Thursday, November 6, 1986/The Battalion/Page 3
State and Local
e
tofil
conomy, school reforms, weather
ombine to drag White down in race
AUSTIN (AP) — Mark White cal
led a lot of baggage to be running a
\ce. In the end, that extra weight
elped drag the Democrat down.
Republican former Gov. Bill
Ilements had plenty of things going
[s way, including some key issues
id even the weather.
Working against White were tax
lereases, the controversial teacher
Ists and no-pass, no-play rule, and a
Analysis
Itering Texas economy that has
ns mfseen unemployment soar to record
silly levels.
sty J Some of those things worked in
I, yi Clements’ favor, combined with per-
nin| M)nal pitches from popular Presi-
11 dent Reagan and Clements’ re-
: Heated promises to get Texans
I iorkingagain.
U, K And a big part of the outcome was
vies determined by a mechanical detail of
isturlpolitics— the turnout. Clements got
-cololgU voters to the polls; White fell
Futuij s f 10rt -
In an interview aboard his cam-
ignjet Saturday night, White gen-
nely seemed to believe he would
in.
But he acknowledged then he
needed a big South Texas turnout.
He didn’t get it.
According to an ABC-T'V exit poll
of voters, White won 56.9 percent of
the South Texas vote. White also
showed strength in Austin, East
Texas and his hometown of Hous
ton.
The exit poll found Clements very
strong in his hometown of Dallas,
where he got 58.6 percent. He also
ran well in West Texas, plus the San
Antonio, El Paso, Fort Worth, Waco
and Wichita Falls areas.
Conventional political wisdom
says the Democratic turnout dwin
dles in bad weather.
Rain that swept much of the state
Tuesday seemed to dampen White’s
chances.
But more than anything, it may
have been that baggage — the neg
atives — which hurt White.
Among the heavier items:
• White twice signed his name to
massive tax increases.
He approved $4.8 billion in sales
and gasoline tax hikes in 1984 to
fund school reforms and highway
construction.
He approved $860 million in tem
porary sales and gas taxes in Sep
tember to help balance a state bud
get wracked by falling oil prices.
• White endorsed and defended
the no-pass, no-play rule that barred
students from extra-curricular activ
ities if failing any course.
Coaches were angered and many
put red dots on their wristwatches to
remind them to “say something bad
about Mark White” each day. Many
parents, particularly in rural areas,
also were unhappy with the rule.
• White angered teachers, some
of his most loyal backers in 1982, by
advocating the teacher competency
test.
Although most of the state’s
210,000 teachers passed, they failed
to work for White as they did four
years ago.
Unemployment, which topped 9
percent this year, probably worked
against the governor. Clements in
sisted that as a businessman and ally
of President Reagan, he could find
jobs for those people.
Clements ran a strong campaign,
hammering White on what he called
the integrity issue.
The Republican reminded voters
that White in 1982 had promised
lower utility bills, no increases in col
lege tuition and no increases in
taxes, then broke at least two of the
three promises.
Despite Clements’ victory, 1986
still didn’t prove to be the year of the
'Texas Republican. The party failed
to field a complete slate, and no
other GOP candidate won statewide
office.
San Antonio Judge Roy Barrera
came closest, but was edged by in
cumbent Attorney General Jim Mat
tox. Republicans had hoped Barrera
would attract Hispanics to their
party, but Supreme Court Justice
Raul Gonzalez, a Democrat, became
the first Hispanic to be elected
statewide.
The Republicans let Democrat
Ann Richards have a free ride to a
second term as state treasurer, and
Democrat Bob Bullock drew no
GOP opponent as he won a fourth
term as comptroller.
Democratic Land Commissioner
Garry Mauro won re-election and
even had some fun with his GOP op
ponent, M.D. Anderson Jr., who
Mauro jestingly referred to as “that
hospital” — a reference to the Hous
ton cancer facility of the same name.
Anderson, a Seven Points dance hall
operator, won in the primary, with
many attributing it to his name.
In AHk/rinr'i*
I I I • V V*fl I * VbT v«r
Speakers scheduled for PR Day ’86
Six professionals from Hous
ton, Dallas and Bryan will speak
to interested students Friday
about a career in public relations.
The program, “PR Day ’86,”
begins at 9:30 a.m. in 212 Memo
rial Student Center with an open
question-and-answer session until
11 a.m. The panelists will lead
roundtable discussions for stu
dents to discuss individual con
cerns form 11 a.m. until noon.
The purpose of the program is
to provide candid information on
what public relations people do,
on recommended coursework
and experience, and on tips for
finding ajob in the field.
Panelists include Sue Anders,
president of Sue Anders Adver
tising and PR in Dallas; Joe
Buser, president of Joe Buser Sc
Associates in Bryan; Robert E.
Haine, manager of PR for Litton
Industries, Inc. in Houston and
president of the Houston chapter
of Public Relations Society of
America; Cathy Oppel, president
of Oppel 8c Associates in Dallas;
Jim Pattillo, district staff manager
external affairs of Southwestern
Bell in Dallas; and Marilyn Pip
pin, principal of Cox Pippin
Communications in Dallas and
president of the Dallas chapter of
Women in Communications, Inc.
Battalion spring editor needed
The Student Publications
Board is taking applications for
spring editor of The Battalion.
Applications can be obtained in
the journalism department office
and must be turned in to that of
fice by 5 p.m. on Nov. 19.
Qualifications include:
• At the time of taking office
and during the term of office, ap
plicants must maintain a grade-
point ratio of 2.0 overall and
within their major;
• At least one year of experi
ence in a responsible editorial po
sition on The Battalion or compa
rable student newspaper OR at
least one year experience on a
commercial newspaper OR at
least 12 hours of journalism
courses, including Jour 203 and
Jour 303 or equivalent and the
completion of or enrollment in
Jour 301 or equivalent.
'14
e.In
wdt
Pickens says rising oil prices
won't halt drilling downturn
NEW ORLEANS (AP) —
I Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens
[Jr. says Ahmed Zaki Yamani’s
I ouster as Saudi Arabia’s oil min
ister means oil prices may rise to
| $20 a barrel by spring, but that
won’t reverse the downturn in
U.S. drilling.
He told the Tulane Business
Forum that he is delighted that
the Saudi royal family ousted Ya-
mani.
Pickens, chairman of the Am
arillo-based Mesa Petroleum Co.,
said Saudi Arabia once again will
resort to being the swing oil pro
ducer, cutting back its production
to keep the supply under control,
which will raise prices.
He predicted that prices will
reach $28 a barrel in two years,
but that the U.S. oil industry will
not recover until oil reaches $35
per barrel, with the anticipation
of a rise to $50 per barrel.
Even more important than the
oil price, Pickens said, is the price
of natural gas, because the bulk
of the reserves will be gas.
When natural gas prices rise to
$5 per thousand cubic feet, Pick
ens said, recovery will begin.
Senate approves health center bill
By Rodney Rather
Stall' Writer
The Student Senate Wednesday unanimously
passed a bill calling for Texas A&M to re-estab
lish 24-hour emergency services at the A.P. Beu-
tel Health Center.
The health center discontinued 24-hour emer
gency service for students this summer when the
University’s budgetary ax chopped some of its
funds.
The center currently is open from 8 a.m.-4
p.m., and after that time, the University ambu
lance service transports students who need medi
cal attention to either St. Joseph Hospital or Hu
mana Hospital, both located in Bryan.
Senator Chris Kopp said members of the sen
ate’s student services committee met with Dr.
John Koldus, A&M vice president of student
Freshmen & Sophomores
services, and discussed options that could revive
the emergency service program.
The first option Kopp explained was a con
tract between A&M and area hospitals, in which
the University ambulance would take injured stu
dents to the hospital, hospital personnel would
treat them and A&M would pay for a designated
amount of the treatment.
Voicing Koldus’ opinion, Kopp said this plan
would save A&M money because A&M wouldn’t
have to pay medical staff costs to keep the health
center open or the medical supply costs incurred
when patients are treated.
“We don’t have to have all these facilities open
on campus,” Kopp said. “They’re already in exis
tence — why not use them?”
Another plan discussed at the meeting with
Koldus, Kopp said, involves bringing doctors
from a Houston liealth center to A&M. The doc
tors would staff the health center from 4 p.m.-8
a.m. and charge A&M for their services.
One other alternative option that had been
discussed with Koldus was the idea of tampering
with the student services fee, Kopp said.
The student health center fee can’t be raised
any higher because it already has reached the
state-mandated limit of $15, but every dollar the
student service fee is raised increases University
revenues by about $60,000, he said.
The student service fee, however, is divvied up
by the Student Senate, he said, and more of that
money could be allocated for health center use.
In other senate action, Clay Baker, chairman
of the rules and regulations committee, intro
duced a bill detailing the reapportionment of
senate seats.
Freshmen and sophomore photos for the 1987 Aggieland have
been extended until November 7. Photos will be taken at AR
Photooranhv 707 Texas Ave., across from the A&M Polo Field.