European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 02, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes tuesday july 2, 1991 tax Rise puts Pinch on Western germans the germans also have decided to re where a said Frankfurt restaurant owner Bonn Peter Blisch. Frankfurt Germany apr whopping tax increases on income Gas and cigarettes went into effect monday to finance German unification. Since Germany reunified oct. 3, the economic Brunt of unification has been Felt in the Eastern part of the country. Unemployment in the five new states surged As former communist controlled companies closed under the weight of free Market Competition. Now Western germans also feel the Pinch. Income taxes jumped 7.5 percent and the gasoline tax Rose 37 percent making a gallon of regular Cost about $3.30. The Price of  continues to Rise. A recent government estimate said costs including former East German debts and privatization May reach $176 billion by 1993. Back to its historic Home in Berlin. Finance minister Theodor Taigel has estimated that will add from $17 billion to $52 billion to the Bill according to the Frankfurter Mundschau newspaper. Chancellor Helmut a Ohl assured voters last year that unification could be accomplished without increasing taxes. But he later admitted he miscalculated and this year the government passed the tax increases that took effect monday. While Kohls popularity has dropped since the july 1 tax rates were announced prosperous Western germans who will be paying the majority of the increases have shown Little More than cursory annoyance with the new Law. A what did you expect the Money for unification had to come from some the reality of How hard the new taxes will hit the pocketbook will be most evident at the Gas pump. Tax on unleaded regular for instance drove the Price of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline to about $3.34 a gallon from $2.88. The increase Means it costs about $7 More to fill the m a gallon tank of a Volkswagen Golf. During the last week of june gasoline companies placed advertisements in papers and posted signs advising customers How. Many Days were left to fill their tanks at the old prices. A Only 2 Days for full Power at old Price a the ads read advising that service stations were staying open longer Over the weekend to meet the expected surge in gasoline buying in this Auto society. Personal and corporate taxes also have increased 7.5 percent for one year. They will return to present Levels july 1,1992. That Means an average German single income family with two children earning $31,962 per year will have to pay $3,187 in income taxes after exemptions an increase of $222 Over last year. Cigarettes will Cost More raising the Price of a pack to $2.59 from $2.47. The costs of mailing a package and making a Telephone Call Are also going up. Overall the government expects to raise an additional $27 billion by the end of 1992 with the various increases said Christian Kastrop a finance ministry spokesman in  from Page 1 the Pentagon a recommendations. A i thank the members for their efforts defense Secretary Dick Cheney said in a statement. Bush has until july 15 to accept or reject the recommendations or ask for further revisions. The official predicted the president would ratify whatever the commission did. Given presidential approval the list would then go to Congress which has 45 Days to approve or veto the list but is prohibited from making any substitutions. The commissions decisions spelled gloom in communities already suffering from the economic recession. A we know there arc literally thousands of families affected by this a said mayor William h. Hudnut of Indianapolis Home of fort Benjamin Harrison one of the bases targeted for closing. A a lot of them Are going to find themselves without work and going to feel abandoned by the  Harrison includes the 1.6-million-Sapare-foot army finance Center from which All paychecks for Active and retired military personnel Are mailed. Also scheduled for closure were fort Devens in Massachusetts fort Ord in California which employs More than 16,000 civilian and military personnel and the Sacramento army depot in California. Mayor Edith Johnsen of Marina Calif., near fort Ord said a we arc a one company town. It s going to be  sen. John f. Kerry d-mass., said he was a disappointed and angered by the panels decision to close fort Devens where about 9,000 civilian and military jobs were at stake. For others the news was Good. Alabama gov. Guy Hunt said the commissions decision to spare fort Mcclellan in Anniston Ala which the Pentagon had wanted to close made sunday a a great Day for Calhoun county and All of  t the panel decided to keep the big naval training stations in Orlando fla., and san Diego As Well As the Long Beach naval shipyard open. The Only naval air station closed was Chase Field in Texas where the presidential air plane lands when Bush goes Quail Hunting. Spared were Whitbey Island naval air station Wash which the Pentagon recommended closing and the air stations at Meridian miss., and Kingsville Texas which the commission had earlier considered shutting Down. The panel voted to keep fort Dix in new Jersey open at a reduced level although the defense department had recommended it be dosed. The commission decided to spare the Marine corps recruit depot in san Diego but to dose the Tustin Marine corps air station at Eltoro Calif. It went along with the Pentagon a recommendation that fort Chaffee in Arkansas be dosed. Among air f orce tactical fighter bases the commissioners voted to dose Bergstrom in Austin Texas Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and England in Alexandria la. They decided to partially close Macdill fab in Tampa fla., but left Moody of b in Valdosta a. Open. Strategic bomber and Tanker bases marked for closure were Carswell in fort Worth Texas Castle in Merced Calif., and Lorius in Limestone Maine. Plattsburgh fab in new York was kept open As recommended by the defense department after commissioners had first considered adding it to the Pentagon s hit  from Page 1 the a Mother of All confirmation hearings in the Senate. Asked about that monday Bush said he  believe that Hooks would say it. Thomas was asked what he would say to those who said he was appointed Only because of his race. �?o1 think a lot worse things can be said a he respond Quot cd. A i disagree with that. But ill live with it.�?�. Bush said it was a pretty Well established sunday afternoon that he wanted to name Thomas. The two men talked on the phone during the Day the president said. Bush replied with a brisk a nope Quot when asked if he expected any difficulties during the confirmation sessions. A a in a satisfied that this Man will pass  p a the has excelled in everything he has attempted a Bush said praising Thomas As a Man of a great  with Thomas looking on Bush said he believes a passionately in equal  before he was confirmed last year for the . Circuit court of appeals Thomas was criticized by civil rights groups for his performance As the chairman of the equal employment Opportunity commission. Thomas critics accused him As Leoc head of failing to aggressively investigate age discrimination complaints against employers. Civil rights groups charged that Thomas limited enforcement of affirmative action when the Leoc investigated charges of racial discrimination. Kennebunkport Maine apr president Bush will meet soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev for a a working lunch in London on july 17, after the conclusion of the seven nation economic Summit of industrialized nations the White House said monday. A a we expect the two leaders will discuss the Broad Range of issues on the .-soviet Agenda a a White House statement said. The statement by White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said the meeting would Start at noon. The session is scheduled for the same Day that Gorbachev has been expected Appeal for Aid from the Western Summit partners after the official close of the Summit. Those nations involved Are the United states Britain Japan Germany France Italy and Canada. The luncheon will take place at the residence of the american ambassador Bush a Headquarters during the Suni Roit. T Bush and Gorbachev will hold their private meeting before Gorbachev sits Down with the entire group of seven Moscow up a a fire raging in a donets Basin Coal mine in the Ukraine has left 31 miners dead in the worst soviet Coal mine disaster in a decade the official Tass news Agency said monday. Soviet Coal Industry minister Mikhail Shch Adov immediately sped sunday to the  mine in one of the most politically sensitive Industrial regions where miners went on strike this Spring for two months. The Blaze which has been raging since saturday began on a number of occasions Thomas has expressed objections to affirmative action. In a 1985 statement Thomas said a Federal enforcement agencies turned the statutes on their Heads by requiring discrimination in the form of hiring and promotion quotas so called goals and  in a 1987 article for the Yale Law amp policy review he referred to affirmative action As a social engineering. We re standing the principle of non discrimination on its  Marshall a resignation set off a reaction of dismay from liberals and civil rights organizations who feared his departure would hasten the trend toward conservatism on the nations highest court. In his final dissent from the Bench last week Marshall concurred in that opinion. But conservatives viewed the departure As a second Opportunity to appoint a conservative. Bush named David h. Souter to the Bench a year ago and he recently completed his first term As Justice. Bush had said in Advance there should be no quota for appointing supreme court judges and administration officials said his list of possible appointees had included Blacks hispanics women and people with disabilities. Others on the presidents list had been reported to include a Federal appeals court judge Emilio Garza of san Antonio. A Federal appeals court judge Edith Jones also of the 5th circuit in new Orleans a texan. A Laurence Silberman of the . Circuit court of appeals for the District of Columbia. Leaders after the official close of business to discuss the soviets economic needs. Gorbachev will meet with the Western leaders in afternoon and evening sessions. The annual three Day economic Summit will con elude on the morning of july 17. A White House official asked whether the Landor luncheon might affect Tbs chances for a Moscow sum Mit said a the president still Hopes to be Able to schedule a Summit meeting with president Gorbachev in  but the official who asked to remain Anonymous said a was we have said before it will first be necessary to re solve the outstanding differences in Start negotiation so a treaty will be ready for signing in  the two superpowers Are trying to conclude a Pac that would reduce their Long Range nuclear arsenals b 30 percent. The strategic arms reduction treaty a been nine years in the making and the two sides hav it been struggling to resolve final differences Over verification Exchange of test flight data and other issues. At a depth of almost 9,000 feet and quickly spread Alon the entire conveyor Shaft of the stricken mine a Rescue workers succeeded in breaking through t trapped miners and brought them to the surface. The bodies of 31 dead miners were also recovered a tas said. The official Vernya television news show called the worst mining disaster in a decade. It said the Caus was being investigated. Bush Gorbachev to meet in London 31 die in ukrainian Coal mine fire