Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1988. január-június (42. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)
1988-03-17 / 11. szám
Thursday, March 17.1988. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZO 11. AmHúúh HuncARiAns What we could do with those taxes! By Herb Kaye How long do you think the International Revenue Service (IRS) would allow you to get away with not paying your income tax? Six months? A year? Two years? How about 22 years? But don't you go trying it - that's not for the likes of you and me. The fact is, however, that Texaco Inc., the nation's third largest energy company, owes the federal government $6.5 billion in taxes for the period from 1965 to 1987. These taxes are mostly from income on foreign crude oil sales that Texaco avoided paying during the 22-year period. These figures came to light in the course of bankruptcy proceedings which Texaco initiated to avoid having to post a $10.3 billion appeal bond in its legal wrangle with Pennzoil Corp. The courts had ruled that Texaco interfered illegally in a deal in which Pennzoil was trying to acquire Getty Oil. The dispute was settled last December, with Texaco agreeing to pay Pennzoil $3 billion in cash. But the IRS, which ordinarily shows no mercy to the average citizen, told the bankruptcy court that "they will not seek the $6.5 billion owed the government so that Texacp can proceed with its efforts to emerge from bankruptcy." In 1986, Texaco ranked 50th in the Fortune 500, with assets of $34.9 billion and profits for that year of $725 million - hardly a pauperized enterprise. All of this raises many provocative questions, such as:-How much free health care, day care centers, homes for the homeless and low income citizens, smaller class sizes and modern facilities for inner city schools - to name only a few of the social needs of our nation - could $6.5 billion provide?-By how much could the taxes of the low and middle income Americans have been reduced if Texaco had paid its rightful share of the tax burden?-How much of those colossal profits were made through sales of oil to the apartheid regime of South Africa?-How many other Fortune 500 companies owe similar amounts of unpaid taxes over equally long or longer periods of time - and wouldn't the collection of those unpaid taxes go a long way towards paying off the national debt and balancing the federal budget? As the questions mount, the answers seem to point loudly in the direction of a basic shift in government policy aimed at curbing and dismantling monopoly control of the life blood of the United States. The tax load needs to be placed squarely on those best able to pay, the big corporations and upper income individuals. Healthy Way of Eating They say it is hard to resist the temptation of Hungarian cuisine. This statement is attested to by those tourists who, on their return home, are shocked to note their weight and pay for their outing with weeks of dieting. This is, naturally, not the exclusive sin of Hungarian gastronomy, as French delicacies, Italian spaghetti, Spanish specialities and South American dishes all endanger our weight. And, as was stated by the World Health Organization, not only our surplus weight but the ever more frequent cases of diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses, heart attacks and gallstones indicate that we are in need of a more healthy way of eating. Although the WHO lists these as the illnesses of our age, it is probably not accidental that the idea of reforming life was already closely connected to the movement of reform nutrition in Germany at the end of 19th century. The movement's renaissance began in the 1970s, and its wider influence dates from the 1980s. Hungary joined the trend with a decade- long delay. At present, the healthy way of eating, has few followers and prophets in the country, and only two shops have specialized in selling reform foods. These are complemented by two shops of the Milling Industry, which exclusively offer noodles, milling industry by-products and various kinds of bread. But their offer is limited as compared to that found in Western European health and food shops. vj,..'. .-y « * * •/*. AVt.V'.VV “ * **'*’ ' ■........... The Natura Economic Partnership which operates the two shops, represents the reform spirit in Hungary. The small partnership sees great promise in the business, not only at home, but abroad, too. Their expectations are well-founded. The Natura Economic Partnership was set up following two years of market research, and the selection of products. The firm responsible for the venture is TSZKER, which is a partnership itself, a voluntary grouping of cooperatives and economic societies. The founding members also include the Tinning Industry Research Institute, the Pharmatrade Foreign Trade Company, and the Agrobank Ltd. The equity is modest, but the production, research and development and financial support provided by the founders to the Economic Partnership multiply the value of this capital. Twenty-two state farms in various parts of the country agreed to produce crops on 1,300 hectares according to the requirements of Natura. These demands are very high. The Partnership joined the International Federation of Organic agriculture Movements. Natura popularizes a healthy way of eating, rather than its products. It offers recipes, simple dishes and specialities of natural cuisine, and those interested find out for themselves that the place where all these are available is the specialized shops of the Natura Economic Partnership. Endre Ady THE MAGYAR FALLOW I walk on meadows run to weed, On fields of burdock and of mallow. I know this rank and ancient ground: This is the Magyar fallow. I bow down to the sacred soil; This virgin ground is gnawed I fear. You skyward groping seedy weeds, Are there no flowers here? While I regard the slumbering earth, The twisting vines encircle me, And scent of long-dead flowers steep My senses amorously. Silence. I am dragged down and roofed And lulled in burdock and in mallow. A mocking wind goes whisking by Above the mighty fallow. The scene witnessed by Caroline F. Cannon, occured during the morning rush hour at Broadway and 79th Street, where a panhandler was jingling coins in a paper coffee cup. "Any change?" he asked a woman, looking her squarely in the eye. The somewhat grim-looking woman broke into a smile. "No, still unemployed," she said. "But how nice of you to ask!" The panhandler, nonplused, dropped the question when he approached the next passer-by, and let the jingle of his coffee cup do the talking. COMPREHENSIVE Ipwipj--------------------------------------------------------------$1,000,000 FromB’naiB’rith ■ Standard Semi-Private Room Charges Are Eligible Expenses ■ Home Health Care Benefit ■ Maternity Benefit ■ Ambulatory Surgical Benefits ■ Second Surgical ■ Dental Option Opinion Benefit Plus, with the B'nai B'rith plan you choose the doctor; you choose the hospital: you choose the deductible. And. you're cosered wherever you go—when you travel, your protection goes with you. Available for B'nai B'rith members up to age 65. 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