—opinion
Three points on ‘New Federalism’
by Arnold Sawislak
United Press International
WASHINGTON — The first thing to
be said about President Reagan’s “New
Federalism” scheme to pass off federal
welfare programs to the states is that it
isn’t going to happen soon.
The second thing about the proposal
is that it was a very clever political stroke.
And the third thing is that it probably
could work only if some very basic
changes have taken hold in U.S. political
and social life.
The reason the massive turnover of
social programs isn’t going to be put in
place quickly is that it will require inten
sive political horsetrading between
Washington and the state capitals and
immense administrative planning.
The Reagan proposal is a domestic
version of his “zero option” missile offer
to the Soviet Union: if he is realistic, he
doesn’t expect it to be accepted without
dickering and change.
Governors have been talking for some
time about “sorting out” responsibility
for state and federal functions, but their
ideas have tended toward taking over
such programs as transportation, crime
control and education and leaving wel
fare to Washington.
Reagan’s proposal to have the states
take the costly and controversial basic
welfare program, aid to families of de
pendent children, plus the politically sen
sitive and expensive food stamp program
is not what the governors had in mind. So
the President’s proposal probably is only
the basis for negotiations.
But it was a master stroke of political
timing. The governors never put their
proposal into a uMfied form; Reagan
beat them to the punch and renewed his
credentials for innovation and conserva
tive activism.
In addition, the plan dominated head
lines about his State of the Union mes
sage — enough so that most commenta
tors didn’t make a fuss about his failure to
discuss what, if anything, he was going to
do about 8.9 percent unemployment and
a new upward movement in interest
rates.
Finally, there is the possibility that the
plan could work, despite warnings from
critics that the states and localities can’t or
won’t take care of their poor and dis
advantaged citizens. Some see Reagan as
a kind of Pontius Pilate, seeking to wash
his hands of responsibility for the poor in
society.
There are two big differences in the
states now and the states when Washing
ton First got into social programs. The
First is the one-man, one-vote rule of law
that gives population centers fair repre
sentation in state and local legislatures.
The second is the voting rights law that
gives minorities a chance to vote for or
against people who are supposed to be
representing them in government.
These two changes in government
make it possible for people who need
help to use the political system to get it.
But they are not a majority and another
change may be needed — Americans
who can take care of themselves may
have to take a different attitude toward
those who can’t.
It was said several decades ago that
poverty and discrimination in the United
States was “invisible” because the great
middle class in this country simply re
fused to look at them. If that still is true,
nothing will be solved by passing the buck
from Washington to the state capitals.
THE DEA/ftO&IS RESPOND |
Letter: Israeli Club answers letter
Battalion/Page 2
February 9,1982
T
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By Jim Earl
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by Johna Jo
Battalion
A rate increasi
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mid-March.
GTE filed a $1
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Utilities Commis
Jan. 29, after thi
GTE service pen
Most Bryan-(
customers can ei
month increase ii
vice charges if
approved.
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The armed rob
fown Bryan piz;
week’s Crime of
I Onjan.30,al
an entered Mi
lain. He stooc
‘It’s Valentine’s Week, so what the heck; it’s worth a try!” line and waited
her customer
New releases deliven
by official Trojan hors!
en pulled a .
get revolver
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After she
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Iked out of
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The robber
by Dick West
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President Reagan,
who seems to feel his administration is
more porous than most, has just issued
new leak-plugging rules for the executive
branch.
His counter-measures are less drama
tic than the “plumbers” unit Richard Nix
on recruited to shut off news leaks in the
bureaucracy. Nevertheless, some of
Reagan’s critics have accused him of
embracing the so-called “trickle out”
theory of information distribution.
That concept, I should explain for
those who came in late, is based on the
premise that the people’s right to know
can best be protected by only releasing
information through official channels.
White House sources insist the high
leakage rate is not the fault of Reagan’s
policies. They say the information net
work he inherited from previous presi
dents was full of holes.
“We can’t plug all the leaks overnight,”
one aide said. “After all, Reagan’s anti
leak program has only been in place since
the First of the month.
“By late spring, or midsummer at the
latest, we are conFident there will be a
substantial reduction in the number of
leaks, making it possible to keep closed-
door discussions from becoming public.”
That outlook has been challenged by
information specialists on Capitol Hill,
who are calling for cutbacks in lie detec
tor tests at the Pentagon.
What we have a work here are two
basically conflicting philosophiesfhite male, 5 f<
dissemination. Kghing about
In recent years, Congress has.r? a . co
to follow a policy of trying to soh'iBF’ heavy /J 111
lems by throwing information a;g ^ " S be e e it
This has lead to charges of ft y
waste.
I wouldn’t go so far as to sugn
Congress spreads fraudulent inl|
tion. There is no doubt, howevcf
some programs are extremely wal
T he amount of information was I'J
committee reports, news releases! |l
Congressional Record, for exam] (t
nearly scandalous. u r.
Thus far, attempts to bringaboif 1 ^ iTttaik
lavish output of information onC !i :'p be p U f Ure
Hill have been about as successi C a at Texas A
presidential efforts to curtail leak one of the old<
At the moment, a Senate comns legiate chapte
considering a plan to stanch thei States,
senatorial newsletters, which la» | Collegiate
mail out in gay profusion undertli 1^ w , as 1 tirs
gressional franking privilege.
The proposal, fn effect,
senators to six newsletters a year , a f [er c bar i es
Meanwhile, Rep. Wayne Grislfee School
Calif., has introduced a bill to linn Teaching,
the number of bills a House mem® Collegiate
introduce during any one session!
Pointing out that 8,719 bills ¥ »
troduced last year, with only93li i
ing law, Grisham said no congre f
has enough time to inform himself
contents of such much legislation
I look for compromise withsfi ^
mailing 20 newsletters, Houser
introducing 93 bills and bureauctf
mitted 8,719 leaks each year,
the small society
by Bricbi
Editor:
Sure enough, the “Secretary of Infor
mation” (Organization of Arab Students)
is out there again to educate “his fellow
Ags” (The Battalion, Feb. 2). Has any
thing been changed since his last per
formance (The Battalion, Sept. 30)? Not
much, I dare say.
Again, the same well-recited, twisted
“history 11 . Again, accusations of “lob
bying groups” in Washington, with the
familiar smell of antisemitism.
As for lobbying, “Newsweek” (Oct. 5,
1981) reports: “...As the Saudis’chief lob
byist on AW ACS, Bandar has dazzled
senators with his grace ... He has forged
close social ties with administration offi
cials and regularly plays squash with
Joint Cheif of Staff chairman David C.
Jones ... (Bandar) got his initial lobbying
experience by helping to engineer the
sale of 60 F-15’s to the Saudis in 1978.”
Hiring some of the best (and expen
sive!) PR agencies in the states to their
service, the Saudis can advocate their “in
formation” very well.
The Israeli-Arab conflict is very com
plicated, very painful to both sides.
Arguing it’s origin through The Batta
lion is not likely to contribute to its solu
tion and those interested in the solution
are encouraged to read before they sit
down to write. However, Israel’s govern
ment policy, also shared by all Israeli stu
dents and faculty members on this cam
pus, is one: The government will negoti
ate with any Arab government on all
issues. We reach out our hand to all
neighbors for peace, and wait.
But if it ever comes to armed conflict,
there won’t be American boys shedding
blood. Israel has never asked for help
from American troops and never will.
Michal Granoff
Carole Ancelin
Israeli Club
Coaching from the bleachers
Editor:
First, let me say that I’m usually a quiet
person, but due to the recent events that
have transpired at A&M, I must voice my
disapproval.
Second, it is a well known fact that
Coach Wilson was treated unjustly.
Third, Coach Wilson is gone, and
Coach Sherrill is here. Let’s support him
and his program. In reality, it is much
like our LT.S. government is today. A re
publican wins the presidency (Reagan)
and all the democrats do is criticize his
policy because their party is not in office.
Remember the saying, “United we stand,
divided we fall.”
Fourth, let’s congradulate the Texas
A&M basketball team for a great over
time victory over Texas.
Fifth, I question the coaching of the
basketball team. It is the coach who
should prepare his team for last second
conditions. In regulation time of the
Texas game, Reggie made his move to
the basket with four seconds left. He then
shot the ball with zero seconds remain
ing. Wouldn’t it have been better though
if he would have been coached to shoot
the ball with three seconds left. If he
would have missed, A&M could have re
bounded and got another shot, or if he
was to miss, UT couldn’t go the full
court’s length in three seconds. Now let
me praise Coach Metcalf, because he is a
man who learns by his mistakes. With
four seconds left in overtime, he had his
players pressure the upcourt progress by
UT, forcing them to shoot a low percen
tage shot since they wasted more time
dribbling upcourt. To bad he didn’t do
this at the Arkansas game when Rudy
missed his second free throw.
Mike Stolte,
Elaine Dudich
Smoking, eating don’t mix
Editor:
There was some really poor behavior
in Sbisa Wednesday night. Yes, I refer to
the folks that filled the air so thick with
cigar smoke that we couldn’t see, much
less breathe. You know, some of us are
allergic to tobacco smoke, and still more
simply don’t like it, yet we would like to
eat too.
Don’t tell me about “no smoking”
areas. They were not immune from the
clouds. Don’t tell me about Highway 6.
I’ve been here longer that most of the
perpetrators of this crap and I for one
intend to stay.
This was bad enough last fall even
when it could be connected to Bonfire,
however remotely. Last night, however,
was inexcusable. Such shallow people
who show so little consideration for
others don’t deserve to be called Ags. I
can think of some things to call them, but
I doubt that they could get into print.
Steve Stockman ’82
Walton
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©1981 King Features Syndicate. Inc. Wono rights reserved
The Battalion
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Editor Angelique Copeland
Managing Editor JaneG. Brust
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Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr.
Photographers Sumanesh Agrawal,
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Eric Mitchell, Peter Rocha,
John Ryan, Colin Valentine
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