European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ann Landers dear Ann Landers i just read the letter from a burning in new Orleans a who was furious because a computer seized his phone line and forced him to listen to a sales pitch. A new Orleans might not feel so bad when he hears what happened to me. In june i went on a vacation trip. Since i was travelling by car with no set itinerary it Wasny to possible to leave a number where i could be reached. I purchased an answering machine for my Home phone and notified family and friends to leave recorded messages. The instruction Book explained How to Check for my messages and hang up without paying for the Call. Well you guessed it. The first night on the Road there was a Long drawn out computer recording in first place on my answering machine. This meant i had to listen to All of it at Long distance prices. Yesterday i read that our state legislature had passed a Bill outlawing computer Telephone Calls. Hallelujah not a minute too soon a Alice Wheatley Memphis dear Alice i done to blame you for wanting to reach out and Belt someone. Belated congratulations to Tennessee for getting on the Ball. Read on. Dear Ann Landers Consumers in Maryland Are protected from computers that hold their Telephone lines hostage. In this state All computerized Telephone sales Calls must disconnect within 10 seconds if either Side hangs up. Violation of this Law can mean a Fine of up to $500. While some of these Calls Are from legitimate businesses telemarketing fraud is a billion Dollar a year problem. Because Crooks move from one location to another consumer Protection offices can to keep up with them. Some of these Crooks make their Calls from foreign countries. Eric s. Friedman Montgomery county a Pinili investigator dear . I received More complaints about this from your state Maryland and from California than any other. Most people said 10 seconds is too Long to tie up their phone. They want the Calls discontinued. Period. Dear Ann Landers our business has an 800 number and computerized sales Calls alternate coming in on that line As Well As six others. You absolutely cannot disconnect. They have your line for the entire length of their message. Several months ago i phoned the Alabama Public service commission. They said they knew nothing about these Calls but they do look into  i never heard from them again. I then spoke to the local phone company manager who said a nothing can be done about these Calls. One recording gave a 900 number to Call for More information. I dialled that number and received yet another recording saying i would be charged $30 for that Call. When i phoned the Telephone company to complain they said if i did no to pay the $30, my phone would e disconnected. So i paid it. How a that for being stuck Between a Rock and a hard place dear Sandy Sandy m. Outrageous do As the others have done a put heat on your state legislature and urge your friends to do the same. The wheel that squeaks gets the Oil. Creators Syndicate the St and Fries european edition circulation 170,000 col Gene e. Townsend Usan commander editor in chief it. Col Gayle w. Fix Usa Deputy commander editor in chief a a Quot a Bob Wicker Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager militan/n�0s�f�er san Huttl oried unofficial publication for members of the e8sari u contend it the stare and stripes Are not Nec apartment of a if endorsed by the . Government the de payment of defense Orthe . European command. Supote menu sri a 10 Tel a publication including inserts or sense Othi a a a not constitute endorsement by the department of de put 80 1 stripes of the products or services advertised. Tver Thinn to . 1�___. Tuesday october 9, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 11 letters a computing annual housing allowance for t question concerning housing appropriations for department of the army civilians. Why is it we have to Deal with this reconciliation funny business this process is one of the biggest hassles on the planet. The process rates somewhere Between negotiating for German reunification and understanding the hiring freeze. Civilians Are paid according to their Grade and Are Given an estimated variable payment per pay period. At the end of the year we Are required to have every receipt and fill out paperwork itemizing All expenses. Have you Ever tried to read and understand these German Bills even my German neighbors have problems understanding them. Some Are monthly some by Aren t it Csc me Quarter a some Are estimated some it takes us Days to figure this out and fill out the paperwork then it goes to Tso and they spend Days preparing it. Then it goes to finance and six months later you Are informed if you owe them or they owe you. The russians Are finally acknowledging the fact that communism is a failed system. When is finance going to admit that this farce is also a failed system and pay us the same As the military you can to Tell me the manpower and resource costs justify this Dinosaur. From Florida but in this Case that a close enough to Missouri to say a show me the savings you allege occur from this. Done to show me any arbitrary monetary amount unless it is backed by the criteria you used to justify the savings because everyone knows that figures can be manipulated a Hundred ways from sunday. A Bob Lang Mainz Germany editors note a Bob Jennings personnel management specialist civilian personnel division Deputy chief of staff personnel he Usa eur replies the writer questions the necessity for the annual living quarters allowance la process. The reconciliation process involves comparing actual housing costs to the amount of la paid the employee during the pay year. Employees arc then reimbursed for any la underpayments and overpayment Are collected. To document expenditures employees Are required to submit annually to their civilian personnel office co All receipts for expenses incurred in maintaining adequate housing. Like the writer this is the part of the process that most employees find distressing and unnecessary. The information submitted by employees is used to verify expenses provide a Means of accounting for Federal dollars and ensure that employees Are not paid la in excess of that to which they arc entitled. The data generated by the annual reconciliation is also used by the state department to adjust la rates. These adjustments Are made to ensure that la rates paid employees Are proportional to the Cost of maintaining adequate housing in their assigned locality. The process is bothersome but it docs serve a meaningful purpose and ultimately benefits the employee As both a taxpayer and recipient of la. Like taxes the annual la reconciliation process is a necessary function. A wife salutes troops of desert shield Qto age non Merit Factor of the purchaser user or Patron switchboard 06155-601 741 or 5823. Physical Chaser be i grew up in a Small town in new Jersey called Verona. Most of my family still lives there except for my oldest sister who is a master sergeant in the . Army. She introduced me to a terrific Guy Bryan Jenkins whom i married in 1984. He is from Roanoke va., and is also in the army. He is currently an e-7. We Are stationed in Wiesbaden Germany with our 2-year-old daughter Kathryn Anne. Being married to someone in the military is not always an easy task. You have to Deal with moving every three to four years leaving family and friends behind coping with your spouse being sent away to school and Field assignments and eventually coping with the threat of War with the possibility that he or she May have to go. Never in my wildest dreams did i think that there would be a War that he would have to go and do his a Aid to Iraq questioned i do not want to see children starving i have three of my own but How do we know the food that is being allowed to go into Iraq wont go to the iraqi soldiers who is to say the children of Iraq will get the food anyway it seems to me that a Man who will kill his own people wont mind letting children starve. It would seem that feeding troops would be his first priority. A spec. John w. Childress operation desert shield for departments dial 06155-601 plus Extension or ets 348-8 plus the Extension. News ext. 237,255,282,226,326. Sports ext. 225, 269,263,332,321,221. Features ext. 230,245 or 341. 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Of a to Wallace Barracks Apo 09154 Telephone ets 420-7179 or civilian 0711 -542571. Wurzburg Germany John Millar room 110, River building Apo 09036 Telephone ets 350-4704 or civilian 0931-71569. Patriotic duty to help defend his country especially since we Are already on an overseas assignment. Well no thanks to Saddam Hussein my husband like so Many other soldiers has been called upon by president Bush to fight for what a right. My husbands unit was on an Alert status for about a month. Then after working Many 12-hour-plus shifts my husband and Many other soldiers were deployed to saudi Arabia. The rest of the unit will he deployed As space is available on aircraft. Saying a so Long to my husband was the hardest thing i Ever had to do. Saying a a goodbye would be too final a i know that he a coming Back Home to us. In a sure it was just As hard on Bryan and the other soldiers. I Felt like a part of me was being taken away and not knowing for How Long. But be has a Job to do and is very proud to do it and to serve his country. I have never been As proud of him As i am now. As i sat listening to Bryan a voice on our tape recorder Reading stories to our daughter tears filled my eyes. Even though in a hurting and trying to explain to our inquisitive 2-year-old where her daddy is in a proud. This deployment to the Middle East is going to be a Long hard ordeal. Please keep our soldiers and their families in your thoughts and write to them As often As possible to keep their morale up. Maybe it will Case the fact that they Are so far away and have no idea what lies ahead of them. A Anne m. Jenkins Wiesbaden West Germany Brussels Belgium David Tarrant International Pross Contor 1 Boulevard Charlemagne Box 45, 1041 Brussels Tol phone civilian 003231 238-0967 Tel fax 00322 2309088. Mediterranean j. King Cruger Gary Millor and Candida sans Ono Naples Italy Asa Box 56, Fpo 09521 Tol phone Auto on 625-1110 ext 4880 or civilian 0039-81-7624049. New York City room 401, 252 Sovo nth avo., now York 1000v Tol phone 212-620-3333. United kingdom Dave Viohl Amy Gol Izlor Jones build Liq 436 Cess us Raf Mildenhall Apo 09127 Tol phone Auto on 238-2226 or civilian 0638-512226. Washington . Janot Howells Tio nov Oast a the Ponta Qon room 2e756, . Box 46095, Washington . 20050-6095 Tol phone 703-697-6695 Tel fax 703-693-6366. Circulation offices Germany Berlin civilian 8331046, ets 332-4412 Bromo Thavon civilian 0471-85168, ets 342-8119 Rhein Maln a civilian 069-692050 or 692565, ets 330-6025 or 7103, telex 412712 Malsor Slauto civilian 0631-57070 or 57079, ets 489-7100 Munich civilian 089-6901503 or 6901504, ets 4406556, Tel fax 089-699-1606 Nurnberg civilian 0911-712558, ets 460-700 v Stuttgart civilian 0711-546743, ets 420-7175. Greece Athens civilian 9923390. Italy Vicenza civilian 0444-515358. Ets 634-7545, Tol fax 0444-300641. Spain Madrid ets 665-5807, civilian and Tol fax 00341-6561465. 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