European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 c the stars and stripes Friday april i Law British spouses try new tactic in tax fight Friday april 17,1992 by Meridith Winder . Bureau the Battle May be lost but the War Isnit Over for British spouses of . Service members stationed in Britain who Are fighting the Community charge or poll tax. The British court of Appeal ruled wednesday that British spouses must pay the tax even if they Seldom use local services. Because of this ruling the women Are looking at a new tactic in their Campaign. A a we be got to change the direction of the Campaign a said Liz Loughran the solicitor for the spouses throughout the litigation. A women need to apply for Community charge benefits although they be been told they Are not entitled to All of  Loughran described the entire system As being unfair to the British wives of . Service members. A under the rules the wives can to get child benefits unemployment income support or disability benefits because their husbands receive foreign income a Loughran said. A but when filling out the poll tax forms they want the husbands income listed. No Serviceman should disclose their income on that  Loughran said the husbands income  be taken into account because its exempt under nato treaties. She added that anyone having questions on How the ruling affects him or her or How people apply for benefits should Call her at 0865-242321 in Oxford England. If dealing from other parts of Europe to England dial 0044-865-242321. In the latest Appeal three judges ruled unanimously that 13 wives of military personnel at Raf upper hey Ford Are liable for the tax although they May Benefit Little if at All from Public services. The ruling also affects about 4,000 spouses and other family members stationed throughout Britain. Lord Justice Michael Mann said the British spouses unlike american family members did not fall within the term a exempt individuals under the legislation that set up the poll tax a per capita charge that helps pay for local services. The poll tax is a legacy of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher that the tory government has decided to replace next year. The new tax a called a Council tax a starts april 1993 and has no clauses to exclude anyone according to 3rd air Force officials. However officials said they Are negotiating with the British government on this matter. The wives have opted to not pursue their Appeal on this weeks ruling to the House of lords but one of the women contacted a nato office that deals with status of forces agreement issues according to Loughran. A they  Deal with it while litigation was pending a Loughran said of the nato office. A but now they May look at  to streamline sharply Cut armed forces Paris apr defense minister Pierre Joe on thursday announced plans to consolidate Frances armed forces cutting or regrouping 24,000 personnel next year and More in the years to come. The More than 100 measures Call for the closing of several air bases the regrouping of Navy fleets and the closing of army bases including the 2nd army corps Headquarters in Baden Germany. Nearly a Quarter of army personnel will disappear by 1997. Addressing the National Assembly a defense commission Joe said nearly 30,000 military and civilian employees would be affected in 1993. The measures Drew Strong criticism from some members of the conservative opposition especially lawmakers whose regions Are affected by the changes. Arthur Paecht of the Var Region said new . Job opening list for airmen due monday by the stars and stripes the latest list of enlisted stateside assignments will be available monday at All major air Force installations in Europe a . Air forces Europe personnel official says. The list is intended for those scheduled to return from overseas areas from August through october of this year. According to master sgt. March Leith or chief of direct and Mission support assignments at Safe personnel Headquarters the list will Mark the first time that specific Job openings will be made available. Currently airmen request locations for their next assignment without knowing whether a Job vacancy exists there when they re due to leave. The list is part of a worldwide test of the enlisted quarterly assignments listing programs managed by the air Force military personnel Center Randolph fab Texas. Personnel Center officials plan to match names with assignments next month and inform airmen of those assignments. Officials Are advising airmen on temporary duty to Contact the nearest air Force personnel office for assistance in obtaining assignments. Assignment lists Are updated quarterly. Nijm Egen warm up walks Are scheduled in Denmark Rhein main a Germany a amps a psychological March of 100 Kilometres 62 Miles and 200-kilometers 124 mile used by some participants As a prelude to the annual March at Nijm Egen Netherlands will be held along the Western coast of Denmark on april 29 to May 4, the walks Are organized by Helge Meyer a former Soldier in the danish army. The walks test a persons mental As Well As physical endurance because participants Are not allowed to talk smoke eat or drink during the walk except during Short Breaks. Walkers Are to carry full packs including chemical masks Meyer will escort participants leaving from Rhein main a on april 28 at 6 . The return Date is May 5. Walkers have the option of doing the Shorter March and then participating in the longer one. The annual Nijm Egen March called the International four Days marches covers a 25-mile route each Day. More than 39,000 military marchers from 16 nations participated in last years event. For further information on the Denmark walk Call sgt. Bryan Maciewski at Rhein main a. The number is 069-6997312 or 330-7312. His Home phone number is 069-69-1527. Golden Arches going up in Beijing Beijing up after years of preparation workers Are putting the finishing touches on the chinese capitals newest landmark the Golden Arches of Mcdonald a which opens its first outlet in Beijing next week. The company said thursday that the worlds largest Mcdonald a outlet will open next thursday on Beijing a famed Wang using shopping Street just off Tia the measures were  the naval base at the Mediterranean port of Toulon in the Var will be used solely for the surface Fleet while submarines will be concentrated at Brest on the Atlantic coast. The Var will lose two Aero naval bases. Several air bases Are to be closed by 1997, and the fighter Jet Fleet is to be reduced from 450 to 400. The Strasbourg Entz Heim base will close next year Joe said. By 1997, the army is to shrink from 280,000 today to 220,000. The equivalent of a division a year is to be dissolved Between now and then. Besides the closing of the Baden army Headquarters three Pluton regiments and an infantry division in Amiens Are to close next year. Nansen Square in the heart of the City. The company known As a  in chinese is planning three Days of hoopla next week to Mark the official introduction of Beij ingers to such delicacies As filet of fish and Mcc Hicken. Bringing the big Mac to Beijing has taken More than five years of work from training staff to growing potatoes for the perfect French Fry. . Envoy Cyrus Vance left is met in the bosnian capital Sarajevo on thursday by Gen. Satish Nambiar commander of the . Forces in the Region. Vance Calls for pressure on Serbia to end fighting Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina up a . Special envoy Cyrus Vance said thursday that Western pressure on Serbia May help halt the yugoslav army led serb offensive against the newly Independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Vance continuing his diplomatic moves to end the ethnic fighting in the former Central yugoslav Republic said International efforts to isolate Serbia May be helpful. A a stand reflecting the consensus of views of the major Powers in the world is the kind of thing that certainly does not do any harm and might even be useful a Vance said. He was referring to .-led efforts to Engineer a vote wednesday in Helsinki by the conference on Security and cooperation in Europe to suspend the membership of the serbian controlled remains of Yugoslavia unless the serbian offensive stopped. Vance a comment was in marked contrast to previous statements in which he avoided saying who he believed was responsible for the carnage in Bosnia and Herzegovina the fighting has left hundreds dead and injured and uprooted More than 160,000 mostly Muslim and croatian refugees in the past two weeks. Vance also repeated a Call for serbian forces and opposing Security units and militias made up of muslims croats and some loyalist serbs to abide by a cease fire brokered sunday by european Community mediator Jose Cut Leiro of Portugal. He also made it Clear that the United nations was not prepared to take the major peace making role urging Muslim croatian and serbian leaders to resume a conference on Bosnia and Herzegovina a future being chaired by Cut Leiro