European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 04, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 letters to the editor Friday november 4,1994 european edition col. Steven s. Hoffman Usa commander publisher v. I Bernard a. Zovistoski editor news and editorial Deborah Absher nows editor Bill Walker european editor Bob Wicker sports editor George mints. Chy editor to write us unit 29480 apoae09211 orpostfach11 143764278 Darmstadt Germany news Tel fax 06155-601416 to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension or Dan 348 plus Extension As follows news ext 237,255, 282,226, 326, spolts ext. 225, 269, 263,332, 321,221. Features ext. 230, 245 341. Letters to editor ext. �08,400. Education Jim Jones ext. 226. Business news ext. 326. News bureaus Heidelberg. Germany eff Bathen room 117, rat Norstr 104, 69129 Heidelberg Telephone Dan 370 7010 or civilian 06221-23421 Tel fax 0622m 0554. Kaiserslautern Germany Kevin Dougherty John Bohmer and Doyle Tillman. 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New York City Timothy Cahill room 638, 201 Varick st., new York 10014 Telephone 212-620-3333 Tel fax 212-620-3268. Washington . Chuck Vinch Cindy Killion Oast a the Pentagon room 2e756 . Box 46095, Washington . 20050-6095 Telephone 703-697 6695, 703-693-6366. Business departments maj Richard k. Major Usa Deputy commander dal Estes. Newspaper operations director James Wysocky circulation manager Jeffrey h. Kingdom comptroller circulation toll free customer service for Home or office delivery inquiries or delivery problems Call 24 hours Germany 0130-840048 Belgium 07811-8775 Italy --.-. 1678-3456 United kingdom 800-898854 Netherlands 06-022-7629 Spain 900-99-4955 Tel fax 06155-601436 Germany a _ Augsburg civilian 0821-544529, Tel fax 0821-544565 Berlin civilian 030-8331846. Dan 332-3548. Kaiserslautern civilian 0631-57070 or 57079, Dan 489-7100, Tel fax 0631-50696. Nuhn Berk civilian 0911-712558, Dan 460-7001. Stuttgart 0130-840048. 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Kudos for car sales rep we have never written a you before but read your letters to the editor daily. "  husband and i firmly believe that it is important to recognize a service or individual when one has done an exceptional and outstanding Job for their company. It is especially important in this Dayan age when it seems the Only time people write a letter is usually to com Plain recently my husband and i Pur chased a new vehicle from the Vogel Weh army and air Force Exchange service Ford dealer. We would like to compliment Vogel Weh Ford on one of their Best assets sales rep Ian Butchart. He is very Friendly and easy to talk to. He asked us what we wanted and was always professional helpful and very knowledgeable. He answered All of our questions and to our readers let us know what you think we encourage our readers especially those who have never submitted a letter to write to us. Letters expressing readers View Points Are published Dally on this Page. All letters must be signed and include address and Telephone number. Send to letters to the editor the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. Or fax country code 49. 06155 601-395, Dan 348 8395. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and taste. That you go to see Ian Butchart in to Jelweh. Annmarie Daugherty Baum older Germany was very kind understanding and lbs important not overbearing in the least. We recommend without a . If you Are in the Market for a new Ford bookmark strikes out i recently went to the local bookmark to order a. Book. My experience went As follows i d like to order a  our ordering system has not been  will i be Able to order a Book i Don t  can i order a Book at a different bookmark store i Don t  congratulations to the army and air Force Exchange service. Mission a Fesa Tion of the bookstores accomplished. A i Rod Shock Darmstadt Germany Gatt Fate to by Tom Philpott Low income enlisted families will have hundreds of dollars in tax credits at stake when a lame Duck Congress re convenes in late november to vote on a Trade Bill. The general agreement on Tariff Sand Trade Gatt is an unlikely Home for provisions that could affect the take Home pay of several thousand military families. Nevertheless Gatt s Fate this fall will determine whether a few thousand Youngen listed families overseas qualify for the same Low income tax credits available to stateside members. Whether some enlisted families stateside see tax credits decline As a re sult of changes in military tax statements to discourage under reporting of earned income. / " both moves would affect the fed eral earned income tax credit a Spe Cial tax break for . Workers whose earned income Falls below a certain level. AThe current ceiling is $23,755 and the maximum tax credit for very Low in come families is $2,528. _ Young military families typically qualify for no More than several Hun dred dollars in tax credits. But unlike tax deductions tax credits produce Dollar for Dollar reductions in yearly tax Bills. The primary focus of Gatt is to re move barriers with . Trading part ners. But it s become a vehicle too for changes to the earned income tax credit that the Pentagon has sought forbears. The first change would extend eligibility in 1995 to Low income members As signed overseas by exempting the from a requirement that recipients have a permanent . Residence. Defense officials estimate a few thou Sand members would be eligible. Most Are in pay grades Al through military update taxes 4, have children and spouses with no outside income. But Gatt also would make it More difficult for stateside members to qualify for tax credits by under reporting in come. Under current Law reportable earned income / includes Basic pay and housing and food allowances except variable allowances or an equivalent value for government provided quarters . -.". -.".  / Treasury officials believe some service members Are receiving extra tax credits by report ing Only their tax Able incomes. Gatt would Force compliance by requiring Mili tary earning statements w 2s to show the value of allow ances in kind housing and food even tax free pay earned in a combat zone. These payments would remain tax free but would count As earned income in calculating tax credit eligibility. Treasury officials say the net effect of both provisions will be a saving to the government of about $11 million a  re not saying people Are cheat ing said a Pentagon official. But you can see How that 2 change might increase tax  cola controversy your report on retirees Colas is monthly retired pay of $1000 will be drawing about $3,250 a month after next april s cola. Many retirees asked that i recheck my figures. So i did with help from Pentagon of9 " Tom Philpott inaccurate began a letter from a retired army master sergeant living in tokyo.". By Reading your article the taxpayer Sand Congress will think we Are receiving too much in retired  what has the master sergeant and other retirees riled is an observation Imade a few weeks ago that thanks to annual Cost of living adjustments member who left service in 1974 with reassure me my first estimate was As i claimed about on the Mark. A member who retired in late 1973 at$1000 a month will by next april receive $3,305. -i.v0 a member who retired in 74 at the same amount will receive $3,133 month by next april. Some who challenged my original estimate $3,250 forgot that before 1982, retirees received Colas every six months. Through March 76, retirees also received a one percent kicker to their Colas,.-.some retirees like the master ser Geant in Japan looked to their own experience. -.-. But they had retired a couple of years after 1974 and so missed out on four Colas from january 1974 through a gust 1975. Those alone boosted annuities 23.2percent. The experience of the past 20 years Likely won t be repeated. Congress has killed twice yearly Colas arid the one percent kicker. The double digit inflation of the 1970s, we Hope will not return. And Congress has been hacking away at the value of cola last year for example it voted to delay the adjustments three months to nine months per year through 1998. And that s not All says retired air Force it. Col. Theodore Cappellucci of Monument Colo. Since 1985 the government has been rounding the cents off monthly retired pay after each cola. That rip off alone he says Cut pay to my Sample re Tiree a total of $318.87 Over nine years. Edcomn8 suggestion Are  and tak1n6ftto them5pia and 7opay, inan/mprcmf7u f#�&5 conference at a Bun factory or. North pm  7hatsdm& of Youssaf indy a Hap an