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Daily Sitka Sentinel from Sitka, Alaska • Page 2

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Sitka, Alaska
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2
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Page 2, Daily Si.ka Sentinel, SUka, Alaska, Monday, March 4,1996 Dear Editor: Who really pays the most taxes for their dwelling renters or homeowners? At first glance, my question seems absurd since homeowners receive a tax notice requiring payment at 6 mills while renters only pay 4 percent of in sales tax. A home worth requires the owner to pay added to history, we increase our own understanding of the world we're living in todav. anri Court Gives Government More Power in Seizures WASHINGTON (AP) TJ out-of-staters. --Agreed to use an Ohio case to decide whether motorists stopped for traffic 4-1 5 Dole Spirits High Victory in S. Carolina The ruling, blasted by three justice, priced at $1,000 per month pays $480 per year in sales tax ($1,000 12 months 0.04).

So, who is paying the most taxes for their home? This data, which was used by Mr Eiiason the March 1, 1996, edition of the Sentinel, is flawed. Mr. Eliason overlooked a major portion of the equation when trying to prove his point. Any economist will tell you that a tax levied upon a business is passed directly to the consumer in the form of higher prices. Therefore, the renter (a consumer) pays for the property tax, which the landlord (the business) includes in the price of the rent Since renters do indirectly pay for their property tax, it should be added into their total taxes paid for their dwelling.

Now that we have established the tact that renters do pay for their property tax, let's see what the renters actually end up paying every year. Let's say that rent is $1,000 for a unit that is assessed at $100,000. The sales tax is 5480 per year, and property tax $600 per year ($100,000 0.001 6 mills) which totals $1,080 per year! Now how much did the homeowner pav? Hmmmmm At $1,080 per year, this person is being taxed the same as if they owned a house worth $180,000 ($1,080 0 0 0 1 6 mills). Not only are they overtaxed for not owning their home but they are also being taxed on tax payment at the same time! The property tax that they pay for is then faxed at 4 percent, and they have the nerve to call it a sales tax. To make it fair the city should either levy this 4 per' cent tax to property taxes, or no longer levy it against renters Why are there such a high percent pi rental units and not much available and to build on in Sitka? It is because the city leaders know that you can squeeze more money out of rental units, and not worry about the backlash.

Renters tend to be the who do not typically vote and will accept things the way they are. Try taxing homeowners the same and watch out! They'll vote you out of of- nce. Pan Sampson, Sitka Women's History Month Dear Editor: March is being mzed across the nation as History Month, a time to recognize women as active participants the events of our country. Sitkans Against Family Violence (SAFV) is pleased to be able to share support and participate in this month ot celebrating women's history. We encourage the community to seek out information that will be displayed at the Kettleson Memorial Library in the large display case.

We are also sponsoring a Women's History Question Contest that will be aired on KIFW March 18-23 twice a day. Callers can challenge themselves and their knowledge of women's history (United States, Alaskan and bitkan). With a timely correct answer they can win one of the prizes that has oeen donated by many of the local oitka businesses. As the contributions, accomplishments and perspectives of women are who want to of increased taxes in equitable fashion, I assume. All this talk of tax rates and seems to have boggled --s.

Here I am accused of slamming homeowners when I had hoped instead to seem to be slamming the tax system. Shoot, most of the people 1 know and love are homeowners So let me try a different tack. No tax rates, no millage rates, no apples no oranges. MONEY, let's talk money. Let's look at where the money comes from and where it goes Once again, we'll consider a hypothetical situation where a hypothetical $150000 house is occupied by a hypothetical homeowner.

An identical hypothetical house is occupied by a hypothetical renter paying $1,000 a month The owner of the hypothetical rental unit is not in the charity business, so we further assume that ordinary expenses related to the rental unit are passed through to the renter, you stuff like the cost of mainte- snow carrying illegalitems such as in part by i efforts by who objected Aumr 4 one crime-fighting tool. In other cases, the court: --Ruled, 6-2, that the government does not have to reimburse two Agent Orange makers sued by Vietnam veterans who said they were injured by sSdT 6 defoliant. The justices said the federal government did not promise reimbursement to defense contractors for any. monetary damages. 3 Ag reed to stud a 39-year-old Maine law that denies property tax exemptions to summer camps run bv chanties if most of the campers are that such forfeitures do not violate anyone's due-process rights and do not amount to an unlawful governmental taking of private prop- "A long and unbroken line of cases holds that an owner's interest in property may be forfeited by reason of the use to which the property is put, even though the owner did not know that it Was put to such use Chief Justice William H.

Rehnquist wrote for the court. "The state here sought to deter illegal activity that contributes to neighborhood deterioration and unsafe streets," he said. Utah Governor Finds Support For Western States Primary Because of a flaw in their genetic makeup, the homeowner and the renter are compelled to dye their money. The homeowner dyes hers purple and the renter dyes his orange The finance director of the City and Borough of Sitka catches wind of our little thought experiment here and pothetically volunteers to store all the tax receipts related to housing in a vault on the first floor of City Hall Let's wait. Dum-de-dum, dum-de- dum.

Okay a year has gone by. Let's check me mnnpv pr ic ntial pile in the ujc muney pile the vault. The finance director ol course, keeps a hypothetical eye on Digging into the pile, which hypothetically stretches almost to the ceiling, we pull out all the purple money and all the orange money and we stack it up. We count it. We find that there is 'SQnn i $1380 in orange money.

We count it again. Nope, the renter definitely paid more Hmmmm. Say, that's not very equitable. the homeowner-srfauk? 0 sysfem'-s" faultf Xts The sales tax is inequitable Tack on well, okay, okay I wasn't going to mention you-know- what. Anyway, I gotta go color my money.

Paul Wescott, Sitka Wants Information Dear Editor: Each member in our class is working on a project called the Parade of States. We are responsible for gathering as much information about the state we chose to research in order to help "sell" that state HELENA, Mont. (AP) Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, pitching a regional presidential primary for Western states including Alaska, found plenty of support among Montana officials Friday. Montana Gov.

Marc Racicot, some legislative leaders and political party representatives agreed such a primary would benefit the West by forcing candidates to spend time in the West and pay attention to Western issues. The only concern in a meeting at Helena was how much a separate presidential primary might cost, and' 1 But philosophically, everyone agreed that getting as many as nine Western states to conduct presidential voting on the same day would demand the national spotlight. "This is not a matter of partisanship. It is an issue of regionalism Leavitt said. "The voice of the West is not being heard in this process He has proposed a meeting of state leaders in July to decide if a common date can be found.

Even if only four or five states band together, that could draw the attention of presidential candidates. A likely combination could include Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Of those states, only Arizona and Colorado have a primary as early as March. Other states have separate party caucuses or later primaries. By the time Utah votes, 75 percent or the national convention delegates have been chosen, Leavitt said.

He said one option would be to conduct a regional primary in late February, when Arizona votes If enough states participate, the prize could represent 12 percent of a party's delegate votes and draw candidates to the region for 10-12 days, he said ATLANTA (AP) Sen. Bob Dole, happily the front-runner again after a big win in South Carolina, hints that this week's contests could seal the GOP nomination. Pat Buchanan said today he can beat Dole in key Southern contests if he can "crack Georgia open" in Tuesday's primary. With eight primaries Tuesday, the GOP nomination battle focused today on Georgia, where House Speaker Newt Gingrich cast his vote for Dole and called the Senate majority leader 'the next president." "Bob Dole is a close personal fnend and great leader," Gingrich said. Together, we passed the balanced budget, tax cuts and welfare reform, which when he is president, will all be signed into law.

And, I did vote for him this morning." Buchanan earlier maintained "we are stronger" in Georgia than in South Carolina, which saw him finish second to Dole. Sen. Phil Gramm, who campaigned today with Dole in Georgia, told reporters, "I think Dole has won the nomination. It's just a question of when." Gramm, who dropped out of the race last month, predicted that Georgia's primary on Tuesday would be Buchanan's "last stand," He said: are beginning to say to themselves, Dole is inevitable." Dole, with Gramm and four other members of the Senate in tow, visited a metal recycling plant in Atlanta that exports scrap proclaimed that, despite momentum in his direction, 'this race is far from over." He appealed for support, saying "I can bring people together." in front of bales of scrap metal, Dole asserted, "We're going to recycle ev- Georgia Sunday night, skipping a forum Sunday night that saw three opponents in an occasionally testy hour- long exchange. The WSB-TV forum was almost overshadowed by the scene of police hauling away, another GOP contender Alan Keyes when he tried to get in.

"This is a disgrace to American democracy," Keyes told NBC's "Today" show. He called it "an effort to manipulate the outcome" of the election and said he was considering legal action. Buchanan, one of the four invited to the debate, said today Keyes "certainly should have" been included. Dole was invited. "There are still about four candidates around.

I think if we do very well on Tuesday, there won't be but one around. And that might be me," Dole told a veterans rally in Towso'n late Sunday. "In my view, it's now'down to three people and they deserve -a couple of to try. to dislodge Senator Dole," Gingrich told The Press on Sunday. "I am not going to endorse anyone in the meantime." Gramm said Gingrich voted for Dole.

Dole suggested that other. Republican candidates might want to consider folding their campaigns if he sweeps primaries this week. Eight states, including Georgia, vote on Tuesday followed by New York's primary on Thursday, where 93 delegates will be selected. Polls show Dole ahead iii all nine states. Buchanan, appearing on NBC's "Today" show, said he's stUl in contention, but "clearly, we have to do JL lieve we can beat Bob Dole in the Su- Dole remained above the fray in ISWUk 1.11 per Tuesday of Southern states." WEATHER Sitka Forecast Nation's Temps Congressmen Gibbons, Roth Announce Their Retirements if.n By DAVE SKIDMORE Associated Press Writer WASHDTOTON (AP) ep Sam Gibbons of Florida, the senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, today announced he will retire from Congress after this year.

"I will not seek reelection. After 34 years the Congress, I am ready to do something new," Gibbons, 76 said in a statement. He said he plans to teach, serve on siQ As the senior Democrat, the color- tul and outspoken Gibbons has led the opposition to the GOP's "Contract With America" tax arming that the budget should be balanced tirst. And he has fought GOP efforts to wring savings from Medicare the health-care program for the elderlv Usually good-humored and jo'vial Gibbons, a lawyer, sometimes erupted into fiery anger during the Republi- CclTiS i A rt i readers could help me out by sending me pictures, postcards, a used license plate, travel brochures, facts, products, etc. from your state, I wou ld greatly appreciate it! Please send all items to the following address: Mountain Meadow Elementary, P.O Box 502, Buckley, Wash.

98321 Thank you for any help you "can give me. Erik R. Moline. Buckley, Wash. In another congressional retirement Rep.

Toby Roth, announced that he would not seek reelection Koth, who has served 18 years did not disclose his plans. Gibbons, who as a young man on Lhe TO and shut the Ways and 1963. Republicans won control of Congress for the first time in 40 years 1994 and since then far more Democrats have announced they are leaving than Republicans. Gibbons is the 26th House Democrat to formally decide not to run, compared with 15 Republicans. PHOENIX (AP) A disabled university student who slipped into a coma and sat slumped in his wheelchair unnoticed for a week by his fellow students has died.

Ellis Mather was Mather, once a star wrestler in his tiny Alaskan hometown before he was disabled in an accident, was found in his dorm room at Arizona State University in November after others finally smelled a persistent odor and sent police to check on him. He spent more than two months clinging to life in a vegetative state in a Phoenix hospital. He died Feb 10 said Jeff Byrd, chief executive at the American Transitional Hospital. Mather's parents, Elsie and James Mather, sat vigil by his bedside and said they received support from many strangers in Arizona and around the nation. "It was just really heartwarming to get the kind of response we did Mrs.

Mather said. The couple has since returned to their home in Bethel Ala. Doctors believe some sort of illness initially weakened Ellis, leaving him to suffer in silence in his wheelchair in his room. Over the course of the week, he apparently experienced a shortage of oxygen to his brain. How- even his brain stem wasn't damaged and he showed some brain-wave Activity.

Ellis' story prompted discussion at the university about the privacy of disabled students. Ellis' parents said they were con- squared off with Rep. Bill who warned Gibbons Don't pull my tie," when the Democrat got too close for comfort Gibbons succeeded Rep. Dan Ros- tenkowski, D-I1L, as head of Ways and Means in 1994 after Rostenkows- ki was indicted on charges he misused his office and was forced to steo down. cemed at first when they couldn't reach their son, but held off callina dorm officials because they knew he was sensitive about his independence Hepburn Fights Pneumonia NEW YORK (AP) Katharine Hepburn was hospitalized last week with pneumonia and is resting at her Connecticut home, the Daily News reported today.

The 88-year-old actress was admitted to Manhattan's Lenox Hill Hospital last week under an assumed name and hospital sources told the News' she was very ill and her doctors at one point had not expected her to live. She has since been discharoed Family members told the newspaper that she was resting comfortably at her Connecticut home. As for whether she was out of danger, a sister-in-law Mrs. Robert Hepburn, said: "No I can't say that. She's working through When asked whether Hepburn was at Lenox Hill in the past week, a hospital administrator on duty this morn- mg would say only that "the patient is not here," and refused to elaborate.

A major screen star since the 1930s Hepburn has had various health orob- lems in the past decade. She had hip replacement surgery and has suffered from arthritis, Parkinson's disease and an incurable eye infection. Alaska Constitution Convention Delegate Dorothy Haaland Dies ANCHORAGE (AP) Dorothy Awes Haaland, 77, a delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention and a member of the last territorial ture. died Friday in Washington stote She had been recuperating from a heart attack in a hospital in at the time of her death. Haaland had been disabled by a stroke about three years ago and moved to Bothell Wash, to live with her son Roger Haaland, said her daughter Janie Haaland Haaland was one of six women delegates to the Alaska Constitutional Convention in 1955.

She chaired the committee that drafted the preamble and bill of rights. Haaland, who was one of the first women admitted to the bar in Alaska was extremely bright and diligent' said Seaborn Buckalew, a retired Su' penor Court judge and a delegate to the convention. "She was one of those delegates who was always prepared and knowledgeable about any article under consideration. She was up there all the time. Buckalew said he was saddened bv Haaland's death.

"She was a delict" ful person, a good lawyer and a go 0d tnend. I going to miss her." Haaland also was known for her lifelong fight for feminism and human rights. She was a member of the state's equal rights commission and Jn the board of thi Women's Resource Center She helped found the Anchorage chapter of the National Organization for Women, which began locally as Je Anchorage Women's Liberation Society. She also was president of St Joans International Alliance, a Catholic feminist organization. Haaland was born Dorothy Jane Awes on Oct.

3, 1918, in Moorhead, Minn. She earned a law degree from the University of Iowa. She came to Alaska in 1945, through a transfe- with the Office of Price Administra- de al be un during World War II to compare prices and control rationing. "She was an adventurous gal, Janie Haaland said of her er. "Just the thought of to a pioneer type of place inspired From 1946 to 1948.

Dorothy Haaland served as U.S. commissioner and Justice of the Peace in Cordova. She ra a Iaw firm in Anchorage from 1950 to 1955, when she was chosen as a delegate to the state Constitutional Convention. She married Ragnar Haaland in 1956, and a year later represented Anchorage for one term in the last territorial legislature. Haaland as an assistant attorney general from I960 to 1976 before retiring.

ai cloud Anight. Windy and Temperatures indicate previous day's high cold. Northeast winds increasing to 25 overnight low to 7:36 a.m. mph. Low in the middle 20s.

AlbanvNY PwOtik Sunny and windy Tuesday. High in JJ sn the lower 30s. AmariUo at Anchorage Asheville Sitka Weather Austin Temperatures ranged 27 to 43 BaU imore degrees during the 24.hours,endine at S- Uin gS midnight, the Sitka Flight Service 1 Jon reports. The barometer was at Boise JU.16 and falling. Sunup was at 6-44 a.m.

and sunset will be at 5:43 Brownsville Buffalo Burlington.Vt. Alaska Summary cSston.sc Charleston.W.Va bkies generally were clear over southern Alaska and the Panhandle overnight, while it Che yenne was cloudy north of McGrath and Saint Marys Chica Slo WaS fal ing sections of North Cincinnati ducing the visibility at Winds gusted to near 60 mph at Whittier ear- Columbus.Ohio t0 35 werc re along the northwest coast and across the North Dallas-FtWonh Slope. Temperatures were coldest near the way reporting 12 degrees below zero. Settles DesMoines just south of the Brooks Range, had 4 below Detroit Jvenught lows ranged from the single-disits Duluth above zero at Talkeetna to at TJnalakleet El Paso fhfS'P WCre lhe mild 20s and 30s across Evansvilb uie Aieuuans, the southern mainland and the Fairbanks Fargo Flagstaff Alaska Temps SSSf Greensboro.N.C. High Low rc Anchorage.fog 33 1 1 Helena 40 30 n'XX Honolulu -79 2 6 Qm Houst Bethel.cloudy 33 Indianapolis 13 6 43 39 Ja 39 23 "-V" Juneau 39 2 3 n'nn KansasCity 2 4 03 000 Las Gulkana.missing 25 LittleRock Homer, clear 35 2 3 LosA ngeIes Juneau.clear 40 20 Xnn Louisville Kenai.clear 33 Q2 Lufabock KingSalmon.clear 4-) 2 6 000 Me mphis Kodiak.clear 43 27 MiamiBeach Kotzebue.cloudy 'Xr Midland-Odessa McGrath.snow 3 2 25 Milwaukee 33 6 0 Mpls-StPaul -6 Na shville PrudhoeBay, missing 21 NewOtleans St.PauUloudy 37 33 nm NewYorkCitv 39 NorfoIk.Va.

Sitka.clear 42 NorthPlatte 37 n-, TM OklahomaCity 4, Qmaha 44" Orlando 00 Philadelphia Low, 13 below, at Chandalar Lake. pi loe ix rittsburgh Portland -fc 4 4 A a Nation's Weather SSBSSr Raleigh-Durham RapidCity RaiT e- Octorc Qiivorcsl'C while The cold record for SaJiLakcCity day's date at Marquette Mich SanAmonio of 18 degrees below 7ero Th TH 3 reac SanDiego minus- 1 it record was SanFrancisco Chicago was a stinging 16 b-Iow SanJuan.P.R. Brisk winds over New ol StSteMarie i siiozcro wind chiiiic "IT UL out! oijovv snowfirs pobsioJc irom the cistern Great Tjitpc nonnem Maine tw waSLr ch of lhe Nonheast iySS chToff a Sh Uld begm takin some and SeaS nable lem TSS reSon 3CrOSS the Middle At1 mic Tul sa Mostly mild conditions were forest inro Tennessee II ,1 wc rc lorecast into the Wichita 5 thoush iviit uidn an ini.n or rain could fal! focillv in Northern juu nxany national new nn. Ca fr "ITM 01 than A of Sunday fS 29 1 i clr 44 22 clr 59 37 clr 13 orlu jf ij coy 72 51 cdy -TT 35 15 V3l Ilr'-sf 59 34 -Vdy-' 11 23 8 .03 sn 57 rn 39 20 .08 clr 75 65 cdy 26 14 sn 31 13 .03 cdy 51 35" clr 68 35 clr 34 1 rrtu 1 1 CQV 55 32 cir 51 29 clr 25 10 cdy 26 12 cdy. 20 12 ,.02 cdy JU -cir 24 12 cdy 30 13' clr 75 53 cdy 22 14 cdy" 61 34 -cdv 27 17 'cdy 23 11 cdy 4 -3 sn 69 47 cdy' n.

i 28 19 cdy 24 8 cdy 14 -2 sn 48 32 cdy 19 7- .01 cdy 26 4 .07 sn 48 26 cdy 36 15 .05 clr 32 10 .02 sn 78 71- cdy 73 53 cdy 27 16 cdy 69 36' clr 71 38 clr 37 20 clr 35 21 clr 64 52 cdy 49 31 cdy 65 53 cdy 30 23 cdy 5 49 clr 48 36 clr 69 68 clr 74 51 cdy A 24 12 cdy 22 10 sn 39 24 cdy 72 45 clr 35 19 1 1 27 clr 47 28 cdy 68 44 cdy TO 29 19 cdy 71 7 11 -H clr 35 is nt OJ ..01 cdv 73 58 cdy 24 cdy 34 15 .05 clr 59 44 .96 38 1ft i 00 1O 55 fir ctr 31 18 cdy 59 38 .06 1 5 14 clr ftft AQ .12 rn 31 25 cdy 58 48 74 54 cdy 64 JJ CuV SQ rn Jy jj rn 84 71 .05 cdy 60 cdy 12 -i cdy 50 42 .33 rn Af CQV i It 1 "7 I 17 cdy 39 30 .41 sn 22 16 .05 cdy 72 51 clr 39 23 clr 74 44 cdy 57 38 clr 39 20 clr 49 33 clr 27 12 cdy 7 Extremes- rillo and.

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About Daily Sitka Sentinel Archive

Pages Available:
66,600
Years Available:
1940-1997