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PACE 2 - PLAINDEALER - WEDNESDAY, MARCH j». JtM News and Views Offer preferential treatment for seniors Politics join love-war* If ail is fair in love and war, perhaps the old philosophy should be expanded to include politics since that is very often the case anyway. Hardly had the votes been counted in the March 20 primary ^^t>efore Mondale, Hart and Jackson were on their way to conquer new territory. The up- and-down movement of the front runners has prompted com­ ments that the primary system, as it works today, leaves something to be desired nvi usin' &, anderin BY KAF ' TV is being named, and probably rightly so, for the rapid movement in behalf of one or another of the candidates. It's the one who captures the media with the first upset who gets the momentum and this propels him into the forefront as the newsmaker. The media wants action and media members help underdogs make news. There isn't anything so very wrong about the procedure except that it often distorts the picture since primaries aren't held in all states. Those that do haven't agreed on a reasonable time in which all are scheduled. This leaves a test of strength Free tax assistance With less than a month left in the filing season, J.R. Starkey, District Director of Internal Revenue Service for northern Illinois, reminded taxpayers that free tax assistance is available as close as their phones. As in the past years, the IRS offers free telephone assistance. The toll-free telephone system is open week days between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. McHenry residents can reach IRS at 1-800-424-1040 toll free. Product complaint help Your new high tech laser- powered digital multi-function state-of-the-art veggie slicer doesn't cut the mustard or the onions? You can't very well complain to the operator who stood by and took your order and your $9.95 after that 3 a.m. late movie last month. But you can find help from a handy reference book for consumers now available form the Department of Health and Human Services In conjunction with National Consumers Week, April 23 - 29, the Consumer's Resource Handbook has been published listing numerous tips on how, where, and to whom to send your product complaints. Tips on how to write an ef­ fective letter of complaint, a list of Better Business Bureaus, state, county and city consumer protection offices, and corporate consumer contacts are only a few of the consumer hints covered in the handbook. Whether your complaint concerns a new or used car; an appliance, a public utility, or a government service, the hand­ book will help guide you to a solution. To obtain a free copy-of the Consumer's Resource Hand­ book, write to: Department of Health and Human Services, 35th floor, 300 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, 111. 60606. FACTORY AUTHORIZED H u r r y . -- # • n d H i YOU SAVE 30% ON ALL NORWALK UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE INCLUDING SPECIAL ORDERS SALE ENDS MARCH 31, 1984 i MARTIN'S HI WAV FURNITURE 890 LAKE AVE., WOODSTOCK (815) 338-0404 DAILY 9 TO 5:30. MON. A FRI. 9 TO 9, CLOSED SUNDAY Illinois has a growing ( rtifrii population, with more than 1.2 million persons in the that is both distorted and too long. Emphasis is placed on one or two early primary states out of proportion to their importance. Some political followers have been heard to question whether it is would be wise to return to the smoke-filled rooms. Their contention is that without the smoke, conventions are not a bad nominating process. Party stalwarts at con­ ventions are more likely to choose a middle-road, com­ promise candidate over the most exciting activist. This procedure would take into consideration an individual who has neither the time nor the ego for a year and a half of cam­ paigning. There are still state con­ ventions electing delegates to a national convention and ap­ parently they feel it has certain advantages. Not in that corner of the ring would be the television media. It realized a good amount of mileage on the trials and tribulations of Walter Mondale and Gary Hart, and it isn't finished yet. TV is likely to want to stick with a winning game and it can't be blamed for that. But how long will a political-weary public go along with the win-today, lose- tomorrow antics that charac­ terize campaigning this year of 1984 "C5 and over" category, individuals, who mm lor one out of .every nine IHinoisans, are offered special discounts by businesses, and special programs and services from governments. Even the tax collector shows preferential treatment, according to an Illinois Department of Revenue official. "Much of a senior citizen's income is not taxed by the state, even though it may be taxed by the federal government," said Gary Ey, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Revenue's Tax Processing Bureau. Most government and private pension plans are not taxed, Ey for this special tax status, the retiree shoiid contact his or her former employer and iA if the p e n s i o n p l a n f * u n d e r Sections 408 through 407 of the Internal Revenue Service Code. "If the answer is 'yes', then the retiree woidd not have to pay state hacome tax on that pension he said. and the jgpte of It is not necessary to send a copy off the death certificate, he Life insurance proceeds from death benefits or grants received under the state's Circuit Breaker tax relief program for senior and disabled cifiipns also are not subject to the state income tax, according to Ey. He said that if a spouse dies during the tax year and a joint federal return is filed, the survivor should file a joint Illinois return and write According to Ey, senior do not have to file a state income tax return if their Mfrated gross income is less Htw $2,000 --«•*» tntUmm they have capital gains or dividend aacome. Retired persons who live part of the year in another state- - such as those who winter in Florida - often are confused at tax-filing time, Ey said, because they don't know if they are still considered Illinois residents and thus srtject to state income tax laws. "The determination of residency is not always clear- cut," he said. 'It generally depends upon an individual's intent. "Retirees who consider themselves residents of other and intend to return to Illinois only for visits, are no longer Illinois residents. "But retirees who consider their time in another state as a vacation and still consider themselves Illinois residents, are minoisans for tax pur­ poses," said. Senior citizens who have questions may contact any of the Illinois Department of Revenue offices listed on the inside cover of the state income tax booklet (IL-1040), or phone the depart­ ment at (217) 782-3336 or (312) 641-2150. Those who need forms should write the Illinois Department of Revenue, P.O. Box 3545, Springfield, m., 62708. Public Aid spending up 90 percent in decade The Illinois Department of Public Aid expended $2,845 billion in fiscal 1983, over one- third of Illinois' total General Funds expenditures the state's single largest . spending program, Comptroller Roland W. Burns has reported. During the past 10 fiscal years, total spending by Public Aid jumped over 90 percent and the program is being further challenged by ever rising costs and declining sources of new revenues. The end result of this combination is cost-containment efforts which could have a serious impact on the needy of Illinois, Burns said. The comptroller's monthly report traces the fiscal history of the Illinois Department of Public Aid since fiscal 1974. Elsewhere in the report, the Illinois economic picture focuses on retail sales as an indicator of economic recovery. Big ticket items, such as automobiles and new housing, showed healthy sales increases compared to the prior year. In the regular report on state finances, the end-of December balance, which marked the half­ way point of Illinois' fiscal year, stood at $208 million, with revenues from state sources increasing by $572 million over the same period a year ago. Here are some of the highlights of the Comptroller's special report on the Illinois Department of Public Aid: ...Total expenditures of the Illinois Department of Public Aid increased 90.2 percent from $1,496 billion in fiscal 1974 to $2,845 billion in fiscal 1983. Throughout the period, Public Aid's expenditues continued to account for about one-third of total General Funds' spending, ranging from 31.3 percent of total spending fiscal 1980 to 34.3 percent in fiscal 1974. ...Most Public Aid ex­ penditures are for income assistance and medical programs for the needy. ...The increasing costs of medical care took an ever larger bit of total Public Aid spending over the last 10 years. In fiscal 1974 medical assistance totaled $609 million or 41 percent of total Public Aid spending. By fiscal 1983 spending had grown to $1,555 billion, or 54.7 percent of total spending. ...Funding for the various Public Aid programs is divided between the state and federal government. The major portion of federal aid is first deposited into the Public Aid Trust Fund, which serves as a clearinghouse, and then distributed to the proper state fund. The Public Aid Trust Fund also receives monies for a variety of programs, including social service grants, which are then distributed to agencies providing the social services. ...In Fiscal 1983, 891 thousand persons, or 1 out of every 1$ individuals in Illinois, was receiving income assistance through the Department of Public Aid. Income assistance is particularly important among young people. Of the 723 thousand persons receiving AFDC payments at the end of fiscal 1983, 500 thousand or 69.2 percent were 19 or under. This equals 13.4 percent or about 1 of every 7.4 individuals under 20 Support for presidential campaign By simply placing a check mark in the appropriate block on the federal income tax form, taxpayers may participate in financing the 1984 presidential election campaign, the Internal Revenue Service said. The fund was established by Congress to support public financing of presidential elec­ tion campaigns, according to the IRS. A taxpayer wishing to designate $1 of his or her tax money to the fund should mark the "yes" block on the form. On a joint return both taxpayers may choose separately to designate or decline to designate to the fund. If one or both decline, the "no" box should be checked. Designating $1 of tax money to the fund does not increase a taxpayer's bill or decrease a refund, the IRS noted. The "yes" designation does not mean that the $1 qualifies as a political contribution for a tax credit, according to the IRS. •HEAR...but don't understand? •Ask People to REPEAT? •Been told you CAN'T wear an all in the ear hearing aid? Before you buy, you owe it to yourself to in­ vestigate the OMW-AUTOMATIC and take advan­ tage of tomorrow's technology... today I SEND TODAY FOR YOUR FREE NON-OPERATING MODEL! NU OBLIGATION MAIL TO: OMNI 7432 HANCOCK DR.. WONDER LAKE, IL. 60097 | I I Please send me your free non-operating model of the OMNI AUTOMATIC * I now wear a hearing aid j D Yes • No II FOR YOU I I I Name { Address/P.O. Box I • FOR A FRIEND | City Telephone State Zip living in Illinois. ...Average Public Aid benefits, including medical assistance, for a family of four have been above the poverty threshold from fiscal 1974 through 1982. However in fiscal 1963 the reduction in medical benefits decreased total benefits to Illinois recipients to $9,452, only 94.3 percent of the estimated poverty threshold of $10,020. If medical benefits are excluded, the value of the remaining benefits total $6,996 or 69.8 percent of the poverty level in fiscal 1983 compared to $4,276 or 89.3 percent of the poverty level in fiscal 1974. ...In fiscal 1983 1.076 million individuals were eligible for m e d i c a l a s s i s t a n c e , representing 9.4 percent of the Illinois population. This was 1.5 percent less than the average number in fiscal 1976, but 12.7 percent greater than fiscal 1980. A major factor influencing the increase in medical spending over the decade was the above average increase in medical care costs. The largest portion of spending was for hospital services; between fiscal 1974 and 1982 hospital spending tripled from $280 million to $842 million. However, spending controls imposed in fiscal 1983 caused an 11.2 percent decline in hospital related expenditures to $748 million, 48.1 percent of all medical assistance costs paid by Public Aid. Group care, primarily nursing homes, was the second largest spending category in fiscal 1983 with $460 million or 29.6 percent of total medical assistance spending. ...In the past two fiscal years, cost-containment measures have been imposed to limit Public Aid spending. The Department's payroll, which averaged 9,043 employees at the end of fiscal 1974 through 1982, was reduced to 8,238 in at the end of fiscal 1983. ...The key issue facing the state at the present and future is finding methods to control public aid costs, especially for medical assistance, while still assuring that the basic needs of the indigent are met. What can help the program is an improved economy that could reduce the number of individuals seeking income or medical assistance. i>1 "!<•><)! State Senator Jack Schaffer (R), 32nd. 56 N. Williams St. Crystal Lake, 111., 60014 Phone . 455-0309 Springfield Phone: 217 782-6525 U.S. Senators Alan J. Dixon (R) 230 S. Dearborn Room 3960 Chicago, 111., 60604 Phone: 312 353-5420 600 E. Monroe Room 108 Springfield, 111., 62706 Phone: 217 492-4126 United States Senate Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D C., 20510 Charles H. Percy (R) 230 S. Dearborn Room 3892 Chicago, 111., 60604 Phone: 312 353-4952 600 E. Monroe Room 117 Springfield. 111., 62706 Phone: 217 492-4442 United States Senate Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D C., 20510 State Representatives Dick Klemm (R), 63rd. 3 W Crystal Lake Ave. Crystal Lake. 111., 60014 Phone: 455-6330 0-2 Stratton Bldg. Springfield, 111., 62706 Phone: 217 782-8000 Ronald Wait (R), 64th 110 E. Second St. Belvidere, 111., 61008 U.S. Representative Philip M. Crane (R), 12th 1450 New Wilke Rd. Mount Prospect, 111., 60005 Phone: 312 394-0790 House of Representatives House Office Bldg. Washington, D C. 20515 McHenry County Office 56 N. William Street Crystal Lake, 111., 60014 Phone: 459-3399 ••Jj McHenry- »sin«u?5 flaindealer McHenry Herald (U?PS 335 200) Established 1875 3812 West Elm Street Phone 815 385 0170 McHenry, Illinois 60050 Published Every Wednesday & Friday at McHenry, Illinois Second Closs Postage PAID at McHenry, Illinois by McHENRY PUBLISHING COMPANY POSTMASTER Send address changes to McHenry Plaindealer 3812 W Elm St., McHenry, Illinois 60050 * Subscribers are requested to provide immediate notice of change of oddress to the McHenry Plaindealer. 3812 W Elm St., McHenry. III. 60050. A deduction of one month fi^om the expiration of a subscription will be made where a change of address is provided through the Post Office department. Thomas C. Miller-Publisher Adele Froehlich-Editor fltoarU ©inning ihtospaper MEMBER NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION 1 Year SUBSCRIPTION RATES $19.00 1 Year $27.00 !n McHenry County Outside McHenry County r