Slouch
by Jim Earle
Cc
‘You're right. Both of us need to get some sun.
Opinion
Iran should be taught lesson
No one should be surprised that Ayatollah Khomeini, the
religious fossil leading his people in a return to the Dark
Ages, has rejected the release of the U.S. hostages until at
least May.
The drastic decision by Khomeini to cut off the United
Nations places the direct responsibility on President Garter,
who thus far had taken little action t<^ achieve any solution
save one arrangement of dialogue after another.
There are those who believe Carter is milking a good
political opportunity with little intention or resolve to make
a tough decision. What happened to the economic and
military blockades?
The latest comments of the president mean the situation
is grave. That’s a real bulletin, especially to the hostages.
We have had enough of inaction which, if Carter holds
true to form, will continue through a new series of delay
tactics as the Democratic campaign in the United States
continues to roll along for the president who says nothing
and does little.
Martinsburg, W.Va., Evening Journal
the small society
by Brickman
WcO'&oY/ WHAT
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Washington Star Syndicate, Inc.
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The Battalion
U S P S 045 360
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Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Friday
March 21, 1980
Vari
sho\
Sati
German political parties in deb
despite government funding
By WOLFGANG WAGNER
International Writers Service
HANNOVER, West Germany — Here, as
in the United States, voters go to the polls
in the fall to choose a federal government.
And here, too, the major political parties
are confronted by the problem of financing
their campaigns.
West Germany’s parties are so deeply in
debt that, were they businesses, they
would have long ago been forced to declare
bankruptcy. It is doubtful, indeed, how
they will get through this election year.
At the end of 1978, according to their
own disclosures, the ruling Social Demo
crats headed by Chancellor Helmuth
Schmidt were to hock to the tune of $21
million. Their principal adversaries, the
Christian Democrats, owe some $17 mil
lion to their creditors.
The insolvency of the parties is due
largely to the fact that they are almost con
stantly engaged in elections of one kind or
another — and campaigns cost money.
The federal legislature is elected every
four years, but each of West Germany’s
states renews its parliament during that
period, and there are also numerous muni
cipal and other local contests.
In contrast to the United States, where
individual candidates raise a large propor
tion of their own campaign funds, politi
cians here are heavily underwritten by
their parties, whose coffers are supposed to
be filled by the dues paid by their mem
bers.
Party dues are calibrated to the incomes
of members. But nearly all party members
declare less than their real incomes in
order to keep their contributions down to
a minimum. As a result, the parties cannot
collect enough to cover expenses.
In the past, the parties had also relied on
private contributions. But this practice has
been discouraged by a legal ruling as well as
by an investigation, still going on, that was
triggered by that decision.
In 1966, the West German equivalent of
the Supreme Court severely curbed the tax
deductions that could he taken for dona
tions to political parties. This judgement
was based on the court’s opinion that unli
mited deductions favored the Christian
Democrats, whose supporters tend to he
richer than those of the Social Democrats.
A couple of years ago, however, it was
discovered that the Christian Democrats
had been doing that decision through the
device of a dummy company, created by a
well-known businessman, that was acting
as a channel to funnel money into the party
treasury.
Though the case has not yet been fully
probed, its revelation has aroused suspi
cion that all the political parties are resort
ing to similar subterfuges. One consequ-
fearful of having
ive simply cut off
ence has been that donors
their ledgers examined, h
gifts to the parties.
In 1976, for example, donations to tin*
Social Democrats roughly totalled $20 mil
lion. By 1978 they had dropped to less than
$500, (KK).
Under new laws passed since the court
rulings, the government has been subsidiz
ing the parties, both by furnishing funds for
elections campaigns and by awarding a pre
mium of $2 for each vote a part)' musters.
This arrangement has benefited the par
ties to some extent. During the election for
the European Parliament belt! last June,
for instance, the parties curtailed their ex
penditures hut received the same govern
ment subsidies they wmdd have gotten for
a domestic political campaign. Thus they
were able to pay off some oi their debts.
But in the big election campaigns, such
as the one now unfolding for next iall s na
tional contest, government subsidies are
insufficient.
Another innovation that is helping the
parties is a law under which they can claim
funds from the government for the "social
and democratic political education oi
citizens. They have established founda
tions for this purpose, and their total sub
sidy last year amounted to about $-40 mil
lion, with the Social Democrats and Christ
ian Democrats sharing the major portion of
Bv DEBBI1
Cj
Music, com
quism ... all
good variety si
Vegas nightsj
sound stage or
dent Center.
This year’s
Saturday at 8
ditorium.
Kathy Cam]
man, said 17
the sum.
It is no secret, however,lb tured in this
divert a certain pcruTitaKcii^*®^)' is
1111s111\ into vanipi:-/®^ 5 including
Among other tilings, theyusei ** ca ^ P* an j s C a
In woo West (iernun voters i/toga native m
Even so, the debts are piliii]/^® musical a
the parties here maintainpwJ^ < J! ,s , , I 0
lu al organizations that are Pul,li< ] ' it 1 v (
rim. Evers town and village' sa , l . t _i. K J
many has its party offices md, e d l’, l', ”*
least one full-tinin . tnplou^, KrlK
Univrrsity, \v
Vl l" ' , , . . danee routiin
l .„ ed In nsing costs, part3j vieNVS t , u , tlu ,
.ue strenuously we ,nKmt v< « Guvs alK , n
somees of money. I hey luvefeJBj ,
at el \ suec< ssful in l»isiiadiin:fe j . ■
( .'oni t toeontemplatraninae.-;^,^^ "
deduction for donations. Butti k He ] t . n So( i de]
duction, now beingconsidered aw . lrc ] wir
high f.BSxsofThur
s.» .ts tin < mrrnt eIedp^B sea t s wen
gathers monciitmii. West Gtr^ U( l c l er p ox
eeis e a paradox. Throughinge $1.50 for stu
prise and hard work, theyhavetij students,
count ry into one of theworldgfr .Jbe first
peroiiN economies. Fheiflpifl^grM was tin
lislimcnt. howevei simply featm
ends meet. place winner
at Southwes
i Wagner, editor of the Him Newman saic
Vllgemeine Zeitung, writes : ed G. Rollie ’
affairs in West CeriM was then the
event at Tex
I know, Jimmy, but . .
die Reagans are out lO Sj
front with all thgir
furniture-
Aut
h
Kamlevitz v
of the Texa
rary at thei
Sterling C.
H'The 2 p.n
conference i
lie and will
president-el
^Several c
earnei
Readers’ Forum
Hong Kong club active on campus
By CAROLYN ADAIR
The Hong Kong Club is one of the oldest
and most active recognized student organi
zations. The club has contributed to the
University community both through indi
vidual activities and by being one of the
most active in the International Student
Association and to International Student
Week.
During the last four years, the Hong
Kong Club and its members have received
seven certificates of appreciation from the
International Student Association for out
standing contributions.
Food is always a specialty of the club. For
every International Student Association
food fair and banquet in the last three
years, the Hong Kong Club has prepared
about one-third of the food. In the 1979
International Student Association Food
Fair competition, the Hong Kong Club
fought off strong competition from the Thai
Student Association to win the first place.
Along with promoting contact among our
members, the club helps to build friend
ship with Chinese students at other
schools. With a few exceptions, the Hong
Kong Club sponsored or coordinated
almost every interschool sport meet and
party between the 'Chinese students at
Texas A&M and the Chinese Associations
ofTexas Women’s University, the Univer
sity of Texas, the University of Texas at
Arlington and the University of Houston
and Bice University. Their dance group
performed for China Night events at the
University ofTexas, University of I Ibuston
and Sam Houston State University.
Besides providing services and organiz
ing activities for club members, the Hong
Kong Club tries to bring an insight of the
Chinese culture to the school and commun-
■ve
His subjec
humor, nos
South Dakc
more than ]
He is a
ghost write
mation offic
ter and pu
Kamlevitz i:
II and the I
T His most
Your Heart
Dakota-bon
Dunn. It re
ler statuette
boy Hall of
ter in Oklal
|i Karolevit
into the Sot
of Fame, a
Ingalls Wile
The Frien
Dakota Sta
and Disting
holds a masl
from the U
I He and h
their farm n
ton County
scribed the
another boi
ity through dislays, speakersandf But My Th
During the two years, they put if The farm
cultural displays. Afteraco-spoDSH ^e neighbi
show, “Capture the Spirit of CliP;'-
the Hong Kong Club, the MSC'ii
Committee was attracted by dietfn'fe
111 re- and beautiful scenery of Cfc;|
doing some preliminary planniujkj
to China in the Summer <
The Chinese student mejhbetsW
tributed much to the internationil*
phere of the Texas A&M campus id
Bryan and College Station couim
(Carolyn Adair is Director of is
Activities for Texas AM
THOTZ
By Doug Graham
wjHEKi wmmrob
iT I5> fNECESSABY TO
STRUCTURE ADD
TO THE PEELlMfeS OF PtTY
and sorrow the st°^
It you * an
*»"no, no,
c *nned
" Me *lc« n
^ lli,s lot
?° 71 Nor,
35 2-857o