. ThU week I - want to applaud the -voters of : ; Washington, D.C.. . -: j 4 Voters' in this predominantly black city on r I November 3 overwhelmingly rejected a tuition tax .-' i credit proposal that would have allowed taxpayers , -to take credit against their local income tax for public and private school costs. Some ninety per cent of those voting opposed the measure. ' If the proposal had been approved by District of ; Columbia voters and passed congressional and ' judicial scrutiny observers predicted that it :. , would have spurred similar efforts in many cities . with troubled school systems, as well as in Con gress. " ' - '. Senators Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY), : , Robert Packwdod (R-OR), and William Roth (R-DE) have introduced a tuition tax credit bill (S. 550) that would provide a tax credit to those parents whose children are in elementary, secondary, col lege or vocational educational institutions. This bill calls for a $250 refundable credit in 1982. and a , $500 refundable credit in 1983. Similar, although not identical, measures are pending before the House Ways and Means Com- Haye you ever felt like you've been ripped off? Maybe your landlord wouldn't give back your' security deposit after you moved out. Or a TV repair shop' wanted to charge you for work you didn't ask for and wouldn't give back your TV unless you paid, If something like this has happened to you, small claims court may be the answer. Small claims courts help people settle disagreements over amounts of money or property that are worth $1000 or less. Every county in North Carolina has a small claims court. Small claims court is part of the regular court system. It is dif ferent; however, from higher courts because deci-; sions are made quickly, the cost is low, and you don't have to hire a lawyer. You can hire one if you so desire. Taking a case to small claims court takes , about a month from start to finish- The judge in A View From Capitol Hill: ; . Tuition Tax Credits Would Take ; Funds Away From Public Schools'- .' ; ; - - - y , ? ' " ' By Gus Savage '" - ' ', Member of Congress mittce. More than twenty other tax credit bills have been introduced, and President Reagan has promis ed his own version of a tuition tax credit plan, i My reasons for being opposed to tuition tax credits are as follows: - , , First, I believe that public, monies should be used to support public purposes; The concept of tuition , tax credits represents a diversion of public monies for private purposes, because of revenues that would be lost to the U.S. Treasury. Among other broad public purposes, Federal monies should be used to improve the quality of public education.' This would be much more difficult to accomplish if the increasingly limited Federal resources are fur ther constrained by diversion of funds to private education. ' . -' Second, passage of tuition tax credits legislation would, worsertyhe already serious Federal budget deficit that our nation faces. To this extent; then, tuition tax credits are not consistent with President . Reagan's stated goal of achieving a balanced budget, V. . Third, statistical studies indicate that tuition tax credits Would mostly benefit families of students who attend sectarian schools. This being the case, I ani concerned that the Supreme Court -would most likely find this legislation unconstitutional as viola tion of the separation of Church-State doctrine. .' Plain Talk About The Law Small Claims Court By North State Legal Services small claims court is called a magistrate. We mentioned a few situations above where yoih might use small claims court. Other situations might include: A business wants to sue someone who has not paid a bill. Stress Might Be Fatal To Your Health America might be the obesity, says Dr. Har-: land of opportunity, but ison. There are also the stress of the competi- social problems related tion for that opportunity to stress such as divorce, might be killing you. broken homes, child Americans live in "a . abuse as well as job-stress-ridden culture," 1 related problems, says Dr. Dorothy D.i Dr. Harrison, who is Harrison, director of the' also an associate pro- rplaxation and hlofeed. fessor in Howard's control center, Dr. Har back Droaram at the. department of communi-- rison uses biofeedback, patterns." When an in dividual's stress level re mains high over a long period of time, that per son may lose the ability to relax, she adds. During relaxation training sessions at the Howard hypertension Howard University Center for Hypertension Control. With changing ty health and family practice, points out that American blacks, as a lifestyles, an increasingly group, experience more competitive job market, , stress in their lives and a rise in the number of have fewer avenues to working mothers and escape from it than other single parents, and ethnic groups, economic stagnation, The major relief of more people today are stress is relaxation. "The suffering from stress- idea of relaxation," Dr. related illnesses and Harrison notes, "runs counter to the American which is a way of elec tronically feeding back to individuals the actual degree of tension that they are experiencing. By using auditory signals, the biofeedback process makes them become aware of their tensions and once aware they can modify their stress, she notes. Another technique Dr. Harrison practices at the center is guarded im agery, a method by which an individual relives another situation that was relaxing. She notes that some of j (Continued on Page 16) Someone pays in advance to have a furnace fixed but not all the repairs paid for are done. When the complaint and summons are filled in correctly, the clerk will give your oase a file number and write it on both papers. You must pay the clerk a filing tee ot about iV in cash when you file the complaint. If you win the case, this fee will be add ed to what the defendant is supposed to pay you. If you and the defendant settle your disagreement before you get to court, you cannot get this money back. A copy of both the summons and the complaint must be delivered to each person you are suing. You can have these papers sent to the defendant either by mail through the clerk's office or delivery by the sheriff. The second step in the small claims process is preparing for the trial. You need to focus on two things: One, you must prove how much you are ow ed; and two, you must prove how the defendant is responsible for what you are owed. Think carefully about the evidence you must gather and witnesses you may want to call. It's also a good idea to prac tice what youre going to say before you go to court. Keep your story sTiort and to the point. You may also want to visit the small claims courtroom so you know what to expect. 4'SAT., MSYEKSEI 23, 1231 THE CAHClirJlTU .13 . f The tuition tax credit scheme fits neatly into the n Reagan philosophy of always benefkttnj the rich at (the expense of the poor: Taking money from a ,l public, school Mb, a ghetto neighborhood and - trans fering it to a private school In an affluent - neighborhood Is in the same league as cutting the ; check of a welfare mother while decreasinf the .taxes of a millionaire. . ? After the Supreme Court's 1954 ruling against segregated schools,' southern states engaged in massive resistance to net arnnrut dMMmaiiiM Ium .j schools. Enacting tuition tax credits would revive ; these efforts by making available more funds, thereby providing a federal subsidy to violate the ,aw- '' . '1, -;;,v'vr.. As a matter of record, cities throughout the coun try have shown their objections to carrying out the . mandate of the High Court. Court-ordered busing , is labeled "forced busing" in many areas as school districts drag '-their feet and look for ways to get .around the law. I see no reason to give in or drop our guard just because the scheme is now taking a different form. The third step in the small claim process is the trial itself. Make sure to get there about ten. minutes early. Bring all papers and other evidence you will use to prove your case. The Tirst thing the magistrate will ask you and any witnesses (o do is to swear or affirm that you will tell the truth. If you are the plaintiff, you will tell your side of the story first. Tell you story simply and truthfully and show the magistrate any evidence you have. Do not fry to act like a lawyer. Use your own words. The magistrate may ask you some questions and then the defendant or their lawyer may ask you ques tions. Your witnesses' will have a chance lo speak and may be asked questios, too. Tell the magistrate if you do not want to answer a question. Do not argue with the defendant. After you have presented your case, the defen dant will have a chance to speak. The magistrate may ask the defendant or his witnesses some ques tions. Then you may ask them questions. The magistrate will decide the case after hearing each side and . looking at all the evidence. The magistrate may make a decision then or lake up to ten days to consider some legal question. No more evidence can be given after the trial. You can call or go to the office of the Clerk or Superior Court later to find out what the decision is. Be sure to have the case file number with you. The magistrate will write the decision on a paper called a "judgment." This is a permanent record to be kept at the office of the Clerk of Court. If you are not satisfied with the decision, you may appeal by filing a written notice with the clerk , within ten days from the date on the judgment. You ' will have to pay $1 1 to appeal the case. North State Legal Services offices have copies of a handbook for those persons interested in filing small claims actions. Contact North State Legal Services for more information. might not even know it. i Stress Is' aHy 'deWaHd" etnic or n wwww wu put on tlte'btidy? Ple-' relaxation Ka'wasr.,w' sant as well as unplea- If stress is not reduc sant situations can cause ed, the consequences are stress. Fifty to eighty per heart disease, stroke and cent of -all diseases have possibly cancer as well as .stress at their roots, and other life-threatening doctors say that increas- conditions, Dr. Harrison ed stress is directly cor- emphasizes, related to decreased life Most people do not expectancy. know hbw to relax, she Increasing numbers of says. Relaxation is not Americans are suffering just sitting, sleeping or from such stress-related the absence of work. "It diseases as high blood is the complete letting go pressure, alcoholism, of all tensions from the gastric ulcers, hay fever, muscles and the release migraine headaches and I of disturbing thought Are You A Stress Seeker? Rate yourself as to how you typically react in each of the situations listed below: ' 4-always 3-frequently 2-sometimes 1 -never 1 . Do yoi have a tendency to put things off until the last moment and then frantically work to get them done? 2. Do you thrive on situations in which there is pressure, competition, tension or risk? . 3. Do you find stress or tension has been a driving force behind many of your major ac complishments? 4; Do you feel exhilerated or energized after accomplishing a difficult task or closing an important business deal? 5. Do you enjoy novelty or challenge in your work? - 6. Do -you have a tendency to see obstacles as challenges rather than headaches? 7. Are you constantly seeking ways to pr 1 fif "aT (i ?215lr jI)$D) Scars Aluminum 7-Pc. O JL n c.V7 Coofcwaro Sot S V . JfeT. A great appliance helper for a busy kit- Fair82 . Mrz 4 J mmmmsm chen. Features chopping blade, slice-shred catalog open issi i I cgg 1 disc and mixing blade to knead dough. fSfk 1s3 ' 322? 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