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July 15, 1984 - Image 2

Resource type:
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Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1984-07-15

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

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State taxpayers' fate
to be decided this fall

By KARI MANNS
A state constitutional amendment that
would require voter approval for all tax
increases and new taxes, may be on this
fall's ballot.
The proposal is sponsored by the
Voter's Choice, a coalition of Michigan
taxpayers. Their goal is to make gover-
nment more accountable.
IF PASSED, the proposal would be
retroactive to 1981. "Any. level of
government will have to have all taxes
since 1981 voted on within 90 days or ex-
pire. If a particular increase fails, no
taxes already paid will be returned,"
said Dr. Walt Averill of a Voter's
Choice.
It would also require approval by a
majority of voters or 80 percent of the
legislature to increase revenues
through licenses, fees, permits, or user
fees. In addition, non-resident city in-
come tax would be limited to % of 1
percent - that is, a person who works
in a different city than the one he
resides in, can be charged a maximum of
5 percent income tax for the city he
works in.
"We've heard it time and time again,
the politicians empty promises about

tax restraints and even possible cuts
and all we've seen are decades of ram-
pant tax increases," said Jim DeMar,
also from Voter's Choice.
ACCORDING to Averill, there has
been a yearly increase in the state
budget since 1967. The budget was $2.2
billion then and has increased to the
present $12.3 billion. the continual in-
crease in budget was due to both
population growth and tax increases.
Taking the population into account,
Averill believes that the present budget
should be $7.4 billion. If Dr. Averill is
correct, then Governor Blanchard's tax
increases to balance the budget was
unnecessary - what should have oc-
cured was a decrease in state spending.
Thirty-five groups helped the Voter's
Choice collect the more than 340,000
signatures heeded for the July 9th
deadline. Some of the larger groups in-
cluded: Taxpayers United Federation,
Wayne County Taxpayers Association
and Citizens for Better Government.
"One thing for certain," said DeMar,
"if the Voter's Choice proposal.passes
this fall, it (tax increase) will never
happen again without our approval."

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Bearing u Associated Press
Yun Yun, a rare Giant Panda, poses for a photo after arriving with her male
companion, Ying Xin, at Los Angeles International Airport Friday. The
Pandas are on loan from the People's Republic of China,
Hart, Pearson receive

life prison
From staff reports
Seventeen-year-old Machelle Pear-
son and her boyfriend, Ricardo Hart,
were sentenced on Friday to life im-
prisonment for the November 22 mur-
der of Ann Arbor resident Nancy
Faber.
Both Hart and Pearson were found
guilty by a jury on counts of armed rob-
bery, first degree murder, and
possession of a firearm while commit-
ting a felony. Washtenaw County Cir-
cuit Court Judge Ross Campbell
pronounced the life sentence, which is
mandatory under state law for anyone
found guilty of first degree murder.
THE CHARGE of armed robbery was
dropped in both cases because, as
Campbell explained to the court, that in
order for the murder to have been
committed, the armed robbery had to
have taken place first.
Faber, a 39-year-old speech therapist
and wife of Ann Arbor News editorial,
writer Don Faber, was shot by Pearson
after Faber allegedly agreed to give
her a ride from the parking lot of the
Kroger store on Plymouth Road.
During Pearson's trial, she testified
that Hart, her boyfriend of three years,
forced her to commit the crime.

sentences
WILLIAM DELHEY, the prosecuting
attorney in Pearson's case, said an ap-
peal of the jury's decision has already
been filed. Hart's attorney, Thomas
Quarterman, said that his client would
also appeal to a higher court.
Quarterman said that he would not
handle the appeal for Hart and he could
not comment specifically on the nature
of the appeal. He said, however, there
were problems with Hart's trial.
"People in the jury were looking for
one thing to hang their hat on," Quar-
terman said. He said the publicity
surrounding Pearson's trial, which was
held first, made it impossible to find an
impartial jury in Ann Arbor.
Quarterman made a motion for
change of venue at the outset of Hart's
trial and said Prosecuting Attorney
Brian . Mackie had intentionally
dismissed minorities from the jury.
Both Hart and Pearson are black.
Quarterman said that Pearson's trial
hurt Hart's case in other ways. Calling
her "imaginative and frightened,"
Quarterman said that Pearson's
testimony should not have been taken
as conclusive proof of Hart's guilt.
"Pearson had an enormous ability to
exaggerate," he said.

Minneapolis mayor
vetoes porn ordinance
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)-For the veto, which will be considered at the
second time in seven months, the July 27 council meeting.
mayor has vetoed an ordinance FRASER HAD also vetoed a stronger
defining pornography as a violation of ordinance the council passed last win-
women's civil rights, saying he still ter, and the council failed to override
questions its constitutionality. that veto.
The City Council approved the or- Although he said the new ordinance
dinance Friday by a margin of 7-5, then improved on the original version,
passed a resolution delaying the or- Fraser said constitutional questions
dinance's implementation pending a remained and he did not believe the city
court challenge on a similar measure in should engage in a costly legal battle
Indianapolis. because court action is pending on a
BUT THEN Mayor Don Fraser similar ordinance inlIndianapolis.
vetoed the ordinance after 25 chanting Hoyt said Fraser should have allowed
demonstrators were arrested while the Minneapolis law to be tested in
protesting the council's decision to court.
delay the ordinance. "THE COSTS to the women of the city
The vote came three days after a 23- of pornography far outweigh what he
year-old woman, Ruth Christenson, set (Fraser) would have been spending in
herself on fire in a downtown bookstore helping to get the ordinance defended,"
to protest pornography. She remained she said.
in critical condition yesterday at Hen- The ordinance defines pornography
nepin County Medical Center. as a form of discrimination under civil
Charlee Hoyt, one of the ordinance's rights laws and would enable victims to
chief supporters, said she and others seek damages in court if a hearing
were trying to come up with the two committee of the Civil Rights Com-
votes needed to override the mayoral See MINNEAPOLIS, Page 7

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HAPPENINGS
Cinema Guild-Les Miserables, 7:30 & 9:45 1610 Washtenaw, call 764-9481.
p.m., Lorch. School of Music-Keith Bryan, Jerome Jelinek,
Sunday Marilyn Mason, Alfio Pignotti, 8p.m., Museum of
Performance Network-Concert, Dance Monday Art.
Theatre 2, 4 p.m., 408 W. Washington. HRD-course, "Time Management for Medicine-workshop in scientific illustration,
School of Music-Bach Cantatas, 4 p.m., Zion Managers and Supervisors," 8:30 p.m., 130 LSA; 8:30 a.m., 4414 Kresge I, call 764-6163.
Lutheran Church, 1501 W. Liberty; James Nissen, "Time Management for Professional and Ad- CFT-West Side Story, 8 p.m., Michigan.
8 p.m., Hill. ministrative Staff," 1 p.m., 130 LSA, call 764-7410. Ultimate Frisbee Club-practice, 5:30 p.m.,
CFT-West Side Story, 8p.m., Michigan. CEW-course, "Refreshing Student Skills," Fuller Park.
Send announcements to Happenings, The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor; Michigan 48109.

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