The Michigan Daily-Thursday, June 8, 1978-Page 3 Israel convicts Esmail of PFLP membership From Staff and Wire Reports A Tel Aviv district court convicted Sami Esmail, a 23-year-old American of Palestinian descent, of membership in a Palestinian guerrilla group yester- day but acquitted him of the more serious charge of contact with a foreign agent. Esmail, a graduate student in engineering at Michigan State who was born in New York, was arrested at Ben- Gurion Airport on Dec. 21 when he arrived in Israel to visit his dying father, a naturalized American who lived in the occupied West Bank. He was charged with membership in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and with having con- tact at Michigan State and in Libya with foreign agents. Following the verdict, the court heard a character witness, Michigan State Professor Robert Barr, who ap- pealed to the court for mercy because the 24-year-old engineering student's pro-Palestinian activities were entirely legal at home in the United States. "I AM COMPLETELY innocent of the charges," said Esmail, who faces up to 10 years in jail after sentencing Monday. "My only crime is solidarity with the oppressed, homeless Palestinian people See ESMAIL, Page 9 Ar Photo SAMI ESMAIL, accompanied by an Israeli policeofficer (on left) smiles for photographers before he was convicted of being a member of a Palestinian guerrilla organization yesterday. A feels property tax squeeze 'They're really beating us to death' By JUDY RAKOWSKY Property taxes are tightening the squeeze on taxpayers nationwide and Michigan places seventh in the country for high tax levels. Ann Arbor's housing shortage produces even more devastating rates because it boosts the market values of homes. From 1966 to 1976 average property taxes across the U.S. jumped 111 per cent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Michigan's per capita property taxes surged 140 per cent. Ann Arbor's own tax rate fell a bit last year, accor- ding to Deputy Assessor Ed Young, but that does not mean the property taxes themselves plunged. The standard six per cent yearly increase keeps local taxpayers hopping to afford the burden. "THEY'RE REALLY beating us to death," said property owner Lynn Bell. Bell purchased his home in 1946, at which time he was paying $200 per year in property taxes. Presently, Bell kicks State House shelves vote on pot enalies LANSING (UPI) - The state House THE MOTION'S sponsor, Rep. approved a Republican-sponsored William Bryant, favors the bill but said motion yesterday which delays in- he does-not want it taken up suddenly definitely the vote on a politically sen- without fair warning to both sides and sitive bill eliminating jail penalties for wants to avoid an emotional floor fight possession of small amounts of unless there is clearly adequate support marijuana. for the ure. On a 54-42 vote, the Senate-passed bill "The object is ... there is no reason "The object isa rareltheredisanlireaso was tabled - a rarely-used parliamen- to leave it on the calendar making it tary move which means the measure subject to consideration at any time cannot even be discussed unless a with no notice to anyone when it's such majority of House members vote to w onte to and when i' such take it up a controversial issue and when we have in $700 per year to the city's property revenues. "It's really ridiculous and a burden on us," Bell remarked, Bill Tyler of McKinley Properties said the tax burden "is more pronoun- ced on single family homes than com- mercial or apartment properties" because the large property owners can pas the expense on to tenants and customers. Tyler also said the market is "hotter" with greater turnover in the single family home are. The tax strain is not as dramatic on individual tenants of multi-family dwellings because increases are spread throughout the year and among all the tenants, according to Tyler. Homeowners, however, must foot the entire bill. "A house is the homeowner's major asset and the buck stops there," Tyler said. "I'M NOT dreadfuilly unsatisfied (with taxes) for the services provided," said homeowner Phillip Converse. Con- verse has owned his Ann Arbor house for 13 years, during that time his property taxes have taken, "some leaps here and there but nothing like Califor- nia." Converse said he pays $2,000 a year for property assessments. Because of limited staff, the City Assessor's Office is able to assess each property only on a bi-annual basis. The state constitution dictates that the taxes comprise 50 per cent of the market value of the home. Young said Ann Arbor's property taxes are high because, "There's a definite imbalance in the laws of supply and demand" in the housing market. Young said the Ann Arborites who tend to complain about their taxes, "haven't ventured out of the city," to see the level of taxes others are paying. Local property taxes "are not unreasonably high" when compared to Boston or California's tax rate which are both two to three times Ann Arbor's rate, according to Young. "Everyone tends to speak of them because everyone has to pay them," Young said. HE ADDED that people should con- sider that 60 per cent of those taxes go to schools and they can't expect to pay less taxes and expect the city to meet its payrolls. "To cut taxes back to 1975 levels and expect individuals to operate withkless money is not progressive thinking," Young said. Michigan provides a tax credit to help offset the property tax burden. The credit is compiled based on the household income and the amount of taxes the property owner pays. The tax credit system is set up to See A2, Page 10 --today See STATE, Page 10 Bullard, who is well known by students for his State races set strong advocacy of reduced penalties for marijuana The stage was set yesterday for this summer's possession, faces no opposition in the Aug. 8 hot political battles as the filing deadline passed for primary. Republican Douglas Buchanan, a local at- candidates seeking the 18th state senatorial seat torney will oppose Bullard in the November elec- and the 53rd House seat. The final pre-primary card tion. lists three Democrats and four Republicans vying for the seat to be vacated by Sen. Gilbert Bursley, Haappenings ... who announced his retirement after 18 years in the slim today and begin at 11 a m with a Senate. The Democrats campaigning for luseys ..areslmtdyanbeiat1am.wha seat are: Edward Pierce, a hard-luck loser in the Rackham Student Government meeting in the E. past congressional elections; Ypsilanti Mayor Alcove Rm. of Rackham . . . Emery George will George Goodman; and bail bondsman Harold read some of his own poetry at noon in the Pen- Moon, who lost a previous bid for the State Senate in dleton Rm. of the Union ... at 7:30 p.m. in MLB 3, 1974. The GOP hopefuls include: Fourth Ward City the Astronomical Film Festival will.-present Space Councilman Ronald Trowbridge, who lost for a Shuttle ... and also at 7:30, there will be a meeting -congressional seat in 1976; C. William Colburn, a of the Women's International League for Peace and former Third Ward councilman; Herome Klein, a Freedom at 2558 Oakdale Dr. realtor and current president of the Ann 'Arbor Board of Realtors; and Michael Stimpson, an ac- A family aff countant with the county treasurer's office. State air Rep. Perry Bullard (D-Ann Arbor) said he would Bedfellows make strange politics; just ask a seek a fourth consecutive term in the legislatr husband and wife.rpn Ior i?, Michigan who just. launced their campaigns for the same county com- mission seat. But they won't be pitted against one another in the August primary because Robert Cusack filed as a Democrat, while Beverly is run- ning as a Republican. The Cusacks view the situation philosophically. "Each of us knows that the best one will win," says Beverly. "She's got her party and I've got mine," adds Robert. Even their 14-yar-old daughter Karen seems headed for a career in politics; she's got the method for dealing with reporters down pat already. When asked what she thought about the race she replied, "No com- ment." On the outside*... . . . there's an old saying that if you don't like Michigan weather, just wait a minute and it will change -not this time. We can expect another cloudy, dank day with showers in the morning and a high of 71. Tonight's low will dip into the 40s, but Friday should bring us some sunshine. t _ . .