Thursday, Oct.
1988 College Station, Texas
189
>21)
ays
ocal voters to decide pari-mutuel issue on election ballot
... . . .
By Juliette Rizzo
Staff Writer
Voters in Bryan-College Station will
off to vote for the races November 8.
A referendum on the November ballot
II permit voters to approve legal pari-
f A ituel betting on horse racing in Brazos
JV unty. If approved, the referendum
signify the final stretch of horse rac-
legislation locally.
In 1824, betting on horse racing was
it mentioned as a state-wide issue by
:phen F. Austin, who wrote a penal
le to outlaw every form of gambling
the state. Horse racing, though, al-
tyshas been legal.
In the early 1900s, Texas operated un-
# . ’the “bookie system” of betting. By
Z?*, 33, pari-mutuel betting made its way
Texas from Paris and did away with
i bookie. This form of betting was le-
ized by the Texas Legislature for a
ef time to help the struggling Texas
momy. Once again, in 1937, the pari-
ituel issue was scrutinized by the leg-
iture and declared illegal in a special
sion by Gov. James Allred, who was
rally opposed.
Nil In an effort to revive horse wagering,
n j iv. Mark White in 1986 allowed a bill
” become law stating that Texans be al-
ed a deciding vote on pari-mutuel
ing at the state and county levels,
n November 1987, the issue was ap-
ved at the state level and at the local
in 56 Texas counties, leaving the
level approval for 1988.
ccording to the state Comptroller’s
iei
w
office, delays in the start of pari-mutuel
racing have cost the state $25 million in
anticipated tax revenue, which was sup
posed to stabilize the state budget.
Ken Campbell, information director
for the Texas Horse Racing Association,
said the approval of the referendum will
legalize local county options for citizens
to bet on horse racing.
“What the approval of the referendum
really will decide is whether the local
community will allow the option to fur
ther economic opportunity,” he said.
Nancy Fisher, Deputy Secretary of the
State Racing Commission, said the ap
proval of the referendum locally will en
able any citizen to apply for a racetrack
in or around the community.
“The option of having a racetrack may
bring much needed revenue into many
parts of the state, including Brazos
County,” she said. “The horse racing in
dustry will have a ‘ripple effect’ on the
economy. Money and people will be
brought into the state and local busi
nesses may benefit. The cost of having a
racetrack in any particular area would be
defrayed by the admission fees charged
to get into the track.”
Since the withering Texas economy is
recovering from the slump brought on by
the decline of the oil industry, pari-mu
tuel betting on horse racing may help the
state to get back on its feet.
Pari-mutuel literally means “mutual
wager.” In pari-mutuel betting, a take
out structure is used to determine how
the money brought in will be distributed.
Texas has an 18 percent take out.
Campbell said for every dollar wa
gered, five percent goes to the state, an
other five percent goes to purses used to
benefit the agricultural industry, farmers
and horse breeders. The remaining eight
percent is given to the track “so they can
afford to put on such shows.”
“With pari-mutuel wagering,” he said,
“100 percent of the money taken in is
given out. The person betting does not
lose to the track but to the person sitting
next to him in the grandstand. The track
itself just provides the racing and the
computer systems to monitor the bets.
“Pari-mutuel horse racing is the most
highly regulated and most successfully
regulated sport in the world. It is a game
of skill not of chance.”
In 1985, a study done by the Depart
ment of Agriculture estimated the poten
tial impact of horse racing on the Texas
economy. After the legalization, the
number of breeding horse farms in Texas
increased from 13 to 265. The Texas De
partment of Agriculture estimates that
10,981 jobs may be created in the state.
Fisher said if approved, Brazos
County would be a prime target for horse
farms.
Campbell said he thinks there is a
strong possibility that the referendum
will pass in Brazos County.
Brazos County always has been a
strong supporter of the horse industry,
and will be even stronger if people real
ize the economic benefits surrounding
racetracks, he said. Approximately 500
jobs could be created including construc
tion jobs, veterinary practices and jobs
involving supplying crops.
Racing is structured so that the class of
a racetrack denotes the number of horse
and greyhound racing days in the state.
The Texas Racing Commission can li
cense three types of racetracks. Class 1
tracks, three of which which are sched
uled to be built in areas near Dallas, San
Antonio and Houston, will have 44 or
more racing days per year.
Class 2 tracks, like the one that could
be built in Brazos County, can hold up to
44 racing days. Class 3 tracks, which are
also a possibility in the area, are classi
fied as “county fair” tracks and can hold
races up to 16 days.
If the referendum is approved, citizens
in Brazos County could apply for a Class
2 or Class 3 track through an application
process. The TRC says a race-track li
cense applicant would have to be a
United States citizen and a 10-year resi
dent of Texas. If the applicant were a
corporation, it would have to be incorpo
rated in Texas and over 50 percent of its
stock would have to be owned by Tex
ans. the State Racing Commission will
start approving applications for race
tracks as eartly as November.
If the referendum is rejected by voters,
it won’t be voted on again for five years.
LaDonna Hudson, director and sales
director of the Thoroughbred Horse
man’s Association of Texas, Inc., said
people need to be educated to the fact
that if the referendum does pass, it does
BRAZOS Bow ms
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not mean a racetrack will be built.
“The passage will simply open the
door for development of the horse indus
try in the area,” she said. “Since the
county needs to move forward, it must
think in terms of diversification and the
horse racing industry is an industry that
can bring in revenue It ic a business; an
Graphic by Kelley Morgan
entertainment business just like a movie.
“It would be nice to have the option to
build a Class 2 or Class 3 track. Individ
uals need to realize that just because it
would be a pari-mutuel track does not
mean everyone has to bet. Betting is a
personal decision.”
fate may lose food stamp funds
AUSTIN (AP) —- The Texas Depart-
int of Human Services has filed a law-
li( to fight the possible loss of more
$500,000 in funding for the food
np program.
he state faces the loss because of the
tof food stamps by two U.S. Postal
vice workers and the loss of other
stamps amounting to $262,035, officials
say.
Authorities say two postal workers
stole more than $140,000 worth of food
stamps. Another $120,000 in stamps was
unaccounted for in the mail.
Texas Department of Human Services,
which administers the joint federal-state
program, filed suit recently in U.S. Dis
trict Court in Austin.
The state owes $262,035 in lost food
stamps, and the U.S. Department of Ag
riculture says it intends to cut funding
next year by that much, according to
court documents.
Since Texas matches those funds, the
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Human Services Department stands to
lose $524,070. The amount of food
stamps available would not be affected,
but jobs connected with the program
would be, a state official said. The Leg
islature would have to approve money to
replace the lost federal funds.
“If the Texas Department of Human
Services is required to pay the claim of
$262,035, it would have to be paid from
state funds appropriated for the adminis
tration of the food stamp program,” said
Randy Washington, associate commis
sioner in charge of the department’s in
come assistance programs.
“I don’t know where we would find
those state funds,” Washington said.
“Obviously, we do not plan to pay the
penalty, and we do not think it’s an ap
propriate penalty. That’s why we’re in
litigation.
“Our opinion is we really don’t con
trol what happens in the mail, and there
fore, the state should not be liable for
those losses,” Washington said.
The federal tolerance for losses of
food stamps in the mail is set by law,
said Judy Snow, public affairs director
for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
office in Dallas. She said the tolerance
level equals 0.5 percent of the amount
received.
“So, regardless of the particulars of
how it’s lost, that does not enter into it,”
Snow said.
Friends, relatives
of missing student
up search efforts
GALVESTON (AP) — Friends and
family of a missing Texas A&M Univer-
sity-Galveston student are stepping up
efforts to locate the woman who appar
ently was abducted from her hotel job
more than five days ago.
Suzanne Rene Richerson disappeared
Friday evening from her job as night au
ditor at the Casa del Mar Condominium-
Hotel. Her purse, school books and the
borrowed car she drove to her night job
were undisturbed, as was the hotel’s cash
register.
Scuff marks that might have been
made during a struggle were found on
the hotel front desk and a shoe that may
have belonged to Richerson was found
just outside the small lobby.
Authorities say they have no leads, but
200 of Richerson’s fellow students have
begun searching for them, fanning out
through the city with posters offering a
reward for helping to locate her.
The poster campaign was the first of
many steps that will be taken in the next
few days to try to locate Richerson, said
her father, Clyde Richerson.
“Friday, Saturday and Sunday were
just hell,” he said. “Now we’ve kind of
regrouped and we know what needs to be
done. We want to keep this with as high
visibility as we can.”
Clyde and Kathy Richerson of Flor
ence, near Killeen, waited all day Tues
day near the telephone at their daughter’s
apartment in one of Galveston’s restored
Victorian homes.
A&M-Galveston officials already
have received pledges of $15,000 for a
reward fund and a campaign to make the
public aware of the case, said Bill Kern,
vice president for student services. Casa
del Mar put up $5,000 of the reward
fund, he said.
A&M-Galveston President William
Merrell said,“We don’t intend to let it
rest. We won’t forget about it until we
find out what happened.”
Galveston police investigator Harry
Millo said detectives had no solid leads
on Richerson’s disappearance, but are
working to contact people from out of
state who were staying at the hotel.
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A&M system solicits
joint research funds
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little off the top
Photo by Dean Saito
31ay Williams, a senior animal science major from Austin, cuts logs at Duncan Field Wednesday in
preparation for the building of bonfire.
By Scot Walker
Staff Writer
Texas A&M University System and
the University System of South Texas
have asked the Texas Legislature for $12
million to support joint research as part
of a continuing collaboration and merger
feasibility study.
Proposals were submitted as part of
each school’s request for legislative ap
propriations for 1990-91.
A&M System requests for joint pro
jects totaling more than $6.8 million.
USST, comprising Texas A&I Univer
sity, Corpus Christi State University and
Laredo State University asked for more
than $5.5 million.
Officials of the two state-supported
higher-education systems have been
meeting since July to explore possibili-.
ties for more intensified cooperation or a
formal merger.
A joint task force had planned to for
malize the cooperative study and present
an analysis to the governing bodies of the
two institutions by Oct. 31. A&M Sys
tem Chancellor Perry L. Adkisson said
that an Oct. 1 deadline for legislative
budget requests prompted officials to
move more quickly to seek funds that
could be used productively in cooper
ative programs regardless of the ultimate
decision about a formal merger.
“We elected to make these funding re
quests now in order to be considered dur
ing the legislative session beginning in
January,” Adkisson said. “We see op
portunities to move forward immediately
in several areas that could be mutually
beneficial to institutions within our two
systems and the students and areas they
serve.”
However, W.C. Lancaster, vice chan
cellor for budgets and human resources
at A&M, said that the primary benefit of
a merger or cooperative studies would be
to USST and South Texas.
“The Legislature asked us (the A&M
System and the University of Texas Sys
tem) to aid the institutions of South
Texas in addressing the inequities in
higher education in that region,” Lancas
ter said. “The University of Texas is
working with Pan American University
in capacities similar to how we are work
ing with USST.”
Lancaster said that the System has
been involved in cooperative studies
with other universities before, including
a current joint effort between the Texas
Engineering Extension Service and the
University of Texas at Arlington.
Of the South Texas program initia
tives, the largest A&M request was for
$1.6 million for the construction and im
plementation of the South Texas Tele
communications Network to link USST
schools with the A&M System. USST’s
appropriations request for the project
was $1.3 million.
The requests also cover funding for 16
other projects, including research into
minority educational opportunities in
medicine and veterinary medicine, en
hancing agricultural opportunities for
minorities and women, community edu
cation in agriculture and nutrition and re
search in bilingual science and technol
ogy-
EPA to permit use
of low-risk pesticides
WASHINGTON (AP) — The En
vironmental Protection Agency said
Wednesday it will permit the use of
cancer-causing pesticides whose resi
dues on foods are increased during
processing if the risk of cancer is neg
ligible.
The agency so far has interpreted
the so-called “Delaney clause,”
which bars cancer-causing food addi
tives, as requiring it to refuse new
pesticide licenses for such chemicals.
The reversal of policy is in line
with one of the recommendations of a
National Academy of Sciences panel
last year.
Jack Moore, EPA’s deputy admin
istrator, said the change clears the
way for decisions on 73 old pesti
cides, licensed when standards were
looser and for which there is some ev
idence of cancer-causing power.
It also may permit the licensing of
weakly carcinogenic new chemicals,
which might be safer than current
compounds.
At least a dozen chemicals are
known to be in the second group.