European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 8, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes tuesday october 8, 1991high court to review mail order tax Washington apr the supreme court set the stage monday for a ruling with huge economic repercussions by agreeing to reconsider its 24-year-old decision that effectively prevented states from collecting taxes on most mail order sales. The court beginning its 1991-92 term with the usual a first monday in october flurry of activity issued orders in More than 1,300 cases. It also began hearing arguments in cases already granted review. Only eight justices were on the Bench monday. Clarence Thomas nominated by president Bush to replace retired Justice Thurgood Marshall has not been confirmed by the Senate. At Issue in the Catalon sales Case is a North Dakota dispute Over whether a state May Force out of state Catalon companies to collect the sales and use taxes its residents owe on mail order purchases. Billions of dollars Are at stake for state treasuries and millions of Consumers. The High court in 1967 banned states from imposing tax collection obligations on businesses that have no a physical presence within their Borders. To impose such obligations would violate those companies due process rights and interfere unduly with interstate Commerce the court said then. But the North Dakota supreme court ruled last May world hunger whets appetite of Virginia teens Annandale a. Apr with snack cakes and pizza slices representing world Grain freshmen at Annandale High school got a hard hitting lesson on How inequitable food is distributed in the world. A they i Only got two pieces and she got five a a boy in the Africa Middle East Section of the classroom said in mock anger pointing to a girl in the North american area. A you Are now symbolic of the world population a responded Michele Vilotti who teaches about world cultures. A you Are seeing an inequitable food  Annandale which has More than 15 countries represented in the school population was one of hundreds of schools across the nation that celebrated the anniversary of the world Summit for children. Lesson plans and activities for elementary Middle and High school classes and colleges were sent to 646 school districts throughout the United states. Overall More than 750 . Cities and 60 countries held numerous activities. The Summit held at the United nations in september 1990, attracted president Bush and 70 other world leaders. They pledged to improve the plight of children around the world by the year 2000. The goals included a cutting by half the number of women who die during childbirth. A reducing the number of infants suffering with severe and moderate malnutrition. The 30 freshmen in Vilotti a first class Friday were stunned to learn that 40,000 children die each Day throughout the world from largely preventable malnutrition and disease. The message was driven Home in a videotape that discussed world poverty As it counted Down the number of children dying each second with that the 1967 ruling is an a obsolescent precedent that need not be followed. In june the High court refused to let Connecticut Force Catalon companies to collect taxes on mail order purchases. The justices left intact a Connecticut supreme court ruling that had relied on the 1967 precedent. In other action monday the court a agreed to consider making it easier for Law enforcement officials to retry some criminal defendants who were acquitted on related charges. The justices said they will hear a Bush administration Appeal aimed at limiting a double jeopardy Protection for those accused of crimes. A agreed to decide whether californians proposition 13, product of a late 1970s tax revolt unfairly taxes owners of recently purchased property. With billions of dollars at stake the court must decide whether the states ironically named a Welcome stranger tax system violates the rights of people paying far More in taxes than do neighbors with comparable or even More expensive Homes. A agreed to decide whether people who receive Back pay after winning lawsuits Over Job Bias have to pay taxes on that Money. The court said it will review a ruling in a Tennessee Case that Back pay is tax exempt when it is awarded to make up for past discrimination. A agreed to consider giving the government More Power to regulate some pistols that can be converted into Short barrelled rifles. The court said it will hear a Bush administration Appeal of a ruling that exempted a gun manufacturer from registering or paying a tax on a kit used to convert a pistol into a Rifle. A refused to resolve a dispute Over the patenting of genetically engineered new life forms. Scientists say the Case could affect the treatment of aids and other diseases. The justices without comment rejected an Appeal by a biotechnology company that wants a competitor to reveal How it reproduced a human hormone used to make red blood cells. In the Catalon Case mail order sales reportedly Are More than $200 billion a year. One reason for their rapid growth is the attraction of tax free purchases. The justices were told that the District of Columbia and the 46 states that have sales and use taxes lost More than $2 billion in revenues in 1988 because they could not collect taxes from mail order companies. Michele Vilotti who teaches about world cultures instructs an Annandale va., class in inequitable food distribution. Different faces. A three Hundred and eight children died while you watched that film a Vilotti said. The videotape which had been shown at the Summit noted that a this is the greatest tragedy of our times but because it happens everyday it simply Isnit  after distributing the food based on Supply in each of the regions Vilotti asked for reaction. The words came rapidly bad anger hunger jealousy not fair. With 12 percent of the worlds population Africa and the Middle East should get More than two snack cakes if North America gets five cakes with Only 6 percent of the population said Rafee Wasi 14. While the food distribution underscored the inequality Vilotti had trouble convincing students that a lot of beliefs about poverty and hunger Are myths. She stressed that hunger is not the result of overpopulation and that people who Are poor Are Able and willing to help  problems hamper pupils teachers say new York apr nearly nine out of 10 beginning teachers believe Many of their pupils Are too overwhelmed by family and other outside problems to succeed in class a Survey released sunday shows. The finding contained in a teacher opinion poll commissioned by metropolitan Lite insurance co., raised fresh doubts about the prospects of achieving National educational goals agreed upon two years ago by president Bush and the nations governors. The first of those goals Aims at ensuring that by the year 2000, All children arrive at school Quot ready to  the 1,007 Public school teachers in the Survey were questioned twice in july and August of 1990 before beginning their first school year and again last Spring after completing their first year. Seventy five percent initially agreed that a Many children come to school with so Many problems that its very difficult for them to be Good  but after a year in class 89 percent said they held that View. Fifty eight percent responded after a year of teaching that even the Best teachers will find it difficult to educate More than two thirds of their pupils compared with 45 percent who said so before their first classroom jobs. But an identical 89 percent replied both times that their pupils would Benefit Quot if i do my Job  among other results a 60 percent initially agreed that a teachers Are respected in today a  that dropped to 57 percent after a year of teaching. A fewer supported the idea of National teacher testing after a year of experience than at the beginning 57 percent is. 66 percent. A both before and after a year in class some 98 percent stressed the importance of working Well with parents. But seven out of 10 complained that Many parents treat schools and teachers As  a before spending a year in class 80 percent of teachers believed their training prepared them for students of differing ethnic backgrounds. A year later 69 percent Felt that Way. A 85 percent still viewed teaching As their Long term career Choice after a year of teaching a Down from 90 percent before their first school year. A looking Back on their first year 46 percent said they could have used help from an experienced teacher and 51 percent favored smaller classes and better school supplies. The Survey conducted by Telephone by Louis Harris and associates inc., had a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage Points. The Sample was drawn from a list compiled by the american association of colleges for teacher education consisting of 1990 teacher College graduates who would Complete their first year of teaching last Spring