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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 1987)
Tuesday, February 3, 1987/The Battalion/Page 7 Lewis: ‘New constituency’ wants to get more, pay less i will n n wort; i.ra.ir,: ntrie- ble uni f c ASIi ECH.V Mil disi d Harr; 3 Blodr :lub: AUSTIN (AP) — Lawmakers’ ef forts to remedy the state’s problems are confounded by a “new constitu ency” that wants more but is not will ing to spend more, Speaker Gib Le wis said Monday. Lewis and Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby spoke to a conference entitled “Fam ily Health in Crisis,” a day-long event organized by the Texas Mater nal and Child Health Coalition. The coalition is pushing for seve ral changes that would expand health care for the poor, including a measure that would offer care to in digent pregnant women who now do not qualify. “We must convince Texas legis lators that pregnant women and children are as important as high ways and prisons,” said Michael Hudson, director of the Children’s Defense Fund in Texas. He said “poll after poll” has shown Texans are willing to pay in creased taxes to support health pro grams. But Lewis told the confer ence he has seen evidence that indicates otherwise. “I find a new constituency out the re,” Lewis said. “We have a constitu ency that is in favor of more money for higher education, more money “We have a constituency that is in favor of more money . . . for human services. But at the same time, they . . . are oppos ing any new taxes. — Gib Lewis for public education, more money for human services, more money for highways and more money for pris ons and wanting prisoners to spend more time in those prisons. “But at the same time, they . . . are opposing any new taxes. We find ourselves in somewhat of a Catch-22 where we have to make that deci sion.” Despite the state’s economic prob lems, Lewis and Hobby expressed optimism that lawmakers will find solutions. Hobby said there is little room to cut. “It’s important to keep an open mind on new, creative ways to save taxpayer dollars, to eliminate dupli cation, to minimize inefficiency,” Hobby said. “But our budget has un dergone a thorough scrubbing for waste and inefficiency over the last four years. Most of that job has been done. “Further cuts would go to the flesh and bone of state government, and it would come at a time when more people than ever are depen dent on the state for help.” Hobby said the answer is a re vamped tax system. “That may not .be the most politi cally palatable solution, but it’s the only one that makes sense,” he said. I mtti. • ah CS: idav in! ).m. r Electric co-ops threatened by budget cuts DALLAS (AP) — The Reagan administration’s proposed fed eral budget threatens electric co operatives that provide power to millions of homes and other pro grams vital to rural Americans, former Agriculture Secretary Bob Bergland said Monday. “There is broad recognition by leaders of both political parties that the administration’s budget proposals, if implemented, would be an unmitigated disaster for ru ral America, leaving its institu tions and economy in a sham bles,” Bergland told the 45th annual meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Asso ciation. About 10,000 delegates rep resenting consumer-owned rural electric cooperatives will grapple until Wednesday with how to pro vide needed federal services and solve the national budget crisis. “While increasing military spending by 3 percent to $312 bil lion, the administration budget reduces or wipes out programs that undergird the rural econ omy,” said Bergland, the organi zation’s executive vice president. Bergland said the Agriculture Department budget proposes big cuts in the Agricultural Extension Service, the U.S. Soil Conserva tion Service and other programs. The Rural Electrification Admin istration is targeted for extinc tion. Bergland, who served in the Carter administration, said some 1,000 electric cooperatives serve more than 10 million families in 46 states. Employees return to steel plant; strike ends after 184 days PITTSBURGH (AP) — Workers trickled into USX Corp. steel plants Monday, some of them grumbling but most resigned to the pay and benefit reductions they accepted in ending the steel industry’s longest work stoppage at 184 days. “We took concessions and all, but we’ve got a job,” said Augie Gatto, 52, as he waited at the United Steel workers Local 1557 hall in Clairton, Pa., for his turn to be interviewed for resuming work. Excessive supplies of steel — the reason prices have been low, cor porate losses high and managements determined to lower labor costs — forced a slow, gradual restart of USX facilities following Saturday’s contract ratification by the union, the company said. Two of USX’s major plants, at Baytown, Texas and Orem, Utah, were not scheduled for restarts due to a lack of business. Gatto, a pipefitter with 32 years’ experience at the Clairton plant of the USX Mon Valley Works outside Pittsburgh, said he expected to be called along with other maintenance workers for interviews within a day or so. About 50 other maintenance workers were briefed and inter viewed at the union hall and entered the plant Monday, he said. Similar meetings took place Mon day at major plants at Gary, Ind.; Lorain, Ohio; and Fairless Hills, Pa. At Fairless Hills, outside Philadel phia, Local 4889 President A1 Lupini said the pay cuts were hard to accept because the contract that expired July 31 was itself a concessions pack age. But he said his local ratified the new pact by a vote of 2,050 to 315 because members wanted to work. “Some of the men didn’t like some of the things in there,” Lupini said. “I didn’t like all of the things in there myself. But we were outside six months, and they wanted to go back.” By a margin of nearly 5-1, USW members from 25. facilities in nine states ratified a four-year contract that cuts wages and benefits by $2.40 to $2.50 per hour immediately. The cut declines to around $2 per hour in the third and fourth contract years, according to union estimates. Votes were counted Saturday. In exchange for the pay cuts, plus the elimination of about 1,300 jobs and authority for management to define work rules and job descrip tions, USX accepted restrictions on its use of non-union labor. Those security provisions could restore 2,000 to 4,000 union jobs, union negotiators said. The union also negotiated pen sion benefits for some laid off work ers, early retirements from older workers, whose jobs will be filled by younger workers now laid off. Despite any misgivings, some workers at Gary were so anxious to get back on the job they reported for duty even though they were not called to do so. “It’s been long enough, I tell you,” said Richard Ingram, one of those who was turned away. 'uescto 1; White' icessaN entrifi ans ailabl fi: ; Clements plans Mexican journey for state governor’s inauguration AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Bill Clem ents, who will travel to Mexico for Thursday’s inauguration of a state governor, said Monday he plans to meet with Mexican President Miguel ;de la Madrid during the one-day visit. “I’ve known him a long time. I met him before he was ever elected president,” Clements said, who promised to work for improved Txas-Mexico relations. Clements said he will meet infor- tally with de la Madrid for about 15 tinutes. Both will be in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of the state of Tamauli- as, for the inauguration of Gov. merico Trevino Villareal, who won the election in December. “I view Mexico not only as a neighbor but as a strategic nation worthy of our sincere friendship and respect,” Clements said. “Mexico should not be taken for granted. “I am committed not only to fos tering that friendship but cementing it through continued meetings that can only aid the economies of both sides of our mutual border.” Clements said he also hopes to meet with the governors of other Mexican states who will attend the ceremonies. He said he would like to begin talks with them on the economy, im migration, drug smuggling and other mutual issues. “I know that several of the Mexi can governors who have already been in touch with me have several things they want to talk about,” Clements said. “We’re going to reopen some lines of communication and start down the road of establishing some refer ence points as far as our mutual in terests are concerned,” he said. Clements said many of the issues are the same as those during his first term as governor, from 1979 to 1983. Clements said after the prelimi nary discussions with the Mexican governors this week, he expects their staffs to do additional work before a more extensive, formal governors’ meeting later. | :i()" •' the stl1 ;! are for an a 11 ' t canj Family claims man’s death unnecessary, files $3.5 million lawsuit against PruCare HOUSTON (AP) — The death of a scientist who rose above the pov erty of his native Ghana was unnec essary, coming at the hands of a health-care system in Houston, according to a $3.5 million lawsuit filed by the man’s family. I Theophilus Darko, 34, died of heart failure less than seven weeks alter joining Texas’ oldest health maintenance organization, PruCare of Houston. | He was an up-and-coming physi cist who had studied under a Nobel Prize winner and had dreamed of one day winning the prize himself. I “The system failed him,” said Don Wetzel, one of the Houston attor neys who is representing Darko’s widow, Vina, in the medical mal practice lawsuit. “He died from a corporate decision that set up eco nomic incentives for doctors not to treat him.” I Eighteen days after doctors re sponsible for treating PruCare pa tients discovered Darko had high blood pressure, the young physicist was dead, his family’s lawsuit claims. During five visits to clinics, Darko received inadequate treatment, the suit alleges. In his last visit, Darko was too weak to sit upright but was exam ined by a physician for only four or five minutes and told to resume medication another doctor had said not to take, according to the lawsuit. He was told to come back in a week if he didn’t feel better, the suit alleges. Less than two hours later, he went into convulsions and died on arrival at Westbury Hospital in October 1981, the victim of heart failure, an autopsy concluded. Dr. Sheldon Joseph, PruCare’s medical director, said he could not comment on the case because the matter is under litigation. The law suit should go to trial this year. Fitlife 1987 Spring Exercise Classes Fresh Start - A low-level BEGINNING aerobics class Second Wind - A MODERATE paced aerobics class Sweat Shop - An ADVANCED paced aerobics class - An indoor aquatic low-impact aerobics class - A highly structured exercise weight control program with full fitness testing - A BEGINNING walk-jog class Hydrofit Trim Time Pacesetter Mike C. Meyers Graduate Assistant Enroll Now!!!! Classes start January 26 thru May 8 Call 845-3997 for further information! Directed and supervised by the Human Perfor mance Laboratories Department of Health & Physical Education Texas A&M University WANTA JOB NEXT SUMMER? FUN, VALUABLE EXPERIENCE AND GOOD PAY CAMP LONGHORN'S LOOKING To Our '86 Counselors Come for a visit Reward Prospects Now offering Choice of terms First-June 7-June 28 Second-Iune 28-July 19 Third-July 19-Aug. 9 Fourth-Aug. 9-Aug. 23 FOR VISIT AND INTERVIEW See Camp Staff on 10th Floor Rudder Today, Feb. 3 10 a.m.-3:00 p.m. CAMP LONGHORN BOYS CAMP, GIRLS CAMP, RANCH CAMP Burnet, Texas, 78611 512-793-2811 But, in papers filed with the case, PruCare and the doctors who treated Darko denied all allegations raised by the lawsuit. At the time of his death, Darko was working on a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Hous ton, studying the properties of met als and their reactions under stress. It was hoped the research would have practical application in fields such as space exploration, said Dr. Wayne Rabalais, a professor of chemistry who worked with Darko. Darko was born in his mother’s tribal village and raised by his father in Accra, Ghana’s largest city. After graduating from Ghana’s University of Cape Coast, Darko earned a doctorate degree in the oretical chemistry and quantum me chanics in four years from the Uni- versity of Manchester in Manchester, England. 1 1 |4 From TERADYNE a Very Large Scale invitation from a Technology Lender In electronics, the era of very large scale integration (VLSI) has arrived, leaving many companies with products suddenly obsolete and engineering staffs struggling to catcb up. But not Teradyne. Thanks to SI65 million spent on R &Dfrom 1981-1985, Teradyne was ready and waiting for VLSI. Ready with VLSI memory testers, logic testers, analog testers, board testers. Ready in Boston, Massachusetts, and Woodland Hills, California, where Teradyne develops ATE for the electronics industry. Ready in Deerfield, Illinois, center for Teradyne’s telephone system testing operations. Ready in Nashua, New Hampshire, where Teradyne produces backplane connection sys tems and state-of-the-art circuit board technology designated to meet VLSI requirements. This kind of technology leadership spells growth. Excitement. Challenge. Career opportunities you just can 7 find anywhere else. Teradyne. A company ahead of its time, looking for some good people to keep it ahead. For more information, see your Placement Counselor. SHARE IN OUR SUCCESS The Advantage is yours with a Battalion Classified. Call 845-2611