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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1974)
THE BATTALION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1974 Page 2 MBHiminniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJ Listen Up THE B, a tesdav, Ecktox V \ SCON A head defends Kunstler mov Ay. Rod SfMO'i | liiiuiiiiiiiHiiiiiniiiimiiiniiHiiiiiiniiiraiiiiiiiimiimiiraiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimHiiiiii'Hiifis State Rep. Joe Pentony of Houston said money from the Permanent University Fund has been spent at the University of Texas on items like bouquets, paper shredders and even toilet paper. All this in light of the fact that the fund was established “to provide academic excellence” through increased research and graduate facilities. Profits from the permanent fund are distributed annually, with the Texas A&M University System receiving one-third and the University of Texas System getting the rest. The annual allotments that have been split by UT and A&M, known as the University Available Fund, has recently been worth over $30 million. Pentony claims that this money has been misused and should be divided equally among all state schools. Pentony’s allegations made me curious as to how A&IVF s share of the pie was being spent, so I visited Clyde Freeman, Jr., vice president and comptroller of the TAMU System. I learned that: (1) The Permanent University Fund consists of the oil and gas bonuses and royalties from 2.1 million acres of land in West Texas. These profits are invested in corporate securities, stocks, bonds, mortgages and other securities. According to the constitution, the $670 million Permanent Fund cannot be spent but income from its investments, which amount to about $30 million annually go to the UT and A&M Systems. (2) Money from the Available Fund can be spent in three ways. It can be used for permanent improvements and major repairs to the TAMU campus only. It can be used to pay principal and interest on bonds issued by the Board of Directors and backed by the University Available Fund. (The principal outstanding cannot exceed 6 2/3 percent of the value of the permanent fund). In addition, the money can supplement the University’s educational and general budget, which means it can be spent on just about anything. (3) A 1958 amendment to the constitution allows the University to give proceeds from bonds backed by the fund to other colleges and agencies within the System. (The Moody College in Galveston was established after 1958 and cannot receive these proceeds). The bond money can only be used for new building construction. From September of 1958 until June of last year Prairie View received nearly $6!4 million for new construction; Tarleton State, $5.2 million; and A&M, $35.7 million. (4) For the fiscal year ’74-’75, $4.7 million of the Available Fund is obligated to pay off bonds. Of the remainder, $2 million is allotted for permanent improve ments and $3.7 million will go into the general pool of state funds that support the current operations of the TAMU campus. At the end of the 1972 fiscal year this meant the' fund could be used to help meet the salaries of a number of janitors and cleaning women. (5) The money tagged for construction is not used to build dormitories or dining halls but only for educational or research facilities. The Oceanography-Meteorology Building, Zachry Engineering Center, Office and Classroom Building and the Library are among recent expenditures along this line. Pentony is right when he says not all of the fund is used as the writers of the constitution intended. However, to split the money among the more than 30 state supported schools in Texas would destroy the initial concept under which the fund was established. It would not allow for the great expense of building a McDonald Observatory or a College of Veterinary Medicine. His plan would put all state schools of higher education on the same financial level and mediocrity could well become an accepted standard. Editor’s note: SCON A chairman Steve Kosub was a major figure in a Battalion investigation and has been the target of criticism in several letters to the editor. Under this circumstance we are waiving our 300 word limit for letters to allow Mr. Kosub an un restricted forum to defend his po sition. Editor: The events and discussion of the past week regarding the Nine teenth Student Conference on Na tional Affairs, William Kunstler and “the free exchange of ideas” on this university campus have either obscured or ignored a num ber of points which if for no other reason than my own peace of mind, I feel very much need to be said. If I ramble, I beg your mo mentary indulgence; far too many conflicting thoughts have hounded me as a result of this matter to allow for any sort of orderly pre sentation. In asking you to accept my credibility, several things must be set straight from the outset. With regard to my reply to Mrs. Kun stler when asked if withdrawal of her husband’s invitation was prompted by political considera tions, I did indeed reply “no.” This was a shallow attempt at coverup on my part for which I have since apologized to Mrs. Kuntzler. Also incomplete was my statement that Mr. Kuntzler’s cancellation resulted from a change in programming. The stu dents of Texas A&M University deserve a more accurate explana tion and to you also I extend my apologies. With regard to the statements credited to me in the January 29 edition of The Battal ion by Mr. Greg Moses, specifi cally, “we decided it was not in the best interest of TAMU . . . Kunstler is not the most popular man at this time,” I made no such comments, and do not feel qual ified to determine the best inter ests of an institution of this size and complexity. Determining the best interests of the Student Con ference on National Affairs how ever, is very much my responsibil ity, and it is a responsibility for which I have worked for three years to be qualified to accept. My considerations in cancelling Mr. Kunstler’s invitation can be defined on two levels: a fear of potential loss of funding to the university and a fear of potential loss of funding and advisory sup port to the SCONA Committee. Whether or not the implied threat of a loss of funding to this univer sity as a result of a presentation by Mr. Kunstler is indeed a real consideration, I cannot know for sure. I have only the offer of one man’s integrity that such is in- I LIKED TOT PART ABOUT IKE HUGE EMMIENT, INCREASE/ I LOVED TOT PART ABOUT AAYAAONEY BUYING MORE THAN EVER IN HISTORY/ I LIKED THAT PART ABOUT PROTECTING THE GOOD OLE ENVIRONMENT/ ' I LIKED THE PART WHERE I SAID I WOULD FINISH MY TERM/ ( swa&ir tot/ Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Directors. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise operated by students as a University and Community newspaper. The Battalion, a student newspaper published in College Station, Texas, dail; at Texas A&M, is Sunday, Monday, and May, and once a week during summer ition, Texas, daily except Saturday, holiday periods, September through luring summer school. MEMBER The Associated Press, Texas Press Association LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed and show the address of the writer. Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school year; $6.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 6% sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request. The Battalion, Room 217, Services Buildir Texas 77843. Address: ng, College Station, matter he paper lerein. Right also reserved. to the use for to it or not of spontaneous spor origin published herein. Right of reproduction of all other ereir Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. Membe: Lindse H. E. and Jan Faber. Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Services. Inc, New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Interim Editor Rod Speer Assistant to the Editor Greg Moses Managing Editor Stephen Goble News Editor T. C. Gallucci Photo Editor Gary Baldasari Sports Editor Kevin Coffey Ass’t. Sports Editor Ted Boriskie SANDWICHES SUBMARINES ‘Where no two sandwiches are alike!” Situated Right at Northgate Kesami meats are prime quality. There is no other roast beef as delicious as ours. Quality tastes better. 329 University Dr. 11 a. m. til 1 a. m. 846-6428 given no reason to doubt that in tegrity. My own inability to deter mine what is or is not in thit uni versity’s best interest has already been established; this same lack of perception must prevent me from determining that a presenta tion by William Kunstler is fair exchange for any potential loss or damage to any other single pro gram of this university commu nity. If I have exercised a forfeit ure of courage in failing to make such a determination, it is a for feiture for which I cannot apol ogize. With regard to any potential loss of funding or advisory sup port to next year’s SCONA pro gram, I have a great deal more to say. I am fascinated by the statement of Messers. McBee and Welborn that “lack of donations from conservative, systematic businessmen should not be cited as a valid reason for depriving the faculty and students of TA MU from hearing a controversial man who has risen to such na tional prominence.” I would point out to these gentlemen, and all others who have expressed simi lar viewpoints, that these “con servative, systematic business men” have contributed some $250,000 over the last 19 years to the SCONA program alone with no hope of any sort of re turn consideration. I am aware of no matching TAMU student body grants to date. To those who regret that the excitement of intellectual exchange must be tempered by the cost of making such exchange possible, I sympa thize. For those who decry the limited responsibilities incurred in meeting that cost as far out weighing the value of the ex change, I have only contempt, and a challenge to gather togeth er even a dozen delegates for a student conference without fi nancial backing where a registra tion fee of $150 is required. Of those who have congratu lated me on my efforts to protect TAMU from this “evil man,” I must ask that you withhold your gratitude. One month ago I was very much con vinced that William Kunstler was the right choice for the SCONA program. With or without Mr. Whitsett’s endorsement, the SCO NA committee and I feel the ad ministration of TAMU very much hope that this university might someday become a place where one can indeed listen to the rad ical, the conservative and the middle of the road and draw one’s own conclusions. In an effort to speed the realization of that goal, I suggest that next year’s stu dent body donate $20,000 obli gation free to the Student Con ference on National Affairs Pro gram and that the Student Sen ate draft a recommendation to increase tuition fees to such a degree that State and private funding is no longer necessary for the execution of this univer sity’s functions. have made it possible, can be proud. Phil Steven Kosub Chairman, SCONA 19 Referring to your disclaimer of the quote “we decided it was not in the best interest of TA MU . . . Kunstler is not the most fly CL1I popular man at this timt/H gtaff ^ Moses says that was 1®- By ft answer you gave him totkito political tion: “Why did you decidt; & j re ady bring Kunstler?” Moses , £ or the red to a phone interview tlj a c ontn of Jan. 24. The Battalion^ jt, thou behind him.—Ed. gra CADET SLOUCH by Jim U Rather than lend its support to an attempt at expose of non existent administrative suppres sion I would suggest that the men and women of Texas A&M University retain their idealism and devotion to the pursuit of academic freedom beyond the date of their graduation and de vote themselves to the develop ment of a social system that no longer requires money to make itself work. The Nineteenth Student Con ference on National Affairs be gins on February 13 at 2 p.m. with the presentation of Mrs. Alice Rivlin of the Brookings In stitute entitled “Overview: Re ordering American Priorities.” I hope you will join us in making it a conference of which the stu dents and faculty of Texas A&M University, and the sponsors who “This may be a rough semester! 1 just had a guyc^ plain about our water!” OUT-A-SITE SALADS CHEESECAKES UNIVERSITY NATIONAL MAKES IT HAPPEN, mW . . A RETIREMENT INCOME . . AN EDUCATION A NEW BUSINESS . A TRIP OR VACATION . . . . A NEW HOME A University National savings account is stored up buying power for opportunities or help in an emergency. START TODAY AND SAVE THE UNIVERSITY NATIONAL WAY University National Bank MEMBER F.D.I.C. 711 University Drive College Station