Battalion
Vol. 71 No. 172
8 Pages
Tuesday, July 11, 1978
College Station, Texas
News Dept. 845-2611
Business Dept. 845-2611
Inside Tuesday:
• Students voice complaints about
Health Center - p. 2.
• Opposition to Briscoe’s tax propo
sals - p. 5.
• All Star game tonight - p. 7.
Intcm,
Group questions
ambulance service
mi rest
\ ratilova
Cawley li
ked cento
By SCOTT PENDLETON
Battalion Staff
Four former employees of the Mid-Tex
Ambulance Service at a press conference
M outlay questioned the quality of the am
bulance company’s on-the-job perform
ance.
Though attendance at the press confer
ence was small, allegations of lack of
supplies, inadequate equipment, and in
correct medical procedures were abun
dant.
“I have personal knowledge of instances
where I feel Mid-Tex was either legally or
morally culpable,” said John Hamstreet,
spokesman for the group of former em
ployees.
Bill Thornal, the owner of Mid-Tex, de
nied the group’s charges later Monday
night and made some allegations of his
own.
“This group hung out some of the dirty
laundry,” Thornal said. "But the rest of
the load is going to be hung out, too.’
Thornal referred to company property
that he said was damaged, lost or stolen,
long distance phone calls were charged to
the company, and paysheets which were
falsified.
The conflict, said Thornal, originated in
a dispute between he and an employee,
whom he declined to name, over man
agement of the ambulance service.
“Then this employee got up a following
of a few others,” Thornal said. “They
wanted to take over the company. They
were going to tell me what to do.
“They wanted an ambulance equipped
like an emergency room,” he said.
The four former employees charged
Monday night that supplies and equip
ment were inadequate.
Thornal denied that his secretary drove
the ambulance without a chauffer’s li
cence, another charge made by his former
employees.
“She had her license years before some
of them,” Thornal said.
He also denied Hamstreet’s allegation
that he charged patients for supplies not
used or that he abused non-white patients
to collect the ambulance bill.
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking ab
out. I have more colored people on my
books than white, and they pay a lot faster,
too,” Thornal said.
Jim Persons, another of the four former
employees, related an incident in which
he and Mr. Thornal responded to a re
quest for an ambulance. The patient had
been playing football, and had a com
pound, but closed fracture. In setting the
leg, the bone pierced the skin. No dress
ing was applied to the wound. Persons
said. Instead, the boy’s pants leg was
wrapped around his leg.
At the hospital it was discovered that
the boy’s pants leg had been pulled into
the wound and sandwiched in the break.
Persons and Thornal each state that the
other was in charge of the first aid. Their
accounts of the event disagree as to who
took what actions.
The four former employees were among
22 employees who quit their jobs with
Mid-Tex over a 15-month period.
The four said that this high job turnover
rate was due to widespread dissatisfaction
with the management of Mid-Tex. Thornal
said that the majority of his employees are
students who want a little experience, and
that a high turnover rate is normal.
Two weeks ago the Bryan City Council
decided to renew Mid-Tex’s licence dur
ing a regidar council meeting. The four
former employees presented their allega
tions to the council during that meeting.
Thornal said he presented to the council a
written reply to those charges Monday.
When the council renewed Mid-Tex’s
license, the former employees said they
decided to take their case to the news
media and the public.
Depending on the reaction, they say
they may go before the State Department
of Health to seek a negligence judgement
against Mid-Tex. But no emergency medi
cal service in Texas has ever lost its licence
under such a judgement.
‘Say, you look as if you need a kitty cat’
kittens. Reports are he found
UlllllllimiBilly Wood, who is an instructor in engineering de-
mam pgsign graphics during the regular school year, took
^ ^up a vantage point near Rudder Tower Monday to
S i
DAI'
give away some
plenty of takers.
Battalion photo by Fat O’Malley
ouncil to appeal decision
utting HUD fundingplan
Briscoe’s tax relief plan
meets quick dissent
By MARK WILLIS
Battalion City Editor
College Station City Council has
to appeal a ruling by Housing and
TAL Development officials that found
ty ineligible for hinds in 1978 for
iunity Development Programs. The
JJ^^til considered the ruling during a
llllllllllillt
ELI
1 council meeting Monday night,
ncilman Gary Halter, who went to
^ recently to represent city interests
^ #|D, was asked to give background on
I oblem.
i not sure anyone could give you a
round on this,” he sai d. -Ke ex-
d that several of the programs which
said College Station must imple-
-were not needed in this area. This
J^uSe said, made no difference to HUD
* *ls.
iRTHOATE major objection voiced by HUD of-
was that the city had no plans for
ruction of low cost and/or rent-
iized housing, he said. Halter said
IOD
that though existing housing could be
used, would be cheaper, and would pro
duce a more successful result, this did not
affect the HUD ruling.
Halter said he was told by one official,
whom he did not identify, “You have set
on your ass and done nothing for three
years.”
Despite the failure in College Station
programs similar to several of those de
manded by HUD, the department refused
to reconsider its decision, Halter said.
Councilman Jim Dozier moved that the
council appeal the ruling and write Texas
legislators in Washington in protest. The
motion carried unanimously.
The council also accepted the low bid of
Rauscher Pierce Securities Inc. for sale of
city bonds totaling $3,020,(X)0.
The sale of the bonds, approved by the
voters in April 1971, is to pay for street
improvement, police and fire department
construction, and park land acquisition
and improvement.
ES
tudent legal advisor
he appointed—again
The Rauscher Pierce bid, which was the
lowest of six, called for gross interest of
$1,848,135.63 over a seven year period.
From this sum a premium of $24.50 would
be subtracted, leaving $1,848, 111. 13 or an
effective interest rate of 5.4093 percent.
Councilman Homer Adams questioned
the need for the city to sell $352,(MX) of
those bonds, since the land that amount
was originally set aside to purchase has al
ready been acquired with other funds.
“The people didn’t vote $2,152,000 to
parks, Adams said. “They voted
$1,800,000,” referring to the $352,000
spent out of general funds for the land in
question already.
It was then explained, not to Adams’
satisfaction, that to hold the bonds and at
tempt to sell them later would be difficult
due to the relatively small amount of
money involved. Park improvement was
included on the original bond issue and
the additional funds will be used for that
purpose.
The sale was approved, with Adams
casting the only negative vote.
The council also approved several plat
proposals by various developers.
United Press International
AUSTIN — The Texas Legislature has
been in special session only about 24
hours, but already major portions of Gov.
Dolph Briscoe’s $1.1 billion tax relief pro
gram are in trouble.
Briscoe has proposed a seven-point plan
to reduce the amount of taxes paid by an
average household by as much as $552
during the next two years, but it was
greeted with a noticeable lack of
enthusiasm Monday. And within hours of
the opening session. House liberals had
blocked attempts to accelerate considera
tion of one phase of the program.
House leaders could not muster the
two-thirds majority vote necessary to sus
pend rules and allow the Constitutional
Amendments Committee to conduct pub
lic hearings today on Briscoe’s proposal to
tax agricultural land on its productive
value rather than market value.
Without the rules suspension — and
another vote was likely today — the hear
ing on the proposition could not be
scheduled before Saturday.
House rules were suspended to permit
the Ways and Means Committee to begin
hearings today on two of the more popular
portions of the governor’s tax relief pack
age — repeal of the 4 percent state sales
tax on utility bills and increasing the state
inheritance tax exemption.
Speaker Bill Clayton conceded several
of the governor’s proposals to reduce taxes
and restrict future taxing authority of state
and local governments face tough opposi
tion during the special session.
“I figure if we get by with 50 percent or
better that’s doing pretty good," Clayton
said.
He said he expects particularly tough
opposition to Briscoe’s proposed constitu
tional amendments requiring a two-thirds
vote to raise state taxes, giving citizens the
right of initiative and referendum on tax
issues, and limiting the power of local gov
ernments to increase taxes and spending.
Briscoe told the legislators Monday it
was his duty to recommend the tax relief
proposals and their duty to pass them.
Legislators applauded politely at the
beginning and end of Briscoe’s speech, but
not one of his proposals drew applause
during the speech.
Briscoe said his tax relief program is the
largest ever considered by a state legisla
ture.
Previous special sessions called by Bris
coe have lasted no more than 10 days, but
a number of legislators indicated Monday
they expect the tax relief session to last a
full 30 days.
Strongest opposition to Briscoe’s propo
sals is expected to come from the Senate,
where Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby endorsed only
two of the seven items — repeal of the
sales tax on utility bills and increasing the
inheritance tax exemption.
Speaking of the new restrictions pro
posed for state and local government tax
ing and spending authority, Hobby said,
“We have a pretty good system that has
led to very low levels of taxation. We have
responsible people in state offices, and my
basic philosophy is, if it ain’t broke, don’t
fix it.”
OSHA
plant’s
to investigate
second blast
United Press International
CLEBURNE — After an earlier rejec
tion, inspectors from the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration have re
ceived approval to investigate a weekend
r
By FI^AVIA KRONE
Battalion Campus Editor
ew attorney will soon head the stu-
legal advisory office. John Koldus,
resident for student services, is ex-
QHSVhen it doesn’t
ay off to call
olice for help
United Press International
(ONIA, Mich. — A would-be
Sber whose victim refused to
id over the money called police
1 asked them to force the victim
cooperate. Police locked him up.
_ police said Joe Basinger, a gas sta-
f jjUn attendant in tbis western
^/Vchigan town, was on duty late
iday when Larry Tate, 29, of
ua, drove up and announced a
ibery. Police said Tate told
4 Q^inger he had a gun in his pocket.
3asinger refused to cooperate,
ice said, and Tate threatened to
ally-pril the police to force Basinger to
iperate.
The attendant, daring Tate to fol-
/ through on the threat, offered
3.98 Lisle use of the telephone.
7.98 Lisl fate made the call and police ar-
7.98 Llsl e d moments later and arrested
mmt c -
^ T would think we would chalk it
I ^l t0 k e * n f? a litde bit stupid,”
I ^4 police spokeswoman Vi Troxel.
probably just got utterly con-
,|.ed when things did not go the
n 00/ y wan ted. So now he’s cooling
heels in our jail.”
pected to appoint the new head legal ad
viser early next week
The legal adviser’s office entered a tran
sition period following the resignation
June 1 of head attorney Chris Kling, acting
legal adviser Eugene Lyles said.
Lyles, formerly an assistant attorney
under Kling, was chosen to temporarily
head the office following Kling’s resigna
tion.
Lyles had announced his intention to
leave the University last spring and will
resign Aug. 1 to take up private practice in
College Station.
The last three student legal advisers at
Texas A&M left the University to enter
private practice in Bryan or College Sta
tion, said Koldus said.
Starting salary for student adviser attor
neys at Texas A&M is about $16,500, Kol
dus said. However, Lyles said the promise
of earning a bigger salary at a private law
firm was not his primary motivation for
leaving the University.
“Everyone has a different reason for
leaving,” Lyles said. “There is an excellent
business community here and offers from
private firms are forthcoming. ”
“I am looking forward to practicing a dif
ferent type of law than I can practice
here,” Lyles said.
Koldus said 29 applicants responded to
employment announcements sent to law
schools around the state. That field has
been narrowed to four contenders who are
being interviewed this week by Koldus,
the student services staff and a group of
students active in student government at
Texas A&M.
The new attorney must be licensed to
practice law in Texas and should be able to
relate to students, Koldus said.
Koldus said he probably will announce
his decison for new student attorney
Monday.
Wind power
Battalion photo by Pat O’Malley
Political science professor Dr. Bruce Robeck relies
on the old-fashioned method of keeping his tires
inflated. Robeck was pumping away in lot 12 on
Ross Street Monday afternoon.
explosion at the GOEX Inc. munitions
plant.
An OSHA inspection team reported to
the plant Monday morning to investigate
circumstances of an explosion Sunday
which seriously injured one worker. An
explosion in May at the plant killed four
workers.
The inspectors, however, were told by
plant officials that permission would first
have to be granted by the president of the
munition firm’s parent organization,
PEMGO Industries, Inc., who was in
Europe.
An attorney for GOEX, Dean Owen,
told the OSHA inspectors they could wait
until “clearance was obtained or they
could go into court and obtain a warrant
ordering the company to allow the federal
inspectors access.
OSHA officials decided to wait and
permission was obtained for the inspection
late Monday from various directors of the
munition plant’s parent organization.
In Dallas, OSHA spokesman Les Gad-
die said the inspection would begin at 9:45
a.m. today.
Gaddie said “We felt this (seeking per
mission for the inspection from higher
company officials) was a reasonable admin
istrative procedure.
He said the investigating team would
try to determine whether any violations of
federal safety regulations might have led
to the explosion in a pressing machine die.
The blast did little damage to the plant,
which was the site of a massive explosion
last April in which four persons died.
He said no reports wovdd be released
until the completion of the investigation,
but he could not estimate how long that
would take.
One worker, Gerald Durgin, was listed
in generally good condition Monday at St.
Joseph Hospital in Fort Worth. Hospital
spokeswoman Mindy Bailey said Durgin,
27, suffered the loss of his left hand and
two fingers on the right hand in the explo
sion.
Two other employees who had been in
the 30-by-30 foot building, Carol Cater
and Calvin Tapp, were taken to Johnson
County Memorial Hospital for observa
tion. Only Mrs. Cater was admitted, but
hospital officials declined to release the na
ture of her injuries.