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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 6, 1990)
The Battalion STATE & LOCAL Wednesday, June 6,1990 Project trains health experts in three years HARLINGEN (AP) — A $4.4 million project over three years to train doctors, nurses and other health professionals in the Lower Rio Grande Valley will be aimed at curing the area’s severe shortage of medical personnel, officials said. More than 200 medical, dental, nursing and allied health students will complete a portion of their clini cal training each year through the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program. The project, coordinated by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, will bring the students to an area in dire need of medical workers. Organizers are hoping that some of the students will choose to work in the Valley after they finish their training. “The Valley encompasses the two most poverty-stricken counties in the United States,” said Dr. Adela Val dez, director of South Texas Hospi tal in Harlingen and an organizer of the AHEC project. “Therefore it is difficult to recruit and retain physi cians, dentists, nurses and other health care providers. The AHEC can be beneficial not only in retain ing our health professionals, but in recruiting new personnel into the Valley as well.” According to the Texas Depart ment of Health, in 1987 there were 762 residents per physician in Texas, but in the Valley doctors were much less available. In Cam eron County, the resident-physician ratio was 1,022 to 1; in Hidalgo County, 1,373 to 1; in Willacy County, 2,755 to 1; and in Starr County, 3,554 to 1. In 1986, there were 2,131 resi dents for every dentist in Texas, but 4,176 to 1 in Cameron County, 5,431 to 1 in Hidalgo County, 9,620 to 1 in Willacy County and 34,740 to 1 in Starr County. Dr. Giro Sumaya, AHEC program director, said nursing shortages also persist in the Valley with 916 resi dents for every nurse in Cameron County, for example, compared to 241 residents per nurse state wide, according to a UTHSCSA news re lease. Sumaya, associate dean for continuing medical education at UTHSCSA, said similar programs around the nation show that stu dents who train in rural or under served areas are more likely to re turn after graduation. The three-year partnership be tween the San Antonio school and dozens of health facilities at the southern tip of the state is set to be gin Oct. 1. We asked and here’s what you said... If you had the power to change one thing at Texas A&M, what would it be? Julie Fleming Senior — Marketing Houston Parking. I would make sure the fresh men wouldn’t have cars up here because I don’t think they need them. It would increase the avail ability of parking on campus. Juan Corta Junior — Industrial Engineering Costa Rica Parking. It would be parking because it’s very crowded. There’s no park ing at night at the library. Alecia Biondi Junior — Accounting College Station Parking. The parking situation is terri ble. They should use empty lots. I really don’t know why the park ing is so bad with all the available space. Jack Harris Associate research economist Houston Parking and Construction. I would probably cut down on the traffic congestion and not have quite so many torn up streets. Zhendong Yang Ph.D. candidateGeology China Student Facilities. I would put new student facili ties on campus. The students need more social activities and places to grow. This way we can promote culture and Aggie spirit. Tim Comer J unior — English Magnolia, Ark. Construction. I would accelerate the con struction on campus. It’s needed but it’s inconvenient at best. Dr. Prasad Enjeti Associate professor — Electrical Engineering India Parking. Parking has become a major problem here. If I want to go to the library, it’s very difficult be cause of the poor parking. Melody Johnson Graduate student — Education Cleveland, Texas Campus policies. I would change some of the policies on campus regarding stu dent groups. Atheist groups are allowed on campus but Christian organizations can’t speak out as much. Susan Dennis Assistant lecturer — Modern Languages Lubbock Student attitudes. I would like to see students in volved in more important activ ities like saving the economy and not worrying about who’s a greek or who’s not or what we should do about various traditions. Barbara Schwarz Sophomore — Business San Antonio Buses. I would change the on-campus buses. They should run more of ten to fit with students’ schedules. We go out and try to catch a bus and end up waiting and being late for class.mare Legislature passes fee and tax increases and budget cuts AUSTIN (AP) — The Legislature moved quickly Tuesday on a $528 million school fi nance reform plan by easily passing the fee and tax increases needed to pay for it — in cluding a quarter-cent state sales tax in crease. were sent to the House for consideration. Increases in the state sales tax, mixed drink and tobacco levies, and some state fees were passed by both the House and Senate and sent to Gov. Bill Clements. The legislative pace should allow law- “f 1 am extremely happy because there is light at the end ot the tunnel and it’s not a freight train this time.” —Gib Lewis, House Speaker The Texas Senate also passed a separate •ill outlining school finance reforms with a !9-l vote, and a measure making budget uts and state budget transfers with a 30-0 ote. The reform and budget-cutting bills makers to finish their record sixth special session at the end of this week, said Clem ents and other state leaders. This is the fourth session on school finance reform. “I am extremely happy because there is light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not a freight train this time,” said House Speaker Gib Lewis, D-Fort Worth. Democratic legislative leaders and the Republican governor agreed on the school finance reform package Friday after a three-month deadlock on how to address a Texas Supreme Court order to make more money available to poor school districts. Besides pumping extra money into the $13.5 billion-a-year school finance system, the funding package would raise an extra $100 million to bail out financially strapped social service programs. Clements killed two previous school fi nance reform plans because they each re quired a half-cent increase in the sales tax. But he compromised at the quarter-cent level Friday, saying he wanted to fend off court intervention in the school system. The House could take up the school fi nance reform bill Wednesday, Lewis said. Besides addressing funding, the reform bill would make a number of changes de signed to improve education performance and accountability. It would allow expahsion of the pre-kin dergarten program to 3-year-olds in the 1991-92 school year, increase testing of stu dents, and give the governor the authority to appoint the state education commis sioner. The commissioner now is appointed by the State Board of Education. The tax and fee measures would: • Raise the sales tax to 614 cents on the dollar. • Raise the tax per pack of cigarettes by 15 cents, to 41 cents. • Increase the tax rate on chewing to- "bacco, snuff and. smoking tobacco from 28.125 percent to 35.213 percent of the fac tory list price. • Increase the gross receipts tax on the sale of mixed drinks from 12 percent to 14 E ercent. This was the last item in the tax ill, which was approved 117-23 by the House and 30-0 by the Senate. • Double the fee for obtaining a dupli cate driver’s license from $5 to $10. This vyas a separate bill, approved 117-20 by the House and 30-0 by the Senate. • Raise by 50 percent the state fees for highway permits to move items that exceed statutory size and weight limits. This was a separate bill, approved on a 126-15 House vote and 30-0 Senate vote. Sen. Carlos Truan, D-Corpus Christi, said he does not think the reform bill will meet the Supreme Court order to design a constitutional school Finance system. But he voted for it, he said, because it sends more money to school districts. Sen. Hector Uribe, D-Brownsville, voted against the reform bill. BECAUSE EVERY AGGIE DESERVES THE BEST... UNIVERSITY ■COMMUNICATIONS Presents CALL TEXAS 5 p.m.-11p.m. 16.90 per minute 11p.m.-8 a.m. 11.90 per minute Call 693-5874 Will be at the following locations Mon.-Fri. 8:30-3:30: Sabisa, Blocker Msc, Academic Building AGGIES CHOICE FOR LONG DISTANCE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE 1 Contact Lenses ^ ^ Only Quality Name Brands uj (Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Barnes-Hinds-Hydrocurve) 4/ 4f/v ! $ 128 00 TOTAL COST ...INCLUnES> EYE EXAM, FREE CARE KIT, STD. DAILY WEAR, £ EXTENDED WEAR OR TINTED LENSES. £ Bifocal Soft and Astigmatic Soft Lenses SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSES Sale ends June 29, 1990 Call 696-3754 For Appointment CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., P.C. 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