Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 1984)
MSC CAFETERIA Page 6/The Battalion/Monday, February 6, 1984 Where You Get More For Your Money OPEN 6:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Daily Taxpayers absorbing hidden cosl United Press Internatioanl QUALITY FIRST” WASHINGTON — Rep. Robert Badham, R-Calif., didn’t go around the world in 80 days. He took longer, and taxpayers would have preferred a balloon to his costly military flights. During an 11-month stretch ending in October, Badham spent at least 82 days — nearly three months — joining eight delegations for journeys on Air Force planes to 24 countries. His Spaghetti & Meat Sauce Platter $2.95 Sangria Pitcher $3.50 Special good 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Sunday thru Thursday wife flew free. On 12 days while Badham was abroad as Con gress’ leading globetrotter, he missed roll call votes on Capitol Hill. Figuring conservatively, his share of the govern men t- fi nanced travel exceeded $90,000, including flight costs, meals, lodging and lavish ser vices from host embassies and military escorts eager to win friends in Congress for the Pen tagon. Badham, a member of the House Armed Services Commit tee who defends his foreign ex cursions as benefitting the pub lic, hardly is the only member of Congress whose forays to distant lands are draining the treasury. In a four-month investiga tion, United Press International and the non-profit Better Gov ernment Association traced $15 million in unreported costs and a trail of abuses and excesses by congressmen living like royalty, far from public scrutiny. Much congressional travel is worthwhile, but expenditures are hidden and uncontrolled. The budget — set by Congress’ own 1978 legislation — is per manent and limitless. It is sup plemented by a Pentagon “black bag” fund of nearly $ 1 million to wine and dine congressmen overseas, and millions of dollars in support services from the De fense Department and U.S. embassies. House and Senate commit tees listed foreign travel costs of $5.9 million on disclosure state ments filed for fiscal year 1983. UPI and the BGA, after a month-long Freedom of Infor mation fight that resulted in a suit against the Air Force, documented that taxpayers footed a bill of at least $21.6 mil lion as members of Congress flit ted the globe. Besides frittering big dollars for chauffered cars, for dining in some of Europe’s most sump tuous restaurants and for slip- Much congressional travel is worthwhile, but expenditures are hidden and uncon trolled. The budget — set by Congress’ own 1978 legislation — is permanent and limitless. ping away to resorts, members of Congress squandered vast sums through carefree use of military aircraft. Item: On a Banking Commit tee trip to the Far East in August, Sens. Jake Garn, R-Utah, Paula Hawkins, R-Fla., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., filled a spif- fy converted Air Force 707 with their spouses, Garn’s secretary, Secretary of the Senate William Hildenbrand, two aides to Hil- denbrand, then-Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Howard Liebengood, three staffers and four military escorts. Hilden brand said his office provided “most of the logistics” on the trip and he would let others judge whether its participation “looks bad or not.” The three senators could have flown first class on com mercial flights for under $30,000. Instead, it cost $244,013 to ferry the entire group to Japan, Korea, Singa pore and Hong Kong aboard the Air Force’s Special Air Mis sion plane. Total cost of the trip: $286,574. No details of the trip are on file with Hildenbrand’s office, which collects disclosure reports on such costs. Item: In January 1983, Peter Rodino, D-N.J., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, led a mostly Italian delegation in cluding his son, Peter Rodino III, Reps. Frank Annunzio, D- 111., Romano Mazzoli, D-Ky., and Hamilton Fish, R-N.Y., to Italy for 13 days, and Austria for 2 days. An aide said they looked into international “refugee mat ters,” in Rome, and damage from Italy’s earthquake. But the trip to the fatherland also in cluded stops in Palermo, Flor ence, Siena, Venice and Trieste. Rodino and colleagues reported military airfare costs as $23,720, but the actual pricetag for trans porting the four House mem bers and three aides was $1 12,384. Rep. Nicholisl roiiles, D-Mass.,arrived ter on a commen Get to Know International Friends! WINTER IS HERE Let s be sure your car is in condition to perform prop erly. We have 4 mechanics on duty, Monday thru Saturday noon, who can do most types of automotive service. Reception: February 7, 7:00-8:00pm Room 212 MSC ALIGNMENT and 4 WHEEL BALANCE for most domestic ip- foreign cars pickup trucks $ ^ /f 95 All students, faculty, and families welcome. slightly higher (Note — We do set alignment on Ford I-Beam & small car^struts) (Please Bring Ad) Good thru 2/15/84 Home owned & operated Continued by popular demand • ENGINE TUNE • 4cyl. — $28 6cyl. — $34 8cyl. — $39 For electronic iginition, others $10 more. Includes: replaced spark plugs, check rotor distributor cap, adjust carburetor and timing. Sponsored by Tau Kappa (Junior Honor Society) University Tire Allen Scasta, class of ’81 Lonny Scasta, owner 846-1738 3818S. College Ave. (5 blocks north of Skaggs) III] ! ing $1,045. Item: Rep. Joseph Ai D-N.Y., twice led dele from his House appropu subcommittee to Chinaiiil at a cost of about recent weeks, Addafc went to the Far East, via Price, D-Ill., visil twice in fiscal 1983,onceit panying House Speaket mas O’Neill, D-Mass.,omj ney that cost $360,268, leading his own delegate cost of $322,794. Item: In Septembti Dante Fascell, D-Fla., special House commissb: trip to Spain. Demands# 17-plane fleet of iheAirfj 89th Airwing weresogn C-137 jet was summoned Washington thedayaften ture. A C-137 thenretm Spain to fetch the deli Cost of what was just a Atlantic trip: $175,000. I All told, UPI andtkti found at least 357 taxa financed trips toSScoid and Antarctica — by 731 tors, 236 House mental more than 1,300 aides, s[J and accompanying agenoT cials in fiscal 1983. During the latestrecestl congressional delegations! sed the seas. Hawkins wound upi! country, globe-circling in! into drug trafficking ml third stop in 13 monthsinE| | Kong, which foreign of ficers disgustedly alia op” — shopping oppoi Although Hong Kongisiil ish Crown Colony thattaj foreign policy, 62 meml Congress and 51 staffersj chance in fiscal yearlDHJi at bargain prices its fine,! made clothing. Another contingent,ko by Rep. Dan Rostenbi Ill., unloaded trunksofss nirs at Andrews Air Fora! Md., — apparently bypis customs inspectors—on ing from the Caribbean.Hr military escorts chauffeutd travelers to their homes. Most congressmen it viewed about overseastn staunchly defend itastkt way to monitor U.S. expf lures and policies worlds . n feel thatthereal said Maxwell Rabb, U,S.aE sador to Italy, “isacomplem understanding of thenatu congressional visits because: (congressmen) operate uni tremendous and unfairll ACCOUNTING MAJORS: DISCOVER UNION TEXAS PETROLEUM AND OUR HISTORY OF SUCCESS. Foresight. Decisiveness. The ap plication of new technology. That’s how Union Tfexas Petroleum has become one of the nation’s leading independent petroleum companies. When Louisiana’s Lake Arthur field was discovered 45 years ago, we were there. Union Tfexas is still in the fore front of the worldwide search for energy. Exploring most of the world’s known hydrocarbon basins. In the North Sea, Abu Dhabi, Ivory Coast, Indonesia, the Appalachian Overthrust Belt, the Tbs- caloosa Tend, and the Anadarko and Williston Basins. We’re recognized as an industry leader in the completion of deep, abnormally high-pressured wells. And we’re the company that pioneered under ground salt dome storage in Tfexas and Louisiana. Today, we’re stronger than ever. Our proven oil reserves stand at over 165 million barrels and our gas reserves at almost two trillion cubic feet. And now Union Tfexas has launched an aggressive program for the 1980’s. We’re commit ting almost $3 billion over the next five years to find and develop new oil and gas reserves. With our past success and our commitment to the future, Union Tfexas has built a solid staff of professionals who specialize in petroleum finance and accounting. They’re pursuing career goals with a company that offers a stimulating work environment in addition to com petitive salaries, generous benefits and the opportunity for individual growth. If you’re interested in the challenges of petroleum finance and accounting, then you should discover Union Texas— a company that seeks success and rewards the successful. We ll be interviewing candidates for BBA/Accounting degrees PRoblEM PREqNANCy? We Can Help Free Pregnancy Testing Personal Counseling Pregnancy Terminations Completely Confidential Call Us First - We Care (713) 774-9706 6420 Hillcroft, Houston, Texas icap, which is the wordjii Junket is a hate word thaw the business they perform. “The more travel memk Congress do, the better, Sen. Claiborne Pell, D! ranking Democrat onthefe Foreign Relations CommS noting many of America's|i leins are “worldwide probla Pell acknowledged the abuses, and said ”$20 mil costs “would be outrageous Badham, a politicallyse conservative, said of his quent travels includingalt the Paris Air Show, “So*: Somebody is going totti more than others. My tot tuents must approve of then conduct my office.” r -on February 16, 1984 An equal opportunity employer, m/f. Union Texas Petroleum An ^ALLIED Company DISCOVER THE RESOURCES OF A LEADING INDEPENDENT Attention Mexican - American Aggies You have your own organization here at A&M. Mex ican - American students represent a small but grow ing number of the student body in Aggieland. Were proud of our history and very proud of the future we are building for ourselves. If you are interested in learning more about and promoting your culture, and in understanding some of the social concerns facing the Mexican-American community, then find outab out MSC CAMAC. We can’t work without you. P.S,-- We also have great parties!! MSC Committee for Awareness of Mexican - American Culture Next Meeting - Monday, Feb. 6 7-8:30 704 Rudder R< T1 will b day a noon age a dona Or Ma annoi order 8 a. in E.F Bet ductii E.F. Build Th plann Allbu sn Em Hous the SI cattle reign and tl ing st De; been Schol weste Re. tuitio Texat apply To su office