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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 28, 1978)
THE BATTALION FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1978 Travis Bryan III will have an open door policy as your District Attorney. What policy does your current District Attorney have? Austin Americon-jsMatesman A10 Thursday, January 5, 1978 Jim Fain, Publisher Ray Mariotti, Editor Getting around records act As clear a case as anyone could want to show the need for toughening the state open records act came Tuesday from the mouth of Roland Searcy, chairman of the state agency which regulates private investiga tors. In conjunction with announcement of a “severe reprimand” for an assistant attor ney general who, as counsel for the private eye board, admitted he misused board per sonnel for private business, came an attor ney general’s opinion that the board must turn over several dozen documents request ed by the Austin American-Statesman and the Texas State Network. The ruling didn’t faze Searcy. He refused to provide reporters with any of the docu ments requested. “I’ll have to review the ruling,” he said. When? “When I get around to it.” Searcy had said last November that staff members had undertaken nine investiga tions unrelated to the private security in dustry — at the request of the attorney gen eral’s office. Affidavits describing those in vestigations were among the documents re quested by the American-Statesman. The AG’s decision on the documents is on ly five pages long and easily understood by a layman. What “review” is needed? The case points to the lack in the state open records act of any penalties for recal citrant officials and to the need for a provi sion for timely compliance with an attorney general’s decision. When the legislature “gets around to” tidying up the open re cords law next session, it ought to take care of that loophole. The issue is not the number of years in office but what is done in those years. Are you ready for a change? AN OPEN DOOR AND A FIRM HAND PAID POL. ADV. BY TRAVIS BRYAN III, P.O. BOX 3775 BRYAN, TEX AS Workshop given to new breed of demonstrators United Press International DES MOINES, Iowa — Today s protester is of a new breed — not the long-haired, bearded variety, but one requiring a special educa tion. “People have to get over the pre conceived notions. Today’s non violent protester is a farmer, a busi nessman, just about anybody,’’ said Sue Futtrell, who is helping or ganize workshops on non-violent demonstrations. The workshops are designed to prepare lowans to participate in a June 24 demonstration at the nu clear reactor at Seabrook, N.H. “The training has been going on around the country for a number of years. There has been some interest shown in Iowa, so the workshops are being conducted here now,” she said. There is no charge for the course. It is one or two days long and covers a wide variety of items — every thing from the philosophy of the peace movement to how to sit down in a strike. “We talk quite a bit about the phi losophy of non-violence and civil disobedience. We think it is neces sary for people to have a good understanding of what they are doing so they can be more effective at it,” she said. Those attending also learn about an affinity group and join one. The group is composed of 10 to 20 people who work together and stay together. “It is sort of like a buddy system. Everyone takes care of one another,” Ms. Futtrell said. “The group gets to know one another and know how they act individually and in a group so this is good protectii if someone gets in the demonstn. tion who doesn’t belong there. Its stick out like a sore thumb. Il a better way of controlling \ going on. ” There are also some practical tin offered. “Many people are a littleli afraid when they start out. Well talking out these fears help,”! Futtrell said. “We also offer tips in howtooipt with tear gas and mace if tb should come across it, and how understand the idea that you mijj! be arrested and there is a chanced spending a long time in jail.' Ms. Futtrell said she “was tin only one to go to New Hampsla the last time. And I think there be more from Iowa now.“ E Sure beats every other seat A class of aerobics students enjoy the pretty while taking their final exam in front of G. weather and a more relaxed atmosphere Rollie White Coliseum. Soviet shipload remains idle as officials keep 'sitting tight : United Press International HOUSTON — A stevedoring company Wednesday obtained a court order removing from the docks non-union pickets protesting a “Soviet invasion,” allowing longshoremen to unload a Russian ship stalled in port for the past three days. Shippers Stevedoring Co. ob tained the order from State District Judge James P. Wallace, who tem porarily enjoined the pickets, appar ently unsanctioned by any organiza tion, from interfering with the Mag nitogorsk. Wallace scheduled a hearing on extending the order for Monday, but by that time Shippers and Moram Agencies, port agents, hope to have the ship unloaded and headed for its next stop. The ship brought 339 empty ship ping containers, 11 loaded contain ers and 20 west German buses pur chased with 80 percent federal grants for use in American cities. The buses are part of a 300-bus deal. Unloading originally was scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, but the pickets walked and union longshorement refused to cross tk line. One picket talked of Sov forces hidden in the hold. Anolk carried a sign: “Stop the Soviet sion. ” International Longshoremen’s.^ sociation officials tried unsu cessfully to persuade work gangs cross the line, but one said “you® force a man.” Texas officials may sui to block EPA standard yes Now You Know By United Press International The horseshoe crab has under gone no evolutionary change for 300 million years. United Press International CORPUS CHRIST!, Texas — The Environmental Protection Agency may have to deal with a suit from Texas officials protesting the EPA’s Offset Emissions Standards. The House Select Committee on Offset Emissions Standards Wed nesday asked its chairman, Rep. Tim Von Dohlen, D-Goliad, to con sult with state officals about filing BUS DRIVERS WANTED! START AT $2.75/hr. 2nd SEMESTER $2.95/hr. MUST BE AT LEAST 19 YEARS OLD, HAVE GOOD DRIV ING RECORD, GOOD REFERENCES, AND CHAUFFERS LICENSE, FULL OR PART TIME WORK AVAILABLE. APPLY NOW AND HAVE A JOB FOR NEXT FALL. CALL 779-0812. TRANSPORTATION ENTERPRISES, INC. 1701 GROESBECK, BRYAN — AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER — . suit to block enforcement oftk regulations. In hearings throughout the state the committee was told the OIW Emissions Standards discriminate» favor of Northern states who more pollution to trade off. The EPA’s offset emission i applies in 15 Texas counties wW the federal government has dete mined violate the maximum parts of ozone per 1 million parts 1 ' air standard. The policy requires counties 1 ' reduce pollutions in existing inda* tries or by implementing varW measures, including decreasing* 1 tomobile emissions, before allonw any new polluting industry tot ,, l constructed. This would “olfs el j what EPA deems excessive air f I lutions. Local Texas officials criticize EPA regulations as “a no-gW policy.” Brodie Allen, executive direr 1 , of the Corpus Christi Industr' 1 Commission, told the commit 11 ' the air pollutions requiremf 111 ' were “unattainable and unrens f |. able economically.” Allen said when applied to t' i Texas Gulf Coast, the Ef|' standards were unrealistic f 1 1 should be changed. “Two major complexs are' 1 terested in establishing facility here, but this offset policy is a problem,” said Allen, who m* 1 ! tained Corpus Christi hasnop r,), | lems with air pollution despite 1 I EPA’s ruling otherwise. Von Dohlen was directed to o-f suit with Lt. Gov. William HokL House Speaker Bill Clayton, AIM ney General John Hill and the Tec Air Control Board to deternW whether legal action should beini' ated prior to a May 2 deadline f comments sought by the EPA