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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1975)
Cbe Battalion Vol. 68 No. 94 College Station, Texas , Thursday, March 27, 1975 Inside Alcoholism p. 3 Election section p. 5 Baseball p. 10 SG to decide s/y/S' services fees Athletic budget— msc bargain or ripoff? rec l uest tonight • ■ OPAS presents Alicia de Larrocha Photo by Jack Holm OPAS and Town Hall presented Alicia de Larrocha in the Rudder Auditorium Wednesday night. De Larrocha performed two encores to the delight of the audience after her program of Romantic music. Legislature retains speed limit Fears losing $453 million in highway funds mediate effect. Senators also agreed to allow in surance agents to charge up to 18 per cent a year on money they loan clients to buy insurance policies. Sen. A. M. Aikin Jr., D-Paris, protested that Texas roads are built for 70 m.p.h. and highway patrol men are writing 60,000 speeding AUSTIN, Tex. (AP) — Legis lators gave in to financial pressure Wednesday, extending Texas’ 55 mile an hour speed limit rather than risk losing $453 million in federal highway funds. The House vote was 126-19 and the Senate 26-5, large enough ma jorities to put the bill into im- Tax cuts Congress sends new biil to Ford tickets a month. “That shows how much respect they have for it,” Aiken said of Texas motorists. “I’m not going to have the federal government come down here and browbeat us,” said Aikin. “The question may be, ‘Do we want federal money?’ But now is not the time to decide it,” said the spon- WASHINGTON (AP) — Con gress passed, Wednesday night, and sent to President Ford a $24.8-billion antirecession tax cut package that includes rebate checks and tax reductions for virtually all Americans. The Senate approved the meas ure by a vote of 45 to 16. Although Ford has expressed ob jections to several provisions of the far-reaching bill, congressional leaders predicted he will sign it rather than delay even further the economic stimulus Ford says is needed to end the recession. Before passing the legislation 287 to 125, the House rejected a Repub lican motion to send the package back to conference, which would have provided an opportunity to argue for eliminating sections which Ford considers objectionable. Republican leaders said be forehand that the vote on this re commit motion was important be cause it could determine whether the bill would be vetoed by the President. The motion failed, 197 to 214, but the margin was far short of the two-thirds needed to override a veto. The compromise legislation, ap proved earlier in the day by a Senate-House conference commit tee, is designed to stimulate the economy by putting extra money into the pockets of most Americans within weeks. A major provision of the bill pro vides for rebates of 1974 income taxes averaging 10 per cent of taxes paid, up to a maximum rebate of $200. The bill also calls for a $30 tax credit on 1975 income for every tax payer and for each member of his family. These reductions would mean a reduction of at least $220 in 1974 and 1975 taxes for every family of four in the United States. Earlier, GOP congressional lead ers who met with Ford shortly after the conferees finished their work said Ford did not indicate whether he would veto the bill. However, several of the Republi cans said they would vote against the bill and at least two of them — Sens. Paul Fannin of Arizona and John Tower of Texas — said they would support a presidential veto. White House Press Secretary Ron Nessen said Ford expressed dismay during the meeting with GOP leaders over “astronomical spending proposals moving through Congress.” He said Ford “has to weigh the tax cut bill against these oncoming spending proposals.” Nessen said Ford would not de cide whether to veto the bill “for at least several days.” Democratic leaders scoffed at the idea of a veto. Other major provisions of the bill include: — Repeal of the oil depletion al lowance for major oil companies. The allowance would be retained under certain conditions for the 10,000 independent producers who drill 80 per cent of the nation’s oil and gas wells. — An increase in standard deduc tions, the amount subtracted from gross income by persons who do not itemize their deductions. The minimum standard deduction would be increased to $1,600 for single persons and $1,900 for mar ried couples filing joint returns. It currently is $1,300 for both. The maximum standard deduction would be increased to 16 per cent of gross income, up to a maximum of $2,300 for single persons and $2,600 for couples. The current deduction is 15 per cent of gross income, with a maximum of $2,000. F / £ / i / Photo by Steve McGown Loloma ends TAMU visit Hopi jeweler Charles Loloma ended three days of Forum. In Loloma’s visit, he demonstrated tech- lecture-demonstrations at A&M Wednesday with niques he uses in making Indian jewelry, an arts and crafts workshop in the Rudder sor. Sen. Bill Meier, D-Euless, aware that the current 55 m.p.h. limit expires next Tuesday. A handful of West Texas conser vatives again urged the House to give the bill less than 100 votes so it would not become law until Sept. 1, but they were unsuccessful. In addition to the federal alloca tion of $303 million to Texas for two years starting June 30, assistant state highway engineer Marcus Yancey Jr. noted in a letter to Rep. Jon Newton, D-Beeville, that the Sept. 1 date would prevent the state from receiving $150 million in re cently unfrozen federal funds. If the funds are not spent by June 30, they will be lost completely, Yancey said. On the interest rate on insurance policies. Sens. Bob Gammage of Houston, Mike McKinnon of Cor pus Christi and Meier went along with 18 others to give the sponsor. Sen. Grant Jones, D-Abilene, the bare minimum of 21 votes to debate the measure. The trio then voted against the bill, which was sent to the House, 18-13. University health fee separated AUSTIN (AP) — Despite opposi tion by student body presidents from various Texas colleges, the Se nate Education Committee ap proved a bill Wednesday allowing for the collection of student medical service fees. The committee also heard tes timony on a measure by Sen. Bob Gammage, D-Houston, to insure that each governing board of state colleges and universities has at least one member who is a student at the time of his appointment. Tbe medical services fee bill, sponsored by Sen. Pete Snelson, D-Midland, would permit the gov erning board of a state college or university to collect $15 a semester to pay for doctor’s fees and medical treatment. Quincy Ollison, student body president at North Texas State Uni versity in Denton, said he was op posed to Snelson’s bill because he was against any additional fees and lack of student participation in set ting or handling the fees. Snelson said he did not intend to impose anything on students they did not want, but he added that “I can’t deny the students who need proper health care. ” Speaking in opposition to Gammage’s bill, Frank Erwin said it would be difficult to appoint a regent-student who would be rep resentative of all 12 branches of the University of Texas system. “A better way to handle the prob lem would be to have a regent, who would not have to be a student, under age 25 and maybe another under age 30,’ said Erwin, a former UT regent and now lobbyist for the group. By JERRY GEARY Staff Writer It’s budget approval time again, and you may be able to hear the muffled cries of “Riffity-riffity, riff raff. . .” from the Athletic Business Office of Wally Groff, who is un happy with the $130,000 budget slash that is being recommended. Assistant athletic director for bus iness affairs, Groff says that TAMU students “are getting a tremendous bargain’ in athletic events by com parison with other schools. “Last year the Athletic Depart ment received $9.63 per student from student services fees while our competitors are receiving $12-16 from each of their students,” says Groff. This year the Athletic Depart ment requested $219,000 from ser vices fees to be used for non revenue sports such as baseball, golf, swimming, tennis, track and women’s sports. Another $140,000 was asked for season ticket passes to home football games. “The reason for the increase was women’s s^ports which wasn’t the ob ligation of the Athletic Depart ment,” commented Groff. While women’s athletics is budgeted at $104,000, non-revenue sports operations cost between $250,000-270,000 but only $120,000 is being recommended for these events. In order to pay for these athletic programs, surplus football revenue must be used. Much controversy centers around the proposed user fee. Groff says that this charge was recom mended by students in order to make payment to the football prog ram optional. Under this proposal, everyone would have the option to purchase a season ticket pass to all football games for $10 or be charged $2.50 for each individual game. Groffs only comment on this re commendation is that an individual who doesn’t buy the Season pass should have to pay more (around $3.50) for a ticket. “I just can’t quite agree with the figures they gave us,” Groff said. On the other side of the coin. Curt Marsh feels that the Athletic Department is receiving more than its share of student fees. “Last year we supported 12 per cent and this year with $270,000 we are supporting 14 per cent of their entire budget,” says Marsh. Marsh commented that with an estimated enrollment increase of 15 per cent, the Athletic Department will make more than $150,000 in season ticket football passes. “I’ll make a dollar bet with any body that the way the proposal is set up, they’ll make more than their $270,000,” said Marsh, confidently. Marsh said that the Athletic De partment is operating on a profit and that appropriating more money for their use won’t make a bit of differ ence — they 11 only be deeper in die black. “My job is to get the students the best deal for the lowest price,” Marsh said. ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT Approved Last Year $215,000 Requested This Year $359,000 (219,000 + 140,000 User fee) Recommended This Year $270,000 (120,000 + 150,000 User fee) wm By DON MIDDLETON Staff Writer The Student Senate will hear re commendations for student services fees budgets tonight including MSG Student Programs, Great Issues Committee and Political Forum. MSG Student Programs, consist ing of the Student Program Office, Student “Y” and the Director of Student Activities, requested $391,311, an increase of $88,466 over the 1974-75 budget. Much of the increase came in salaries for non-student workers and other wages. Other increases were due to expanded services such as the Arts and Crafts Center The Political Forum committee requested $12,926 of Student Ser vices fees, a net decrease of $9 from last year’s budget. The decrease is due in part to the elimination of $425 allocated for meals, pending a ruling by Dr. John Koldus, vice president for Student Services, on the legality of using student money on food said John Oeffinger, chairman-elect of Political Forum. Great Issues also decreased their budget request, asking for $16,200 as opposed to a $16,250 budget in ’74-’75. Deletion of funds for meals offset a $1,600 increase in profes sional fees and other increases. MSC Approved Last Year MSC Student Programs $302,395 Great Issues 16,250 Political Forum 12,935 Requested This Year $391,311 16,200 12,926 Recommended This Year $342,500 16,200 12,926 T iM ml * * h*k Guard-rail for safety Photo by Alan Killingsworth After a car lost control and crashed into the 420th Engineering Brigade Building at Easterwood airport several weeks ago, the Highway Dept, has installed a guard rail in front of the building to prevent simi lar accidents in the future. Melvin Doss (pictured above), is attaching reflectors to a direction sign.