Slouch
by Jim Earle
go
olympians!
KICK THE
RUSSIANS
INi THE .
ICE /
Opinion
Wrecker law is long overdue
The changes in the wrecker ordinance made by the Bryan
city council last night are a welcome step forward in the area
of corralling the renegade towing services in the area.
For years the wreckers have preyed on the mistakes and
misfortunes of students and local residents.i.r * * y
Some towing companies" it appeared, went otit bf their
way to make things difficult for car owners. After towing a
car away, the wrecking companies made themselves virtual
ly invisible; they wouldn’t tell anyone where they took the
cars, and their phones were rarely in service. The time was
ripe for an offensive against the wreckers, and it’s good to see
the firyan councilmen doing just that.
The new ordinance requires the wrecker companies to
take some responsibility when towing vehicles. Now, the
companies have to let someone else — the police — know
when they tow a car away. In addition, they won’t get rich at
the expense of car owner’s anymore. The maximum amount
that a wrecker can charge, according to the new ordinance,
is $25.
Texas A&M has had a tightly regulated towing system for
years. Now with Bryan cracking down on the wreckers,
perhaps College Station, the “open frontier’’ for wreckers,
will show the towing companies who runs the city.
the small society
by Brickman
The Battalion
L S P S 045 360
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MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Roy Bragg
Associate Editor Keith Taylor
News Editor Rusty Cawley
Asst. News Editor Karen Cornelison
Copy Editor Dillard Stone
Sports Editor Tony Gallucci
Focus Editor Rhonda Watters
City Editor Louie Arthur
Campus Editor Diane Blake
Staff Writers Nancy Andersen,
Tricia Brunhart, Mike Burrichter,-
Angelique Copeland, Laura Cortez,
Meril Edwards, Carol Hancock,
Kathleen McElroy, Debbie Nelson,
Richard bliver, Tim Sager,
Steve Sisney, Becky Swanson,
Andy Williams
Chief Photographer Lynn Blanco
Photographers Lee Roy Leschper,
Paul Childress, Steve Clark, Ed Cunnius
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. 1 he Battalion is a non-profit. self-
supporting enterprise operated by students
as a university and community newspaper.
Editorial policy is determined by the editor.
Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Tuesday
February 12, 1980
Congressman proposes anothc
commission to study economy
By DON PHILLIPS
United Press International
To a generation of Americans, the name
Herbert Hoover evokes memories of tough
times.
After all, the former president was lead
ing the nation when it slipped off into the
Great Depression. Fair or not, he received
much of the blame.
But few remember that in 1947, Hoover
headed a bipartisan commission which ex
amined the federal government from stem
to stern and brought about new economy
and efficiency in the federal government.
Now, an influential congressman thinks
it’s time for another Hoover Commission.
Normally, official Washington pays ab
out as much attention to a call for a new
commission as it pays to the Washington
weather forecast.
But this recommendation came from
someone official Washington can’t ignore,
both because of his position and because of
his reputation as a bullheaded reformer:
House Rules Committee Chairman
Richard Bolling, D-Mo.
Bolling feels — and many agree with him
— the time has come for the nation to make
some bold strokes toward controlling its
destiny.
“It has been more than two decades since
our society took a thorough look at the over
all state of the union and its relationship to
the rest of the world, and subsequently
created policies that were accepted by a
majority of Americans, ” he said.
Even before the Hoover Commission,
he said, a broad coalition of Democrats,
Republicans, businessmen, unions and far
mers — spurred by war overseas and de
pression at home — developed broad poli
cies which led to two legislative measures
which changed the country’s destiny.
Those measures were the Employment
Act of 1946 that promoted maximum em
ployment, production and purchasing pow
er, and the Marshall Plan of 1947 that re
built a war-torn Europe.
Now, again, has come the time for "bold
and basic remedial approach to the mecha
nics of government,” said Bolling.
His proposd commission would study
the entire executive branch of government
and recommend ways of promoting eco
nomy, efficiency and improved service. It
might recommend consolidating overlap
ping agencies or abolishing those which are
no longer needed.
The commission would be composed of
18 members, with both Democratic:
publicans, and divided half-an&ti
tween individuals in governments|
vate life.
It would report at the begi
98th Congress early in 1983.
Bolling is no stranger to te(« H, e c ,
headed a congressional coinmissiowITq,
years ago that recommended sweep g oar c
forms in the House. Mostofthosen .gduc
never were implemented. yjU a
But that was not from lackoftma
in the process Bolling gained morersp
than he gained enemies. That isatr.p
when dealing with the massive epit
political powers of congressmen. 1
For that reason alone, Bolling!* ^
should receive — and probably will*
— more attention than average. *
Pollir
P
Letters
Gallucci’s article angers sports fans
Editor:
I usually don’t voice my opinion in writ
ing about Batt articles, but “Second Gues
ses” by Tony Gallucci in the Feb. 7th issue
made me change.
I have read so many articles about the
unfaithfulness of Aggies, particularly cur
rent Texas A&M students, it’s disgusting.
Since coming to A&M last fall, I am also
surprised at the frequency of articles like
“Second Guesses.” I’m glad Mr. Gallucci
believes Texas A&M’s basketball teams are
“awesome.” I agree, in fact they are the
best and that goes for the football team, too.
As for the fans, especially the students
being “disloyal”, I disagree. For one thing,
I know of some who waited over an hour to
crowd into G. Rollie and stand through the
Arkansas game. The SMU game was the
first one I missed. Some people simply
have to study. If you have ever been at
A&M, you know about time each semester
when all the profs give exams, usually
around the 4th week. When you have four
tests in one week, I don’t believe it is cor
rect to say these students are two-
percenters, unloyal or “suckers.”
I can see writing an article to encourage
students to come when attendance has
been low, but it makes me so mad to see
articles with Gallucci’s tone. The teams al
ways have our support no matter what their
record may be.
Mark Wood ’82
Jay Henry ’83
George Sanders ’83
U. S. behind Russia
Editor:
There is something more frightening for
the United States than Soviet weaponry.
What’s worse is the state of our civilian
population. For years our civil defense has
been guided by a concept known as MAD
(Mutual Assured Destruction). The popu
lation of the U.S. was to be left totally
unprotected, so that the Soviets could
assuredly destroy us. The planners hoped
that the Soviets would likewise expose
their civilians to our destructive capabili
ties.
Unfortunately for us, the Soviets weren’t
so stupid. For the past 10 years they have
spend $1 billion annually on civil defense.
Their industry is in hardened sites. Their
shelters are ready. In the event of nuclear
war the Soviet Union would lose no more
than 20 million people. The U.S. would
lose 150 million.
With our population hostage, our strate
gic forces inferior, and our conventional
arms outnumbered three to one, we are
inviting nuclear blackmail in the 1980s.
Also, SALT II should not be ratified'^
out far-reaching amendments. Tkrff
definite, glaring strategic imbalance
into it. And, the Soviets haverefa
linkage between the Salt agreements*
their frenzied build-up and used
tional arms. When Carter attempt 1
Vienna to secure some assurances
Soviets would cease their worlds
aggression, he met strong silence. No« (
know why!
It is my opinion that without any*
buildup, Russia could paralyze the 1
and most of the other countries withef '
minutes. I hope the United States is ifj)
to meet the Soviet challenge, or else
ever occupies the White House in
may find himself with a decision mold
rible to contemplate than any in the 1#
of our republic.
Ted Trent
David Turret 1
THOTZ
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