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.