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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1981)
e backers I, i and 1 E.J. K -ns of) ■ry Of Baylor ’ ac bs incliijj fMii Vi Battauon Ol. 74 No. 145 16 Pages Serving the Texas A&M University community Wednesday, April 29, 1981 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 The Weather Today Tomorrow High 87 High 89 Low 69 Low 65 Chance of rain 20% Chance of rain. . . . . . . 20% n i s h* >' Easley d Texas Ted L __ 'V nthern V I I ■ ^Reagan pushes budget ual jn t door I 3 5 p.ni. IS TIME I pie” 2 United Press International WASHINGTON — With his budget red of approval by half the Con- ess, a raspy-voiced President Reagan issed a Democratic substitute as echo of the past” and urged Amer- s to try something new — his plan economic recovery. The president’s Republican team- jtes said his latest pep talk would rase the nation. Democrats grumbled jtwas misleading and some of his figures iccurate. As he mounted the rostrum earlier, the joint session gave him a sustained B-minute, 45-second ovation punctu ated by rhythmic cheers from the Re publican side. After his introduction by House Speaker Thomas O’Neill, [Reagan received another 45 seconds of i tribute. S It was his third appearance before Congress on behalf of the economic program he says he was elected to carry out, and it came on the eve of his 100th day in office, the mythical milepost for Til judging a new president’s political prog ress. It was a chance for Reagan to gather momentum for what could be a difficult fight in the House, which must choose by next week between his budget of roughly $690 billion or the Democrat- controlled House Budget Committee’s $715 billion alternative, which restores some funds for social programs he wants reduced. The Senate is expected to give Reagan what he wants next week. Then the House must start work on the more controversial part of his package — a three-year, 30 percent across-the-board tax cut. “It may appear that we have two alternatives,” Reagan said. “In reality, however, there are no more alternatives left. The (Budget) committee measure quite simply falls far too short of the essential actions that we must take.” He said the Democrats’ proposal “re flects an echo of the past rather than a benchmark for the future.” “Tonight I renew my call for us to work as a team,” he said. “Isn’t it time we tried something new? The time for action is now.” But O’Neill, the highest ranking Democrat in Washington, immediately took issue with Reagan’s claim the oppo sition plan would increase taxes by more than a third and cut more than $14 bil lion in important military spending. “The president’s assertion the Demo cratic budget cuts essential defense spending is unfair and misleading, ” said O’Neill. “The latest version of the Republican budget begins the abandonment of the government’s responsibility in the fields of health and education. That is the major reason I cannot support the latest version of the president’s budget and why I will work for the Democratic proposal. ” House Democratic leader James Wright of Texas said Reagan had been supplied with “factually inaccurate” in formation about the Democratic alter native. He disputed Reagan’s conten tion the Democratic proposal would mean more taxes, more spending and an inadequate defense budget. “It is unfortunate in the extreme that some of those who provided statistical information for his data did President Reagan a grave disservice by describing the House Budget Committee’s resolu tion in factually inaccurate ways,” Wright said. Wright said Reagan was incorrect in stating the Democrats’ proposal would boost spending by $141 billion above his own budget, reduce the defense budget and increase tax payments by over one- third. Among Republicans, who have seen Reagan’s economic package battered during his convalescence, the reaction to the president’s appearance on Capi tol Hill was warm, and in some inst ances effusive. “President Reagan was forthright, courageous and to the point,” said Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. Senate Republican Leader Howard Baker said, “I think it’s the best speech he’s ever given.” Air conditioning proposal awaiting regent approval By BERNIE FETTE Battalion StalT There is little chance a request for air conditioning if the second-floor annex of G. Rollie White Coliseum (ill he met before the end of the summer. Dr. Leonard Ponder, health and physical education epartment head, made the request after it was deter- lined some two months ago that air conditioning ould alleviate ventilation problems in the area. The project is presently in only the proposal stage, lowever, pending approval by the Texas A&M Uni- lersity Sytem Board of Regents, Dr. Charles RcCandless, master planning committee chairman, F “I would think a decision should be reached in a couple of months, ” he said. Ponder said ventilation problems resulting from the cspansion of the coliseum and Kyle Field created the need for air conditioning in the area which includes the Nautilus weight training center, men’s locker room, and several classrooms. An annex to the original building was completed in 1955 which included the mens’ locker rooms and the area used for intramural sports. Then in 1975 another expansion for womens’ dressing rooms and more clas srooms complicated the ventilation problem. Ventilation in that area of the coliseum was for the most part lost after the Kyle Field Expansion. There is now only a single row of windows on the west side of the building. Ponder said those windows, without any cross-ventilation, are of little use. To air condition the area would cost more than $250,000, McCandless said. However, he said, other alternatives such as a venti lation system along with fans are possible but have not yet been thoroughly investigated. Ponder said he estimates the temperatures in the unventilated area will exceed 100 degrees in the sum mer but official readings will be taken in the coming weeks. Besides the high temperatures. Ponder said, the lack of ventilation has made the odor in that area a problem as well. Although no health problems have resulted from the situation. Ponder said he is aware of such possibili ties. “We’ve had no health problems yet, but we re trying to head them off before they happen,” he said. Since it will likely be two months before the Board of Regents decides on the project, there is little possi bility that the air conditioning wijl be installed before the end of the summer. Such a situation is likely to produce problems. Ponder said. “We can’t afford to take chances with people in that area of the building,” he said. “If it gets unbearable, we’ll just have to close that section down.” Student claims property not stolen By TERRY DURAN Battalion Staff One of the students charged Monday night with theft of property including a phone booth says that some of the items were purchased, not stolen. Three Texas A&M University students were charged with the thefts after police found what they believed was stolen property in their apartment. The police had arrived in response to a burglary call from the Briarwood apartment complex. What they found was a fraternity brother of the apartment’s three occupants who had climbed in the window as a joke. The apartment dwellers were all on campus at the time. Upon entering the apartment, police found a com plete telephone booth, an oilfield drilling bit, two vending machines and several signs. Police suspected that the objects had been stolen, and, after officers talked with the trio — David L. Claridge, David B. Collins and James J. Walker II—a police van hauled off the suspect items. The three students were charged with a Class C misdemeanor — theft under $5, punishable by a max imum fine of $200 — and arranged for payment of their $200 bail shortly after midnight Monday. Collins told the Battalion Tuesday night that only four of the signs were stolen. The phone booth, he said, was bought a year ago from a friend in San Angelo, and had been retired by the telephone company before being purchased. The vending machines were broken, Collins said, and had been put in the apartment before they were thrown away. The drill bit, he said, was the product of summer’s work at the Loftis Co. of Midland. Collins said police thought the bit was of the diamond-tipped variety, which are durable and expensive. However, he said the bit was actually a worn out carbon steel bit. Most of the signs, he said, “just appeared” during fraternity parties at the apartment. All three students are members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Collins said the apartment was a “high-traffic area” for fraternity activi ties. Collins said a receipt for the phone booth has been requested from its former owner. No charges beyond the misdemeanor charge have been filed. . ....v.m. ■>....... ■ Photo by Karl J. Kaufmann Lazy afternoon on the lake Beautiful weather and sunny skies draw sailing enthusiasts to Lake Somerville to soak up some sun and enjoy a relaxing day in their sailboats. Legislators get the message: A&M needs more money Texas A&M budget proposal tops $241 million Editor’s note: Following is an up date on the Texas A&M budget in the Legislature, including the first specific proposals available. For details on the other schools in the Texas A&M System, see page 6. More budget breakdowns, for the service agencies and System, will appear in Thursday’s Batta lion, By LIZ NEWLIN Battalion Staff Texas A&M is growing, and it needs more money. The two-year budget recom mendation from the Texas House Appropriations Committee — with 29 and 37 percent increases System-wide — reflects that mes sage. Maybe that message surfaced during long, dulling hours of testi mony, or maybe the Aggie chair man and his friends guided the committee to the “proper” deci sions. The message, however, is most strongly backed by rising en rollment and expanding prog rams. Rep. Bill Presnal, D-Bryan and chairman of the House Appropria tions Committee, says the $55 million increase at Texas A&M for the next two years is mainly caused by enrollment growth. Under his plan, still to be tested on the House floor, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station would receive $6 million more than its current budget to enlarge research programs. The Texas Engineering Experiment Station would receive an addition al $2.5 million during the bien nium to be matched with federal and private funds for more re search. Presnal says this is the first time both research agencies received their full requests. “This is an indication of the committee’s recognition of the need for research to solve the problems facing all of us in the areas of food, energy and preser vation of our resources,” he said. Salary money for faculty and other professionals in the System will also increase—15 percent the first year and 10 percent the next year. Increases for staff are 14.3 percent and 8.7 percent. Part of the first-year increase, however, See page 6 for details on budget proposals for the other schools in the Texas A&M System and the Texas Forest Service. has already been claimed through a 5.1 percent raise in February paychecks for state workers. A Texas A&M official said the Board of Regents will decide how to distribute the extra money for faculty; in the past, he said, re gents have preferred merit raises. Based on current funding, Texas A&M University would re ceive about 22 percent more money next year and 37 percent more the next year. For the System as a whole, the increases over this year’s budget would be about 29 percent and 37 percent. The proposals from the approp riations committee must still be debated on the House floor, and legislators can change the amounts. A parallel process is going on in the Texas Senate, but the Finance Committee has not released its proposals. Legislators are also working against a time limit. The session ends June 1, and floor action on appropriations is expected within the week. Once each house adopts its separate appropriations bill — which contains about $26.5 billion for the next two years for state government — the two houses must decide on one bill to send to the governor. Gov. Bill Clements vetoed a few projects for the Texas A&M System in the 1979 Legislature’s final bill. Some appear again in the House bill. The Center for Comparative Medicine at Texas A&M, for inst ance, is slated to receive $300,000 each year of the biennium. The center studies the similarities be tween human and animal medi cine. Last time, the governor vetoed a $500,000 appropriation. Items that will probably not be veoted are scholarships at each academic institution. In the appropriations bill, the legislators say that part of those appropria tions must be used for scholar ships for minority students or, in the case of Prairie View A&M, for non-black students. The state of Texas is obligated to fund these scholarships and meet other requirements for the federal government. All major budget categories are listed. Of the amount for scholar ships, at least $4,747 will be spent Category each year for minority scholar ships. Current 1981 Requested General administration and student services: President (plus house, utilities, and supplement) General institutional expense Resident instruction: Departmental operating expense Organized activities. Vocational teacher training Organized research Physical plant operation and Campus security Cyclotron institute Sea grant program Energy resources program . .. . . Scholarships Radiological safety program Centerfor comparative medicine 1982 1983 .... 43,900 52,724 59,367. . 4,429,621 6,916,566 7,788,053. . 1,196,031 1,853,470 2,087,007. . 2,319,612 4,307,724 5,059,631. 42,602,612 54,980,245 61,907,756 . 13,262,972 18,181,334 20,275,361 . . 2,428,349 3,155,034 3,541,513 . . . . 850,000 1,782,078 2,036,431 . . 3,053,415 4,974,744 9,052,073 . . . . . 55,345 72,543 81,297. . 4,092,835 5,290,954 5,959,200 . . . . 757,555 3,549,937. . 3,684,760 . . 9,174,502 13,014,245 . . . 15,424,879 . 12,426,748 15,094,700 19,113,000. . . . 533,365 800,048 1,019,045. . (2,452,454) (8,284,593) (6,975,724) Proposed 1982 1983 50,900 57,034,575 16,016,714 . . 617,400 . . 383,165 1,246,393 . . . 14,700 . . 190,796 . . . vetoed Specific amounts not available. 5,074,827 8,564,026 • • 62,515 67,663 •5,372,356 6,050,915 • 943,864 943,695 11,600,029 12,765,260 14,300,000 15,730,000 1,020,976 ,277,396) 766,671 469,397 ,491,297 . 16,000 234,031 300,000 (3,055,199) . . 705,142 • .. 431,441 . . 1,386,665 ■ . . . 16,000 . . . 215,948 • .. 300,000 (3, L< Grand total 99,679,316 142,428,114 164,197,612 123,381,175 137,823,657 Less estimated other educational and general funds 7,435,343. 8,697,897 8,854,714 9,645,532 9,834,148 Net state appropriation 93,200,704 133,730,217 155,342,898 113,735,643. 127,989,509 This chart shows budget recommendations of the Texas House Appropriations Committee for Texas A&M University. The “1981” column shows the current budget for comparison. The “Request” columns indicate how much Texas A&M re quested from the Legislature. The proposals must still be debated on the House floor, possibly this week.