The Battalion
V IE WPOINT
Impr
September 17,
R
Slouch By Jim Earle
“This course in how to study is taking too much time and is
hurting the grades in my other courses.
Impoundment is
new spending issue
By STEVE GERSTEL
United Press International
WASHINGTON — The day before mem
bers of Congress reassembled after an un
usually long five-week holiday, Capitol
Hill’s GOP chieftains journeyed to the
White House.
Senate leader Howard Baker and the
House’s Robert Michel knew beforehand
that the main topic of conversation with
President Reagan at the Oval Office would
be the growing budget deficit — and what
to do about it.
Although signals existed when Congress
shut down in early August, it was only dur
ing the long interlude that the enormity of
the problem became vividly clear to the
administration.
Earlier projections were not holding up.
The federal budget deficit for fiscal 1982
and years beyond was growing.
The Herculean effort by Congress to
prune the budget had not been enough.
More was needed.
For Baker and Michel, especially
Michel, who h^d piloted Reagan’s econo
mic package through the congressional
shoals, the prospect of going back to ask for
more must have been agonizing. But there
was no other choice.
One approach that came under consider
ation during the deliberations was a resolu
tion giving Reagan temporary, limited pow
ers to impound money already appropri
ated by Congress.
One suggestion would be to give Reagan
the power for one year to prune 10 percent
of any program or project — entitlements
expempted.
The appeal is understandable.
The impoundment approach would give
the administration the power to cut where
and what it wanted; Congress would be
spared the political agony of once more slic
ing social programs on a line-by-line basis.
After the meeting, Michel and Baker
strode from the White House to tell assem
bled reporters that a resolution allowing
impoundment was an option to be consi
dered.
Sources close to the GOP leadership said
that the decision to go public was Michel’s,
not Baker’s. That might have been a bad
mistake.
Baker and Michel are astute politicians
who have always been known to touch base
before launching a baloon. This time they
didn’t.
As a result, the idea of an impoundment
resolution has failed to elicit vocal support
among Republicans and the reaction among
Democrats has been uniformly hostile.
The reasons are ample.
In 1974, Congress adopted a resolution
specifically forbidding a president from im
pounding appropriated money after the
Senate and House decided that President
Richard Nixon was grievously abusing his
priviliges. They have not regretted that de
cision.
Baker dismisses the concern, insisting
that a resolution giving Reagan only limited
impoundment powers can eliminate the
possibility of abuse. Democrats are far from
convinced.
Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.), for one, is
so opposed to the idea of an impoundment
resolution that he has threatened to lead a
filibuster if it becomes necessary.
Hollings, however, makes one excep
tion. He would not object to giving Reagan
the power to impound the recently adopted
tax cut for individuals.
At the beginning of August, Congress
hoped that the budget’s gargantuan appe
tite for budget deficits might have been
satisfied and that Congress could turn to
other pressing legislation in the coming
months.
That optimistic prospect has now been
eliminated. The second six months of
Reagan’s first year could be a replay of the
first.
This time, however, the showdown could
come not on dollar figures and line items
but on a resolution permitting impound
ment.
the small society
by Brickman
WfMT PdP I THlN^PF
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©1961 King Features Syndicate. Inc. World rights reserved
Warped
By JO
B
Former pageant contestant
replies to Battalion editorial
I Seven r
the two
hols have
Texas A<!
Health an
and the pi
The re
stimated !
er, physic
After reading the editorial in Monday’s
Battalion on the Miss America Pageant, I
felt it was my duty as a former contestant in
the Miss Texas A&M Scholarship Pageant
to clear up some misconceptions.
The writer of the editorial first showed
concern over the number of judges used
during the pageant. “How can a small group
of judges choose the most beautiful,
talented, poised, etc., woman in the United
States?”
In the Miss America Pageant System
there are approximately 2,000 preliminary
pageants, each using a panel of approxi
mately 5 judges, a total of 10,000 judges at
the local level. At the state level there are
approximately 250 judges, (50x5), and at
the Miss America Pageant, there are eight
more. Thus, in deciding on a new Miss
America, the opinions of at least 10,258
judges were used.
The writer also questioned the validity of
the “latest addition,” a scholarship to the
Reader’s
Forum
Pageant. The “latest” addition was estab
lished in 1945, and represents over
$2,000,000.00 in scholarships each year,
the largest scholastic award program for
women in the world. The motive of these
scholarships, as in any other scholarship
porgram, is to encourage the chosen Miss
America to continue her studies, and is de
finitely not established on physical beauty.
With that in mind, I would like to point
out the scoring system in the Miss Texas
A&M Pageant. 50% is judged on talent,
while the remaining 50% in interview,
evening gown and swimsuit competition.
Therefore, approximately on g|
pageant emphasis is strictly on tilt
interview, the major basis for the
ship. The misconception is the fact!
Miss America Pageant begins
liminary events held in ordertodf
10 finalists. The very crucialandsij
interview portion of the judgingis
the preliminaries and is not tel
Thus, as the writer misunderstood j
son’s mental capacity” is not judgf
30-second rear view,” but, in
judged prior to the nationally tt
event.
In view of everything, 1 ’
personally invite the writer topartit
the screening of the Miss Texas AH)
stimating
li
Instead
oks and c
Is, sevei
Sity studen
use a robo
autoi
^ The rob
|e stereot
larship Pageant, for I strongly heiiffjg lights a
experience is the basis for underslfet, the r<
the motives behing such eventsastiteal human
America Scholarship Pageants.
sembles th
dentist’s o
nputer e
Dr. Rob
ofessor i
/VOW REAP youR LEASE- CAREFULLY,
IT'S A LEGALLY BINPIN6 CONTRACT
AND YOU CAN BE PROSECUTED
AS AN ADULT BY THE LAW.
XXX FILTH
neering c
pervisor
erform i
Iks such
hchines ii
! Pinchinj
UNDER 18-
ADMITTED
rticulated
besn’t havi
mth two f
U&tr(JZT7T~0~(TVT>W^ wan
/'X. / /w ] ems ass0(
ibots, as \
esign, co
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n it, we
Rn.”
The robo
Inum anc
niversity’?
ing departr
rial This
old it kid...
New check cashing policy criticize!
Editor:
Hey Bill! (Bill Hensel, MSC manager)
Glad to see your’re on our side. Of
course I’m referring to the check cashing
policies (Battalion article, Monday, Sep
tember 14). With more and more students
arriving on campus each year, it only makes
sense that you should cut down on the
hours that this service is available so that we
may be better served. I mean logically: If
the lines are longer, give them less time and
things will run more smoothly, right? In
stead of having to wait 10 minutes in a line
that stretches across the lounge area, it
could easily be 15 or 20 minutes in a line
that reaches the post office. Now there will
be more people and time for me to “chat”
with while I wait for my precious 25 dollars.
Also, Bill, it obviously follows that with
rising costs, inflationary trends, etc., that
$25 is much better than $35. Now I can fill
my car with gas ... that’s it.
I’ve been here for awhile and am finally
starting to get the hang of “Aggieland” man-
gement.
Bruce E. Kalapach ‘79
Vandals go home
Editor:
Regarding Tuesday’s front page photo
graph of the vandalism to the new Acade
mic and Agency building: Why can’t the
ignorant slobs who wrote the message real
ize that what they said totally contradicted
itself? First of all, Armageddon is inevitable
— the Bible says it will happen and there is
nothing we can do about it. Secondly, by
disarming ourselves, major i
Armageddon, will only comesoonei
confidence of the domineering 1
hungry East grows. Maybe, justnfi
can weaken this confidence and
this conflict by re-arming, not(
one-sided disarmament will notu® I
To the vandals: Quit worrying
inevitable and deal with matters join
something about — like learning’
spell and how not to show usonoul
Noe C«
By Scott McCullar
WELL, WE'RE BACK. FOR
THE REST OF OUR MISS
WONDERFUL BEAUTY
PAGEANT, AND AT THIS
POINT WE'D LIRE TO
REMIND YOU . . .
THAT ONLY A SMALL
PORTION OF THE JUDGING
IS BASED ON PHYSICAL
BEAUTY. QUITE A UPT IS
BASED ON TALENT AND
INTELLECT. AND NOW,
JUST LOOK AT TH
INTELLECTS...
0SE
AND REMEMBER, ANY
CONTESTANT CAUGHT
PADDING HER INTELLECT
will be DISQUALIFIED?
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Angelique Copeland
Managing Editor Marcy Boyce
City Editor JaneG. Brust
Asst. City Editor Kathy O’Connell
Photo Editor Greg Gammon
Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy
Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff
Asst. Focus Editor Debbie Nelson
News Editors Jennifer Afflerbach
Bernie Fette, Belinda McCoy
Diana Sultenfuss
StaffWriters Frank L. Christlieb
Gaye Denley, Terry Duran, Nancy Floeck
Phyllis Henderson, Colette Hutchings
Denise Richter, Rick Stolle
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Graphic Artist. Richard DeLeon Jr.
Photographers Brian Tate
Becky Swanson, Dave Einsel
ty administrators or faculty members, oroflk
Regents.
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students in reporting, editing and photog
within the Department of Communications.
Questions or comments concerning any edited
should he directed to the editor.
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Columns and guest editorials are also web®'
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Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Ec :!
Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M i
College Station, TX 77843.
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operated as a community service to Texas AdcM University
and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat
talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not
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