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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1977)
Viewpoint The Battalion April 21, 1977 Jimmy Carter stars in ‘Let’s change our mind’ FtyMOMD ABijs jgycMv&o WOKfe- By DAVID S. BRODER WASHINGTON — If I can manage to keep a straight face, this is going to be a serious commentary on President Carter’s decision-making habits. Serious analysis is what the customers of this page want, and that’s what you’re going to get. In his press conference last Friday, President Carter used the word ‘predictable” four times in talking about his eco nomic, energy and nuclear-arms-control policy. (Here, now. Stop that giggling. This is serious stuff.) It’s long been a favorite word of his, an adjective describing the kind of government policy he says will promote “stability” (another favorite) and “efficiency.” (Someone lead that gent leman out of the room, and tell him not to come back until he has control of himself.) The President wanted us to know he still favored “predicta bility” — even though he had suddenly scrapped the key element in his economic stimulus package and dropped half the water projects from his “hit list” of public works projects targeted for extinction. Small-minded people may charge Carter with inconsis tency, but at the moment that’s so easy it’s scarcely sport. At his last meeting with Democratic congressional leaders before the Easter recess, he told them it would play hob with work ing families if Congress didn’t deliver the $50-a-person rebate Carter had promised. Before those same congressional leaders returned from Easter, Carter himself had canceled delivery of the rebate. (The lady who shouted, “Who killed the Easter Bunny?” is permanently dismissed from this policy seminar.) Some say Carter’s reversal is almost the mirror-image of the flip-flop on economic policy Gerald Ford performed in his first months in office. Ford told Congress in the autumn of 1974 it should raise taxes to “Whip Inflation Now.” Luckily, it didn’t, and two months later, with the recession under way, he was back asking for a tax cut. For the last six months. Carter has been “Mr. Stimulus,” waving his arms around to fan the economic fires. But now he has ducked into the White House phone booth and come out as Captain Burns the Inflation-Fighter, with his magical, rhetorical ray-gun, which stops price hikes dead in their tracks and keeps wages within invisible guidelines. Republicans, being small-minded, will attempt to compare Carter’s policy adjustments to the Ford flip-flops, which Car ter rightly ridiculed in the campaign. In fact. Carter was dead-right when he said last September that “the most disastrous of the Nixon and Ford (economic) errors was the deliberate attempt to raise energy prices.” And he is right today in proposing that all of America’s energy prices rise to the OPEC cartel level. That is called situational ethics, or adaptive economics. For us, class, there are two important lessons to be learned from the $50 misunderstanding. First, teacher was wrong when he told you about Carter’s tenacity in fighting for any position he has taken. Teacher has now learned from his White House contacts that the President will fight like the devil for those things he truly believes, but not when he is “queasy” about the policy himself. If you want to know what Carter truly believes, as distin guished from what he recommends just sort-of, the answer is that he truly believes in what he thinks up himself. He did not think up the rebate, it turns out. | Bryan-College Station Jaycees | BMII ■lyMpIcs Sat. April 23 at \ Tabor Community Center 1 Vt miles from East By-pass on Tabor Rd. Begins 11 a.m.; Chili Cooking about 9 a.m. f \ wn i / K ) \ M Trophies awarded for all events. Admission free. . a ( \Av EVENTS INCLUDE: \ ★ Chili Cook Off ($10.00 entry fee) ★ Cow Chip Throwing * Fiddling Contest * Watermelon Seed Spitting ^ ★ Jalepeno Eating * Pie Cooking * Skillet Throwing t *e e/ . °O0 For more information call 822-2811. Sponsored by B-CS Jaycees & KORA radio. ....OFFICIAL ENTRY BLANK-.- NAME ADDRESS TELEPHONE EVENTS ENTERED — Mail to B-CS Jaycees/Box 3535/Bryan Texas 77801 • Or being to The Eagle. The rebate was the economists baby, out of Brookings by Schultze, not something home-grown in Plains. So Carter felt relieved, not embarrassed, when he abandoned it on the Se nate’s doorstep. The trouble is, that reduces the list of truly-believable items in Carter’s catalogue almost to none. Presidential policies are rarely one-man constructs. It’s hard to believe Jimmy Carter thought up the whole SALT package himself one morning while shaving. Or that the wellhead gas taxjdea just popped out his mouth during a conversation with Rosalynn. But if he only fights for what he really cares about, and he only cares about what he conceived himself, then the stubborn “old South Georgia turtle,” as he’s been called, may turn out just to be a pussy-cat in disguise. We must be prepared for that possibility. Second, we must remember that the open administration is still capable of great secrecy. I know, class, that all of you saw “A Day in the Life of President Carter” on NBC Television and read “A Day in the Life of President Carter” in Time magazine. It’s easy for you to get the impression that our President is a fellow who lets the press in on everything. This may be a jolt, pals, but he didn’t even clue in the whole Cabinet on his plan to ditch the rebate. Some of them were as surprised as thee and me to get the news. We’re not quite back into Richard Nixon’s “shocker-of- the-month” phase, when Nixon spoke only to Kissinger and Kissinger spoke only to God. But when Carter gets policy- queasiness, he likes his privacy. So we must be prepared for future surprise. Class dismissed. (c) 1977, The Washington Post Company USED BOOKS — WE’RE BUYING NOW! University Bookstore At the Northgate X we (fpedalize in apecial occaaiomf! From prom night to wedding day and all the unforgettable moments in between, we are always ready with the season’s loveliest formals. So stop in and see yourself in all the latest styles . . . then select the one that is “especially yours”. WE ALSO HAVE THE LATEST STYLES IN TUXEDO RENTALS bridal {hoppl X 1103 VILLA MARIA 823-8405 BRYAN MEMBIiR NATIONAL BRIDAL SERVICE Letters Ticket appeal doesn't add up Editor: Beware folks, they are after you. Who, you ask? Why the campus police and their little parking ticket books. I came home to find a statement of my “account” with the police. It seems that I had received four tick ets and only paid two of them. Thus I owed $20.00. I went down to talk to them for I felt there was some They told me at the front desk that I should talk to the assistant Chief. I waited for him. He greeted me with that traditional Aggie greet ing, “You got the tickets, why don’t you pay them.” They pulled my file. I tried to explain to him that two of the tickets were my fault and I had paid them within seven school days as instructed on the violation notice. However, I felt that there were circumstances to be explained in relation to the other two. First, one of the tickets, I never received. However, my judge, jury, and executioner standing in front of me said I did in fact receive it be cause he had the carbon copy in his hand. I guess he never heard of rain or wind or people who pluck tickets from windshields and place them on their s so passing officers think that the car was already ticketed. My next pending offense was a ticket which I received on the golf course parking lot. If you are out practicing and you don’t sign in, in dicating you are playing a round of golf, and they come by, well the rest you can figure out. By the way the sign at the entrance of the lot says, " For golf patrons Only.” They never mention a parking permit is needed. I should note that I sent this ticket back in to the police with an explanatory note within the seven-day limit. But this didn’t count. At this point I found out some in teresting facts concerning parking at the golf course. It seems you need a University permit to park on the lot even if you are playing a round for which you have paid green fees, even if you have paid for a season pass and you are playing. It seems that any time you bring your car on campus you need a parking permit. How many alumni who do not have parking permits and play golf at our course receive tickets. And what about the other members of our community who pay to use the facilities — do they receive cita tions? How come people who pay to see events in Rudder Tower park with out permit but the golf course is dif ferent? People using this facility (in this case a student) must not only pay for the use but also the parking. Anyway, I left the office paying $15.00. $5.00 for a dubious ticket, $5.00 for a ticket I didn’t receive and $5.00 late charge for either a ticket which was answered within the correct period of time or for a ticket which was not received and thus could not be paid in time. Somehow it just doesn’t add up. —Bennett Lass Correction Regarding Debbie Hicks’ letter to the editor, “Grading policy needs review” in Tuesday’s Battalion, a statement that “Approximately 21 per cent made A’s” should have read “Approximately 2 per cent made A’s. ” The Battalion regrets the error. MUSTER SONG We gather here to mark the day Aggies proudly stand To honor those who’ve gone before To the promised land. Each name is called upon the roll Comrades answer “Here!” Trumpets sound their sad goodbye To those we held so dear. By CATHY B ou offered a se icle that cost fo flabs, and thr d be your chai s, flabs, and flil immunity Edu les Greenawalt A&M Cons d just three m this exercise Doard meeting, ven that 13 flil 21 flabs equa cise proved di hers, ou’re probably ing you’re th( it know what nawalt. “Mag | hat of a child iplem sitting le. Think of as child woul everyone pass [The purpose of Introduce publ assuring all a free approp on. The law er cation and rel led to meet tb iped children he Special Ser bization createc micational oppo indicapped, pr oral explanatio school board We are here to ers of our sc it we can and law to achiev ion for the han Irgaret W. Dot fes diagnostician fhyllis A. Perk All heads are bowed in silent pledge Never to forget While rifles fire their last salute Echoes answer yet. To their memory we ll be true We will take their place One for all and all for one Ever in Thy grace. We ll meet again another day Reunion while we pray To ask Thy blessings on each one On this Muster Day. Aggie Muster Day. Margaret Rudder 1976 The 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 administra tion or the Board of Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise operated by students as a university and community news paper. Editorial policy is determined by the editor. ion. Room 216, Reed McDonald Buildinf lege Station, Texas 77843. United Press International is entitled sively to the use for reproduction of all newiit patches credited to it. Rights of reproduetioiil all other matter herein reserved. Second-Cla postage paid at College Station, Texas. I / ■ 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, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number for verification. Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Represented nationally by National Educa tional Advertising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. To acr< track Dow MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor News Editor News Assistant Sports Editor Assignments Editor Photo Editor The Battalion is published Tuesday through Friday from September through May except dur ing exam and holiday periods and the summer, when it is published weekly. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 5% sales tax. Advertising rates furnished on request. Address: The Battal- Copyeditor Mary Alice Woodham Reporters Rusty Cawley, Dane! Lanford, Glenna Whitley, Paul McGrath, ]oki W. Tynes, Sue Mutzel, Lee Roy Leschperjr Photographers Mike Will. Jim Crawley Student Publications Board: Boh G. Chairman; Joe Arredondo; Tom Dawsejl; & Cary Halter; Dr. John W. Hanna; Dr. Chtria McCandlcss; Dr. Clinton A. Phillips; Jerri\lW Director of Student Publications: GaclL Coopt LAMBDA CHI ALPHA the Fraternity of Honest Friendship We're having a recruitment party! April 22, 8:00 p.m. Plantation Oaks Keg Room A f“ A Sorority Will Attend For info call: Bryan 693-7200 AX A Mike 693-7147 RSVP AX A Ask About Our FREE SUMMER STORAGE Aggie Cleaners 111 College Main Reprint, Freeprint! 4 Kodak color reprints for the price of 3. Treat your families and friends with the gifts that only you can give...pictures of your family fun, or those special moments such as weddings, graduations and holidays. And save in the bargain! From now until April 27, you can have one KODAK Color Print free for every four you order from same-size KODACOLOR Negatives. You pay for three and get a fourth one free from Kodak Come in and see us for details. And remember, offer good only until April 27. ■ ^401 Ur HSX* WHTTC CENTER, **C. 1Univw-tyDr • Coftage Station.Texas 77840 • 7TV846 54W COLOR PROCESSING Kodak ^ Does your Final Review uniform fit right? Alterations-Repairs University Cleaners 112 College Main V OUF VILLA MARIA ONE-HOUfi CLEANERS One-hour dry cleaning available: request. One-day shirt service EH ?c»x yc>x LJDx n FREE SUMMER STORAGE Alterations • Suede • Leattie- Open 7:30-6:00 Mon.-Fri. 8:00-2:00 Sat. K& cal D,S <h S e, ON 710 VILLA MARIA 822-3937 Sqi For Battalion Classified Call 845-2611