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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1990)
(S5 w ? ^ "tj -V C3 r % S^bc' §tH oi.^ h | fc Q 2 s rtupniS-^ Xa;5'S5"pH t ir'w^c-^ :3 s:i) -T 2 gjo S *-- ra bow-. -D Cm a ■“ Q - « t- i5 ^ JS 3 D. C <£> w « 0-2 WJ3 « ’1^ S g^ S 2 0.3: i- u y w « oc S CB 2.S S Statewide Races 4B Bullock, Mosbacher Lt. gov. candidates disagree on issues By KEVIN M. HAMM Of The Battalion Staff Voters will have to choose in the lieutenant gover nor’s race between Bob Bullock, an experienced Texas politician, and Rob Mosbacher, an experienced busi nessman who says his independence from state politics is an asset. “I’m not part of the Austin crowd, and I’m proud of it,” Mosbacher told delegates at the GOP state conven tion. “It’s time for an outsider’s independence. It’s time for a lieutenant governor who can say ‘no’ to the Aus tin special interest crowd.” Bullock says his political experience — beginning in the Texas House of Representatives in the 1950s to his present position as state comptroller — uniquely qual ifies him for office. “There’s not a person in political office today — city, county, local or state — who has the experience I’ve had in state government,” he said. “(I have) experience getting the job done.” Bullock also served as an assistant attorney general, an aide to former Gov. Preston Smith and Texas secre tary of state. Mosbacher is president of Mosbacher Energy Com pany, an independent oil and gas exploration and pro duction company. His state government experience in cludes acting as chairman of the Texas Department of Human Services and chairman of the Governor’s Wel fare Reform Task Force. He also worked on the staff of former U.S. Sen. Howard Baker. Education Both candidates express concern about public edu cation in Texas, a system with more than 3 million stu dents and 1,000 local districts that spends about $13 billion annually. Bullock says the future of Texas depends on educa tion. “The school bell is ringing, not just for this school year but for a generation of young Texans — and how we answer that bell will determine their future and the future of Texas,” Bullock said. Bullock says bringing “quality and accountability” to the system would be his top priority if elected. His plan includes the following: “The school bell is ringing, not just for this school year but for a generation of young Texans — and how we answer that bell will determine their future and the future of Texas.” — Bob Bullock • raising teachers’ salaries and providing health in surance and additional benefits • giving local school boards, administrators and tea chers flexibility in subject and teaching methods • making sure teachers and students have the latest technology at their disposal • giving shools incentives instead of mandates to produce results • having the state shoulder a larger share of total school costs to help keep local property taxes down • providing counselors and teacher training for el ementary schools to identify at-risk students for early prevention of dropouts, drug abuse and child abuse. “I will demand above all accountability for what we get for our money,” he said. “The responsibility rests solely on state government because only the state has the resources, the authority and the constitutional obli gation to run an efficient and productive system.” Mosbacher says performance is the key to education. “My vision for the future of Texas’ public schools contains one recurring theme — improved performan ce,” Mosbacher said. “All our efforts and special pro grams will only be successful when we strive to be the best — when our performance outmatches even our personal standards.” Mosbacher’s reforms include the following: • increasing parental involvement, community- based efforts and the attention of the business commu nity • increasing cooperation between state, federal, lo cal and non-profit agencies in providing social, health and educational services for families and children in need • increasing school funding and making sure all sources of revenue are tapped • reducing state mandates and empowering educa tors with the flexibility and autonomy needed to edu cate students • addressing the problems of drugs, violence and lack of discipline through education and treatment so teachers can focus on the education process itself • retraining the existing work force to bridge the gap between skill levels of high school graduates and Bob Bullock Rob Mosbacher those needed for entry level jobs in an increasingly technical workplace “Texans will not compete successfully in the interna tional marketplace unless we have a well-trained, well- educated and highly motivated work force,” Mos bacher said. “Our people are our most important re source, and that makes education our top state priori ty-” Economic development Economic development in Texas also is a priority for each candidate. Bullock says business can produce jobs and profits when state government conducts its affairs with pre dictability, decency and vision. He believes future economic well-being and educa tion inextricably are linked. The state has an obligation to prepare people, from elementary school to univer sity classrooms, to “make the most of a changing, global marketplace,” Bullock says. It also is important to support small and new busi nesses by increasing funding for the Small Business Development Centers, which provide management, technical and planning assistance, he says. The state’s highway system must be maintained and upgraded as required for businesses’ transportation needs, Bullock says. Government also must cut red tape and “take a reasonable approach in business regu latory matters,” he says. Mosbacher says he believes his business background will enable him to spur the current expansion in the Texas economy. “My goal is to bring growth and jobs to businesses of all sizes in every corner of the state,” he said. “There are techniques available to the state to promote eco nomic development that do not call for expensive pro grams or entrenched bureaucracy.” One such program Mosbacher supports is the Texas Business Enhancement Fund, which he helped draft. The program is a source of funds provided by private lenders which small businesses can tap into. He says Texas should make additional contributions to smaller businesses by expanding the state’s small “A business climate is perhaps the unique feature that makes a state attractive to a company as a place to expand or locate.” — Rob Mosbacher business assistance network, increasing support for opening markets through international trade and sup porting emerging firms with the potential to signifi cantly expand job opportunities. Mosbacher also says he believes Texas must protect its business environment to attract more businesses. “A business climate is perhaps the unique feature that makes a state attractive to a company as a place to expand or locate,” he said. Texans will not be able to rely “solely on hard work” anymore in an increasingly competitive workforce, he says. “Education and training have become a fundamen tal part of economic development,” Mosbacher said. Health care Bullock says he believes the emphasis on health care should be “redirected to preventive medicine.” Citing “the state’s miserly program of prenatal health care for low-income pregnant women,” he says studies indicate every dollar not spent on prenatal care costs $3 in treating preventable birth defects, affecting 20,000 ba bies a year in Texas. The state also should take advantage of many fed eral programs that would help ease health care costs now paid by cities and counties, Bullock says. He also took issue with rural hospital closings, saying the state should help these hospitals find funding from alternative revenue sources. University medical schools and the Higher Education Coordinating Board should be given resources and incentives to attract the quality medical personnel these rural areas need, Bullock says. The state also must find alternatives to nursing home care for the increasing number of elderly, such as home and community services, he says. The problem of rising health insurance costs, both for citizens and small businesses, also needs to be ad dressed, Bullock says, citing the more than two million Texans without health insurance. Mosbacher’s solution to the state’s health care woes is summed up in his “Discovery Health Care Plan.” Organized through a non-profit coalition of small businesses, this plan would emphasize prevention and “wellness through education.” Coverage under this plan would cost $60 per month and would cover all items required by the Texas Insurance Code. Coverage would be limited to $10,000 annually and $25,000 for lifetime participation, but could be ex panded by purchasing additional coverage. There is no deductable under the plan, but mem bers would pay a small fee for each procedure. “The plan will reduce the cost of uncompensated care through direct payment for services and an em phasis on prevention and wellness,” the plan states. “Healthier people spend less time in the health care system and consequently reduce costs to the system.” Also running for lieutenant governor is Tom Owens, a Libertarian from Midland. “This looks like a good year for Libertarian candi dates statewide because of voter dissatisfaction with Washington,” Owens said. trolls fo Election ’90 Page SB New attorney general to make history AUSTIN (AP) — Democrat Dan Morales and Re publican J.E'. “Buster” Brown are battling for the Texas attorney general’s post — and a place in history. State records show there never has been an Hispanic attorney general in Texas, and a Republican hasn’t held the post since Reconstruction. Their history-making potential is one of several sim ilarities between the candidates, who are far apart philosophically. Both are state lawmakers who have sponsored anti crime measures: Brown, 49, is a senator from Lake Jackson who has been vice chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. Morales, 34, is a rep resentative from San Antonio who has headed the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. Both are former prosecutors: Brown worked in Bra zoria County, and Morales in Bexar County. And both agree their differences far outweigh any resemblance. “That’s sort of like Nolan Ryan and I both played Little League baseball. But that sure doesn’t make our records in baseball equal,” said Brown. Morales is equally confident: “I am satisfied that the record that I have put together compares favorably to that of my opponent.” Their basic disagreement is over the role of the state’s top lawyer. Morales describes an activist attorney general, who addresses public policy issues and works with lawmak ers. Matters such as education, criminal justice and mental health have been entangled in lawsuits in Texas, he notes. “What good lawyers do for private clients is not sim ply sit around the office and wait to get sued,” Morales said. But Brown says Democratic incumbent Attorney General Jim Mattox, a self-described “people’s lawyer,” has made the office too political with his activist style. The attorney general should defend the state’s laws in court and leave policy-making to the Legislature, Brown said. “We’ve got to get somebody in that office that the public will have confidence in as a lawyer,” he said. “I think the people of Texas want a conservative ... that will restore the credibility of that office.” The attorney general is involved in antitrust, con sumer, environmental and public health lawsuits. The office gives advisory opinions on legal matters, and ad ministers the child support enforcement program. District and county attorneys have the primary re sponsibility for criminal cases, but the attorney general can provide assistance at their request. Brown, calling himself the underdog, has attacked Morales on several issues in the campaign. Touting his own legal experience, Brown has chal lenged Morales to release a list of cases he has tried be forejuries. Morales said he has tried such cases, but hasn’t re leased a list. Former Bexar County District Attorney Sam Millsap Jr. said Morales was one of his best pros ecutors. Brown has been a lawyer longer. He worked as a Brazoria County prosecutor for nearly four years be fore going into private practice in 1972. Morales worked as a Bexar County prosecutor in 1983-85, after a year of private practice in Houston. Since becoming a lawmaker, he says he has provided free legal services to constituents. Brown also has criticized Morales for sponsoring a $5.7 billion tax increase in 1987, and for voting this summer against a sales tax increase Brown supported for public schools. Morales says important services were financed by the 1987 tax increase. He opposed the latest sales tax increase, he said, because the levy is regressive and too high. Treasurer, comptroller races tight and ugly DALLAS (AP) — If Texas voters thought the gubernatorial race had cor nered the mud market, they haven’t been watching the battles for state comp troller and treasurer. As the election nears, campaign issues are taking a back seat to accusations of mismanagement of personal and public finances, special interests and even phony names. Despite all the venom, the candidates say they are not running negative cam paigns. In the comptroller’s race, Democrat John Sharp and Republican Warren G. Harding Jr. are arguing about Harding’s name. Meanwhile, in the treasurer’s race Re publican Kay Bailey Hutchison and Despite all the venom, the candidates say they are not running negative campaigns. Democrat Nikki Van Hightower are pointing fingers at each other’s finances. Two candidates from the Libertarian party are also running in both races: William E. Grisham for comptroller and Suzanne Love for treasurer. In the comptroller name game, Sharp says Harding is trying to cash in on his name’s familiarity: the 29th President of the United States was Warren G. Har ding, no relation; the candidate’s father was a one-time state treasurer. But too much name recognition can be a bad thing. Harding is also trying to distance himself with his father’s 1982 indictment on charges of official miscon duct for using state secretaries to work on his re-election campaign. The elder Harding pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of official miscon duct, and withdrew from politics. The younger Harding has also dis missed allegations that he tried to sell se curities to Texas banks at the same time his father was arranging for them to re ceive state deposits. “This is old information which was unconvincing before a grand jury in 1982 and will be unconvincing to Texas voters in 1990,” Harding said. “John Sharp has already tarnished his own rep utation by being Michael Dukakis’ state campaign chairman, and now he wants to tarnish Warren Harding’s reputation by lies and distortion.” Harding says his opponent is a profes sional politician who has lost touch with Texas the private sector. “He wouldn’t know a private sector job if he saw it,” said Harding, who once worked as an auditor for the comptrol ler’s office and as deputy clerk in Travis County. Sharp began his public service career as a state representative in 1978. In 1982 he became a state senator and served un til 1986 when he won a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission. Harding last ran for office in 1988 when he lost a Dallas County Republican primary race to Dallas County Tax As sessor David Childs. As far as issues are concerned, both 'men say they are against any new taxes. Instead, they propose general reduc tions in state spending. Harding, who now works as a finan cial consultant in Dallas, says he plans to cut the tax collector’s budget by 10 per cent by reducing the number of field of fices from 30 to 13. He also proposes a review of the com ptroller’s franking privilege as a way to cut spending. Sharp, who credits himself with re ducing the Railroad Commission’s spending from $37 million to $31 mil lion, says he can do the same for the comptroller’s office. If elected, Sharp says he would pro pose the state invest in private manage- See Treasurer/Page 7B Accusations dominate races As and land commissioner o races mix glitz with mud LUBBOCK (AP) — If Hollywood were to write the script, the race for agriculture commissioner between Democratic incumbent Jim High tower and Republican challenger Rick Perry would best be described as the “Urban Cowboy” against the farmer from “Top Gun.” But there is nothing Hollywood about the battle for land commis sioner, pitting incumbent Democrat Gary Mauro against GOP challenger Wes Gilbreath —just plenty of good of fashion mudslinging. Hightowers white Stetson hat and cowboy boots hardly disguise his pro- E ssive big city ideas, quick vocal ca- ice and ability to lure big-time en tertainers to stump for him, including actor Robeit Redford and blues singer Taj Mahal. He is favored to win a third consec utive term as agriculture commis sioner largely because he is expected to dominate in cities like Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, where cam paign officials daim his name recog nition is around 75 percent. He registers significantly less sup port with the rural farmers and ranchers his office regulates. Perry, on the other hand, b a third- term state representative from Has kell, where he has spent a lifetime toughening callouses farming cotton, wheat and raising catde. Despite the rural background, Perry is a former Air Force pilot whose suave demeanor and good looks have helped him gather cam paign support from the likes of Kim Dawson, an internationally known modeling agent in Dallas. The differences between the two candidates are as distinct as rows in a plowed field. Perry is a conservative who sees the future of Texas in mainstream crops, cotton, feed grains and beef, that al ready produce about 95 percent of the jobs and profits in agriculture. Hightower is a former journalist and a populist who champions the small farmer and the diversification of crops. His vision is of an agricultu ral system that requires fewer pesti cides and results higher profits for the farmer. Hightower has been accused of us ing his office to develop a populist party in Texas. And his reputation for speaking out against mainstream agriculture has drawn the ire of the Texas Farm Bureau, who helped re cruit six candidates to oppose him in the Democradc primary. The Farm Bureau, which does not align with a political party, even sought Texas Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan to run against Hightower. “Jim Hightower has never farmed,” said Perry, whose campaign has raised over $1 million, nearly $250,000 more than Hightower. “He has no understanding of the industry he regulates.” Hightower says Perry’s claims of being an experienced rancher are ri diculous. “He is sort of all chaps and very little ranch,” Hightower said. “He doesn’t have any cattle. He is really a banker and a Realtor. On his own campaign filings, he reports less than $2,000 in income from agriculture.” Both men have accused the other of illicit use of state funds. Hightower has nicknamed his op ponent “Sky King” because Perry alone accounted for almost half of the private aircraft mileage reimbursed to the 150 House members in 1989. Perry has defended those expenses as legitimate state business. Perry calls Hightower a “crook.” He alleges his opponent charged tax payers $1,057 for use of a state plane to speak at a fund-raiser for U.S. Rep. See Ag-Land/Page 8B