European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page id columns the stars and stripes James j. Kilpatrick it s Wacky when work becomes a fiscal felony forty Odd years a wonderful old character in the Virginia House of delegates. Lake tripled by name introduced his no work Bill. That measure would have Mode it a felony for any person to engage in gainful employment within the Commonwealth thus permitting everyone to spend More time in Happy relaxation. _ Triplett s Bill was a joke of the kind enjoyed by fun Loving legislators at ice Ndola grueling session but in comes Back to mind. The complexities of social Secu Rity May not make in a felony for certain old folks to work but the Law imposes heavy penalties nonetheless 1 wrote about the situation last month in reviewing a paper just published by the National Center for policy analysis in Dallas the paper by John c. Good Man is titled the elderly people the Supply Side revolution forgot in attempting to compress two of Goodman s tables i messed up his figures. Let me put the record straight and then turn to a retired pharma Cist in Bend ore., fora personal word. First consider the Case fan elderly widow who likes to work and hates to be Idle. Hundreds of thousands of persons arc in inc same situation. Martha Simpson is 66 years old. Her Job pays her $13.936 a year she has a pension income of is 1,064, and she receives social Security benefits of $5,072, for a Gross income of $30 072. This is offset by $2,950 in Federal income tax,$1,047 in social Security taxes fica$355 in taxes on the social Security benefits and $496 in the new medicare surtax. This Lea visa net income of $25,224, Anthony Lewis now look what happens when Simpson takes a Job that gives her a $1,500 raise. Her wage income increases to $li,436 her pension remains at $11,064,. But because she is penalized for working her social Security benefits fall by $750 half of the $1,500 raise. For a Gross income of $30.822. This is offset by $3,371 in income taxes $1.159 in fica taxes $512 in her social Security Benefit tax and $583 in the medicare surtax. She is earning ,500 More a year but her net income has fallen 10 $25,197. Simpson is earning More by l keeping less. This is lunacy but this is How the system works. Consider another of Goodman s Case studies this one involving an elderly couple each of whom earns $8,880. Their combined income is s 17,760, augmented by $ 18,640 in pensions and $11,400 in social Security  paying income tax Pica lax. Benefit tax and medicare surcharge they have $41,095 left. Then one of them gets a raise of $1,000 a year. Arc they better off no indeed. The cruelties of the system Cost them $500 in social Security benefits their other taxes go up and they wind up with $41,077, or $18 less than they had before. Why work listen for a moment to Jim Peterson 69, of Bend. He begins by noting a shortage of pharmacists in both government agencies and the private Sec Tor. Jobs Are available and the work needs to be done. He writes -. " also enjoy my work and am proud of my ability to perform As fast and As Well As those who came to the profession More recently. The stimulation of mental activity is a vital part of my health and Well being at the present time 1 receive about $8,400 annually from social Security. Under the present rules i can earn an additional $8,880 per year and still keep All of the $8,400. Bui if i earn More than the $8,880 per year i lose $1 of social Security for every $2 of earned income Over the Cap of $8,880. This Means thai in 1988, when i earned Aboul $ 18 000, the social Security benefits were reduced by about $4,800. Combine this with the 13 percent fica tax for the self employed As Well As the income tax and the effective lax Rale is about 6 percent my wife also has  income and when we go above $31,000 per year adjusted Gross we have to pay some income lax on the social Security income. "1 know that i m not telling you anything you did t already know. I just wanted to Tell you How i feel about it i Don l feel Good about  Peterson could just Stop working when his annual earnings reach $8,880 thousands of retirees do just. Thai but he has to maintain some continuity if he to to keep up his skills. He asks. Would t it make Good sense to eliminate the income tests altogether it makes Good sense to me. Something is absolutely indefensible Wacky when Middle income old folks see their marginal income taxed at rates that make work a fiscal felony  Wii Syndicate israels friends must against corruption Saman Khouri is a palestinian journalist in Jerusalem networks for age acc Francc or Csc and he has been managing editor of the English edition of the Jerusalem arabic newspaper Al Fajr. Khouri was one of eight leading pales winians who met with israeli political Fig. Ures on feb. 16 in the notre Dame hotel in Jerusalem the israelis included Sev eral labor members of the Knesset and the meeting was regarded As one of the most important efforts so far to explore the possibilities of peace. Prime minister Shamir bitterly denounced it. Two Davs after the. Meeting on feb. 18, Khouri was arrested by israeli police and held in detention. He was then taken to an interrogation Center in Ptah Tikva. When he was nest seen by any Mem Ber of his family several weeks later he appeared to have lost about 30 pounds. This week he was charged with a number of political offences and ordered to retried by a military court. Khouri is married loan american woman Anita Dilullo. They have three daughters the youngest born on March 5, while he was in detention. His Situa Tion was brought to my attention by Vitullo s brother who lives in new York when he was detained in february it was Khouri s fourth detention in two years. He was held for nine Days without charge in 1987 in january 1983. Six soldiers look him from his Home at i in the morning. He was held without charge for 4 i months and again for 10 jays in the fall. While he was in detention last year amnesty Intima Vional declared him a prisoner of  amnesty said it believed he had been detained on account of the non violent exercise of his Nghil to Freedom of expression and Asso  Khoun has helped foreign correspondents in Cru Sakni to meet palestinians and hear their Point of View. He has also been Active in an Arab journalists Union. Before his latest arrest he said thai both of those activities made him a particular target for the author pics. Baby Abdul in the Bulrush of her human rights organisations  the treatment of a Iouri As part of an israeli pattern of suppressing the palestinian press. Several newspapers and press services have been closed in recent years. More than 40 palestinian journalists have been detained since the uprising began in the occupied Wisl Bank and Gaza Ira. Months ago. One of t1ie charges just brought against Khouri is that he is a member of the uprising s leadership. Another is that he wrote three of the leaflets issued in connection with the uprising. Finally he is charged with membership in the popular front for the liberation of Palestine a Radical faction of the Plo. He denies All the charges. In 1978 Khouri was convicted of be longing to the Pali. Whatever the Rulh then his recent actions have been inconsistent with the views of the palestinian radicals he supported the Plo decision last year to recognize Israel and seek a negotiated peace. When 1 telephoned his wife in Jerusa Lem she said i was afraid of his going to the meet ing on feb. 16, because Street sentiment Here is Milant. But he said in was Nec Essary for palestinians to Lake that risk and it was important for the me tip to Lake place As things go Here he is a moderating influence trying to push people toward a political  in is not the first time n palestinian has been arrested after taking a Public stand in favor of peace Wilh Israel i believe that such voices of reason Are viewed As a threat by prime minister Shamir who opposes any sups toward ending the occupation of he West Bank and licence u doing All he can to prevent negotiation. The Khouri Case shows Hal Israel has due process of Law exec i for palestini ans it has Freedom of we press except for palestinians. It has democracy except for palestinians. But those statements Are really not the whole truth. For a country thai suppresses another people is not free itself. In continuing the occupation and suppressing palestinians who want to Lalk peace Israel is corrupting itself. When will its friends speak out a Amsl the corruption