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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 1986)
I are MB.., The Battalion . 82 No. 50 USPS 045360 12 pages College Station, Texas Friday, November 7, 1986 Faraj liardsJ Kilh Ife' *|)posia| ues, tf n 90 pp:' le Cotj igopj ie Demi includis[" /ale; j_ ers, uir Libenl cam s lalkni m lie 0 Reagan tries to halt reports on hostages With The Punches 1 Joe Kendrick, a sophomore general studies major (left), throws jUtolpunch Thursday at his partner Bruce Hartweg, a junior geo- Photo by Jnhn Makely physics major. The two were attending a self-defense taught by the Texas A&M Self-Defense Club. WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi dent Reagan on Thursday tried to quell reports that his administration helped win release of three hostages held in Lebanon by aiding the trans fer of defense supplies by Israel to Iran. Israel, with the blessing of the White House, shipped Iran spare parts and missiles for U.S.-made F-4 jet fighters as well as parts for Amer ican-made C-130 planes, radars and other war supplies, according to the Los Angeles Times. Reagan, asked by reporters whether he had a deal with Iran, said: “No comment, but could I sug gest an appeal to all of you with re gard to this, that the speculation, the commenting and all on a story that came out of the Middle East . . . one that to us has no foundation, that all of that is making it more difficult for us in our effort to get the other hos tages free.” Later, White House spokesman Albert Brashear refused to specify which story Reagan meant when he said it had “no foundation.” “I’m just not going to comment on what he was referring to, which sto ries might be factual and which are not,” Brashear said. “I just can’t do that right now because it would be dangerous for me to do so.” Reports of the deal began appear ing after the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Hashemi Rafsanjani, said in a speech Tuesday that former White House national security ad viser Robert McFarlane had visited Tehran, had been confined to his hotel room and then expelled. Mc Farlane carried a message from Rea gan, Rafsanjani said. The White House has declined to comment on Rafsanjani’s remarks, and McFarlane told reporters in Cleveland Thursday that he could not offer any specifics. According to reports published Thursday in the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, adminis tration officials began working with Israeli authorities 18 months ago to arrange top-secret deliveries to Teh ran of U.S. arms desperately needed by Iran in its see-saw war with Iraq. The shipments, made with the personal approval of Reagan, began last year and led to the release of See Hostages, page 12 SU says it could fold without rate increases ATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Hoi nilf States Utilities Co. could go WorBkrupt in March without emer- nele pncy rate increases from Louisiana H Texas, company officials said in jBuments filed with a federal 1 vligency. will Benedetto, a spokesman for he utility, said GSU would be the irsi investor-owned utility to go blikrupt since the Great Depres- ion. Ifhe filing with the U.S. Securities ml Exchange Commission marked he first time the utility set a date for Tsible bankruptcy, Ipy federal regulations, utilities list keep the SEC abreast of their arplilems. . ||’>SU has been saying it needs i)0 million in emergency interim rate increases in both states to be ble to borrow the additional $200 tii lion it needs to meet interest and finance our There is no raising the “We cannot way out . . . chance of funds we need without reasonable rate relief ” — GSU President E. Linn Draper Jr. cash payments that come due in the first week of March. Should it become necessary for the company to seek protection un der the Bankruptcy Code, many un certainties exist, GSU wrote to the SEC. “There is substantial risk that a bankruptcy filing would adversely affect the shareholders’ abilities to exercise their corporate rights and privileges, and there can be no as surances that any equity would sur vive for the benefit of shareholders,” GSU wrote. “Purchasers of preferred and preference stock should take such matters into account as well.” Bendetto said that if the emer gency rate increase is granted by the Public Service Commission, resi dential rates in Louisiana would in crease by about $8 per month or 27 cents per day. He said the average residential customer in GSU’s Louisiana service area now pays $65 per month for electricity. This summer, GSU filed a $202 million full rate increase request with the PSC and since has filed the emergency interim request. GSU will file a similar rate in crease request in Texas this year, Benedetto said. GSU would be the first in vestor-owned utility to go bankrupt since the Great Depression. — Bill Benedetto, GSU spokesman He said,“GSU’s financial prob lems are caused by three major fac tors: economic depressions in Texas and Louisiana, federal regulations which prompted the company to build the $4.3 billion River Bend nu clear plant and residential rates that have been frozen in Louisiana since 1982.” Bendetto said that GSU has tried to cut its costs by eliminating 200job positions, giving early retirement to more than 300 employees, eliminat ing dividends on common stock and restructuring its debt. GSU President E. Linn Draper Jr. said in a press release, “Our cost-cut ting efforts have helped reduce our cash shortfall. “However, cost reductions alone will neither solve nor eliminate the shortfall. “We cannot finance our way out of this problem. There is no chance of raising the funds we need without reasonable rate relief.” Public Service Commissioner Louis Lambert has criticized GSU for not doing everything possible to cut its debt and to raise money. Lam bert has given GSU a list of things it can do to raise money, including foregoing payments on preference stock, selling some of its assets out right and selling and leasing back some of its other assets. Pre-registration set for Monday Pre-registration for Spring 1987 begins Monday, as graduate students and seniors get the first opportunity to make use of Texas A&M’s new telephone registra tion system. Students must register during their designated times, or they will not be permitted to register until the open registration and drop-add periods. Phone lines will be open Mon day through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Nov. 10 through Dec. 20, and Jan. 7 through Jan. 9. Phone lines will be open Mon day through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Jan. 12 through Jan. 23 for open registration and drop-add. The registration schedule for the Spring is as follows: • Nov. 10-15, graduate stu dents and seniors. • Nov. 17-22, juniors. • Nov. 24-29, sophomores. • Dec. 1-6, freshmen. • Dec. 18-20, open registra tion and drop-add. • Jan. 7-9, open registration and drop-add. • Jan. 12-16, open registration and drop-add. • Jan. 19-23, open registration and drop-add. cllhaney files wsuit over letter rk ‘ailed to voters | By Olivier Uyttebrouck Staff Writer A former College Station mayoral ijdidate has filed suit against the fwher of a local advertising agency, vhom she says produced a letter say- ng negative things about her and nailed it to voters in the days before he April 1986 election. I.vnn Mcllhaney’s sizit also names unknown members” of an organi- tion called Citizens for a Better lege Station as defendants for its t in creating and distributing the ccording to the suit, the letter stitutes a violation of the Texas J lction Code because it doesn’t ■perly identify the individuals Jp paid for the letter. For this rea- Bl, the letter constitutes an im- ^■per use of campaign funds, the Uu| says. BWete Tucker, the owner of Abso- Advertising and the only de- ^■dant identified by name in the IB, says Mcllhaney knows who was JHxmsible for creating and mailing kW letters. He also says he thinks he been singled out unfairly. Tucker said he was never paid for Printing and mailing the letter. Vilen the letter became controver- the people who originally |gi|eed to pay for it denied having to do with it, he said. Tucker said he was advised by his lawyer, Travis Bryan III, not to name the individuals who hired him to print and distribute the letter. At the time of the elections, Larry Ringer, Mcllhaney’s challenger, had an account at Absolute Advertising. Ringer said he knew nothing of the letters. Mcllhaney says she has no certain idea who is behind the letter. “If Mr. Tucker feels he’s being singled out, he’s in the driver’s seat,” Mcllhaney said. “He’s the one who claims he was only doing his job. Then let him say who he worked for.” The suit, filed Oct. 29, also named the State of Texas as an interested party and a copy of the suit will be served to Attorney General Jim Mat tox’s office. The suit notes that per sons found in violation of the Texas Election Code are liable to the state for a sum of money equal to three times that involved in the violation. Tucker responded that since he wasn’t paid for the letter, he can’t be held liable by the state for any amount of money. Mcllhaney said she was not aware that her lawyer, Austin attorney Randall B. Wood, had named the state as an interested party in the suit. She said her motivation in filing the suit is to set a standard for com munity elections and ensure fair tac tics are used in future elections. Millions eligible to remain in U.S. Reagan OKs immigration bill WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi dent Reagan, signing into law the most sweeping immigration reform in more than 30 years, expressed hope Thursday that the measure will preserve “one of the most sacred possessions of our people — Ameri can citizenship.” Millions of illegal aliens may be come eligible to remain in the United States legally under the act, approved in the waning days of the 99th Congress after years of political wrangling. But sponsors of the measure have expressed fears the complex law may trigger an administrative night mare. Reagan, before signing the mea sure, noted that illegal immigration should not be seen as a problem be tween the United States and its neighbors. Some opponents of the measure had argued the bill would prompt widespread discrimination against such groups as Hispanics. With nearly two dozen lawmakers and administration officials standing behind him, Reagan used four pens to sign the two-inch thick bill during a brief ceremony in the Roosevelt Room. For aliens who have been living in the United States illegally since be fore 1982, the bill contains an am nesty provision that will enable them to obtain temporary legal residency. • That can be converted to permanent residency status after 18 months for those who can demonstrate a mini mal understanding of English and some knowledge of U.S. history and government. Officials do not know how many people will fit in that category but expect several million applications. Under the measure, the govern ment changes hiring practices across the country by requiring all employ ers to verify that newly-hired em ployees are legal U.S. residents. And those caught hiring illegal aliens will be subject to tough new penalties — a system of civil fines and criminal prosecutions that could result in prison terms for habitual offenders. Officials also must administer a new program for thousands of mi grant foreign workers who enter the country to harvest perishable fruits and vegetables. Rep. Peter Rodino, D-NJ., chair man of the House Judiciary Com mittee and long-time proponent of immigration reform, said the law means employers know there is a penalty for hiring illegal aliens. The employer sanctions would be phased in after a six-month educa tion period. The following year, first offenders can be issued warning ci tations, and repeat offenders would become subject to $3,000 to $10,000 fines for each illegal alien they hire. Those who make it a practice to hire undocumented workers could face up to six months in prison. Future of arms control, summits in doubt VIENNA, Austria (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze failed Thursday to make headway to ward curbing nuclear weapons and left the future of arms control and superpower summits in doubt. Shultz told reporters after his five hours of talks with Shevardnadze over two days: “I can’t say that the meet ings have moved arms control matters along in any sig nificant way and I regret this.” Shevardnadze said he was returning to Moscow with a bitter taste after being confronted with “a mixed bag of old mothballed views and approaches.” Summing up the meetings, which took place while Shevardnadze and Shultz were in Vienna for a confer ence on human rights and East-West relations, one se nior U.S. official said: “It was a bust.” Another senior U.S. official, also speaking on condi tion of anonymity, said there would be no further high- level sessions until the Soviets indicated a willingness to negotiate constructively. Shevardnadze said another superpower summit will depend on further contacts. He said talks will be contin ued. Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev agreed last No vember to a meeting with President Reagan in Wash ington this year. Shultz said the subject never came up in his talks with Shevardnadze. Speaking of efforts to reverse the arms race, Shultz said: “This is a long-paced negotiation, I’m sure, and it has its rhythm. . . . The pace cannot be forced by either party.” U.S.-Soviet arms control talks in Geneva are to recess next week until January. Shultz offered to have U.S. and Soviet experts meet in the interim, but Shevard nadze apparently did not accept. A package of U.S. proposals, reflecting the tentative arms reduction accords reached in last month’s Iceland summit, were presented last week to Soviet negotiators. U.S. officials said the Soviets have not responded to the proposal package. Shevardnadze, at an airport news conference, said the Soviets would put forth new proposals Friday at Ge neva. He said the proposals would be guided by the po sitions reached at Reykjavik. A senior U.S. official said he expected no change in basic Soviet positions. The official said the Soviets would again demand testing of “Star Wars” technology be limited to laborato ries, abolishing all strategic weapons by 1996, and an end to U.S. development of short-range nuclear weap ons to be used for Western Europe’s defense. si