The Battalion
OPINION
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Tuesday, February 13, 1990
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Caution, Texas voters: Watch out for slinging mud
Texas’ gubernatorial voters need to
put on their galoshes before they
attempt to wade through the mud that’s
been slung around lately. And if the
televised debates are any indication of
the forthcoming campaign tactics, we in
Texas are in store for an election fit for
a P^-
The Democratic candidates, (Jim
Mattox, Ann Richards and Mark
White), started the slinging last
Wednesday night in a televised debate
from Houston’s George R. Brown
Convention Center. Jim Mattox, who
has been trailing in the polls, swan dived
into the fight. He negatively scrutinized
White’s record as governor from 1983-
1987, and attacked Richards, the front
runner saying: “Ann, the unfortunate -
thing is ... too often you’re listening for
the applause and laughter rather than
dealing with the real issues that face
Texas.”
The Mattox camp has had a field day
with Richards’ alleged gaffe: “I cannot
arrive at any conclusion but that no
legislator, no judge and no bureaucrat
has any business in determining
whether a white woman has an abortion
or not.” Mattox says that with this
remark, Richards revealed her “white
feminist fringe” mentality. (I don’t
know about her “white feminist fringe”
Damon
Arhos
Assistant Opinion
Page Editor
mentality, but it sure has made for some
interesting political cartoons. I’ll bet of
“silver-footed George” is just elated.)
Richards has a pretty good right arm
herself. In the debates, Richards
accused Mattox of lying in his TV
advertisement by misrepresenting the
stands of his opponents. In reference to
the commercial, she stated: “You need
to pull it down.” And in a sarcastic
response to Mattox’s claims that both
Richards and White are late supporters
of a state-sanctioned lottery, Richards
spouted: “Well I’m pro-lottery, how
about you Mark?”
Mark White, second in the polls
behind Richards, spent most of his time
defending his record as governor. His
quote: “Well, ... when you can’t find
anybody else to blame, just blame of
Mark,” seems to hit the spot with most
Texan voters. And most of his mud, like
Richards’, was aimed at Mattox.
While Richards and White teamed up
to stifie any Mattox initiative, the
underdog GOP candidates did the same
to Clayton Williams. Kent Hance, Tom
Luce, Jack Rains and Williams, (like
their Democratic counterparts), also
debated on the stage of Houston’s
Brown Convention Center. (The GOP
debate was last Thursday night.)
Most of the mud came from Hance
and Luce and was directed at Williams’
“history” of being fistfighting, beer
drinking cowboy from West Texas.
Hance played up this history by saying:
“Mr. Williams is a funny guy ... but I
have not been in a fistfight since I was
12 or 13 ... I will not get into a fistfight
as governor.”
And Williams’ answer? “I decked (a
drunken employee) and I’d do it again.”
(According to Williams, he struck the
employee to prevent harm to other
workers.)
Luce on the other hand attacked
Williams’ cowboy image: “I don’t think
we can ride horseback into the Space
Age.” Luce also seemed to mock
Williams’ intelligence when he said (of
his proposals for state funding): “You
need to go back to math.”
Williams’ response to many of these
attacks was far from fistfighting.
Touting a huge smile, Williams
HCTWTCW FDST
Daytime parking getting worse
I read with great enthusiasm and
appreciation the letter written by the
two graduate students, D.K. Mills and
C.J. Bischoll, which appeared in the
February 2 of The Battalion concerning
the parking situation on campus at
night. Unfortunately, their letter missed
the essence of the real problem for
many off-campus students — daytime
parking on campus. During the past
four years, the parking situation for off-
campus students has rapidly
deteriorated to its present all-time low
of just two available lots.
It has become apparent that the
administration would prefer off-
campus students to commute to school
on the shuttle bus; however, this is not a
viable option for many students who,
for instance, do not live on the shuttle
bus route or who have educational
activities or jobs off-campus.
While parking on campus is a
problem for both undergraduate and
graduate students who drive to school
each day, the lack of campus parking
D.A.
Krause
Reader’s Opinion
puts graduate students in a particularly
difficult situation.
Many graduate students, for instance,
are relied upon to teach courses and
perform duties intregral to the valuable
research that goes on at this institution.
Fighting for parking places on campus
impedes the timely performance of such
duties.
As pointed out by Mills and Brischoll,
if the administration really wants to
improve graduate education, they need
to start with parking. In consideration
of the duties essential to the successful
functioning of this university, it is
nothing short of reasonable that they be
allowed higher priority parking on
campus.
To make the parking situation even
more frustrating, one need only drive
past Lot 19 (random staff) each day,
only to see that many parking spots sit
empty. While allowing day students to
use part of this lot would by no means
significantly lessen the immense
parking problem on campus, it would at
least provide some additional campus
parking. Allowing these parking spots
to remain empty each day while day
students fight for parking spots is a
travesty.
In conclusion, it is high time that the
administration do something to
improve the plight, of off-campus
students who may need to park on
campus. Paramount to this is a need for
the administration to grant higher
priority parking on campus to graduate
students.
D.A. Krause graduate student in
psychology.
defended his programs and reiterated
his positions that have been airing in his
rnultimillion-dollar television ad
campaigns. He was definitely defending
his position as the front-runner of the
GOP candidates.
And Rains? Rains, a pro-choice
Republican, approached the debates
from a low-key angle. He stressed the
importance of new leadership for Texas
with a less-than-fervent attitude.
According to Rains, it’s not only time for
new leadership, but “It’s time for
serious leadership.” His request for
“new” and “serious” leadership seems
only to sling mud into the face of Bill
Clements.
And of course, both parties spoke
negatively of the other, which, I
suppose, is to be expected.
These debates conjure up images of
the 1988 presidential campaigns in my
mind. Each candidate digging up as
much dirt (or should I say mud) as they
can about the other, and then plastering
it across the screen of every television in
the United States. But with the
impending gubernatorial races, we have
only hit the tip of the iceberg.
So before we go any further, here is
my advice:
I) Know how each of the candidates
stand on the issues. This may not be a
very easy task, but it is a veryimpor
one. Know the major issuesthatan
facing our state and how every
candidate would handle the impon
ones. Probably none of the candid:
for governor will fit your “mold,')
one may come close to the wayyou
about abortion, the economy,the
penalty, the state lottery oranyoth
issue.
2) Wade through all of the “mini
and find out the real truth about
candidates. Just because onecandii ■
makes a claim about another doesc i
always mean that it is true. Forinst
find out lor yourself if you reallybt
Clayton Williams would “fistfight't
was Texas’ governor. Look at Ann
Richards’ character and recordand
decide for yourself if she has the“bH
feminist fringe” mentality that Ham
says she does. See if the claims that
political advertisementsmakearetnj
3) Vote for candidates because
know how they stand on the issues
Don’t settle for voting for a car
because they are charismatic orbee
you like their name. Votefortheir
character and ability.
4) Vote. It is your right. Take
advantage of it.
Damon Arhos is a senior journal
major.
Mail Call
Poor attendance not Metcalfs fault
EDITOR:
This letter is directed to all of the people* who have written letters oral
umns blaming the lack of attendance at A&M basket ball games on Coach Met
calf.
Pull your head of the sand! The poor attendance at the games is nottk
fault of Coach Metcalf, his staff, his recruits, or (and this is a good one)tit
fact that G. Rollie White is so old. It also will not miraculously improve
that Coach Metcalf has been fired. The problem with attendance lies fvithtk
student body. 1 admit that 1 have not gone to many games in my career here
Texas A&M, but by the same token I certainly do not go around complaining
about the program and using one of the finest coaches around as a scapegoi
for my lack of enthusiasm. What really amazes me is that when therewei
fewer students at this University, the attendance was higher than itisnoii
The fact that A&M has so many more students now would lead you to belief]
that attendance would increase. WRONG! I do not understand the apatlit
that has started to take over this campus. Where is the Aggie Spirit that weal
used to possess? One final comment: When the athletic promotions depart
ment was given the task of promoting other athletic events (in particular bas
ketball) like had been done with baseball, they did not say, “Find waystoim-
prove Coach Metcalf.” What they said was, “Find ways to improve the student
attendance.” So come on, Ags, support your team and do not blame others.
Troy L. Minaldi ’89
Hit the deck and quit complaining
EDITOR:
Hit the Deck! I barked the command as I got very intimate with the moist
soil of an exotic land. Distance and unfamiliarity were the rules of this rather
strange geography. Suddenly 1 realized our dangerous situation. I keptmf
cool as rounds were zinging over our heads in what was not an “officialac
tion.” The environment was disgusting, dirty, wet and steamy. My thoughts
about A&M kept me going. 1 had no time for myself. I must look aftermt
men. A&M — what a paradise. I called it the American Utopia. Everyone
smiles and says “howdy.” Ags, it is time to stop complaining. Stop complaining
about the parking, the Aggie Band and the Corps runs. T here is a lot moreto
life on campus than moaning. Live! Live your college days! A&M is a once-in- *
a-lifetime deal. Later you’ll see incredible places and have wonderful adven
tures. A&M is unique. Perhaps we don’t understand what our school stands
for. We stand for education, brotherhood, leadership and service. Insteadol
complaining we should experience A&M in the most positive way possible
Sooner or later life w ill call on you to take a critical stand, to make hard
choices and tough decisions. Ags, this is the time to learn how to be strong
Stop complaining and begin appreciating our unique environment.Perhaps
we need chaos around us to realize w hat we had before.
Pete Muhoz-Dones ’86
Have an opinion? Express it!
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edilkttti
for style and length, hut will make every effort to maintain the author's intent. Each letter must besigntid
must include the classification, address and telephone number of the writer. All letters may be brought to216
Reed McDonald, or sent to Campus Mail Stop 1111.
Adventures In Cartooning
by Don Atkinson Ji
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
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Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
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Monique ThreadgilL
Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
Melissa Naumann, City Editor
Cindy McMillian, Lisa Robertson,
News Editors
Richard Tijerina, Sports Editor
Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Mary-Lynne Rice, Lifestyles Editor
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