European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes Friday january 24, 1992high court to review mail order taxes Washington up the supreme court has been asked to determine if mail order companies can for the first time in 25 years be required to collect taxes for the states in which they sell their products. In a Case with potentially massive fiscal implications for states and the mail order Catalon Industry the court must decide whether to overturn its 1967 National Bellas Hess ruling that mail order businesses have no obligation to collect taxes for states in which they do business but have no a physical  a ruling in the Case is expected by summer. Overturning the 25-year-old precedent would have implications beyond mail order Catalon sales perhaps forcing other businesses that conduct services by Telephone or Long distance to collect state taxes said John Gaggini a lawyer for Quill corp. A National mail order office Supply company from Lincolnshire Iii. But North Dakota attorney general Nicholas Spaeth called the physical presence test an a Absurdity and asked that Bellas Hess be reversed. The continued application of Bellas Hess allows mail order companies to take business from local retailers who must collect a sales tax and thus charge higher prices Spaeth said. The Case began with a 1987 North Dakota Law which was challenged by Quill. The state s highest court last May said technological changes and evolving supreme court standards on taxation of interstate Commerce have made the 1967 decision void and ordered Quill to collect taxes on its ice cold Winter fun when the weather a invigorating and the urge sets in for some athletic fun Young members of the Amateur hockey association of Wheeling w.va., know where to go. The skaters take to the ice on a rink owned by de Stein of Middle Creek. Stein an Ohio county special education teacher built the 55-by-33 rink two years ago. North Dakota sales. Twenty two states filed a Friend of the court Brief asking the justices to overturn the 1967 ruling. Since 1967, mail order sales nationally have increased from $2.4 billion to $150 billion a year the states said. The ability of mail order companies to avoid collecting the so called a use taxes Quot Cost the states More than $2 billion in 1988 alone they claimed. Forty six states and the District of Columbia have sales and use taxes. A use tax is levied for using inside a state personal property purchased elsewhere without paying a state tax. It is generally imposed by a state to dissuade customers from going outside the state to Duck the sales  puts squeeze on Loving owner Clayton . Apr a woman s 12-foot pet Python grabbed her hand and swallowed it and began working its Way up her Arm. But the woman told rescuers a a done to kill my Snake done to kill my Snake a a she s Lucky he did no to get around her neck and choke her to death a said Marvin Parrish chief of Clayton s Rescue squad. He declined to identify the woman who eventually managed to free her hand by herself. The Snake grabbed the woman a hand while she was feeding it hamsters Friday. She called 911. By the time rescuers arrived Parish said the reptile had swallowed her hand up to her wrist. And he said it had coiled itself around the rest of her Arm and started squeezing a pythons method of suffocating and subduing its prey. The woman was so Adamant about not harming her Snake Parrish said wednesday that he and his workers did nothing but Call a veterinarian who by coincidence had returned from a reptile seminar earlier in the week. But by the time Mike Bagley of Clayton animal Hospital arrived the woman had managed to Jerk her hand out when the Snake let go momentarily before trying to extend its grasp. A i was pretty Happy that when i got there the Snake was already Back in its Cage a Bagley said. A i knew exactly How to take care of its medical needs but that s different than going in and wrestling with  although pythons have no venom their Mouths May Harbor potentially harmful bacteria and their Teeth Point backward to keep live meals from escaping. A it s geared so things go Down but done to come Back up a Bagley said. A it would be harder to pry off the Snake than you might  the woman was taken to a Hospital for treatment of several cuts on her hand Parrish said.5 alleged mobsters admit guilt under plea bargain Boston a five reputed mobsters pleaded guilty wednesday to charges including racketeering drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit murder in the Climax of a five year Federal crackdown on organized crime. But each denied belonging to a Syndicate. Under a plea agreement reached on the 12th Day of their trial they will serve from 13 to 22 years in prison and forfeit millions of dollars in assets. The government agreed to Grant the men immunity from prosecution for two murders and an attempted murder. The defendants will also be spared having to testify in future investigations of the new England mob. Raymond a a Junior Patriarca whose father founded the new England Patriarca crime family pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy and racketeering charges. Patriarca also denied belonging to a Syndicate. Tom Hughes Fri special agent in charge said the defendants were members of the Patriarca family. The ease was distinguished As the first instance in which Law enforcement authorities tape recorded an apparent mafia initiation ceremony Complete with secret oaths. The same evidence helped convict eight other new England Patriarca crime family operatives in Hartford c onn., in August 1991. Joseph Russo 60, allegedly ran mob operations in the Boston area in the 1980s and is suspected in the 1976 san Francisco murder of a mafia informant. He acknowledged that the government had sufficient evidence to convict him of murder and the judge found him guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. Russo will have to serve 16 years and forfeit $758,000. Vincent m. Ferrara got 22 years and was ordered to pay $1.1 million. Robert of Carrozza 51, was Given 19 years and ordered to pay $878,200. Dennis d. Lepore 45, got 14 years and will have to pay $766,700. Carmen a. Tortora 44, was Given 13 years and will have to pay $2,000. Governor seeks to shift Aid from anti smoking efforts Sacramento Calif. A to the Delight of the tobacco Industry gov. Pete Wilson wants to eliminate funding for an anti smoking advertising Campaign credited with inducing thousands of californians to kick the habit. The to and radio Campaign included commercials that depicted the tobacco Industry As greedy and cold hearted. The Wilson administration has also delayed distribution of a study that shows the Campaign contributed to a 17 percent reduction in the number of smokers Over three years. In a proposal submitted to the legislature Wilson said he wants to use $122.8 million in tobacco tax Revenue to help close a two year shortfall expected to approach $7 billion and to pay Tor a health care program for poor pregnant women and infants. Wilson aides said the Money would be restored when the Economy improves. The Money is earmarked by the state Constitution for anti smoking efforts. It includes $30 million for the and Campaign along with funding for Community and school anti smoking programs. Quot cutting the Media Campaign is a total disgrace a said Mark Pertschuk executive director of americans Tor nonsmokers rights in Berkeley. A a we re going to fight like  but Tom Lauria of the tobacco Institute the Industry a lobby applauded the proposed elimination of a Campaign that a focused primarily on ridiculing  in one to commercial actors portrayed Industry executives plotting to lure 3,000 new smokers a Day to replace those who die or quit. A we re not in business for our health one sneers. The anti tobacco push came alter a 1988 ballot measure established a Toi Mula for spending tobacco taxes on anti smoking efforts