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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1985)
Smeal again NOW president by Ja y Brown Eleanor Smeal, president of the National Organizaton for Women from 1977 to 1982, was again elected president of NOW at the organization's annual convention in New Orleans last month. Smeal, who vowed to take feminists "back into the streets," upset Judy Goldsmith, the incum bent In her election campaign, Smeal said it was time to put the right wing on the defensive. A veteran voice in the women’s movement Smeal said she would lead the nation's largest feminist organization to greater activism when she takes office on September 1. “ Ellie s leadership is dynamic," says Peggy Norman, an Oregon delegate. "But her elec tion will make little change in Oregon NOW. Oregonians have always been active.” Oregon NOW members are already out in the streets, according to Norman, who is Ac tion Coordinator for Oregon NOW. NOW members are waging a door-to-door cam paign against an anticipated 1986 ballot measure to abolish state funding for abortion. "Women of means have a choice; the bal lot measure to abolish state funded abortion will target poor women," Norman said. "NOW is not waiting; we are canvassing now and fundraising to that purpose. We have made a major commitment for a march on Washington in support of reproductive rights in 1986." Included in the twenty-one resolutions passed at the NOW convention, several are of particular interest to lesbians and gays. Wording in the Lesbian and Gay Parenting and Custody resolution commits NOW “to take a leading role in defending or assisting in the defense of lesbian and gay families, and in joining with lesbian and gay legal organiza tions in challenging sodomy statutes, and urges its state and local chapters to work for adequate and effective sex education pro grams that present a positive view of women’s sexuality, and of lesbianism and homosexuality, and for the development of programs to support lesbian and gay youth." A lengthy resolution on AIDS contains writ ing which calls for NOW to oppose the use of quarantines to control the AIDS epidemic and in the event that a quarantine is im posed shall immediately call a press con ference condemning such action and take whatever other actions are necessary and at all levels encourage federal, state, and local health departments and health care providers to educate the public as to the m edical facts regarding AJDS and its inter mission and the effects of discrimination against lesbian and gay people and prosti tutes. And the Right Wing resolution urges that NOW media and action programs in the areas of Reproductive Rights (eg. In Support of Women’s Lives), Equal Rights Amend ment (eg. ERA Extension and Vermont ERA Project), and Lesbian and Gay Rights (eg. New Jersey Lesbian and Gay Rights Project) focus on exposing the right wing’s sexism, homophobia and bigotry. Membership in the various NOW chapters in Oregon numbers more than 3000, with national membership exceeding a quarter of a million. Reagan tax plan favors nuclear families Gay people will see few benefits from the tax reform measures now being promoted by the Reagan administration — unless they’re rich. High income people will benefit most from the Reagan plan because the top tax rate has been slashed to 35% from the cur rent 50%. In the middle and low income range, mar ried couples with children and a stay-at- home spouse will see their taxes reduced by larger percentages than single people. The reason is that the Reagan plan doubles the personal exemption to $2,000 for every fam ily member and allows a housewife to omit up to $2,000 from taxable income for an IRA. As the chart shows, a single gay man earn ing $30,000 will see his taxes raised 3% by the Reagan tax "reform,” but a married man, with two kids and a wife at home, will find his taxes reduced a whopping 18%. "Ronald Reagan is paying off his fundamentalist supporters by building more nuclear family bias into the tax code,” comments Matthew Reed, CPA, in San Francisco. Singles are not the only people being left out of the “Second American Revolution.” Straight married couples in the medium in come range, with two paychecks and no children, will be paying more taxes too. Ronald Reagan seems to be echoing Phyllis Schlafly, telling them that if the wife will just give up her career and have some children, they will be rewarded with a tax break. Barbara J. Torelle, L.M.T. Träger Psychophysical Integration SM & M assage For an appointment call: -23 + - Ó S S 7 The brochure is free, but please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to NGRA, 540 Castro Street San Francisco, CA 94114. How Reagan Tax Plan Affects Hypothetical 1986 Returns Current Reagan Plan Law INCOME First Earners Wages 30,000 Second Earners Wages Emplyr-pd Health Ins 3,0000 Current Reagan Law Plan Current Reagan Law Plan 30,000 30.000 20.000 30.000 20.000 300 300 30,000 300 30,000 30,300 30,000 30,300 50,000 50,300 2,000 2,000 2,000 4,000 2,000 4,000 4,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 4,000 6,000 4,000 ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME 28,000 28,300 28,000 26,300 44,000 46,300 Total Income ADJUSTMENTS Second Earner Ded IRA Contribution Total Adjustments * ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS Charatable Contribs Home Mortgage Int State A Local Taxes 1,000 4,500 2,184 1,000 4,500 1,000 4,500 2,184 1,000 4,500 0 1,000 4,500 2,860 1,000 4,500 0 Total Itemized Less Zero Bracket 7,684 2,480 5,500 2,900 7,684 3,670 5,500 4,000 8,360 3,670 5,500 4,000 Allowable Itemized Personal Exemptions 5,204 1,080 2,600 2,000 4,014 4,320 1,500 8,000 4,690 3,670 1,500 4,000 6.284 4,600 8,334 9,500 8,360 5,500 21,716 23,700 19,666 16,800 35,640 40,800 3,570 3,690 2,353 1,920 6,221 6,700 Total ItemAExempt TAXABLE INCOME TAX PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN TAX MARGINAL TAX RATE ♦ 3% 261 251 ♦ 7% -18% 18% 15% 25% 28% — SANDRA K. PINCHES CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST Counseling and Psychotherapy Massage for women ami men Neo-Reichian & Shiatsu National Gay Rights Advocates, the San Fr ancisco-based public interest law firm, has published a new brochure on wills. Written in a question-answer form at the brochure ad dresses the typical concerns of gay men and women. Some of the areas covered are pro bate, taxes, joint ownership of property and estate planning. NGRA Executive Director Jean O’Leary said; "Wills give us the power to make im portant decisions about the disposition of our property. With a will, you can make sure your last wishes are respected so that those most by Morgan Pinney, CPA N if e h n ORI i o o o Valerie Lyon, M.S., L.M.T. important to you will be remembered. With out a will, you simply have no choice.” Leonard Graff, NGRA Legal Director, said: "We just finished successfully defending the validity of a gay man's will that his two nieces had challenged. Unfortunately this sort of thing happens all the time. NGRA’s brochure has a section that specifically deals with the problem of will contests.” Graff noted that the defense of the will was a joint project with Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Fund for Human Dignity. Wills brochure published Individuals, Couples, and Families Adolescents, Adults Gay, Lesbian and Couples Individuals í «U Relationship Problems Depression Stress Partners of Alcoholics Caterers 223-8690 11H12 X.W. 24ili • Pori land. O regon 97210 Unique FcxxJ Presentations 1809 N.W. JOHNSON, SUITE 7 PORTLAND, OR 97209 (503) 227-7558 IV iv l. m u he« • I'in n e r » Plena.' I tinkle or Out I ’.irr ie ' • P riv a te o r I V i 'i n c " Lin e W in e S e le c tio n ' • T .i'fn u .’' Just O ut. August. 1985