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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1990)
TheBattalion ) Vol. 89 No. 171 USPS 045360 8 Pages College Station, Texas Sonic Youth Album W Review J ^ Industrial rockers explore new B sounds and ideas in latest r release, “Goo.” See Review Page 5 Thursday, July 12,1990 Blood drive helps ease shortage in local area n to sud ■s arc i said M® pregna; iIDSrin i will be; ted Statt concen! ority ‘y'sJAM| i release UDS1 cause active j BylSSELLE MCALLISTER influe 1 Of The Battalion Staff About 150 pints of blood were do- nen K « a ted at First Baptist Church of lajppjftryan as of 5 p.m. Wednesday dur- aidajJMng an emergency blood drjve to ^ielp alleviate a severe blood short- ige in the local area. In an attempt to alleviate the flood shortage, the city of Bryan, Jong with Brazos County, the Bryan ’olice Department and First Baptist Church of Bryan asked local resi dents to give the gift of life. Blood was donated at the church. With one hour of donating re- laining, 150 pints had been col lected. Organizers had hoped to col lect about 240 pints, which was :ollected at about this time last year. However, one of the organizers told Joe Brown, director of commu- Jcations for the City of Bryan, that Jmost two-day drives collect only ibout 100 pints. “Organizers are calling this a suc- irown said. “It’s a lot of blood the tele that tit 1 again? that sint I be spactj e, there >f a kill ;d in oi- :1 pass:: cess, to be collected for a one-day drive.” Brazos County is still in dire need of blood. At the time of the drive, 2,050 pints were short of the amount of blood used here in the past year, he said. Choya Walling, Bryan police ser geant and Red Cross board member, said there was a sharp dropoff in do nations earlier this year. “We’re still trying to recover,” he said. Walling said blood donations are low in the summer because many do nors are on vacation or are busy with lother activities. The demand, however, does not decrease during the summer months. “The best thing for someone to do ttonso t h e time to give,” Walling said. “It doesn’t take long,” he said, “it’s not painful and it could mean the difference between life or death for someone — maybe even for you or someone you know.” Brown said he believes the in creasing population of Brazos of tklCounty and the cardiac-care unit at St. Joseph Hospital are a few of the onoraitBreasons for the high demand for h mud!| blood in Brazos County, centeil test, Lt I a blanil said, lx- :he slaw its usini he unis ]., Rittf: forme Ion Pat ilk wittl for ust oject ot nicator, jr tead :r use: as Rf< six ade Bush triumphs as Economic Summit closes By CHRIS VAUGHN Of The Battalion Staff HOUSTON — President Bush scored a hard- fought political victory here at the conclusion of the 16th annual Economic Summit of Industrialized Na tions by getting his way on the three main summit is sues — aid to the Soviet Union, agricultural trade re form and the environment. The three-day economic summit with leaders of the United States, Canada, Britain, France, West Germany, Italy and Japan concluded Wednesday when Bush aelivered the final communique at George Brown Convention Center. Bush came to the summit, the first one since the end of the Cold War, with opinions on the three ma jor topics differing from many of those in the Euro pean Community. The President sought only technical assistance for the Soviet Union as its President Mikhail Gorbachev initiates reforms, not direct financial assistance like several of Europe’s leaders wanted the entire West to send. The summit ended with the so-called Group of Seven (G-7) agreeing on technical assistance for now. Bush also sought to work out a deal with the Euro pean Community to drastically cut agricultural sub sidies and reform the international trade market. After two days of intense, often heated dis cussions, a compromise was reached late Tuesday night, and the leaders agreed to cut farm subsidies like Bush wanted. The President also wanted to hold the line against Europe’s leaders on environmental issues, which he managed to do despite the prediction the European Community would press hard for more action on slowing global warming. Despite the obvious political victory for Bush, he downplayed it saying, “There weren’t any winners or losers.” Although the decision reached on agricultural subsidies and trade reformation was considered the most important by many U.S. leaders, the issue on how and when to help tne Soviet Union clearly was the most exciting. A political communique from the leaders ex pressed strong support for Gorbachev, who was re elected as Communist Party leader Tuesday, and pledged financial assistance to the shaky Soviet econ omy.. The type of assistance finally agreed upon by the G-7 was to pledge immediate technical assistance, es pecially in areas such as transportation, banking and communication, and begin a study on the needs of the Soviet economy. But Bush refused to pledge direct aid from the United States until Gorbachev meets several condi tions. Among the conditions are to move its economy to a more open, freer economy; cease its billions of dol lars in aid to Cuba, Libya and other foes of democ See Sununit/Page 8 Summit spotlights Aid to the Soviet Union Leaders of the seven richest democracies agreed the Soviet Union should receive technical assistance to help encourage Mikhail Gorbachev’s efforts to promote a market economy in his country. Agricultural Subsidies Trade negotiators reached a compromise on the thorny issue of eliminating agricultural subsidies, a position the Americans favored and the Europeans rejected. As a middle ground, the summit communique said the industrialized nations have a long-term goal of ending subsidies. Environment The communique agreed to a pilot study on ways to help save Amazon rain forests, but did not press for specific reduction targets for pollutants suspected of causing global warming. Third World Debt The wealthy nations encouraged debtor countries of the Third World to adopt economic reform programs designed to reduce debt. (Above) The summit delegation leaders gather in the George R. Brown Convention Center for the Final Communique of the three-day event. Photos By Thomas J. Lav in (Right) President and Barbara Bush end the summit with a “Thank You to Houston” party in the University of Houston’s Library Plaza. forest: iers 'it Poll surveys students ’ opinions concerning Bush’s tax stance Police fire on Mohawks By ELIZABETH TISCH Of The Battalion Staff President Bush’s pre-campaign slogan “read my lij mdenct cppii'S’ .onis city) slogan react my lips, no new taxes” won the confidence of voters across tne nation. However, voters are now wondering if they mis read his lips. President Bush admitted last week that he had to raise taxes saying the increase is needed to reduce the soaring national deficit. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill. and chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means committee was quoted as saying Bush’s statement is “an important step in the right direction.” However, Rep. Robert Walker, R-Pa. and member of the House GOP leadership, said the increase will “undermine the economy and substa- tially weaken it”. President Bush has not yet revealed his plan on what taxes will be raised and what spending programs will be cut. Regardless of Bush’s decision, members of Con gress and American citizens still have conflicting opin ions about the tax increase. While members of Congress argue about the tax in crease, The Battalion has conducted a poll asking A&M students their opinions on the tax increase and how it will effect Bush’s popularity. The Battalion poll is a survey of Texas A&M students intended to measure opinions about campus-related is sues. The poll, which will be conducted periodically, is taken from a random sample of students attending summer school. A sample of 400 students was obtained from telephone interviews. The results of the poll showed that 55 percent of the students felt the increase was needed. Thirty-eight per cent, however, disagreed while seven percent had no opinion on the topic. When the A&M students were asked whether the tax .increase will harm Bush’s popularity among the nation, , 54 percent said yes. Forty-one disagreed while five per cent had no opinion. A random sample of 400 yields a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points with 95 percent confidence. This implies that if the total student population were OKA, Quebec (AP) — About 200 armed Mohawk In dians wearing war paint fought off a police assault Wednesday in a dispute over plans to expand a private f olf course surrounded by trioal land. One officer was illed. Provincial police officers in helmets, fatigues and gas masks exchanged hundreds of rounds of bullets with the Indians and fired tear gas and stun grenades dur ing a battle over several hours. Police later retreated and both sides remained be hind barricades in a standoff. It was not immediately clear who ordered police to assault a Mohawk barricade set up three months ago on the access road to the disputed land. “I find it awful that police would attack our people,” tribe member Eleanor Montour, 67, said. “We’re not savages, we’re proud to be Mohawks,” he said. “We were pushed around for centuries and we’re being pushed again and we’re getting awfully tired of it.” The dispute centers on land owned by the town of Oka since 1947. The Indians have always maintained it is their land, and their Kanesatake settlement sur rounds it. Oka, 18 miles west of Montreal, rents the land to the operators of the private nine-hole course. The opera tors say they want to cut down the white pine forest on the land and expand the course to 18 holes. Police spokesman Richard Bouraon said officers were supposed to tear down the Mohawks’ 3-month-old barricaae to enforce a court injunction ordering the In dians to let traffic pass. “The reason we moved was because the Mohawks were breaking the law,” he said. “They were blocking a public road and this is a criminal act.” In Quebec City, acting public security minister Michel Page said he did not authorize the police action. An aide to Premier Robert Bourassa said the premier was not contacted before police moved in. About 100 police officers in helmets, fatigues and gas masks moved into the area at about 5:30 a.m. Wednes day. Shots were fired and tear gas was lobbed into the Mohawk encampment near the barricade, but nobody was hurt. After bringing up heavy equipment and placing snip ers in trees around the barricade, police staged a mas sive assault at about 9 a.m. with automatic weapons, stun grenades and more tear gas. Cpl. Marcel Lemay, 31, was shot in the face and was declared dead about an hour later at nearby St. Eus- tache hospital. About 200 armed Mohawks wearing war paint and covering their faces with bandannas fought the police assault from the barricade. They were joined by about 100 women and children from the 1,000-member Kah- nesetake community. Increasing federal taxes is necessary to reduce the federal deficit. S 55% Agree 38% Disagree □ 7% No Opinion _ . poll was conducted exclusively by Research Associates, a firm operated by A&M stu dents Alister Miller and Mitch Peck. I Miller and Peck are graduate students in the socio- " logy department. Monique Threadgill, editor of The Battalion and se- I nior journalism major, asks students to call The Battal- | ion office at 845-2647 if students who participate in the poll encounter any problems. Increasing federal taxes will hurt the popularity of President Bush. ■ 54% Agree ^ 41 % Disagree □ 5% No Opinion Senate OKs broad crime bill Prison terms stiffened for S&L fraud offenders WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate approved a broad crime bill Wednesday that stiffens prison terms for savings and loan fraud, bans nine semiautomatic weapons and makes three dozen federal offenses punishable by death. The election-year measure sailed through the Senate, 94-6, with opposition coming largely from critics of capital punish ment. “This is the toughest and most comprehensive crime bill in our history,” Judiciary Chairman Jo seph R. Biden Jr., D-Del, said. He said the measure could cost up to $2 billion in 1991 and added the source of the funds was uncer tain. At the last minute, the Senate added $162.5 million to combat • S&L owner indicted/Page 3 savings and loan fraud and tough prison terms for those convicted in the scandal, including life for “kingpins.” Whistle blowers could collect rewards of up to $300,000 for turning in S&L looters. The bill would add hundreds of savings and loan fraud investi gators and allow the government to seize the assets of S&L looters in the same fashion that it now confiscates those of drug king pins. Lawmakers said they have felt distinct pressure from back home to step up prosecution of S&L of fenders. “We need to be cracking down on the orgy of fraud and law breaking that occurred in the sav ings and loan crisis,” Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt, said. Among the provisions settled earlier was the Dan on import or domestic manufacture of nine kinds of semiautomatic assault weapons, approved over the fierce opposition of the National Rifle Association. Senators also had agreed on provisions allowing executions for 34 federal offenses including treason, hostage-taking and pres idential assassination. It is already possible under current law to seek capital punishment for drug kinerpins who ah an ms wfto commit murder or terrorists who kill Ameri cans overseas. Additional features range from an increase in funding for “boot camp” prisons to tougher penalties for sale of the drug “ice.’