European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 1, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes a Page 11ann Landers 7. J letters a policy of video rentals pricing explained dear Ann Landers i must take Issue with Quot other Side of the  i Don t mean to belittle the problems faced by today s youth but i m one of the 30s kids who Crew up on the Plains of the West during the great depression. Quot other Side Quot should ask his grandparents what it was like to Sec a Friend die in an Iron lung or crippled for life from polio. Has he witnessed a brother or sister delirious from Scarlet fever or measles or racked by whooping cough does he know of a neighbor or relative who suffered the agony of tuberculosis and a life in a sanitarium no we did t worry about aids but we had other scourges. Most people were poor in the 30s a some were just poorer than others. There was very Little welfare Back then and no food Stamps. My Mother raised three children. Competing in a Man s world when women were not supposed to work. She was left a single Parent when my father died in 1932, because there was no Miracle drug to cure his pneumonia. In spite of this we did t sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. We made do with what we had. We respected each other and we dreamed we worked and we fought for a brighter future. And now it s Here. A proud we won in Ohio dear Ohio you be written a Fine letter that will Jar Loose a lot of memories but anyone born after 1940 won t have the faintest notion of what you Are talking about. This is off the Point but i can t help but notice that All the illnesses you mentioned a polio measles whooping cough to and pneumonia a Are no longer the hideous killers they once were because of the Progress made through animal experimentation. And now researchers in laboratories All Over the world Are working furiously on a cure or a vaccine for aids and the animal essential to this research is the Monkey. Yet millions of people Are violently opposed to using animals for medical research. Does this make any sense i leave it to you. Dear Ann Landers i am writing about a personal and confidential matter that has bothered me for years. I m becoming frightened and Don t know what to do. My husband and i have not paid any Federal income tax since we have been married which is going on seven cars. We arc struggling to pay our Bills and can t afford to hire a tax attorney. Could Vou Check your resources and see what would happen if we contacted the internal Revenue service we know the amount will be staggering but we desperately want to get this matter cleared up so we can sleep at night. Can you help a worried in Madison wis. Dear worried every february i get about 100 letters like yours. I consulted with my own tax accountant Edward Simpkin of Northbrook iii., and this is his response Quot it is Uncertain what would happen if you contacted an irs office on your own but i recommend that you be represented by an experienced tax expert. This is not a do it yourself project Contact the Wisconsin Institute of Pas Brookfield wis or the state bar of Wisconsin in Madison for recommendations. You May be Able to find a professional willing to work with you for a reduced fee and an extended payment plan. Good  is. This is Ann talking go ahead and do it. I be heard from folks who have and it was t nearly As grim As they feared. A Clear conscience is the world s Best sleeping Pill. I would like to question the video rental rates charged by cafes Here in Europe. Since i have Only rented videos since i came to Germany four years ago i accepted the cafes rental rates without question. However i just returned from my first trip to the United states since that time. While there i had occasion to look into the various rates charged. Needless to say i was shocked at what we pay Over Here. Most video shops in the United states do not charge an annual membership fee. While the video rental fees vary they All Are significantly cheaper than those charged by cafes. A number of stores charge $3 to rent a film for two nights for example. Some charge $4 for a three night weekend. All offer special incentives similar to those offered by cafes two for one Etc my question is How does cafes establish vide rental fees it seems to me that we should be paying even less than . Rental fees since we not Only provide operating capital through our annual membership fees but the video stores do not have any overhead costs other than salary expenses. The Cost of acquiring videos for the shops should be considerably less for cafes because of bulk purchasing. We Are truly a captive clientele. In Many locations there is no English language television broadcast available. While some of us Are Lucky to receive an this Luck is tempered by its programming. Many of us rent videos Many times More than we would in the states. Everyone is always talking about racism but How Many people Ever bother to really do anything about it How Many times in front of your children have you said something negative about a person because of his race religion or background the Only Way racism will Ever end is when we Start teaching our children to look beyond the color of a persons skin and Start looking at what is in the persons heart. There will always be people we done to like because of their attitudes or personalities. But if you judge one race because of the actions of one person then that a wrong. Its like the old saying a one bad Apple spoils the whole Bunch. We need to teach our children love and kindness and understanding to All people not just a select few. I see and hear it All the time the crazy things some parents say to their children. Your children believe what you say you Are like a god to your children. This begs the question Are we being gouged on video rental rates because of our Lack of alternatives i and Many other members of the . Forces would like to see an explanation of the cafes video rental pricing and profit Structure. . Williams Heidelberg West Germany editors note a master sgt. Dayton p. Strickland customer relations he cafes Europe replies cafes Europe s videotape rental service is provided through a contract with a european video rental company. Prices Are established by us based on local Community Survey information and designed to offer our rental customers a savings of around 20 percent. Our videotape rental concessionaires do not have a membership program but offer a prepaid card for $25 a year which permits you to rent up to five cassettes at a time without a Deposit plus get two free tapes per month. Customers who leave the Community during their year of membership Are entitled to a  rated refund. We have video rental Competition. Here in the Small military Community of Munich for instance there Are two video rental outlets within walking distance of the housing area and Cavern. I would hardly Call our cafes customers a captive clientele. The video rental business in the United states is Cut Throat and its difficult to equate the value of your Dollar in that Market compared to Europe where we must consider the reality of what it costs to do business Here. You know this world would be a whole lot better without racism bigotry hate anger Etc. We need to Start teaching our children love kindness values morals Etc., so that we can All live together and enjoy the Richness that other Peoples cultures can instill in our lives and the customs and lifestyles they bring with them. Being in the military there is a whole Rainbow of people. They have so Many interesting things to Tell you about their culture and Way of life. If you truly want to end racism it has to All Start at Home where so Many other things also need to begin. A Kimberly k. Atkins Pir Masens West Germany Kunsan choir reunion set Kunsan a inspirational choir service members assigned Between 19851990 Are holding a reunion june 14-16 in Omaha neb. For More information Contact Gean Collier 824 Lufbery dr., Goldsboro . 27534, Telephone 919 751 -0181, or Telephone Delores Shreeves at 707 426-4958.pen pals i am 24 years old. A Esmeralda Ling Cong Sta. Catalina St. Dumaguet City Philippines i am 31-year-old Man. I work and also i study at the University. A Hasan Kiran to Sirkis cad. Or. 26 d. 1 Bakir Koy Istanbul Turkey i am a 18-year-old roman Catholic. I would like to have friends from other countries. A Dearie m. Collantes Clarvit Cap Guran 4702 so Sogon Sor. 4700 Philippines my hobbies Are listening to music exploring my country watching movies and most of All Reading and writing. I am 20 years old. A Althea Maureen Bowen 5 Miller rd., Ewarton . St. Catherine Jamaica i am 22 years old and enjoy pubs nightclubs pop music and fashion. A Bronia Eliasz 4. Crossley gardens Hanson Lane Halifax West Yorkshire hx1 5pu England my hobbies Are Reading magazines dancing swimming and writing pen pals. Tam 20 years old. A Harltess Tusit 413 Lamesa St. New Abala Alabama Village Muntin Lupa metro Manila Philippines i am 37 years old. My hobbies Are collecting Stamps and Reading. A Frank Ohanlon 7, Jubilee St. Off Langworthy re Salford m6 5wb England my hobbies and interests Are hairdressing ice skating hiking parties making people laugh and writing to people All Over the world. I am 16 years old. A Clare Hardy 14 Ash Grove Conisbrough Doncaster South Yorkshire England dn12 2hh a teach love and kindness Reader urges european edition col. Oene e. Townsend Usan commander editor in chief it. Col. Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of defense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for Purchase use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex National origin age. 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