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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 1990)
Page 4 The Battalion Wednesday, May 2,1! We FLOPPY Joe *5 Scftwo.»-e r e V' 1 c* I NOW AVAILABLE!! Macintosh IBM • Public Domain • Wolfpack Nintendo • Balance of the Planet • Super Mario III • Shufflepuck Cafe 693-1706 Culpepper Plaza C&€ Crawfish Farm Live, purged, farm raised crawfish Call and order now for Graduation Weekend! Lunch Buffet (11-2 Mon.-Fri.) (11:30-2:30 Sat.-Sun.) w/coupon W/FREE ICED TEA Different Items of Food, Salad and Fruits Offer Expires 05/09/90. No Coupon Necessary. Pacific Garden Chinese Restaurant Between Chimney Hill Bowling & The Hilton Need Sell Your Old Bike Contact Valley Cyclery for details 3122 S. Texas College Station 764-2000 ALPHA GAMMA DELTA ! Wishes all of its Fall ’89 and Spring ’90 pledges a wonderful sum mer. We love you, ’cause you are the greatest! Each and Every One! FALL ’89 PLEDGES Margarita Barcena Paula Blanchard Suzanne Chambles Connie Fulps Rachel Flynn Lynette Miedziejko Hilary McHenry Dee Dee Pena Stephanie Reber Michelle Scott Liz Smith Laurie Stober Cyndi Tompkins Diane Waldrop Charlotte Walker Jessica Ware SPRING ’90 PLEDGES Lori Allison Bonnie Beard Donna Beasley Diane Blanton Grace Brown Wendy Coolidge Julea Dupont Tricia Elrod Loren Haveman Holly Hill Tracey Hunziker Cathey Mahand Tara Mays Melissa McSpadden Lorie Robinson Crispin Rummel Julie Ann Rychetsky Jana Watts ROTHER’S BOOKSTORE We pay megabucks for ALL books! (textbooks, paperbacks, studyguides, schuams outline, cliff notes) Don’t Be Overwhelmed With Your Used Books! Bring them to Pother’s and Spin to Win on our Wheel of Fortune! 20% discount • free T-shirts 50% discount • $5 00 free merchandise 10% more cash OPEN LATE FINALS WEEK 901 Harvey Rd. Woodstone Shopping Center 340 George Bush Dr. Accrocs from University Police Police Beat The following incidents were re ported to the Texas A&M University Police Department between April 17 and April 25. INDECENT EXPOSURE: • Two students reported that while doing their laundry in a room in Rudder Hall, they heard a tap on the window. When they looked in that direction,' they observed a nude man with a shirt covering his face and his hand on his penis. ASSAULT: • A woman was struck by a water balloon while walking with a friend on the south side of Moore Hall. • A woman was assaulted in Park ing Area 3 by a woman and a man. The altercation was the result of a parking dispute. • A man was struck on the arm by an identified male at the Langford Architecture Center. • A man reported that while he was having lunch at Sbisa Dining Hall, he had an argument with a Bryan resident over seating at his ta ble. After the verbal exchange, they met outside where the man punched him in the neck and kicked him in the back. TERRORISTIC THREAT: • A woman said she was threat ened in her Davis-Gary Hall room by her boyfriend, who was upset at her for picking up her belongings from his residence while he was away. VIOLATION OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE/KILLING MI GRATORY BIRDS OUT OF SEA SON: • A man killed a dove with a rock, placed the head above his door in Dormitory 4 and stapled the body of the dove to a bulletin board. When confronted with the information, the suspect admitted that he killed the dove and did the things described. MISDEMEANOR THEFT: • Eleven bicycles were stolen from areas around campus. • A woman reported that some one tried to grab her purse as she was walking in front of Fermier Hall. A struggle for the purse ensued and the suspect fell to the ground. She kicked him in the side as he got to his feet. He ran from the area to a wait ing vehicle parked on Rose Street. The purse contained her glasses, Texas driver’s license, A&M ID card and wallet containing $ 15. • A man reported that five pairs of size nine footwear were stolen from a shelf outside his apartment. • Six maroon and gray court bags, six travel bags, four Mikasa vol- leyballs and a pair of Reebok shoes were stolen from the womens’ volley ball locker room. • A Sony Walkman AM/FM cas sette player, a Technics CD player model SLX-P5 and 10 compact discs were stolen from a desk in the open studio area of the Langford Ar chitecture Center. • Two wallets were stolen. • A 3-M overhead projector was stolen from a room in the Zachry En gineering Center. • A Macintosh Plus Computer with keyboard and mouse control was stolen from a room in the Lang ford Architecture Center. • $50 was stolen from an unse cured residence hall room in Dormi tory 4. • A Panasonic VHS VCR was sto len from a room of the Vivarium Laboratory. • Three engineering textbooks were missing from a room in the McNew Engineering Laboratory. • Two backpacks were stolen. VIOLATION OF UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS/FAILURE TO PRESENT IDENTIFICATION UPON REQUEST OF A UNIVER SITY OFFICIAL: • A subject, found in the Wisen- baker Engineering Research Center, refused to identify himself. HARASSMENT: • Four students reported being harassed. BURGLARY OF A HABITA TION: • A 1990 Aggie Class Ring was stolen from a room in Dormitory 2. • Rockport leather docksider shoes were stolen from a room in Wells Hall. • A compact disc player, AC adaptor, seven compact discs and $20 were stolen from an unsecured room in Aston Hall. BURGLARY OF A VEHICLE: • A wallet was stolen from a Mer cedes Convertible in Parking Area 69. BURGLARY OF A BUILDING: • The Olsen Field Press Box was forcibly entered and the keyboard to the electronic score board and a handset from a Canon Fax 270 fax machine were stolen. UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A VEHICLE: • A woman was contacted by the Bryan Police Department concern ing her moped, which was found in the possession of a College Station man. The man said a friend let him use the moped, and he was unaware the moped was stolen. The woman did not file charges against then CRIMINAL TRESPASS: • A Caldwell man was arresiet the Sterling C. Evans Library for lating a Criminal Trespass Wai that previously had been issuei him. • Two students were detectft the steam tunnel leading to the denfels Building. The subjects arrested, charged with Crirt Trespass and jailed in the County Jail. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: • A 1988 VW Jetta was sera:, in Parking Area 56. • Derogatory notes were pli| on a man’s residence hall dor Hart Hall. When the notesweit£•. covered, the man demandedthatj perpetrator remove them. The i* prit complied with the requests removed the notes. • A 1988 Chevrolet Beitjj parked in Parking Area 61 1 coated with a tan, greasy substJ in several areas. • A window was broken in | derwood Hall by a water balloon • A glass door in Heldenfels broken. • A right rear window of a BMW, parked on Joe Routt B vard was shattered. • Graffiti was spray painted several items along Utilities Road and at the Off-ShoreTeck ogv Research Center. DRIVING WHILE INTO! GATED: • Someone u.is i barged, ana| and jailed in the Brazos Count)j f or Driving While Intoxicated. TMA files three lawsuits against insurance firms AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas Medical Association said Tuesday it has filed the first three of a series of lawsuits against insurance compa nies and so-called “hired guns” re view firms for allegedly denying or reducing workers’ compensation medical claims without basis. The suits include two in San Anto nio and one in Dallas, with $130,000 involved, said Austin attorney David Bragg, who represents TMA. But Bragg said, “We have reason to believe that this is the tip of the iceberg.” He said within 60 days “a num ber” of additional suits are expected in various parts of Texas. “I think it would be safe to say we’re talking about millions of dol lars that’s been held up in the sys tem,” Bragg told a news conference. Named in the San Antonio law suits were CIGNA Insurance Co. of Texas in Irving; Texas Employers Insurance Association of Dallas; Health Benefit Management Inc. of Austin; and accuMed Inc. of Hunt, Bragg said. The Dallas suit names PRNA Inc. of Dallas, he said. TMA President Dr. Max Butler of Houston said by “manipulating claims information, these companies are determining not only the level of payment, but whether an injured worker gets care at all.” The review firms are hired by in surance companies to screen hospi tal admissions, medical tests, and other services provided by physi- I think it would be safe to say we’re talking about millions of dollars that’s been held up in the system,” —David Bragg, Austin attorney cians to cut health costs, the TMA said, but the firms are not regulated in Texas. “This is strictly a hassle to save the insurance companies’ money,” But ler said. Bragg said, “We can’t find any rhyme or reason for the amounts — it just seems to be arbitrary cuts.” Alleged violations in workers’ compensation cases have been sin gled out, Butler said, because a fee schedule for health care providers has been in place since September 1988, but legitimate claims under that schedule are being denied. PRNA executive officer Tamala Miller said she had not even been notified of the lawsuit and could not comment specifically, but added, “To tell you the truth, I’ve expected something like this. The fee sched ule is in an uproar right now, and the physicians don’t like it.” Dr. Ronald Luke of Austin, chief executive officer of Health Benefit Management, said many physicians “resent the whole notion of review,” but added, “We try to keep reviews from the complaint stage. “We’ve had relatively few com plaints,” Luke said. “I believe we’re doing a pretty good job.” William Huff, executive vice pres ident for Texas Employers Insur ance, said he had not seen the suit, but said, “Our people have made a real attempt to work with the doc tors. We’ve cut far less than 50 per cent of the bills.” Construction cutbacks Cheney’s proposals opposed WASHINGTON (AP) — Texas congressional lead ers voiced dismay Tuesday that Defense Secretary Dick Cheney considers the naval homeport near Corpus Christi and others in the Gulf of Mexico as likely candi dates for construction cutbacks. Cheney extended a 3-month moratorium on new military construction for another 45 days and ordered a ' review of 207 projects, including Naval Station Ingle- side, and refurbishments at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Fort Hood and Red River Army Depot. “I’m deeply concerned about Ingleside,” said Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas. “It’s going to be a very tough fight when Secretary Cheney lists it as one of those that’s subject to cancellation. When he does that ahead of knowing what Congress is going to appropriate in the way of funds, it’s obvious, in my opinion that he’s made up his mind.” Texans Bentsen, Sen. Phil Gramm, Rep. Solomon Ortiz and other members of Congress from Gulf Coast states told Navy Secretary H. Lawrence Garrett III Tuesday afternoon that they objected to Cheney’s ac tion. Garrett reaffirmed his support for the homeports at Ingleside; Mobile, Ala.; Pascagoula, Miss.; and Staten Island, N.Y., lawmakers said. “He said he was arguing for the homeports as early as this morning,” Bentsen said of Garrett. Cheney’s midday announcement fired the debate be tween lawmakers interested in squeezing the military budget and those who want to protect local jobs. While the Gulf Coast legislators were drumming up support for naval homeports, Rep. Charles Bennett, D- Florida, and Rep. Pat Schroeder, D-Colorado, intro duced legislation to close the four mentioned on Che ney’s list and those at Everett, Wash., and Pensacola, Fla. “I want to assure you that as I live and breathe that will not become the law of the land,” Gramm said of the House legislation. In addition, Ortiz, a Corpus Christi Democrat, said he could not support a House defense budget proposal that is more than $20 billion below President Bush’s recommendation if it harmed Ingleside. “I’m going to have to make a lot of calls before I vote on this,” he said. Gramm, a Republican, expressed confidence the homeports can be saved, saying, “I know we’re going to have a reduction in defense. But if we can have an or derly, 5-year build-down, homeport can become a real ity.” Experts unvd new high-tecl hospital mode DALLAS (AP) — Hospia must use a smorgasbord of ted nology to combat rising healtl care costs, according to expen who unveiled a vision Tuesday the “Hospital of the Futurc crammed with high-tech g to help keep track of and treaty tients. The hospital, as designed Andersen Consulting with t help of the American College Healthcare Executives, will it everything from bar codes handheld computers, fro “smartcards” to pneumatic tub from voice recognition to fil optics, to cut time and moml spent shuffling around infora tion. “Forty percent of a nurs time is spend doing ad mink live and clerical chores,” said Toole, Andersen’s partner charge of healthcare. But hospitals have lagged hind industry in taking advanti | of technology, Toole said, spei® ing only 3 percent of their gets on information hand! compared to between 8 pei and 10 percent for the haul and insurance industries. The technology may be reeled more towards sav money than saving lives, To| said, but it nevertheless w give healthcare workers time practice their craft and impri the quality of care. “Information technology !j done little to help knowli workers like nurses and doctoi he said. While most hospitals alre; have their financial operatia computerized, and may alsoi computers in clinical or patii care, there has been little coraffi nication among the areas, Gene Handley, education dirt tor of the American College Healthcare Executives. “We have to achieve great economies in the area of inforr tion technology,” he said. “We looking for economies that one system to communicate" ) another system.” Andersen Consulting, a subs; f iary of Arthur Anderson &C | accounting firm, invested $7n lion in its “Hospital of the F ture” display that opened Tut day, showing how those systei can be tied together. S - n Protest (Continued from page 1) can be excused from paying the bills everybody else has to pay,” Ringer said. Schoonover, who owns a local computer software company, said his hunger strike is to attract atten tion to what he calls the city govern ment’s uncaring attitude. “The government doesn’t care,” he said. “I can’t offer any solutions because I don’t know. But I want to say, ‘Look your system is broke. Come out of your ivory towers and look around.’ ” Schoonover said he is staging the hunger strike on behalf of his friends who can’t. “I’m not doing this for myself,” he said. My friends are dying. I can’t just sit by and watch it happen.” Schoonover, who is confined to a wheelchair, said the city also ignores handicapped people. He said there are not enough sidewalks and the regular trolleys which service Bryan and College Station don’t pick up handicapped people. The transit system does offer a special service for handicapped peo ple, but it requires a person to sched ule ahead. Ringer admitted there are not enough sidewalks and the city is at tempting to correct the problem, but he said the trolleys are operated by the Brazos Transit Authority and not the city. “He’s not being reasonable with what he’s demanding,” Ringer said. “He’s right about some things. But the utility thing I just couldn’t get him to understand.” AggieVisionas Sell with the Best Battalion Classifieds 845-0569