Viewpoint •® Tr&»e- Carter philosophy: take the middle road By HELEN THOMAS UPI White House Reporter WASHINGTON — President Carter is approaching the new Congress from the middle of the road. His $532 billion budget for fiscal 1980 has renewed the “guns and butter” con troversy between liberals and conserva tives. Republican leaders, traditional foes of big government, say the cuts could be deeper. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., on the other hand, is leading the liberal onslaught which condemns the budget as an excessive burden on “the poor, the black, the sick, the young, the cities and the unemployed.” Somewhere in between, stands Carter. By reducing the estimated deficit to $29 billion and reducing federal spending. Carter believes he is being responsive to the first demand of the American people — to fight inflation. “The policy of restraint is not a casual one,” he said in his budget message. “It is imperative if we are to overcome the threat of accelerating inflation.” He said his budget “supports a balanced fiscal policy” and will slow inflationary pressures while permitting growth. The fight for the federal dollar was an ticipated. But Carter is in effect laying down his blueprint for smaller, more effec tive government and “a balanced budget as soon as economic conditions permit.” To those who criticize him for increasing the defense budget by 3 percent. Carter says: “As president, it is my central re sponsibility to ensure that our defense forces are strong enough to deter aggres sion.” Also, he is girding himself for the day when he starts selling a strategic arms limitation pact — after it is reached with the Soviets — to the many Senate hardlin ers. “The spending restraint in this budget means that in some areas the government will simply not be able to do as much as it has in the past,” Carter said. “Inevitably, real sacrifices must be made if we are to Editor: Aggies have always fought to protect others from injustice and persecution. In World War II we sent 18,000 Aggies to fight to protect the rights of the perse cuted. That is a record to be proud of. But, look at our own backyard. I am talking about the Waggies. They are con stantly discriminated against. There isn’t a day that goes by, that some Waggie isn’t recipient of obscene insults and outright hatred. Freshmen refuse to meet Waggie upperclassmen. And when Waggie fish try to meet male upperclassmen they get ig nored or cussed out. I know most of the class of ’80 in both women’s outfits. And I find them, without exception, to be ladies of outstanding qual ities. They have gone through as much as, if not more, than I have in the past two and a half years in the Corps. Yet they don’t have the privilege to wear senior boots next year. A privilege they have more than earned. Nor can they work on bonfire, join Ross Volunteers, or many other activities the Corps in general take for granted. The inscription on Sully says, “Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman.” The Corps teaches their fish to believe this noble sentiment, however, we are nothing but hypocrites as long as we stand by and allow such injustices to go on. We should stand by the Waggies, not hate them. Surely we men in the Corps are not so insecure in our masculinity that we are afraid to treat the Waggies like human beings. I am not saying that we should treat the Waggies special just be cause they are women. But we certainly shouldn’t treat them like second-class people either. I will be proud to wear my boots side by side with a Waggie in boots. —Gary R. Brock, ’80 approach the true feelings of the student body but rather the sentiments of the senators. For these reasons, and not my personal desires, I would like to initiate a petition for a referendum of the entire student body regarding this issue. Hopefully this will result in a more representative result. The views I expressed in a letter in Wednesday’s (Jan. 24) Battalion were motivated by anger, however their verita- bility remains the same. I only regret not speaking out sooner. Perhaps it is because of where I’ve been, and where you’ve got to go, that my viewpoint is different. War is not nice, any representation of it otherwise is an obscen ity. The phrase “a P.O. W. never has a nice day” was and still is very true. The am nesty allows the ex-patriots to return home but nothing allows the maimed or crippled freedom from the prison their body or mind has become. I can’t escape from the thought of how those that died in our country’s service — preserving ideas and concepts for the liv ing — would feel about injuring the needs of the living for the needs of the dead. How the survivors’ relatives feel about this? How do their buddies feel about their sacrifices? This I spoke of in my letter before. The expenditure of $20,000-25,000 for a hedge remains a touching but empty gesture in. comparison to the deserving living whose sacrifices have so often been forgotten. This issue can be taken up by a formal petition signed by one-tenth of the student body causing it to become resolved by the popular vote. —Jeff O. Bogert, ’84 Dianne Brown, ’82 Move to the front Editor: This short note is directed to Mr. Chris topher D. Stewart, ’79, and concerns his comment about “Waggies” being in the “trunk” at Texas A&M. I feel everyone deserves a little more respect than that. So I’d like for him to remember during elephant walk this year that the trunk is in the front and not in the back. —Janet Kirklen, ’79 Petition against vote Editor: I have just returned from the student senate meeting where the proposal for a hedge around the Memorial Student Cen ter passed. However, it passed after a lim ited 30 minute debate without any input from the student body (non-senate) that was attending. I maintain this vote did not i States’ rights’ return Editor: I am writing this letter to draw attention to Wyoming’s heroic attempt to challenge the national government’s ever-growing circle of power. I quote from a UPI re lease. “The Wyoming Senate tentatively voted to ignore the nationwide 55-mph speed limit and raise the state’s limit to 65 mph.” The issue is not the speed limit, it is whether or not the government has the right to dictate, through the threatened withdrawal of funds, actions totally with- ing the state that have no effect on the rest of the nation. Statistics indicate that the reduction of fuel consumed after the 55 mph speed limit’s introduction resulted mainly from a reduction in miles traveled. Since the price of gasoline took a large jump the same year as the speed limit reduction, the resulting fuel consumption reductions previously credited to the speed limit are grossly over-estimated. In 1976 and 1977, accidents per mile driven actually in creased. You probably haven’t heard these two interesting facts before, and we think communists are the only ones who use propaganda. I applaud Wyoming’s action and am looking forward to the government’s reac tion. Again from the UPI article, “Propo nents vowed a court fight if the govern ment cuts off cash because of the action.” If other states would follow Wyoming’s lead, the government would be forced to return the right of speed limit determina tion to the states. —Dudley Smith, ’81 overcome inflation. In formulating this budget, I have made every effort to spread tha burden fairly and objectively.” The document itself is a signal to Demo crats that the party leader is ready to re trench on the “Great Society” and other programs that typified past Democratic presidents. He believes his approach is “compas sionate and competent” but that there are no new breakthrough solutions to the problems that have plagued American so ciety for decades. “I have ensured that my budget include adequate funds for programs that help those Americans most in need,” he said. Carter believes he is in tune with the wave of the future and that the new Con gress, in closer touch with the homefolks, agrees with him that the time has come to put the brake on the scope of federal gov ernment and the tax burden. “He is in the mainstream of American politics,” said press secretary Jody Powell. If that is true, then Ted Kennedy, a po tential rival for the presidency, is out of step with the public. On the other hand, California Gov. Edmund Brown is moving to the more •conservative side of the party spectrum. Some believe Brown may have gone farther than his own party could ever go with his call for a constitutional convention to force a balanced budget. But somewhere in the middle is Carter — becoming more and more the moderate that he probably always was before the presidential campaign. He may wind up in the Eisenhower mold. But his aides don’t think that’s so bad. Eisenhower won two terms which no one doubts Carter wants. From here to austerity Waggies face discrimination, rudeness By DICK WEST WASHINGTON — Although a reaction consensus would be hard to isolate and identify, congressional comment on Presi dent Carter’s fiscal 1980 budget was heav ily laced with the word “austerity.” “... stops short of imposing the austerity needed.”—Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. “To describe such a budget as ‘lean and austere’ is like talking about a ‘crash diet’ that permits banana splits and lemon cream pie.” —Sen. William Armstrong, R-Colo. “We are in a period of economic auster ity.” —Sen. Gary Hart, D-Colo. Etc. Since there apparently is strong biparti san support for a national austerity policy, the chief remaining decision is how to achieve that goal. Some economists, among them Prof. John Kenneth Turnipblood, favor the so- called “trickle up” approach. “Give the low income brackets a good shot of austerity and it eventually will trickle up into the high brackets where it is most needed,” Turnipblood said in his analysis of the budget. Why not apply austerity measures to the upper brackets directly? “The upper brackets have a powerful barrier against austerity,” Turnipblood said. “It is called money. Very drastic measures would be required to start an austerity wave in the upper brackets. “By contrast, a relatively small amount of austerity will make itself felt in the lower brackets. So the best policy is to aim the austerity program in their direction. Sooner or later, the higher brackets will feel the effects of it, too.” But other economists, one being Dr. Sigmund Waterstock, argue that the lower brackets already operate on an austere level, thus making any further belt tightening in that area ineffectual. “To make austerity work, we’ve got to have a program that attacks the roots of sumptuousness. This means taking it right at the upper brackets,” Waterstock told me. I’m sure that Congress, which has shown exquisite wisdom in resolving such issues in the past, will come forth with a workable compromise — sometime in the next decade. Meanwhile, there are foreign policy implications to consider. It is axiomatic that no nation can long exist as an island of austerity in a world that is striving for prodigality. To avoid of fending our neighbors, we shall have to avoid adopting an air of austerer-than- thou. Top of the News STATE Blown-out gas well monitored Oil field workers and public safety officials Thursday monitored; rogue gas well that blew out of control near Beaumont. No one J injured and there was no fire in the Wednesday blowout of a 4,§,1 foot-deep Stovall Oil and Gas Producers well in Spindletop Field south of the city. Wild Well Control Inc. of Houston was calledkn control the well. However, a Texas Department of Public Safer Official said he didn’t know if the well would be capped or not j think it’s about to blow itself out,” he said. “It’s trying to sand over The ph entis tr) Jiby sp rocess for Emil M ir of heal [^require eps to s lis time ■ze th Strauss to leave Carter post om ° th( i ave to w Foreign trade ambassador Robert Strauss will leave the administration as soon as he has completed a round of trade negofeR tions in Tokyo between the United States and 100 other countries , In an e Dallas newspaper said. The Times Herald Wednesday saidtl»Rs, ce former Democratic national chairman plans to return to his privatrRe in re law practice, and plans to be active in Carter’s 1980 re-electioncanH ste . l( j P ai g n - Wnf ur NATION Snow stalls farmer tractorcade One of two snowbound tractorcades headed for Washington! western Illinois Thursday, but the other remained stalled Greenville, Ill. The two groups, totalling 800 farmers and thl families, belong to American Agricultural Movement caravans travel ling to the capital to lobby against higher farm prices. The stakl farmers busied themselves clearing snow from Greenville stree'f “We had two snowplows break down Wednesday night, so theyij really helping,” Greenville Police Chief Robert File said. Carter appoints four to bench 1 President Carter Thursday named four people — including! woman and a black — to the federal bench in Massachusetts. Tli woman is Rya W. Zobel, a Boston lawyer; the black is Davidi i . , Nelson, associate justice on the Superior Court of Massachusetts. Hi I others are Robert E. Keeton, an associate dean at Harvard b ' IM< School, and John J. McNaught, associate judge of the state supm’ jp j'i' court. All are subject to confirmation by the Senate Judiciary Coi mittee, whose chairman. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, said he; L ' eliminating the old confirmation system under which senators k p ls veto powers over nominees from their state. The appointments*! he fine the first under the new omnibus judgeship law which provides for 13* is goir new federal judgeships, the most any president ever has beenaitts the thorized to appoint. «>i [ling fi Tolmadge records subpoenaed imaP ijweic A federal grand jury has subpoenaed Senate records on Sen. He; culati man Talmadge’s office expense claims in 1973 and 1974. Talmadge, eryor Georgia Democrat in his 23rd year in the Senate, already faces ai» pline by the Senate Ethics Committee for five possible violation including illegal expense claims and the conversion of campaign liini to personal use. The jury’s subpoena is the first indication the Justin Department may be pursuing an indictment against Talmadge orani^.. , 1 of his staff. “° n f '1V1SK Troopers ready for police strih Louisiana state troopers are preparing for possible emergency wo’ if city police strike, state police Commander G.W. Garrisons Thursday. The 800-member Patrolman’s Association of NewOrlei has threatened a chotic Mardis Gras strike unless the city reston vacation and sick leave benefits which were reduced to help coven 10 to 30 percent pay raise. Sny a' llo\ ersitie jher s< es for xas A& WORLD Britain threatens force in strike Britain’s Social Services Secretary David Ennals said Thursday tl government will use force if necessary to break a blockade by sti pickets that is preventing deliveries of medical supplies to hospitjll More than 50 cancer patients were sent home from Birminghamf Queen Elizabeth hospital because striking public health servio workers prevented medical supplies from getting through. The Wool kading of drugs was the latest blow to a country already hit by weefel of railroad shutdowns, food shortages and walkouts by public servkf| workers and gravediggers. Fin 1,500 Chinese apply for visas | o U ] 0 Applications by mainland Chinese to enter the United States b reached 1,500 this month, a U.S. consul spokesman in Hong Koni said Thursday. “We expect this figure to top 2,000 by the endofil* month, the spokesman said. He added he expects an even higti« figure in February. A year ago, the consulate handled only 30 vis applications, but an easing of Peking’s restrictions after the esta! lishment of diplomatic relations with the United States has senttk number up. g! WEATHER Overcast skies with 100% chance of rain. High today 40’s and low tonight in the low 30’s. Winds will be E.N.EJi 10 m.p.h. 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. 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