European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 21, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Quot to Friday october 21,1994 Black taxes claim descendants of slaves told they re being misled. Washington apr descendants of slaves Are not eligible for the modern equivalent of 40 acres and a mule the internal Revenue service says. The irs has rejected about 20,000 claims for $43,209 each in what the filers say Are reparations for their ancestors enslavement and continuing discrimination against Blacks. Congress passed a Bill in 1866 requiring that Confederate property be confiscated to provide former slaves with 40 acres and a mule. A but it was vetoed by president Andrew Johnson. A there clearly is not statutory authority for honouring these claims a irs spokesman Frank Keith said wednesday. A we have taxpayers that arc being misled and that a  he warned that taxpayers who refile subsequent claims after receiving a denial notice could be subject to a $500 penalty for filing frivolous returns. Many of the tax forms have come in attached to a copy of a commentary published in the april 1993 Issue of the Black oriented Magazine essence the irs said. \ /. A. V a. V,.7. Written by . Sherrod the commentary argued that racial discrimination functions As a hidden tax and urged readers to fill out their form 1040s As if they had paid $43,209 in a Black taxes and thereby become eligible to collect a delinquent tax rebate. A there should be no doubt in our minds about whether the . Government owes us reparations a our �?~40 acres and a mule a plus interest a Sherrod wrote a. V a v meanwhile the a act Legal and educational defense fund has asked postal inspectors to investigate it tors being distributed within Black communities and Black churches that purport to inform descendants of slave sirs says about How they can claim the tax refund. Theodore Shaw associate director counsel of the fund which is separate from the National association for the advancement of coloured people said the letters have a return address of College Park ga., and a Letterhead with the name a Legal defense fund and a logo similar to that of the a Lacap fund. A the real Legal defense fund wants to get the word out to the Black Community that this group is not the a act Legal defense fund Shaw said. A and while there have been some legitimate and useful discussions about the idea of reparations. This is not a legitimate Effort. A we done to want people who Are untutored to be misled into doing something in a tax return that will result in significant tax  most of the claims to the irs have been received Over the past month from California and Shaw said the a act fund has received inquiries from Oklahoma As  a a in the stars and stripes 10 years ago oct. 21,1984 a an unarmed plane carrying four Cia employees on a surveillance Mission in salvadoran rebel territory 20 Miles North of san Salvador crashed in a heavy rainstorm killing All four. 20 years ago oct. 21,1974 a president Luis Echeverria promised mexicans that he would not make any 6ll.conc.es-Sions to the United states in his meeting with president Ford. 30 years ago oct. 21,1964 a Herbert Clark Hoover 90, the 31 St president of the United states died in his new York apartment after a lengthy illness. 40 year Sago oct. 21,1954 the big three Western Powers made Progress toward returning sovereignty to West Germany but faced a menacing deadlock Between that nation and France on the Saar question. 50 years ago oct. 21,1944 a soviet armies captured the yugoslav capital of Belgrade and a hungarian up mum Nica tons Center at Debrecen 115 Miles East of Budapest while a relentless red army offensive overran 15 Miles of Border area on the East prussian front. E world War ii 50 years ago today oct. 21 1 9 a 4 4 american troops expand their beachhead on Leyte capturing Taloban but they fail to quickly link their two main positions several japanese naval forces steam toward the Philippines hoping to Surprise and wreck the Leyle invasion Fleet. In Europe German soldiers finally surrender in the Border City of Aachen which has been reduced to ruins by the american assault. Source 2194 Days of War w. H. Smith publishers inc. The Wori almanac of world War to Bison books�?Tcorp., 1981 a Quality of air improving in . Despite smog centers Epa says Washington apr the air in 43 metropolitan regions Home to nearly 100 million americans is still failing health standards although air Quality in Genera is improving the environmental Protection Agency said. Wednesday. The Epa in its annual assessment of Urban air pollution said 11 cities or counties came into Federal air Quality compliance for smog causing Ozone Poi Lution during the past year. But 43 others Are still too dirty including seven that failed to meet a 1993 deadline under the 1990 clean air act. / Twenty two regions including most of the nations biggest cities continue to have such severe smog pollution that there is Little Hope of meeting Federal health standards until late in the next decade. And the los angles Basin area which has the worst air pollution wont meet federally approved pollution Levels until 2010 at the earliest. Areas listed with a severe pollution arc. A a a. San Diego Southeastern desert Region and Ventura county Calif. Chi Cago Gary Lake. County Iii. Ind Baltimore new York new new Jersey Long Island Philadelphia Wilmington Trenton pa., del., . Houston Galveston Brazoria Texas and Milwaukee Racine  a Epa administrator Carol Browner said the trend toward cleaner air nevertheless was encouraging news that Poltun Tion control efforts a both tougher automobile emission controls and curbs on Industrial pollution a a Are yielding real  a. The Agency said 48 of 91 regional areas singled out in 1990 As having unacceptable air because of smog causing Ozone have since come into Federal compliance. During that time the number of people exposed to unacceptable air pollution was reduced from 140 million to under 100 million. Smog hangs Over los Angeles during a government ordered pollution Alert in 1978 a fila ground level Ozone a major component of smog causes respiratory prob. Lems As Well As irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes. Carbon monoxide when entering the bloodstream reduces the delivery of oxygen to the body. The seven regions that failed to meet their 1993 deadlines Are classified As having a a marginal air pollution problems. V Agency officials said the communities probably would be Given one year extensions and not face sanctions. They Are Calcasieu Parish la. Door county wis. Hancock county Maine Kent and Queen Annex a counties Maryland Norfolk a. Poughkeepsie n.y., and Smyth county a. Another category of cities with a a moderate air pollution must meet Federal air Quality standards by 1996, fourteen of those 29 metropolitan regions failed to come into compliance this year. They include Dallas fort Worth Cincinnati Cleveland St. Louis Phoenix and Portland Maine. A Mary Nichols head of the Epa air pollution control office said that while dozens of cities and counties continued to have air that did no to meet Federal health standards it is a extremely remarkable there were so Many  a growing number of cities in the a a marginal and a a moderate categories came into compliance and others Are Likely to do so soon. New requirements for cleaner burning gasoline in regions with the worst air pollution cities such As new York City Chicago Philadelphia and Houston a Are Likely to improve air Quality. None of these cities however is expected to meet Federal standards until 2005 or later. Hilton defense in Tail Hook suit hits Snag Las vegas apr defense attorneys who hoped to show that Paula Coughlin was drunk and allowed her legs to be shaved at the 1991 Tail Hook convention were dealt a setback when a judge disqualified their handwriting analyst. . District judge Philip pro also refused wednesday to allow the defense to Call a second analyst. Coughlin is suing the Hilton hotel corp. For unspecified damages claiming the hotel failed to provide adequate Security at the convention where she and More than 80 women were allegedly molested by Drunken Navy and Marine aviators. Hilton attorneys claim that Coughlin participated in the conventions raucous activities and that she signed the poster of a Navy lieutenant who shaved her legs the night she said she was assaulted. But pro barred handwriting analyst Diana Clayton of Redding Calif., from testifying after Coughlin a attorneys questioned her credentials and after Clayton acknowledged that she had helped Hilton attorney Eugene wait Analyse the handwriting of potential jurors