European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 10, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 c the stars and stripes sunday november 10, 1991british spouses ordered to pay tax by Amy Geiszler Jones . Bureau London a a British judge ruled Friday that British spouses of . Military members and civilians assigned to the United kingdom must pay the country a Community charge tax. In his ruling the judge found that the British spouses done to have a a relevant association with their american partners As defined in a 1952 British Law. The overriding Factor is that they Are British citizens the judge said. A i can to believe he came up with that result a said Liz Loughran a British solicitor who has represented a group of 13 wives of . Airmen stationed at Raf upper Heyford who have fought to avoid the unpopular poll tax. The 13 British spouses suffered a further blow Friday when the judge ordered them to pay All the court costs associated with the Case which could amount to about 15,000 pounds or $27,000. However the . Air Force will pick up an As yet undetermined portion of the Tab according to capt. Ray Martell a 3rd air Force spokesman. One wife involved in the Case suggested that she might give up her British citizenship to avoid the tax which pays for local services such As schools and Community maintenance and varies in Cost based on local government expenditures. A if they want to walk on us ill do it. Why should i be classed British when they want in a British when they want Money from me a Helen Martin said. British spouses Are unable to collect Many of their governments benefits because of their dependent status. Tie Only rights they retain Are voting and jury duty Loughran said. The judges ruling stemmed from an Appeal of a decision made in april by a local three person panel it s not fair to the British wives and even More so for the american servicemen a Karen Tatum based in Botley which decided that the upper Heyford wives were exempt from the poll tax. That earlier decision was appealed by the local government Cherwell District Council which sought an interpretation of a phrase contained in the visiting forces act of 1952. The act defines the status of . Dependents having a relevant association with a visiting Force. The poll tax legislation says a person with a relevant association with a visiting Force is exempt from the tax. The phrase from the act says that a a person not being a citizen of the United kingdom and colonies or ordinarily resident in the United kingdom but being a de pendent of a member of that visiting Force or of a civilian component of that Force a is considered to have a relevant association. Another Section of the act further defines a ordinarily resident a and it would seem to Point in favor of the wives not being considered in that category. But the judge ruled that the deciding Factor was that the wives do not fit the first part of the two descriptions. A a it a not fair to the British wives and even More so for the american servicemen a said Karen Tatum of the judges ruling. A Why should they be penalized for marrying a briton she asked. Tatum a poll tax Bill for the past two years since it became effective is 625 pounds about $1,125. Elaine Greenham another of the wives said she will return to the United states before she renounces her citizenship or pays the tax. She and her husband Are not due to leave England until september 1993. The judge acknowledged that he was unsure whether he had made the right decision while determining the questioning of who will pick up the costs for the Appeal. The judge had appeared willing to allow each Side pick up their own Bill until the barrister for the Cherwell District Council said that the Council had heard the . Government was offering financial backing to the wives. The numbered air forces lawyers Are a reviewing the ruling and once they have finished that review they will make a decision on whether or not to make a recommendation for filing an Appeal a Martell said. Hie wives have four weeks to file an Appeal on fridays decision to the court of appeals said  panel told of hefty mar funds by Janet Howells Tierney Washington Bureau Washington a while military budgets and troop Levels continue to decline the services morale welfare and recreation funds Are enjoying the Best of times according to Pentagon officials who testified before a House panel on thursday. An example of the funds excellent health is the army a accumulation of a $600 million investment fund from mar activity profits As one congressman pointed out during the hearing. A what is the army planning to do with that Money a asked rep. Owen b. Pickett d-va., a member of the House armed services morale welfare and recreation panel. Kim Wincup the army a assistant Secretary for manpower and Reserve affairs agreed that the Central investment fund was excessive but added that the service is looking at ways to a creatively use that  a project that should be completed by july 1994 is a $90.6 million addition to the army a popular Hale Koa hotel in Hawaii Wincup said. Mar funds come from Money that service members and theft families pay to use Bowling alleys Golf courses gyms Craft shops and libraries on military installations. Base and Post exchanges also contribute a percentage of their profits to the funds. Rep. H. Martin Lancaster d-n.c., the mar panels chairman warned that keeping Large amounts of Money in investments exposes it to a possible loss and encouraged military officials to spend the funds soon. Mar funds boosted by the full support of Congress Are often used to build new child care centers and recreation and physical fitness facilities. A the House armed services committee fully funded mar and Quality of life programs in this years budget at $1.3 billion even As major weapons and other programs fell by the Wayside a said rep. David Martin r-n.y., the ranking minority member on the mar panel. A however i believe support at that level is in question especially As the need for High Levels of recruitment and retention goes away a Martin said referring to troop reductions in All the services. Robert Silberman principal Deputy assistant for the Pentagon a Force management and personnel office told the House panel that the defense department is reviewing How each service uses its available mar resources. Officials Are considering a required a a cores of mar services that would be available at All military installations including Remote Sites Silberman said. A that Core would probably include fitness centers and libraries but the requirements would have to be very Basic to allow local commanders to decide on the needs of their particular population a he  Soldier links Case to saudi preaching by Luke Britt staff writer Stuttgart Germany a a Soldier has been found guilty in a special court martial of three of the five charges he claims were pressed because he refused to Stop preaching to soldiers in saudi Arabia. A military judge recommended on Friday that sgt. Robert d. Wise of c co 51st signal in in ludwigs Burg be demoted one rank and ordered to forfeit $200 pay for leaving his Post in saudi Arabia leaving his Cavern while serving on charge of quarters duty and showing disrespect to a senior non commissioned officer. The convictions will Likely end Wise a military career Legal officials said. A i am a Man of god and that will not change a Wise said after hearing the sentence. A nothing they do to me will change  Wise had alleged before the trial that the charges stemmed from his attempts to preach to other soldiers in saudi Arabia but Little mention of his preaching activities surfaced during the court martial. Wise was found not guilty of the charges that he did not secure his m-16 Rifle while in saudi Arabia and that he left his Home on a Day he had been assigned to quarters because he was ill. The military judge it. Col. Richard Hough deliberated for 1 i hours before delivering his verdict to a crowd of about 35, including members of Wise a company. He then invited the two sides to begin arguments concerning an appropriate sentence which he later determined. The units morale since Wise Scase began seven months ago in saudi Arabia was questioned during Tes Timony by staff sgt. Charles Johnikin of c co. Since then Johnikin said the company a disciplinary practices have been a a natural topic of  before the events of the past months most people thought the company a was a Good one to be in a Johnikin said. A now some people feel that its not  inquiries into Wise Scase have been made by the v a corps inspector general the Vii corps equal Opportunity office and the european Branch of the National association for the advancement of coloured people. The department of the army a Blue ribbon equal Opportunity panel that toured . Army in Europe installations in october visited Wise a unit to see if there was unfair treatment in the unit said capt. Debbie Linton Wise a com Wise Mander. A frankly i welcomed it a Linton said after the court martial. A a in be worked hard to create an atmosphere of fairness in our company. I done to think we have unfair  most of the testimony heard in the Case occurred when Wise appeared in court oct. 24. The trial was then postponed until Friday to allow defense witnesses to be drought from the United states. The two witnesses Reserve spec. Latisha Peoples and the former sgt. Tad Anderson who has since Sepa rated from the military were key to Wise a defense against the charge that while serving in saudi Arabia on april 2, he was absent from his communications Van for two hours without authorization. Peoples testified that Wise was working on Telephone lines in her area during the two hours in question. And although Anderson was never called to testify it was established through other witnesses that Wise contacted Anderson via Telephone to let him know that he would be out of his Van for an unspecified amount of time. Wise was also found guilty of the charge that while on charge of quarters duty aug. 1, he left his Cavern for breakfast and lunch. A company policy considered by the court to be a direct order states that those serving on charge of quarters duty should not leave the Cavern. The charge of disrespect to a senior non commissioned officer stemmed from Wise a rebuttal to a counselling statement Given to him by company first sgt. Morris Mitchell. On the Back of the statement Wise wrote a it shows How sorry my first sergeant  defense attorney David court accused Wise a company commander of a gratuitous charging after the sergeant refused to accept an non judicial punishment for the charge of leaving his Van without authorization. Wise smiling and cheery before he left the courtroom said his conviction was a no big deals and compared the past several months and his future in the army to the biblical character Jonah. The sergeant is scheduled to be transferred to fort Bragg n.c., in december. His enlistment ends in july. A Jonah spent three Days in a fish to become a better preacher a Wise said. A so i spend a few Days As an e-4."