and Given an unapologetic confession to faulty running Down a Drunken  did t know what 1 had hit William d. Morser a Delray Beach restaurateur said sunday after he was charged with leaving the scene of the March 9, i9s6, Acci Dent in which Mark Balte was dragged 60 feet to his  realized t had run Over something that was not a garbage bag or not a bag of rags Morser said la Al happened very quickly what could 1 do at thai Point Morser blamed Baltacs for being in the Beach Road inthe Middle of the night Baltacs 28, had a blood alcohol level of 0,26 percent More than 2 i times Florida Slegal intoxication level.  there is a jury hat won t agree  then i m living in the wrong country Morser said. I fee like i have been the one taken advantage of not the one lying on the  / the hit and run Accident in Palm Beach gained National attention because Morecr s identity had remained a secret behind inc attorney client privilege of confidentiality. A the Day after the Accident the Driver contacted at Torney Barry Krischer and asked him to keep his Iden Tity secret and negotiate a plea Deal which fell through. I was not about to  a police station and say hey fellas i m raw meal come and get me " Morser said  oct. 13, Palm Beach county circuit judge Tim Othy Pouson upheld Krischer s right to keep the clients name secret. Baltes parents had appealed on lbs tvs "60 min utes for information thai might reveal the Driver s identity and had offered a is million Reward Contin gent upon their winning a Taw Suil from the Driver. Investigators first suspected Morser on thursday after inspecting his White Buick Riviera which resembled the ear thai struck  also Learned thai Morser had recently moved out of a West Palm Beach apartment that he had been renting from Kirscher since before the Accident authorities said when investigators interviewed Morser on Friday at his restaurant he appeared nervous and gave evasive answers authorities said. Morser was ordered to appear saturday at the prosecutor s office. Authorities said he then admitted thai he ran Over Baltacs. Morser was booked sunday  felony and was released without having to Post Bond. Mildred Baltes and her sex husband Joseph who had filed a $6 million lawsuit against the unknown killer of their son said they were relieved the mystery Masover. -.-. It s been costly both financially and emotionally said mrs. Baltes who lives in Middletown . She said she has spent $50,000 going Back and Forth to Florida leading the efforts to find Oul who hit her son. Morser told reporters sunday that the family was Init Only for the Money and he has been the real victim. Mrs. Bakes said that s  gambled and he lost and he is trying to make us out to be the bad Guys she said. To happen lobe Lieve in Justice for everybody. My son is split cd to Justice even though he is dead.-. Stateside Texas oks funds to make Battle Wagon shipshape Houston a major restoration will begin next month on the rusting battleship Texas the last of the dreadnoughts and the Only surviving vessel that fought in both world wars. The Texas Parks and wildlife commission approved $6.9 million for repairs on inc ship which is visited by about 200,000 people each  the repairs Are finished next fall the Texas will return to an enlarged and deeper  ship has been mating in mud at its san janata. Battleground berth for 40 years. Proper scooters Given to City s dog owners Pleasanton Calif. A City Park workers Are handing Oul disposable Poopor scoop ens to dog owners to encourage them to clean up alter their  Hope,.when we remind them to clean up after their Pel that after that they Wilt do a Good Job clean ing up said Dolores Bengtson director of the Parks and Community service department. I just think souk people Aren t even thinking about it she said. Those Fields out there arc played in by Hundred and thousands of children and they need to be kept clean voice of America tapes scripts have disappeared Washington a United states information Agency officials investigated the disappearance of several voice of America tapes and scripts intended for broadcast to two african nations but could not determine who look them according to a published report  Voa carried a Lory on the matter during the weekend but the editor on duty sunday in washing Ion a Crane Seropian said thai the Story was based on a report in sunday s new York times and Inal no additional comment was available from Voa officials. The times quoted three Voa officials As laying they suspected South african government agents be ginning in 1986 and continuing recently May have infiltrated the Agency and taken material intended for broadcast in portuguese to Angola and  Africa has supported guerrilla movements in the two former portuguese colonies. Judge rebuked for calling court litigants trash1 Austin Texas a a judge allowed her child to run around her courtroom during proceedings and called litigants pure trash says a Staw panel lha reprimanded  reprimand issued against  Marsh Aanthony of Houston is the most severe action the stale commission on judicial conduct can Lake Short or removing a judge from the Bench officials said the commission also found that Anthony had left the Bench cry ing and told one lawyer thai she had a gun and could shoot to holes in his Back before he could leave the courtroom