Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1979)
Page 8 THE BATTALION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1979 Houston mayoral election low-key United Press International HOUSTON — Boastful Houston, enduring stagnated traffic, a soaring homicide rate, potholes, police problems and pollution, is moving toward a mayoral election that will either fix blame or prove that the inconveniences of urban sprawl can be tolerated in exchange for eco nomic prosperity. Good wages may make for short memories. If there isn’t another multimillion-dollar flood before Tuesday, there is strong indication that debt-bound, builder- developer-Mayor Jim McConn will emerge from a field of nine candi dates into a runoff for another two- year term. Less than a week before the elec tion, even his best-financed oppo nents admit McConn is well ahead in votes and contributions. “I’m pretty consistently in second place,” said Leonell Castillo, the former commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, who didn’t quit his Wash ington position until late summer and then surprised his friends by announcing for McConn’s job rather than city council. McConn said his polls agree that Castillo is running second, but raised twice as much money as Cas tillo but only half as much as McConn, said his polls show he is No. 2. Despite Houston’s inability to provide basic services in areas of mass transportation, street mainte nance and police protection, and despite a federal investigation — temporarily suspended — of the money coming into and going out of City Hall, the campaign has been calm, low-key and generally clean. Few of the estimated 1.7 million residents will vote. Absentee ballot ing was off by one-third from 1977, frustrating McConn’s challengers who could not understand why vot ers did not share their indignation at the status quo. But residents of the nation’s fifth largest city simply never took up a “throw the rascals out” chorus at a time when jobs were plentiful, wages high and gasoline sold for less than 90 cents a gallon, if only to be burned up while stuck in freeway traffic. “If a candidate’s only issue is potholes, that’s an indication the in cumbent mayor is doing a damned good job,” said McConn, who says the city repaired 2.4 million potholes in 22 months. McConn, 52, was a two-term city mayor’s race in 1977. He owns con struction and land development companies but was $400,000 in debt two years ago. Now, his office says, his debt has been reduced to less than $200,000. He rated transporta tion and crime as the top issues in the campaign and said his biggest accomplishments were inner city revitalization and improved minor ity representation at City Hall. Macey, 43, is a two-term council member who sold his custom drap ery business in 1977 and now has investments in ladies sportwear companies and boasts he “didn’t make my money at City Hall.” Castillo, 40, was a cum laude graduate at St. Mary’s in San An tonio, served in the Peace Corps, was city controller from 1972-77 and INS commissioner from 1977 until this summer. Also challenging McConn are Larry Robinson, 33, an auto salvage firm owner; Bette Graham White, 40, a communications department instructor at Houston Baptist Uni versity; Jewell Davis Lemons, 70, an attorney; the Rev. C. Leon Pic kett, 50; Debby Leonard, 37, a re finery worker and Socialist Workers Party candidate, and Lawrence A. Sims, 33, a builder-developer and the only black in the race. 8 percent loans offered Home sale cuts interest Councilman Louis Macey, who , councilman when he won the & PARTY SET-UPS 7 A.M. 11 P.M. O <c> % ICE 663-4750 RHEA'S Country Store 2751 Longmire, Cl'S. 693-8733 * * * * * * & & & & & & # * * * & * MSC MBA/LAW DAY I Saturday Nov. 10, 1979 2nd Floor MSC Session 1: Session 2: Law (8 a.m.-noon) Business (1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.) Registration Fee: single session $1.00 both sessions $1.50 Register in advance (221 MSC) or at (228 MSC Nov. 10) Luncheon: $3.00 (extra) United Press International HOUSTON — A builder flush with unsold homes in a sluggish housing market has found what seems like sure-fire sales bait — mortgage money at 8 percent inter est, 3.125 percent below the going rate. On a first-come, first-serve basis, Playa Homes Inc. plans to sell 51 homes Saturday with special mortgages from University Savings Association, which financed de velopment of the subdivision. The actual mortgage rate will be 11.125 percent, but it will look and feel to the 51 homebuyers like 8 percent for the first 60 months be cause Playa Homes Inc. will pay the difference. Since advertising began last Saturday, Playa salesman John Dar- bonne said, “Response has been tremendous. We’ve had 200 or 300 people come by. The company promises police se curity and refreshments (hot dogs and soft drinks) for those who get in line Friday night with the idea of ’f camping out to wait for Saturday’s sale. The houses, many of which are not finished, are three-and four- bedroom, two-bathroom brick homes averaging about $65,000 each, Darbonne said. Using the $65,000 average cost figure and assuming a 5 percent down payment, Darbonne said the monthly payment on an 11/ percent 30-year mortgage would be $594.65. An 8 percent 30-year mortgage would cost $453.25 a month. Register for luncheon by Noon Nov. 8 221 MSC COURTS UNIVERSITY SHOE SERVICE “Expert boot and shoe repair” 104 College Main Northgate For more info: 845-1914 846-6785 &&&&&lplplp&lPlPlPlPlFlPlPlPlPlPlPlPlPiP SOLID WOOD SOLID WOOD SOLID WOOD SOLID WOOD SOLID O O i Q O V) Q O O £ o 00 a o i Hunters! They’re Finally Here! GUN CABINETS $ o o D O 05 Q O O £ o to We have a large seleo tion of six, eight, and ten gun cabinets. Come by and take your pick. Q O i 8 The Perfect Gift! Layaway now for Christmas! o O i o o co UNFINISHED FURNITURE CENTER 314 N. Main Q O O ^ anos Downtown Bryan 822-7052 aooM anos qoom anos ooom anos Playa Homes will sign a contract to pay the difference, $141.40, for 60 months. Darbonne said, “The most important thing is that this lets a buyer qualify at the 8 percent rate. He can get more loan for his money.” After five years, the buyers will pay the full 11.125 and the mortgages are not transferrable. The monthly payment cost to Playa could exceed $432,000, but Playa vice president Don Barras said the cost of unsold homes could be much greater. Barras said the carrying costs on one of the homes unsold would be about $900 a month, including maintenance, the 16 percent inter est on short-term construction loans and other costs. “Basically, with the high interest that we have now and the high carry that’s on the house, our costs would be more to let them sit for six months than by selling them all in one day,” Barras said. “By doing this, we create momentum, we have our inventory moved out, and we turn our efforts to making a profit,” he said. Debbie Aughinbaugh of Univer sity Savings, which loaned the 16 percent construction money to Playa, said, “We re helping out one of our builders. ” “He’s paying 16 percent on the construction loan, so it certainly would behoove him to only pay 3.125 percent,” she said. The company’s interest costs are tax deductible. Aughinbaugh said the association had “never done anything like this before,” including allowing buyers to obtain what will become 11.125 percent loans by meeting the lesser qualifications required at 8 percent. “What we hope, of course, is that the people will be doing better fi nancially after five years,” she said. Groucho and pal I CHEYE the man’s Sheridan i ters to de Mountain; I Ronald liesday wii Ihe Oct. S Brother, jflbreybull, idanvel, P | The wt Sheridan David Godfrey reacts to applause that put him in first plats in the pumpkin carving contest sponsored by the MSC Art and Crafts Committee. The contest was held at Ruddf Fountain at noon Wednesday. Godfrey received a $25$ ij s t e d in certificate to TJs. Second place winner was Kristi Kranw Saturday John Rock won third place. Battalion photo by D*m*e Crewdf 'cliff near I A searc Same method used in Fort Worth last year Texas extortion cases have similariti |tesidence agent of tl Ijigation. He dec to Sel: United Press International ARLINGTON — FBI agents on the trail of a gun-wielding extor tionist say they see similarities be tween the ransom of a bank presi dent’s family and a year-old case in nearby Fort Worth. Police in Arlington said Thursday there were no suspects in the extor tion of Arlington Bank of Commerce board chairman H.R. Poynter, bank president Danny Smith and Smith’s family. The gunman left the hos tages unharmed as he fled the Smith’s Arlington home Wednesday with an undisclosed amount of money. The FBI, called in to help state and local authorities in the case be cause of an apparent violation of the Hobbs Act governing interference in interstate commerce, said the abduction-extortion resembled an unsolved Fort Worth case. “There was a similar case about a year ago v in Fort Worth,” said FBI agent U.H. Specht. “An employee of the First National Bank of Fort Worth on Nov. 22, 1978, was taken hostage by an individual with a very similar description, held all night and when the bank opened in the morning, the robber made the per son get the money. It’s the same M.O. (method of operation)” The ordeal began Tuesday when “an unidentified black male” barged into the Smith home through a back door, brandishing a gun. Smith, 31, his wife Linda and their children — ages 10 and 5 — were held through the night, offi cials said. The extortionist ordered Smith to telephone Poynter Wednesday morning to ask that Poynter come to the Smith home. When Poynter ar rived, he also was held hostage while Smith went to the bank and drew an undisclosed sum for ran som. Smith and the gunman then drove in Smith’s car to Fort Worth. W O § o D C/> O SIKIS CHICKEN SALOON 307 University Drive College Station Beer on Crushed Ice Progressive Country Music Hangdown Sausage Cheddar Cheese on the Wheel Authentic Turn of the Century Texana Local woman named to state advisory United Press International AUSTIN — House Speaker Bill Clayton announced Wednesday the appointment of 11 Texans to serve as an advisory panel to the House Select Committee on State Em ployee Productivity. The committee, chaired by Rep. Mary Jane Bode, D-Austin, has been directed to study the laws and policies of the state and its agencies that affect the training, education, hiring, classification, performance and promotion of state employees to determine where changes are war ranted. Smith was ordered into theta the vehicle, which was abanij by the masked man a short I later. Smith escaped from the ori notified authorities, officials sa: “Everything’s fine,’ after his escape, although he still felt “shaky. The banb ‘ United Pr ducted business as usual ttii^AKE C the remainder of the day. eshman Cc Poynter said he had feared I uddy” Lead life during the ordeal anil d'any know masked man had said he “destl 440 votes the money” but did not elaborit sent him t Leach, a De :e-buying e a of Verne ts of Louis td the incid< Yes, I he gh the ye jbis five h nd Wedne: Kay Sanders of Bryan wasnimey as usinj to the advisory panel. Sandersii half-pints c administrator of GreenleafPsywM about tl ric Center. r? ac ^ was * ss^o testily : The other members of the p-racy and v are Curtis W. Dickson of Aofl Ruben Bonilla Jr. of Corpus Cln James A. Caley of Austin, John ley of Austin, Lee Cooke of Au&- Luther T. McDonald of San Sr tonio, Mark L. Rigg of Ausl|j Richard S. Robertson of AuSp # « Dan M. VVliite of Dallas and Bl 1^1 Zuniga of Austin. D O 8 </> o o 8 o 8 0? </> P O o C/7 o doom anos o § o D Barcelona APARTMENTS NEWLY REMODELED ! ALL UTILITIES PAID and... Individual Heating and Air, Cable T.V., 3 Laundry Rooms, Swimming Pool, Security Guard, Party Room, and Close to Campus. 693-0261 700 Dominik, College Station T c x •V«N Col ! Cm ii si • E- HAKCF.LOXA * ■•’•'Wf.rii .ihci f’«*r — > drive >rew it de Texas Office of Traffic Safety •A’.lil j ONE O'CLOCK LAB BAND Nov. 7 8 p.m. Rudder Auditorium Tickets at the Box Office Student $2.50 Non Student $3.00 A presentation of fv\SC Arts •VVjsii •••i