Page 2 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29, 1975
Texas constitution
Part
Finance
less tax,
limited deb
The stage is set
The stage is set. It’s been on radio and television
and in the newspapers. It’s been billed as the biggest
thing to happen to the state ot Texas in 100 years
and rest assured, it will be, one way or the other.
I am of course talking about the constitutional
election next week. Tuesday, Nov. 4 to be exact.
And what I meant when I say it will be the biggest
thing to happen to the state of Texas in 100 years
one way or the other is that if we don’t adopt the
proposed Constitution we’re not going to be in any
better shape than we were 100 years ago. If however
we do adopt it, our fine state will have taken a
step closer to the reality of the present.
What we as consumers of higher education in
Texas (students that is) should see as the reality of
the present is that our state’s system of higher educa
tion needs more money. More money to improve
both the quality and quantity of higher education
in Texas.
We as students obviously realize the value of
higher education. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be in
school. We should also see it as our responsibility
to help higher education now and provide for its
future growth and improvement. We can do this
by voting for the proposed Constitution next Tuesday.
To say the least, the proposed Constitution offers
the colleges and universities of Texas a greater chance
for growth and expansion than they have ever known
before.
If adopted, the Constitution will allow Texas
A&M and the University of Texas to issue Permanent
University Fund (PUF) bonds and notes at 30 per
cent of the total value of the PUF. The present Con
stitution only allows for bond issues up to 20 per
cent of the total. This of course will mean more
money for the University of Texas (the state’s largest
university), and our own Texas A&M (the nation’s
fastest growing university) .
The archaic restrictions on the use of PUF
bond proceeds also have been lifted. Whereas the
original document restricted the use of bond proceeds
to permanent improvements, the proposed Constitu
tion would allow the money to be used for the pur
chase of capital equipment and the acquisition of
library books and materials.
The new Constitution also restablishes a Higher
Education Fund for other state colleges and univer
sities. Its provisions would be similar to those set
up for the use of the PUF by A&M and the Univer
sity of Texas.
All in all, the proposed Constitution offers Texas’
higher education the best deal it has had in 100
years. Take the time on Nov. 4 to vote for the pro
posed Texas Constitution. Remember, a tetter deal
for Texas higher education is a better deal for every
one.
OMBUDSMAN
If you have a question or com
plaint regarding news coverage
please contact our Ombuds
man’s office between 6 and 11
p.m., Monday through Thurs
day. We established the office
to help you with problems re
quiring the attention of any top
editorial personnel of The Bat
talion. Call
845-2611
or write Ombudsman, The
Battalion, Texas A&M Univer
sity, College Station, Texas,
77843.
Associated Press
AUSTIN — It is said that money
ain’t everything, but you wouldn’t
know it by analyzing Texas’ current
constitution.
A professor noted in 1957 that
slightly less than one-third of the
constitution was concerned with
government finance, and since
then over 50 of the 90 amendments
that have been adopted have dealt
with finance.
Special News
Analysis Series
In trying to curb this obsession
with money, constitutional writers
prepared for the proposed new
constitution a finance article that
cuts approximately 9,000 words out
of the current article.
The main focus is on reforming
the property tax system, and the
changes apparently will help the
homeowner and small property
owners more than large property
owners.
NOT FOR LONO.'SOMEPAf'ODR
NUMBERS WILL INCREASE'
SOMEPAV 10E MAV EVEN
Become a ereat
ORGANIZATION OF BELIEVERS
IF WE HAVE FUNP RAlSlNSS,
I'M NOT BONN A WASH CARS/
Cbc Battalion
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Director of Student Publications: Gael L. Cooper.
year
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MEMBER
The Associated Press, Texas Press Association
Editor James Breedlove
Assistant Editor Roxie Hearn
Production Manager T. C. Gallucci
City Editor Steve Gray
Campus Editor Sandy Russo
Sports Editor Paul McGrath
Photography Director Jack Holm
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“Large financial interests, sec
ure in many years of protection
from paying their fair share of
property taxes, would prefer to
avoid the tax equalization provi
sions of the new constitution,” says
chairman Robert W. Calvert of the
Citizens for a Texas Constitution.
Common Cause, the self-styled
jieople’s lobby, even insists that
corporate opposition to annual
legislative sessions is a smokesc
reen to hide their fear of property
tax reform.
Although chairman Peyton
McKnight of the Citizens to Pre-
serve the Texas Constitution has
not criticized the property tax
proposals in detail, he claims the
finance article “would produce un
precedented new taxes . . . can
bankrupt the state and local gov
ernments and . . . encourages pub
lic debt.”
The proposed constitution pro
hibits state property taxes, except
for a dime tax on each §100 of valua
tion for the Higher Education
Fund and a 2-cents-per-$100 tax for
state buildings that would — under
the present constitution — have
been phased out next year.
To overhaul the local property
taxes administered by 1,500 as
sessment and collection offices, the
new constitution would require the
legislature to establish uniform
statewide standards and proce
dures for appraising property.
It also requires each county to
provide for a single appraisal of all
property within the county.
Taxing agencies would still set
their own assessment ratios and
levy their own tax rate.
The new provisions would go
into effect Jan. 1, 1978.
A new controversial provision
would require the legislature to es
tablish separate formulas for ap
praising farm and ranch land,
which would be a tax break to en
courage the production of food and
fiber.
The proposed constitution pro
vides a new method for taxpayers to
cope with taxes they think are too
HALLOWEEN
DANCE
Dress up, wear your spookiest outfit
and come to a Halloween dance on
Friday, Oct. 31, at the Lakeview Club
on Tabor Road from 8-12 p.m.
Public is invited to come out and
dance to the music of Tom Sutton
“Young Country.”
The dance is sponsored by the Dairy
Science, Horsemen’s Association,
Poultry Science, Range Science and
Saddle & Sirloin clubs.
A representative of the VAN
DERBILT UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF
MANAGEMENT will be on
campus
Thursday, October 30
to interview interested stu
dents. Contact the Placement
Office.
SENIORS & GRADS
PEACE CORPS - VISTA
JOB OPPORTUNITIES AFTER GRADUATION IN
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ENGINEERING
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high. Citizens could pay their taxes
under protest and contest them in
district court, where judges could
order refunds.
Other changes include:
— A prohibition against levying
a sales tax on food, except that sold
in restaurants, prescription drugs
or medicine, and agricultural
machinery, fertilizer, feeds and
seed.
— A mandatory $3,(XX) property
tax exemption for homes of persons
65 or older.
— Elimination of the $80 million
public welfare ceiling.
—A requirement that public
money he used only for public pur
poses. Some feel, however, that
those purposes should have been
spelled out.
— A more precise definition of
state debt, which may not he incur
red until the debt is approved by
two-thirds of each house and at a
statewide election. “State debt"
would include bonds that are sup
ported by college student tuition
fees.
— Authorization for the legisla
ture to exempt fromproperty taxes
property owned by veterans’ or
ganizations, non-profit water cor
porations and old, disableandptj
people. The legislature also mj
exempt Texas’ historical, cwlfm
and natural resources from suclili
xation.
The new constitution retains
"pay-as-you-go” principle [«
operating state governmentandit
serves three-fourths of the Si!t
million-a-year gasoline tax[j
highways and one-fourth forpulli
schools.
It specifically provides, k»
ever, that if the legislature enaclsi
tax on oil refineries; the mons
goes to the general revenue fail
Also retained is the legislature
authority to exempt church, edua
tional or charitable pro pert)' fa*
taxation.
And, finally, the new constito
tion is so silent on a state incoraeti
that \ou could hear a penny drop.
The silence means suchali
could he levied.
"Indeed, remarks GeorgeBr,
den, a constitutional expert vi
taught law at Yale, “one mays*
that this article ... is alone alum
worth the revision effort.
Tomorrow: Proposed chaa
es in the education article.
bcirker 1—
pnotogropfiy
October Portrait
Sale 3 for 2
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Entries close Feb. 13,1976. For details contact The Arts Committee, Room 216,
MSC 845-1515.