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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1984)
Flu epidemic hits Aggieland hard See page 3 Vol 78 No. 85 CJSPS 0453110 18 pages Battalion Serving the University community College Station, Texas Monday, January 30, 1984 Reagan says he’ll seek second term United Press International WASHINGTON — President Reagan, declaring “our work is not finished,” Sunday night made his long expected announcement that he will seek a second term. In a five-minute speech televised live from the Oval Office, Reagan said: “We have made a new begin ning. Vice President Bush and I would like to have your continued support and cooperation in complet ing what we began three years ago. “I am therefore announcing that I am a candidate and will seek re- election to the office I presently hold.” Although Reagan aides said the president told no one of his decision early, the announcement came as no surprise. The campaign organization, which paid $400,000 to have the announcement broadcast on ABC, CBS and NBC, has been in place for months with more than 100 paid staf fers. About 1,000 staunch Reaganites began celebrating in a downtown hotel ballroom about three hours be fore the speech was given and 400 party leaders dropped by the White House for a reception five hours be fore the address. “I support him fully,” said First Lady Nancy Reagan, who has expre- sed fears about his safety since an assassination attempt three years ago. “I’m very proud of him and all he has accomplished in a very short space of time.” Mrs. Reagan, his daughter, Mau reen, and her husband, Dennis Ravell, were with the president in the Oval Office as he made the announce ment. With the flair of the Hollywood actor he used to be, Reagan teased his viewers in the third sentence of his address, saying: “I’ve come to a diffi cult personal decision as to whether or not I should seek re-election.” He did not reveal that decision un til the end of the speech, about four minutes later. Sounding the theme that is likely to become the centerpiece of his cam paign, Reagan, who celebrates his 73rd birthday next week, told how things have improved since he de scribed the nation as being “in the worst economic mess since the great depression.” “Well, things have changed,” he said. “This past year inflation drop ped down to 3.2 percent. Interest rates — cut nearly in half. Retail sales are surging. Homes are being built and sold. Auto assembly lines are opening up. And in just the last year 4 million people have found jobs. “But our work is not finished,” said Reagan. “We have more to do in creating jobs, achieving control over government spending, returning more autonomy to the states, keeping peace in a more settled world, and seeing if we can’t find room in our schools for Cod.” See REAGAN page 10 Found in Texas wildlife Fresh DDT discovered Man's best friend Photo by KATHERINE HURT Bob and Bobby Beals of Bryan admire an abandoned dog at the Brazos Animal Shelter. The shelter celebrated its first birthday Sunday with cat and dog-shaped cakes for the two-legged guests and milk bones for the rest. United Press International DALLAS — Fresh concentrations of the powerful insecticide DDT, ban ned 12 years ago by the federal gov ernment, now have been discovered in animal tissue in Texas, California and other western states, UPI has learned. The toxin, believed to be smuggled or draining in from Mexico, also threatens extensive wildlife breeding grounds. “We’re probably all loaded with it,” said John Youngerman, chief of sur veillance for California’s water re source control board. “It (DDT) is just endemic. We keep finding DDT and DDE (a breakdown product) almost everywhere.” DDT has long been detected in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, but recent accumulations make contaminated fish potential “packets of poison,” according to biologists, and endanger vital Laguna Madre breeding grounds. In California, data compiled last week reveal heavy contamination in stickleback fish and mussels in the Salinas River valley, a lettuce-growing region south of San Francisco. Pre viously, DDT contamination was be lieved limited to southern California. See DDT page 10 Coordinating Board endorses PUF amendment By RONNIE CROCKER Staff writer The Texas College and University stem Coordinating Board Friday lanimously endorsed a proposed iendment to the Texas constitution at would allow components of the &tas A&M and University of Texas items to share in the Permanent diversity Fund. The PUF is a constitutionally dedi- ted fund that provides money for ;xas A&M and UT with certain jislative restrictions. The interest aerated by the fund is known as the mailable University Fund and is pre- liy set up to allow only UT at Au- land Texas A&M to share in the Ime. Under the terms of the amend ment, Prairie View A&M University and the rest of the Texas A&M system would be allowed to share in the AUF. Newly created colleges and universi ties would be allowed to share in whichever of the two funds would be appropriate. The amendment, which will go be fore the voters Nov. 6, also would pro vide $100 million in annual funding for the acquisition of land, construc tion of new facilities, repair and re habilitation of existing facilities, and the purchase of equipment, library books and other materials by the uni versities and colleges that do not share in the PUF. The new special higher education assistance fund would get its money from general state revenue and would replace the state ad valorem tax fund which provided money to 17 public universities prior to 1979. Although the tax wasn’t repealed until 1982, the legislature, in 1979, reduced the assessment ratio to a point so low that it became impractical to collect the tax. This was done because of a 1978 suit that questioned the constitution ality of the tax. Since then, the 17 schools haven’t received funds for new construction because of constitu tional restrictions on using general funds for such things. A clause in the resolution cites a study of repair needs at 25 public senior colleges. According to the study, more than $300 million is needed to sufficiently upgrade ex isting facilities. In other business, the Board, on recommendation from its committee on Campus Planning and Physical Facilities Development, approved the purchase by Texas A&M of five acres of land between the campus and Farm Road 2818. The AUF will cover the $82,500 cost of the land. UT got permission from the Board to spend more than $11.5 million on two construction projects. One of the projects is to build a football facility south of Memorial Stadium that includes modern dres sing and training facilities and a fenced rooftop practice field covered with artificial turf. The Board approved it with the understanding that none of the fund ing would come from state funds. The facility will be funded through men’s intercollegiate and gift funds. The other project is a $4.7 million parking garage that will accomodate 1,000 cars. The money will come from revenue bonds, unallocated desig nated funds and unexpended plant fund balances. The Board also approved 13 for mulas to be used by the governor and Legislative Budget Board on which to base their budget recommendations. The formulas also are to be used by the public colleges and universities in preparing their budget requests for 1985-87. The faculty salaries formula, as voted on by the Board, calls for a 9 percent increase in 1986 and a 6 per cent increase in 1987. In another action, the Board au thorized its staff to publish its revised fall enrollment forecasts for Texas in stitutes of higher education through 1995. The Board has been publishing the forecasts every two years since 1978. The predictions say that statewide more than 850,000 people will be en rolled in 1995 as compared to 765,265 in 1983. At Texas A&M, the predic tion is for 39,860 in 1995 as compared to 36,846 in 1983. The enrollment at Prairie View A&M, according to the forecasts, will grow to 4,798 in 1995 from its 1983 enrollment of 4,425. At UT, the pre diction is for an increase from 47,573 to 49,100 in the same time period. 0.S., Soviets playing )f one-upmanship, game profs say By SARAH OATES Staff writer B’Soviet-American relations are in really bad ape right now. In fact, they’re in the worst shape ice the Cuban Missile Crisis,” said Dr.John jterlson, an assistant professor of political science Kexas A&M University. Blast week Secretary of State George Shultz and 'viet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko met in Icholm to try to warm up the chilly current of Communications between the superpowers, the meeting was disappointing for both sides, I Gromyko flatly stating that, “Nuclear war is the of the United States.” Asked to describe the itus of Soviet-American relations, Shultz’ oblique ply that, “There are some positive things. There Isome negative things. It’s kind of a mixed pic- re, ’ neatly skirted the issue. Soviet leader Yuri Andropov has said there is a Etneed for dialogue between the Soviet Union |the U.S., but that it will not occur if Washington Ittinues to approach the issue from a standpoint lihreats and pressure.” jAndropov also touched on a key problem in cur- nt U.S.-Soviet relations when he said Tuesday It discussions on nuclear arms limitations must be reeled at reaching “concrete accords.” “Reagan is an ardent anti-communist,” Robert son said. So far as Reagan is concerned, America won’t play second fiddle to the Soviets, he said. Robertson said the superpowers currently are engaged in a game of one-upmanship that is in part responsible for floundering Soviet-American rela tions. “Neither power can admit that it has anxieties, or afford to admit them,” Robertson said. “They’re playing tit-for-tat. Who has the greatest arsenal, who doesn’t, who has the greatest technology and so on. Because of this game, the prospects are more difficult for a dialogue. “They’re not even talking specifics right now,” he said. “That’s how badly things have regressed. It’s a game of‘Well, let’s see your proposal. No, let’s see yours first.’ Reagan can’t offer Russia anything tangible right now because he has to answer to his right-wing Republican constituency.” Robertson said that because this is an election year, the Reagan administration and the Soviets “may try to cut a deal soon,” concerning arms re ductions or limitations. “I can see incentives on both sides as the election approaches,” he said. “Reagan needs something to go to the American people with. I think it’s possible something will be worked out before the election. “If something isn’t worked out before the elec tion, it will be hard next year for the U.S and the Soviets to get back together.” Asked what sort of arms limitations agreement might be reached, Robertson said he thinks the superpowers might in principal “agree to agree” on somet hing such as the exact wording of a proposal. “In principal, it would be good to have issues folded in together,” he said. For example, the START talks and the intermediate-range missile talks could be folded in together. “I can see levels set to establish baselines for negotiations,” Robertson said. Texas A&M assistant history professor Terry Anderson said that Reagan is the first president since Truman to discontinue talks with the Soviet Union. “This could have terrible repercussions,” he said. “I do not support Russia, but I basically agree with Andropov on this issue.” Anderson said that the Reagan administration has reversed a historical trend of superpower com munication that has been supported by both Re publicans and Democrats, calling it “a very bad move on Reagan’s part.” Reagan will probably make arms concessions be fore the election, Anderson said, but added that right now “our demands are so preposterous ... They’re in the stratosphere.” See RUSSIA page 10 In Today’s Battalion Local • Miss USA pays a visit to Aggieland and discusses her future plans. See page 4 • Business Week begins today, with seminars and booths set up in the Blocker Building. See page 5 State • Acquaintances of the man killed by a bomb blast say he was a FBI informant. See page 4 • Singer Micheal Jackson is sent home from the hospital following a burn accident. See page 5 • Jury selection begins in the trial of a mother accused of beating her infant to death. See page 8 National • Wayne Gretzky’s 51-game point-scoring streak stopped Saturday by the Los Angeles Kings. See page 17 • The 41st annual Golden Globe awards set the scene for the Academys. See page 13 • Players for the Minnesota Vikings react to Bud Grant's resignation. See page 16.