Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Tuesday
September 26, 1978
Teachers—a matter of supply and demand
Striking teachers and those thinking about walking out to protest less-
than-generous pay raises would do well, in the parlance of poker players, to
check their hole cards.
What they find there might not be reassuring.
Every year, U.S. colleges graduate from 80,000 to 100,000 more qualified
teachers than there are teaching jobs available. The total U.S. teacher
surplus is about 500,000. If some teachers walk out, there are apparently
plenty of potential teachers willing to walk in.
We do not mean to take lightly the struggle by teachers to keep their pay
at least in step with the rising cost of living. In fact, our sympathies are with
the classroom teachers, those who actually do the teaching, take the papers
home to grade, cope with the disciplinary problems and challenge our
youngsters to learn and excel.
Our complaint is with the increasingly bureaucratic school system, which
employs more and more administrators and front office people, many of
whom never darken the door of a classroom. And our complaint is also
against a teaching system more and more dependent on glossy equipment
and experimental techniques and new curricula, which captivate the educa
tional theorists but have proven of dubious value in teaching basic skills.
Nevertheless, the bitter truth is that there is a teacher surplus. All public
employees who ignore the taxpayer revolt and the realities of public finance
go out on strike at their own peril. Particularly teachers.
Scripps-Howard Newspapers
■iim ■te&JUtv 11
The charge card to politics
By CLAY F. RICHARDS
UPI Political Reporter
WASHINGTON — It soon will be pos
sible to support your favorite political can
didate by calling a toll-free number and
charging the contribution on your credit
card.
Larry Schwartz, who for years has been
the guy at the end of the telephone when
television viewers call up to buy a set of
golden oldie records or a miracle six-way
kitchen gadget, is going into politics.
“Until now a candidate has just used
television to build his image,” he said in an
interview. “Now he can use it to build
grass roots support.”
Based on his experience in other fields,
Schwartz said using a telephone call-in
system to raise money is three times more
effective than a politician who concludes
his advertisement with a plea that a check
be mailed to his campaign.
The Democratic National Committee
used credit card pledging on its national
fundraising telethons in the past but
Schwartz may be the first to offer such ser
vice to individual candidates.
He has four candidates for governor or
Senate under contract now and plans to
have about 20 this year. His company, Na
tional Order Systems Inc. of New York, is
the only one in the political contributions
business, he said.
Politics
Schwartz has 400 telephone operators
answering calls on toll-free lines. They
take down the amount of the contribution,
the caller’s name, address and other in
formation required by law, and either the
credit card number, or the amount of a
pledge if the viewer wants to be billed.
“It’s so fantastically simple — the vie
wer doesn’t have to find a pen, or an en
velope, all he has to do is call in and give
his credit card number,” Schwartz said.
The operator also can ask callers for
their telephone numbers in case the can
didate later wants to contact them to work
in the campaign.
Schwartz doesn’t coach candidates on
what to say or how to raise money. He
does show them videotapes of other televi
sion ads that have raised large amounts of
money.
He said he developed the system be
cause federal election laws now limit con
tributions by individuals to $1,000 per
person, cutting out the big givers who
often were the largest source of campaign
funds.
“Thus grassroots support is more impor
tant than ever, and television is the best
way to reach the grassroots,” Schwartz
said.
He hasn’t been in the political business
long enough to show any results. But he
says it’s worth the gamble for the politi
cian, since he charges a flat rate per con
tribution.
And the candidate gets the benefit of
the television exposure anyway.
Schwartz charges from $1 to $3 per con
tribution, depending on how much service
is required. When the three percent cre
dit card charge made by the bank is added
on, he estimates the total cost to the can
didate would average five percent of con-
. . . , ...... .. f
tributions.
For $1 the candidate gets a simple cre
dit card transaction. For more money the
name and address of the contributor is fed
into a computer and the next morning a
“personalized" Mailgram from the candi
date thanking the giver, along with a bill,
is on the contributor’s desk.
One benefit to the candidate is fast de
livery of the money. A credit card slip
from a contribution telephoned in can be
taken to the bank the next morning and
converted to cash. There is no waiting to
the check to arrive in the mail, and to clear
the bank.
There is another benefit to the candi
date. He has exclusive rights to the mail
ing list of contributors that have given
money to his campaign — a list which he
can reuse in subsequent fundraising.
In response to Schwartz’ request, his
system has been declared legal by 21
states. The others haven't answered yet,
except Utah which has a law prohibiting
political contributions by credit card.
The Federal Election Commission has
also been asked its opinion of the system.
Lobbyists squeaking
around Congress
By DICK WEST
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Over the years,
members of Congress have become quite
adept at pointing with pride, and about
seven times out of 10 will direct attention
to something truly noteworthy.
But when it comes to viewing with
alarm, myopia tends to set in.
More often than not, the source of a
lawgiver’s anxiety will be a minor or sec
ondary peril, which, by pre-empting the
congressional purview, leaves a more seri
ous threat undescried.
A classic example is Sen. William Prox-
mire’s alarm over the “legions of mice”
that have penetrated the Dirksen Office
Building.
Proxmire, whose threshold of ap
prehension is among the lowest on Capitol
Hill, arose on the Senate floor recently to
warn of the mouse menace.
“From the sixth floor to the sub
basement,” he reported, the Dirksen
building “has been invaded by a maraud
ing battalion of scurrying, foraging ro
dents.”
The Lighter Side
The accuracy of the Wisconsin Democ
rat’s observations is not being challenged
here. What I question are his priorities.
More deserving of alarm viewing, I
submit, is the infestation of congressional
buildings by scurrying, foraging hordes of
lobbyists.
Proxmire told his colleagues the vermin
invaders include “brown mice, white
mice, soft furry mice, spotted mice,
shorttailed mice, long-tailed mice, blunt-
nosed mice.”
That is truly a variegated inventory, but
it doesn’t begin to match the varieties of
lobbyists that throng Capitol corridors,
hideaways and sanctum sanctorums.
In just one room in the Dirksen building
I once spotted oil lobbyists, gas lobbyists,
coal lobbyists; airline, auto, truck, rail and
public transporation lobbyists; labor, edu
cation and consumer lobbyists; farm, steel,
highway and shipyard lobbyists; and civil
rights, equal rights, pro-abortion and
anti-smoking lobbyists.
And that was at a routine subcommittee
hearing on a noncontroversial supplemen
tal appropriations bill.
Proxmire said the mice slip into the
building through radiator pipe holes in the
walls.
I have not definitely established what
mode of ingress lobbyists use, but I sus
pect they slip in through tax loopholes.
If the mouse holes were plugged, Prox
mire said, “there would be so much extra
room” it would not be necessary to finish
the $122 million Hart Office Building now
under construction.
Yes, and if the space now being taken up
by lobbyists were reclaimed, they could
close the Dirksen building and move
everyone into the old Russell Office Build
ing.
The mice, Proxmire declared, “are a
brazen crew, entirely without fear. No
room is inviolate, no conference so
weighty as to be spared their squeaky pre
sence.”
I certainly wouldn’t say that about the
lobbyists, however.
As a rule, lobbyists don’t squeak.
Letters to the Editor
Ads should observe A&M traditions
Editor:
Last Thusday and Friday’s Battalion
presented an advertisement from Shear
Class Hairdressers with the caption “Shear
Class Backs The Aggies” on pages 7 both
days. We were stunned to notice that the
picture was taken in front of the statue at
the MSC and that the staff was standing on
the grounds that were declared a memo
rial to the former students who gave their
lives in the service of our nation.
Slouch
Before this organization declares their
support for our school they should take
time to learn our traditions and honor
them. We have no objections to photo
graphs taken at landmarks on our campus
but our memorials should be respected
not abused for personal financial gains.
Please explain
Editor:
I’ve been here for 5 years and will
graduate in December, but I am still con
fused as to some of the terminology used
on campus. The term in question is “non-
reg.” Maybe some of our fine, outstanding
leaders of tomorrow (’s khaki fashion shows)
can clarify the meaning for me.
I can only find two definitions. In the
first context it could be that all of the stu
dents on campus are “not regular.” Is this
in reference to defecation regularity and
sanitation practises? I do not doubt that
our Kald Klad Komrades keep such valu
able statistics.
The other possibility is that, it is refer
ring to those individuals on campus that
are not regular in appearance and dress.
Hummm! The way I see it, being part of
the “regulars” (28,000 strong), there are
only 2,000 or so “non-regulars” or irregu
lars on campus. It is time to correct this
obvious misnomer so that regular indi
viduals visiting our campus will not be
misled about the majority of students in
attendance at A&M.
Please clarify or correct my interpreta
tion. I am extremely anxious to read those
letters containing references about tradi
tion, bonfire, football, apple pie, and don’t
forget. . .Chevrolet.
J. Spencer Wendt
Please vote
Editor:
This fall elections will be held to deter
mine the next governor of our state and
many other vital offices including a senator
and congressmen. The participatory ;
democracy our country was established
upon depends on citizens to register and
vote.
As I have traveled across the state to
colleges and universities, I have continued
to be tremendously proud of the Aggies.
I’m proud because Aggies are loyal to their
school and take an active part in its organi
zations and traditions. Because Aggies do
this on our own campus it would follow
that you would want to extend this partici
pation to your own government.
Part of college life is learning to cope
with and handle the responsibilities of
adult life. One of the mose important re
sponsibilities is to help determine who will
lead us in the coming years. I urge you all
to register and vote. Whether you’re a
freshman, graduate student or faculty
member, please register now. Voter re
gistration cards are available now in the
Student Government office and various
other places on campus. The deadline for
registering is Oct. 6th. Please don’t be
caught without being registered.
Take part in your government as Aggies,
as responsible citizens, so that we can con
tinue to be proud of A&M and its
graduates. Why not start a new tradition of
being the Texas college or university with
the largest number of registered voters??
-Laura Brockman, ’79
Off-Campus Undergraduate Senator
Correction
It was inaccurately reported to the Bat
talion that the winner of the Corps bash
Jalapeno contest was from Squadron 6
(Battalion, Sept. 25). The winner is in
Squadron 7.
-Paul Pausky, ’78
Ted Slemmons, ’78
Amando Ramirez, ’78
by Jim Earle
“I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR POT PLANT? IT’S BEEN
SICK EVER SINCE YOU TOOK UP CHEWING TOBACCO.”
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration will ob
serve its 20th anniversary Sunday by honoring six former as
tronauts at Cape Canaveral, Fla. President Carter will present
the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Neil Armstrong,
Frank Borman, Charles “Pete” Conrad, John H. Glenn and
Alan B. Shepard. In addition, one medal will be presented
posthumously to Virgil I. Grissom, who was killed in the 1967
Apollo 1 fire. Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon
as commander of Apollo 11. Borman commanded Gemini Tin
1965 and the 1968 flight of Apollo 8. Conrad participated in
four space flights from 1965 to 1973 when he commanded tbe
Skylab 1 mission. Glenn was the first American to orbit Earth,
and Grissom was the second American in space. He also com
manded the first two-man Gemini mission in 1965 and was
killed in a flash fire at what then was Cape Kennedy in the
Apollo 1 spacedraft during ground tests in 1967. Shepard w , as
the first American in space and commanded the Apollo 14
moon flight.
Nation
Adair extinguishes gas well fire
Thei
Patt
effoi
Red Adair successfully smothered the largest natural gas
well fire in Ohio history Monday using a mixture of mud chem
icals and salt water. The high pressure gas well caught fire
during capping efforts last Friday burning eight men, three
seriously. The fire consumed $20,000 worth of natural gas
daily and spewed flames as high as 60 feet in the air and 100
feet along the ground.
he 51
rid V
iemi
surr
Ithe .
Kissinger may run for senate
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said Monday in
Washington he may run for Sen. Jacob Javits’ seat if the*New!
York Republican retires. But Kissinger said he has done ’’abso
lutely nothing” about trying to get the GOP nomination. My
view is that as long as Javits is playing tennis, he’s going to run
for the Senate,” Kissinger said. “And he’s still playing tennis.”
World
prisoner exchange plans negotiated
A second round of negotiations between American and Tur
kish officials on a prisoner exchange treaty begins in Ankara
this week, the Oregon Journal in Portland reported Sunday. If
an agreement is reached, five Americans might be brought
back to the United States by Christmas. All the Americans in
Turkish jails are being held on drug charges. Two other
Americans in Turkish jails and seven Turkish nationals in U.S.
jails could be exchanged if a treaty is signed.
Indonesia to shelter refugees
Indonesian officials announced today temporary shelter will
be given to more than 1,200 Vietnamese boat people who
endured 11 days at sea while nations in the area argued over
their fate. A foreign ministry official in Jakarta said Monday
the refugees, including more than 500 children, would be
given transit status and sheltered in the Jakarta Rambutan
Refugee Camp or in the Tanjungpinang Camp in the Malacca
Strait. He added that Indonesia has received promises from
Australia and the United States that they will eventually ac
cept the Vietnamese.
Weather
Partly cloudy with mild temperature. Some showers and
thundershowers expected for this evening. High today mid-
80s low in the mid-60s. Probability of rain 20% for today and
40% for tomorrow. Winds will be east and northeasterly at 10
to 15 mph.
The Battalion
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 Educational Adver
tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los
Angeles.
The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from
September through May except during exam and holiday
periods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday
through Thursday.
Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per
school year; $35.00 per full year. Advertising rates fur
nished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 216,
Reed McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843.
United Press International is entitled exclusively to the
use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it.
Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved.
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843.
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor KimTys® 11
Managing Editor Liz Newli»
Assistant Managing Editor . .Karen Rogers
Sports Editor David Bogg®
City Editor Jamie Aitk 1
Campus Editor Andy Willia*
News Editors Carolyn Blosser.
Debbie Parsons
Editorial Director . .Lee Roy Leschper.J>
Staff Writers Mark Patterson, Andre)
Vails, Scott Pendleton, Sean
Petty, Michelle Scudder,
Marilyn Faulkenberry
Cartoonist Doug Grahafl
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 administration or the Board of
Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self
supporting enterprise operated by students
as a university and community newspaper
Editorial policy is determined by the editor