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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1989)
The Battalion STATE & LOCAL 3 MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 1989 ^ [Voters say yes to ‘Alamodome,’ Professor helps Americans no to voting on casino gambling v i sua li ze life in U.S.S.R. ASSOCIATED PRESS San Antonio voters easily ap proved Financing for the proposed Alamodome, while Galveston resi- I dents took a stand on casino gam- I bling as local elections were held throughout Texas. In their fight to build a $174 mil lion stadium, San Antonio residents supporting the plan scored a victory Saturday. Approximately 53 percent of those casting ballots voted to in crease the sales tax a half-cent in the next five years to pay for stadium construction on the east edge of downtown. Galveston residents decided Sat urday to ban future non-binding referendums on the legalization of casino gambling. By a 2-to-l margin, voters approved Proposition 6, which bans all straw polls on casino gambling until the issue is approved by the state Legislature. In the last five years, residents have voted down casino gambling three times. After the most recent at- Jempt last August, Galveston’s anti casino movement mounted a peti tion drive to place Proposition 6 on Saturday’s ballot. In Amarillo, voters defeated a proposal to establish single-member voting districts by a vote of 9,406-to- 4,957. The plan called for dividing Am arillo into four quadrants, with vot ers living i n each section choosing a city commissioner from among the residents in their district. Also, the plan called for two commissioners See election/Page 7 Committee postpones decision on proposed center for cadets Kwr By Stephen Masters SENIOR STAFF WRITER 311 o! Ourtn 1 magical i >er the( ent skil he role those b were si >r most Protect ax payen ories fro: :reeks ai The Texas A&M University System Board of Re gents Planning and Building Committee Sunday post poned a decision on a preliminary design for the Corps of Cadets Center until the Board’s March meeting. ' After some argument over proposed sites for the center, the committee approved allocation of funds to contract an architect to advise the committee of the pos sible site feasibility. The architect will be charged to work within the guidelines for “green space” in A&M’s Master Plan. The committee, chaired by Royce Wisenbaker of Tyler, originally tied 2-2 on whether to postpone the decision without action after Douglas DeCluitt of Waco voiced his opposition to the site recommended by Mof- fatt Adams, chief architect for the System’s facilities planning division, and Corps Commandant Tom Dar ling. Bqth Adams and Darling recommended the pro posed Spence Park South site because it would leave a recreational “green space” area between the Corps quadrangle, the MSC, Rudder Complex, the Center and two other proposed construction sites. Other proposed sites were at the north end of Spence Park and at the northwest corner of Duncan Field. The 10,000 square foot center would take up approx imately 18,000 square feet with landscaping if con structed one-story tall as proposed. The center would house a Hall of Honor, a Corps Recruiting Office and offices for Corps Staff. DeCluitt moved for postponing the vote, saying the Board needs to consider leaving Spence Park as a park. Board Chairman David Eller said the need for the Corps Center outweighed other considerations. “If it comes down to a decision between green space and benefitting the Corps, I don’t think there’s any question of what we should do,” Eller said. University President William Mobley agreed with the need for the Corps center, but cautioned against a rushed decision, recommending postponing the deci sion while looking into alternative sites. Regent Lowry Mays of San Antonio agreed with DeCluitt’s belief in the need for “green space.” “I think if we were the planners of New York City, there wouldn’t be a Central Park,” he said. “We’d whittle away at it and use the last of it for a Corps Cen ter.” The committee also took action on bids to begin Phase III of the renovation of Corps-Style residence halls, approving a bid of just over $6.4 million for Dorms 5, 7, 9 and 11 in the Corps quadrangle. The bid, submitted by Paul Pogue Inc. of Sherman, was about $86,000 below the estimate given for the project, said Gen. Wesley Peel, vice chancellor for facilities planning and construction. Phase I, the renovation of Dorms 6, 8, 10 and 12 in the Corps quadrangle, was completed in Summer 1988, Peel said. Phase II began last fall with the closing of Crocker and Davis-Gary halls, which were completed earlier this month, he said. Moore Hall and Moses Hall are also included in Phase II. Phase IV will renovate Dorms 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the Corps quadrangle. All actions taken by the committee must be approved at the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting today at 3 p.m. By Kelly S. Brown STAFF WRITER The Soviet Union has been called a country without a smile — an opu lent land filled with three million people, watered-down hopes and very little toilet paper. Some Americans view the U.S.S.R. as a cold prison where the life of the inmate is hard to under stand. Assisting in bridging the gap of mystery between the two coun tries is Dr. Steve Pejovich, a Texas A&M economics professor who does research on the economics of social ism. Pejovich, who is director of the Center for Free Enterprise, has made four fact-finding missions to the Soviet Union, the latest visit be ing for two weeks in November with a group consisting mainly of mem bers of the media. Traveling by bus, plane and train, the group visited Leningrad, Kiev and Moscow. “With Russia, no matter how of ten I go, it’s always a first impress ion,” said Pejovich, who is originally from Yugoslavia. “It’s like being married three or four times — al ways a new marriage. “During my trip in November I found Russia to be in worse eco nomic shape than when I visited in 1983.” Pejovich said all the talk about the Soviets becoming westernized with their programs of perestroika and glasnost is a farce. “Gorbachev is trying to make changes with perestroika and glas nost,” he said. “With perestroika, Gorbachev means major institutio nal changes primarily in the sphere of economics, while glasnost is about political and social changes that could be accomplished with the existing system.” Pejovich said even with the new reforms, there is no way out of so cialism. “I think Gorbachev is finally get ting around to realizing that he’s not getting anywhere,” he said. Especially with perestroika. A high-level journalist told him the fu ture of perestroika hangs in the bal A’s 1 isty laws.| o\v imp« of the :oncerM ncd Jam ■tary oftli ■ for hanc Watt ret ig usedl s nation t wasclet 1 would t s leased l nies. Vatt was r, butds ■ments k e his pe iversion; ys.) mid asui aid Hod: lover g the erf ded pro ! ' was askfl* one depl' ie inert- . was can at peoplj sing nK* e like most of J n himsd ie with® 11 ncler, , on W) 1 ' »ral laflf'' ns of f ,rt oniicS: ■■ uy. orjov^ editor I 11 M' £*IIc*vn Haul Welcomes: MCENTIRE RICKY VAN SHELTON Friday - February 10th G. Rollie White Coliseum 8:00 p.m. TICKETS NOW ON SfiLE Tickets are $15.50, available at the MSC Box Office & Dillards in the Post Oak Mall. For more information call 845-1234. BEAT THOSE POST-HOLIDAY BLUES !! Join OFF CAMPUS AGGIES at our first GENERAL MEETING of the Spring Semester ! We will be discussing MARDI GRAS at A&M as well as other jspring activities "))•- TUESDAY, JANUARY 24 224 MSC 8:30 Phi Delta Theta Spring Rush ’89 Rush Chairmen Landon Perry Marc Caldwell 696-6522 U2 Can Rattle and Hum w/Xit Date: January 19 Time: 8:00 p.m. Place: Lodge Barbecue at the Lodge* Date: January 21 Time: 2:00 p.m. Place: Lodge Smoker t Date: January 24 Time: 6:00 p.m. Place: MSC Rm 201 Lodge @ 803 Wellborn Rd. President John Jeffery 846-9658 Comedy Club +* Date: January 26 Time: 8:00 p.m. Place: Lodge Date Optional Barn Dance w/ KKf * Date: January 28 Time: 8:00 p.m. Place: Lodge An Added Attraction* Date: January 30 Time: 8:00 p.m. Place: Lodge ^invitation only + coat & tie Photo by Dean Saito Dr. Steve Pejovich, a Texas A&M professor who researches the economics of socialism in the Soviet Union, holds a box which contains a small bottle of vodka that he brought back from one of his trips to the U.S.S.R. ance and Pejovich agrees. “Gorbachev is opposed by a large segment of the Soviet population, in cluding blue collar workers,” he said. “They do not believe that harder work will result in more consumer goods for themselves. They do not have much, but they do not have to work for it either.” Pejovich said glasnost, on the other hand, is a reality. “Issues that used to be suppressed are being aired openly,” Pejovich said. “The people are less reluctant to talk to a foreigner. An instance of this was when a tourist guide was openly critical of Mrs. Gorbachev. Also, the unrest in Estonia and Ar menia are predictable consequences of glasnost. “What is going on in the Soviet Union right now is something I had See Soviet/Page 7 conviser-duffy-miller IS 9 '#? review GET THE CONVISER CONFIDENCE 5 • Course Materials Include 5 Textbooks • 3 Month Format • Payment Plan Available/Major Credit Cards • Exam Techniques Clinic 76% PASS RATE 0 Enclosed is $95.00 enroll me at the TAMU Student (with current I.D.) discount tuition of $645 (Reg. tuition is $895.00) 0 I would like more information about your course. Name: Address: City/St/Zip: Phone: 1 plan to take the DMay □ November CPA Exam 19. 1-800-274-3926 A subsidiary of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Also offering Bar/Bri, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT & SAT Mail To. Conviser-Miller CPA Review 1111 Fannin, Suite 680 Houston, TX 77002 I A K A L