Tuesday, December 16, 1986/The Battalion/Page 5
J
Texas voters
would pay
higher taxes
AUSTIN (AP) — Almost half
of Texas voters are willing to pay
higher taxes to help the poor, but
more than half oppose more state
aid for the unemployed, Univer
sity of Texas researchers say.
Thirty-five percent think the
best way to raise new money is
through a state lottery, according
to a telephone survey conducted
by the Lyndon B. Johnson School
of Public Affairs and the School
of Social Work.
An increased sales tax was fa
vored by 17.7 percent while 16.4
percent wanted tax money from
betting on horse and dog races.
Only 2.6 percent did not want
any more taxes to provide addi
tional state services.
Ur. Martha Williams, social
work dean, said, “This says to me
there are certain programs that
people are willing to pay higher
taxes for.”
Max Sherman, dean of LBJ
School and former state senator,
told a news conference, “I think
this is a good example of what the
people of Texas are thinking.”
A series of questions on 28 sub
jects were asked 673 eligible vot
ers Oct. 10-19.
Forty-four percent of those
called refused to take part in the
survey, Williams said. Others
were called to make a total of 673
answers, she said.
The survey is part of a detailed
program “Texans and Govern
ment: What Citizens Want,”
sponsored by a number of foun
dations and commissions.
Williams said 48.5 percent said
they would be willing to pay
higher taxes to help the poor and
42 percent said they did not think
there were enough state services
for the poor.
However, 56.3 percent said
they did not want additional state
services for the unemployed, al
though 42 percent said they
thought improved services were
needed.
On another question, 47 per
cent said the state should not re
quire children to provide for their
elderly parents, while 44.3 per
cent would support such a re
quirement.
Racer has been around cars all his life
Student finds drag racing only natural
By Janet Wynne
Reporter
Danny Leibham, a junior mech
anized agriculture major from
Houston, says it’s only natural that
he drag races.
“I started racing about a year ago,
but I’ve been around it all my life,”
Leibham says. “My dad raced until
1975.
“There are pictures of me in dia
pers crawling around my dad’s cars
trying to help him work on them.”
Leibham says his father is happy
his son has taken up the sport, but
his mother didn’t like the idea at
first.
“She was afraid I’d be traveling all
over the country like my father used
to,” he says. “But now she accepts it
because she understands that my
racing is just a hobby, and I compete
in a regional division so I don’t travel
very far.”
Leibham competes in division 4 of
the super street class. Division 4 in
cludes Texas, Louisiana, New Mex
ico, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missis
sippi and Mexico.
He says next year he’ll probably
move up to super gas, which is a
more competitive class. But, he says,
he never wants to race in the top
classes where the cars reach speeds
of 270 mph.
When cars are moving that fast, a
wreck becomes much more danger
ous, he says.
Most of the cars in the super street
class are 1967, 1968 and 1969 Cama-
ros with rebuilt Chevrolet engines,
he says. Leibham says his car, a 1968
Camaro, does the quarter mile in
10.9 seconds. That’s moving at about
130 mph, he says.
“When the Christmas tree (a col
umn of lights used to signal the rac
ers to begin) turns green, you take
off,” he says.
“At first I wasn’t used to the acce
leration, but it didn’t take long,” he
says.
Leibham won the trophy for high
est total points in the Sun Belt Series
this year. The series, also called the
winter series, consisted of three
races held in Houston, Baton Rouge,
La., and Lake Charles, La.
“I got $500 for winning the series
and $250 in Houston and Baton
Rouge for being runner-up,” he
says.
“You make more money from
companies that run contingency
than from prize money,” he says.
“You can receive contingency money
by putting company stickers on your
car. It’s good advertising for the
company, and if you win, the com
pany will send you a check.
“I got a $100 check in the mail
from K Mart after the Sun Belt Se
ries because I had a small K Mart
sticker on my car. I’ll be getting
some more money for finishing sec
ond at Baton Rouge.”
Out of about 50 companies that
pay contingency money, he says he
has stickers from about a dozen of
them and plans to get more.
“I have an Aggie license plate, and
the back of my car is full of A&M
stickers,” he says.
“With all those A&M stickers, I
should go talk to Vandiver about
Danny Leibham and his friends work on his drag car. Photo courtesy of Danny Leibham
sponsoring me,” Leibham says with a
smile.
The most satisfying things about
drag racing are the high speeds and
the sense of accomplishment from
working on the cars, Leibham says.
“If you buy a car that’s already
built, it’s cheaper,” he says. “I built
mine, though. There’s about
$25,000 invested in my car.”
Drag racing can be expensive, he
says. Costs include constant mainte
nance, a new set of tires every year at
about $200 each and high octane
fuel at more than $3 a gallon.
Railroad Commission axes oil cutbacks
DPS predicts 41 deaths
over holiday periods
AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas Rail
road Commission, voting to keep oil
production at 100 percent, decided
Monday that cutting production
would not spark crude prices out of
the doldrums that have dragged
down the state’s economy.
The commission voted 3-0 to set
January production at 100 percent
for most fields, as it has been — with
the exception of a few months —
since April 1972. Dallas oilmen Wil
liam Burrow and H.S. Bennett had
proposed a production cut they said
could lead to higher prices.
“I think the person that can help
them is the president of the United
States,” Commissioner Clark Jobe
said. “And I would call on him today
to impose import limits on crude oil
coming into the United States.”
Commissioner Mack Wallace said,
“What we’re saying is, the state of
Texas cannot provide a national en-
ergy policy for this country. It must
come from Washington.”
Burrow called the commission ac
tion “a great mistake.”
“If they had issued an order as I
tried to get them to do, subject to the
imposition of an import quota by the
president, this would have turned
the whole situation around,” he said.
Oil price cuts forced by Middle
Eastern producers have reduced do
mestic production. The commission,
reported Monday that imported
crude and petroleum products for
the four-week period ending Nov.
27 totaled 6.37 million barrels, an in
crease of 1.01 million barrels from
the same period last year.
“That, in and of itself, is tanta
mount to scandal,” Wallace said.
After the meeting, Wallace said,
“We’re on what’s called an Arab yo
yo right now. They can raise the
price when they want to and they
can lower the price when they want
to.”
He said a federal import fee on
imported oil would not be an unfair
restraint of free trade.
AUSTIN (AP) — At least 41
people will die in traffic accidents
in Texas during the Christmas
and New Year’s holiday periods,
the Department of Public Safety
predicted Monday.
DPS Director James Adams
said 23 people are expected to die
on the state’s highways and
streets during the 54-hour
Christmas holiday period.
The agency forecasts another
18 traffic-related deaths during
the 54-hour New Year’s period.
Adams said many of the deaths
will be caused by drunken drivers
and failure by motorists to wear
safety belts.
The counting period for
Christmas extends from 6 p.m.
Dec. 23 until midnight Christmas
Day. The New Year’s period lasts
from 6 p.m. Dec. 30 to midnight
New Year’s Day.
During a 30-hour Christmas
period in 1985, 15 people were
killed in traffic accidents and two
others died later of injuries.
Greyhound
presents
a simple lesson
in economics.
You’ll save when you go Greyhound this holiday season.
We Buy Books
Everyday At
Go home for the holidays on a
Greyhound, and you’ll go home on a
very low fare.
Plus, you’ll receive a special holi
day gift—a coupon good for one free
companion ticket when you buy a reg
ular-priced ticket between January 12
and March 31, 1987. Travel must be
completed by April 6, 1987.
You can also ship all your belong
ings home on Greyhound Package
Express at a great price — collect.
So call or stop by today and learn
about all the ways to save when you go
Greyhound this holiday season.
Some restrictions apply. Fares and schedules subject to change without notice. No other
discounts apply.
£460 GREYHOUND
JUKAnd leave the driving to us!
College Station Greyhound Agency • 114 E. Walton Drive • 696-0209
Bryan Greyhound Agency • 409 E. 29th Street • 779-8071
7:45-6:00 Weekdays
9:00-5:00 Saturdays
© 1986 Greyhound Lines, Inc.