Uq 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." 0 0 0 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 0 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. 0