European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Germans considering Law against spanking by Marc Fisher the Washington Post at first glance it is every child s dream \ come True the next time mom or dad starts nagging about Homework or that Messy room Junior can turn the tables and threaten the parents with the Law. The children a commission of the German parliament last month proposed barring German parents from Quot spanking boxing ears withholding affection constant nagging or threatening children with the bogeyman. Quot in the country with the world s lowest birth rate where attitudes toward children sometimes make parents seem like Petty offenders the government is aggressively using Public policy to inject some love and affection into German society government supported posters in subway stations show a cuddling nude couple sharing lonely forlorn looks staring out Over the caption Quot one plus one is three. We want a child Quot Germany which already pays parents a child bearing Bonus of $520 monthly for 18 months will increase that pay period to two years in january and the Job guarantee for parents who decide to stay Home with a Newborn will be extended from two years to three. Still a solid 60 percent of German couples either Stop after having one child or decide to remain childless Leng the country with a birth rate that does not come close to replenishing the current population with a View toward changing germans attitude Reader s action line rent control Laws help protect lessees would in be possible Lor housing referral Chicos Hros throughout Germany to adopt a Standard operating procedure which has the potential of saving hundreds of thousands of . Tax dollars and at the same time help to ease some stress to soldiers and civilians who live on the German Economy few americans realize throughout Germany there Are rent control Laws which govern the Price a landlord can charge per Square meter of living space depending upon size and age of the rental property. In addition the landlord May increase rent by a set percentage provided the property is a single family dwelling or if it is furnished with High value floor covering double pane windows built in kitchens Etc landlords however May nol increase rent for such things As basements storage rooms laundry rooms Etc. As they Are not considered to be living space. Even though rent control Laws do exist Price gouging is practice by Many German landlords especially when they rent to uninformed americans. It is my opinion that even though Hros Are quite aware of these practices they do not inform those americans who use their services another common practice is for some German landlords to Send a notarized letter to inform the renter that starting at some future Date the rent will be increased to the renter does not agree to the increase then he or she must find a new apartment or House pay Nottier Security Deposit pay to have household goods moved and possibly pay a rental Agency a fee for finding the new property. The Cost of moving will tar exceed the additional rent increase the landlord wants if the renter moves usually the landlord will list the property again with pro but the Cost to the new renter will have increased either Way. The German landlord wins and the american government pays More Money Many times without Good reason when a property is listed with an pro. It could be a Standard procedure that in addition to asking questions about the size of the property pro would also ask the Date the property was built. In a matter of a few seconds. Pro could determine the approximate rent that should be paid for the properly and that information could be Page 16 b the stars and stripes toward children the government now wants to make it a violation of civil Law to spank pester or unduly frighten a child. Quot there is a Gray zone in this country where Many parents think they can hit their children a said Norbert Eimer of the parliament s commission on children Quot we done to want to Send police into the Nursery but we want to make it Clear to parents that these Are not proper measures in child  reaction to the proposal has been mixed. In an editorial the conservative Frankfurter All Gemeiner newspaper acknowledged that More than 100,000 children Are severely abused every year in Germany but said that a Law prescribing child raising techniques is not the answer. Quot whoever begins by telling parents How to raise their children will wind up in Huxley s Brave new world Quot the paper said calling excessive the recent decision of a regional German school authority to ban children from eating certain kinds of Candy and require them instead to eat porridge but Germany has a Long and deep tradition of u6ing Law to regulate behaviour that other countries might consider private or at least beyond the reach of lawyers. Laws require germans to Tell the police if they move to a new Home and to inform the government of their religion. Germans Are prohibited from making angry gestures at other motorists insulting civil servants or participating in airline frequent flyer programs. Last summer a Frankfurt Man was fined $3,000 for refusing a prostitutes request that he use a condom while partaking of her $30 services. Prostitution is Legal in passed on to the potential american Soldier or civilian renter. Why Aren t Hros tasked with the responsibility of insuring German rent control Laws Are followed by German landlords ? by doing so it would assist in keeping the Cost of rent Down in or around military communities and thus save . Tax dollars which Are paid out in housing allowances. It not it should be communicated thoroughly to american renters that they can request a German property be deleted from pro lists whenever there is evidence of Price gouging by a landlord. Ralph d. Simpson Hanau Germany a Hans Dieter Seidel housing management specialist housing division office of the Deputy chief of staff engineering Usa eur replies thank you for this Opportunity to respond to your questions concerning housing referral office operations and rents that landlords May charge in Germany you Are absolutely Correct in your statement that Hros should insure that landlords follow German rental practices when renting apartments or houses to other than local nationals he Usa eur has published Standard operating procedures for Hros in Usa eur designed to help ease the stress customers experience trying to locate affordable Economy housing and dealing with tenant landlord disputes. One of the Many functions performed by Hros is to continuously seek new housing on the local Economy and negotiate lower rents. In today s tight rental Market this has become increasingly difficult particularly in the Vicinity of metropolitan areas in Germany rent control in Germany is usually associated with housing construction subsidized by the government private rental housing financed with private funds is not under such control. Most German cities have established and use a Mie Spiegel a rental tabulation prescribing the comparative rental fees customary within a specific area for free financed apartments or premises. It is used by landlords and renters in determining the average rental fee considered appropriate for comparable apartments within a specific area and location. The Mie Spiegel a usually show the average Price Range per Square meter size of apartment general equipment of place period of construction and Overall condition of the it property. Not every German City publishes a Mie Spiegel. Those that do Are used by the Germany. The prostitute angry that she might be exposed to the aids virus had gone to the police station and filed charges against the Man. German Law prohibits loud noises in Public places on weekend afternoons making it difficult for parents to let their children play outdoors. Earlier this year in the West German town of Olfenbuttel a group of residents filed suit against parents who allowed their children to play in the local playground during lunchtime and Early evening. The residents said they had a right to silence during those times. The court sided with the children. Government analysts and psychologists say that despite widespread affluence the Success of postwar democracy and the Best efforts of professionals  the German term for antipathy to children has grown roots in a society suffering from excessive angst about the future. Quot the lost War and total destruction we suffered stripped away our certainty about Basic values Quot said Ingrid Hoffmann spokesman for the German league for the child. Quot the relations Between generations were poisoned for a  Hitler s Germany rewarded families for producing As Many aryan children As possible offering Cash bonuses and awarding the Cross of motherhood to mothers who bore at least four children. Quot we have a German problem Quot said Christa Meves a child psychologist who has written extensively on her country s treatment of children. Quot nineteenth Century Germany was very child Friendly. But because Hitler was so Adamant about honouring mothers it came to seem so a modern to us. Quot pro. But Here again the Mie Spiegel does not fix rents. It is published As a guide to set rents based on comparison to other similar rental housing. Under German rental Law landlords May raise rents e.g., to pass on increased Utility costs and operating costs to adapt the rent to the level of the average Market rent and to pass on costs for constructional improvements the German penal Law protects the Lessee from usurious rental claims. However the Law May Only be applied when the comparative average rent customary within the specific area is exceeded by More than 50 percent. Allegations of Quot Price gouging Quot Are very difficult to prove. Ail Hros operated by the army in Europe Are obligated to provide assistance to their customers. This includes review of proposed lease contracts and rental fees conformance to applicable Federal and local Laws compliance with local customs and interpretation of tenants and landlords rights and responsibilities. Landlords and rental agents May be placed off limits. After an investigation into a complaint of unfair business practices has been completed. The names of the landlords and rental agents Are posted in the pro and Given to customers As a handout. U s. Personnel May not do business with these landlords and rental agents. The names of these landlords and rental agents Are removed from this list Only after thay have demonstrated the willingness to apply fair business practices. Times living conditions and rental markets have changed not Only in Germany but also in other european countries. We cannot control rents or influence the rental Market. We All have to compete within a free housing Market in Germany. Hros Are there to  write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes Apo a 09211 All tetters must be signed and preference will he Given to those seeking. Information of general internet to our readers. Saturday december 21, 1991