European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 a the stars and stripes business news dollars a Fate linked to vote in e. Germany the better the political left performs in East Germany s election this weekend the better it will be for the Dollar. That Basic Wisdom sums up what Many currency traders Are thinking on the eve of sundays historic vote the first democratic elections to be hell in the one time satellite of the soviet Union. Recent polls have shown East German citizens a at least those who have made up their minds a to be split about evenly Between the Liberal social democratic party and the conservative Christian democrats. One word of caution though. About half the voters surveyed in one recent poll said they re still not certain which of 24 parties running  vote for. The election could go any number of ways. Several currency traders said their Best guess is that the social democrats will run Nick and neck with a coalition of the major conservative parties including the Christian democrats. A a that a what the Market is already expecting and you wont get any Hiccup in Exchange rates out of that a a said one trader in Frankfurt West Germany. But Petra Oil an economist with Citibank in Frankfurt said an outright Victory by the social democratic party and or a surprisingly Strong showing by the former communist party in the East will Hurt the Mark and help the Buck. Ott said Curran Randy Mcclain by traders believe German unification is a certainty but the Cost and Speed with which that Union takes place is yet to be determined. Currency experts feel that if the left wins the new government would demand that the West deliver greater social benefits and greater Protection from unemployment for East German citizens before a merger with West Germany is allowed to occur. That would Cost a lot of Money cause inflation in West Germany and depress the Mark. If one or More conservative parties win though it will be seen As a Victory for big business and the Mark will strengthen. A if the conservatives win the Mark will get stronger Money will flow into the West German Stock Market and negotiations on monetary Union of East and West Marks will go that much faster a Ott said. The Citibank economist said currency experts will also be watching voter turnout sunday. If a Large percentage of East germans eligible to Vole slay Home it will be viewed As evidence that the country is having second thoughts about joining hands with its capitalist cousins. Ott said such a development would Hurt the Mark. A that kind of signal would say East germans Arentt ready for the present situation or for monetary Union with the West Quot she said. But few currency traders Sec that happening. The thought of merging with West Germany is a bittersweet one for Many East German citizens who Are afraid of losing such communist Perks As lifetime employment and cheap housing. Still unifying with the West is seen by most currency traders As the East a Only Hope of rising above the poverty level. One recent estimate by a West German think tank was that it will take 1 trillion Marks about $600 billion to modernize East Germany after unification. . Service members interested in a stronger Dollar should Root for that Price tag to go up even More. The steeper the Cost the More Likely the Buck will gain ground. Late Friday in european trading though the Dollar was barely holding its own against the West German currency. The Greenback stood at 1.695 Marks Down almost a pfennig on the week. One British Pound was Selling for roughly $ 1.62, about the same As a week earlier. The Star and strip a tax shelter gives Refuge by Deedee Arrington Doke Kaiserslautern Bureau Span Dahlem a West Germany a army sgt. Mark Davis was looking for Refuge from Back taxes. He found free help an understanding ear and a cup of Coffee waiting at the tax shelter. The service offered by Span Dahlem Abs centralized income tax assistance office met Davis needs better than a professional tax service he had used in the United states he said. A you get better help Here and you done to pay As much. You just pay a Little time a said Davis who is assigned to he Btry 1st air defense arty. Most installations have unit tax advisers and one location such As a Legal office where people can pick up various tax forms. But As service members at Span Dahlem Are discovering few have All the conveniences of unit tax advisers additional Community volunteers a Central pickup Point for tax forms and a separate office that keeps regular weekday hours to provide tax assistance exclusively. The tax shelter which is open monday through Friday from 8 . To 5 p.m., has existed at Span Dah Lam in various forms since 1988. But this year the office was moved to building t-77, a centrally located facility near the air base Entrance. The change has proved successful. Personnel at the bases Legal office say fewer people Are coming to them with Jim Brasher a amps Lynda Davidson Volunteer spirit simple tax questions and More Are going to the shelter. By ear for help. Crowds peaked at 200 visitors per Day in january by Early March 3,300 people had visited the tax shelter a a. Crowds be _ when the Center first opened at its new location. Recently 40 to 60 customers per Day have sought advice but tax shelter workers expect another logjam As april 16 a the filing deadline for 1989 taxes a draws near. A some Are procrastinating and they re going to panic at the end of March a said capt. Deborah Wilson tax shelter manager. A we expect a bit of a glut  Wilson who was detailed from the 52nd Mission support so to manage the tax shelter is the Only paid worker at the Center. The rest Are volunteers. Jim Brasher served in the army and had a private dental practice in Salem ore., until he and his teacher wife moved to Span Dahlem recently. Once overseas. Brasher asked to work As a Volunteer at the bases dental clinic but continuing certification requirements forced him to change his mind. He decided to work at the tax shelter instead. Quot we can do the most for people who Are Well prepared a Brasher said. A a they be done what they can on their taxes and maybe in the future they can do them for  Tammy Steelsmith a military wife who works part time at the shelter said handling Federal tax questions is a Breeze compared to figuring out various state taxes. A Louisiana state tax is a real Nightmare a Steelsmith said. A it took three of us to get through the  volunteers acknowledged that they re More confident j about Federal taxes now than when the shelter first opened. That a because internal Revenue service special-1 its trained them shortly after the Center opened. A we truly thought we  be that Busy before we took the course a Wilson said. A but in the first week we had 1,100 people. It was a Tough situation. We had to keep telling people a we done to know a instead of giving out bad  Barbara Gehrmann an irs official in Bonn praised the i convenience the Span Dahlem tax Center offers. She noted that other installations such As Leighton Barracks in Wurzburg Are experimenting with similar concepts. Wilson said if she could change any aspect of Spang Dahlem a operation shed try to schedule Irsos training for volunteers earlier than it was held this year. But the programs most important goal has been met. I when Wilson gave a briefing recently she asked whether anyone in the room Hadnot heard of the tax shelter. A everyone had heard of us a she said. Quot that a the Bottom  cafes Money Exchange proposed by Randy Mcclain financial writer the army and air Force Exchange service might get into the business of Selling foreign currency to serv  in Europe later this year based on a proposal being reviewed by the department of defense. A i think they re interested in it but a few conditions have to be ironed out first a a defense department official in Washington said. The idea of allowing Over the counter foreign currency sales at base and Post exchanges is part of a broader project in the works since last year to increase the number of places worldwide where Money can be changed. In addition to cafes stores credit unions in West Germany great Britain South Korea and Japan arc among agencies that have expressed an interest in becoming Money changing outlets. A once we come up with a proposal this would be a service possible around the world although we wont hold a gun to anyone a head to make them provide  the Pentagon official said. So far the most interest in actually Selling foreign currency has surfaced in West Germany but its possible other countries could be affected As Well he said. Today most foreign Cash is exchanged at military Bank branches. But defense department officials and the . Army Europe think service members deserve More outlets. The european come agrees. Neucom asked the defense department in a letter last week to Complete its new policy As soon As possible. The defense department is considering procedures to allow the Sale of foreign currency at cafes stores credit Union branches no clubs and officers clubs. Foreign Money would be sold at the additional locations at the same rate already offered at full service military Banks that rate which fluctuates daily is typically better than rates available on the local Economy. The idea of allowing the credit unions in Europe to sell foreign currency has been kicked around for months but the move to let cafes and the military club system join in is a new twist. A it makes sense if you buy the notion that you want to provide As Many locations As possible a the defense department official said. He spoke on the condition that his name not be used. Adding cafes department stores to the Money changing network would have a big Impact on service members. Forty five of the Exchange services stores in West Germany alone have cashier cages where foreign Money could be sold. But cafes officials at the Agency a worldwide Headquarters in Dallas said last week they weren to committed to the project yet. A a it a too Early to say yes or no a said col. Carol Habgood chief of Public affairs for the Exchange service. Quot one of our concerns is How much store congestion would  she said the Exchange service does no to want stores crowded with people who Arentt shopping. And Habgood said cafes does no to want to sell foreign currency unless u can be assured it wont lose Money on the service. Merchants National Bank which now handles most foreign currency transactions in West Germany the Netherlands Greece and England has raised an additional  contract allows the Bank to keep a percent commission whenever it changes d on those fees end up in defense department copters help pay for Overall military banking operations. If other agencies started Selling foreign current a they a probably be Given a percentage of that Poltl a fee to cover their operating expenses. Mcrchatv1 worried that the banking contract will lose no needed  the department of defense says not to worry. A we Are very sensitive to that and we feel a Ltd walk that line within reasonable Bounds the t 1 in Washington said