Opinion
Monday, March 4,1991
The Battalion
Captain, we’ve
lost both engines
we’re outta fuel,
the fuselage is
cracked, and the
plane’s on fire...
&W1I TUB FBCCFV
NEW JERSEY
Mail Call
The Battalion is interested in hearing from its readers and welcomes all letters to the editor. Piease include name, classification, address and phone num
ber on aO letters. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for style and length. Because of limited space, shorter letters have a better chance of appearing.
There is, however, no guarantee letters will appear. Letters may be brought to 216 Reed McDonald or sent to Campus Mall Stop 1111.
Texans need to pay attention
EDITOR:
This letter is in regard to Teresa Moore's opinion piece
in the Jan. 30 issue of The Battalion. 1 have but one thing to
say — get the facts.
To begin with, I chose my committee and subcommit
tee chairmen and members precisely for the experience
and expertise each had in the policy area I assigned them
to just as every other responsible lieutenant governor has
done. My sole interest was in getting this state on course
and into the 21st century with a lot of legislation that is
long overdue.
I appreciate the sympathy you express for Gib Lewis
and the circumstances surrounding his indictments. But
your suggestion that Gov. Richards and I coerced the
Speaker into’SWitching committee assignments and his leg
islative agenda absolutely unnerves me.
I am not responsible for the Travis County grand jury
(we call that separation of powers) or for what editors put
in newspapers. The Speaker and I have been personal
friends and colleagues for many years and I have been sup
portive of him during the trial^and tribulations of the past
two months. He knows that ana so should you.
As for my legislative agenda, call it what you will, but I
firmly believe you would have a hard time convincing any
one who knows anything about state government and
public policy that school equity, ethics reform, bare-bones
budgeting and environmental safety are examples of ex
treme liberal legislation.
I do agree with you that the people in this state need to
pay attention to what is going on in the Texas Capitol.
You are a case in point.
Bob Bullock
lieutenant governor
tivated. This includes all broadcast and basic cable chan
nels.
Premium cable services are available to those on-cam
pus residents.that contact TCA Cable TV directly and open
a separate account with TCA. In addition, TCA will rede
sign and rebuild the cable plant to provide for one single
input on campus. This will ultimately give A&M students
the opportunity to establish an "on-campus only" channel
or channels for A&M organizational use.
The rate will be $20 per resident per semester, with no
installation fees or additional summer costs, and will be
added onto each resident's semester housing rent. This
service will run an entire year and rates will be constant for
two years.
If enacted, this service would become effective for the
1992-93 school year, only after being approved by both
Business Services and the Board of Regents.
Currently, the rate for this package is $19.43 a month
plus the installation fee of $25. The cost savings to on-cam-
pus residents equals $100.44 per room. Because of these
savings, the significance of this proposal has been recog
nized and therefore, will be placed upon the All U Ballot
this spring.
Some controversy has arisen due to this proposal be
cause its effects would be felt by all campus residents.
However, it is not our wish to address these opinions, but
to provide all students with the most accurate information
available on this issue. Any future questions about this
proposal should be addressed to Student Affairs or the Fa
cilities and Operations Committee within RHA.
Angie Saylor
Lori Peterson
RHA F&O Co-Chairs
What mill The Battalion do?
Clearing up the cable referendum
EDITOR:
The Facilities and Operations Committee within RHA
(Residence Hall Association) would like to inform on-cam
pus students as well as clear any misconceptions concern
ing the TCA Cable referendum to be placed on the All U
Ballot on March 27 and 28 of this semester.
This proposal was initiated by the Department of Stu
dent Affairs and TCA Cable TV in order to provide all cam
pus residents with reasonable cable rates. RHA felt that
this was an issue that should be voted on by the students
themselves and not a representative organization such as
RHA or Student Government.
The current packaged proposal includes providing ca
ble TV and FM services (for FM stereo signals that can be
received by connecting cable to a stereo receiver) to all resi
dence hall rooms, as well as Corps dorm rooms. Service
will be active 12 months a year. The full entertainment
package of 33 channels is the level of service that will be ac-
EDITOR:
My goodness. The war is over. Whatever will The Bat
talion do?
I mean, granted, there have been a few feature stories
here and there in the campus "war" paper — oops — I
mean "news" of course. But you guys must be suffering.
Legitimate. news is gone. It's back to construction on the
new parking garage, huh? .
What will the opinion page do? How can anyone have
an opinion about something other than the war? The Bat
talion proved that for six weeks no one had an opinion on
anything else but the war (except for the occasional letter
on "the itch").
Before you all get mad and bleed red, white and blue all
over me, consider the fact that one can read only how the
war is bad and how the war is good so many times before
one starts burning Batts. There. That didn't hurt, and I
started a new topic. People will now write in and curse me
for not recycling your "war" paper. You're welcome.
John Klement '92
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Lisa Ann Robertson,
Editor
Kathy Cox, Managing Editor
Jennifer Jeffus,
Opinion Page Editor
Chris Vaughn, City Editor
Keith Sartin,
Richard Tijerina,
News Editors
Alan Lehmann, Sports Editor
Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Kristin North,
Life Style Editor
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-sup
porting newspaper operated as a commu
nity service to Texas A&M and Bryan-
College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion
are those of the editorial board or the au
thor, and do not necessarily represent the
opinions of Texas A&M administrators,
faculty or the Board of Regents.
The Battalion is published daily, except
Saturday, Sunday, holidays, exam periods
and when school is not in session during
fall and spring semesters; publication is
Tuesday through Friday during the sum
mer session. Newsroom: 845-3313.
Mail subscriptions are $20 per semes
ter, $40 per school year and $50 per full
year: 845-2611. Advertising rates fur
nished on request: 845-2696.
Our address: The Battalion, 230 Reed
McDonald, Texas A&M University, Col
lege Station, TX 77843-1111.
Second class postage paid at College
Station, TX 77843.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald,
Texas A&M University, College Station
TX 77843-4111.
the itch
Opinion Page Editor
Jennifer Jeffus
845-3314
Student responds to
study on overcharging
T
JL h<
he headline in the
Feb. 21 Battalion read: "Report: A&M
overcharges students." More
specifically, Texas A&M's Business
Services overcharges students.
While it took a year-long study to
show that overcharging exists,
overcharging has long been a
contention of mine and other students
here at A&M. It didn't take a year-long
study to prove it to me. Food service is
the one that affects me the most.
Just one trip through any of the
snack bars or dining facilities on
campus can be a huge drain on your
wallet.
Soft drinks that cost 89 cents at a
convenience store cost almost $2 on
campus. A tossed salad from a salad
bar costs $3.25 for all you can eat at
local restaurants. On campus, the sdme
size bowl of salad costs $4, and that's
for only one trip!
If you eat in the MSC's cafeteria style
areas, lunch can easily cost $6.
What about service on campus?
Basically, there is none. No dining
facilities that are open to students do
anything more than slap food on a
plate and hand it to you.
Students bus their own tables, and if
you don't happen to have a wet rag
with you, the next guy has to sit at a
dirty table.
What about food quality on campus?
To answer that one, all you have to
do is go into any dining facility and
order. Most of the time the food is poor
because cheap components are used.
When the food is served, many times it
is luke-warm to cold. I don't know
about you, but cold Chinese food is not
exactly apetizing.
If you're a big guy, you can pack the
food away at Sbisa or Duncan. But be
prepared for the food quality to go
even lower.
The one bright spot for on campus
dining is the new Hullaballoo Food
Court, It is a gorgeous place to eat. The
Cfood quality is better than other dining
facilities, but there is still room for
improvement.
If you think I'm picking on Food
Services, well, you're right!
You see, because of my job and class
schedule, I have to eat breakfast and
lunch on campus. If I have a snack or
soft drink, I have to bujr it oh campus.
The largest part of my food budget is
spent right here on campus.
The clear fact of the matter is that we
students are being gouged. Like oil
companies that know you have to have
gas for your car, Business Services
gouges the students who have to
remain on campus during the day.
Business Services says it follows a
philosophy of deriving the lowest
Richard
Brown
Reader’s Opinion
practical pricing for items sold on
campus. That may sound like good bull
to Business Services, but it sounds like
a load of last week's tuna fish to me.
B
usiness Services' idea
of lowest practical price is sometimes
double that of local markets. It is
obvious that Business Services has no
idea what local merchants charge for
comparable items. It is also obvious
they don't care what they charge.
Business Services looks at the bottom
line. They price items they sell in order
to make their financial statements look
good. It also shows how inefficient
Business Services is.
The task force that did the study of
Business Services pricing says that local
businessmen will complain that the
University is competing unfairly if
items are priced below a competitor's
cost. Hey Joe, bring another load of
tuna fish!
We haven't been talking about
pricing below local businessmen's cost.
We just want it at the same price that it
costs off campus.
As for pricing it below costs, the
military has done it for years with their
commissary system on military bases.
I'm sure they get a few complaints, but
it hasn't made them stop.
Other universities give their students
good deals at university-owned stores.
Why can't Texas A&M?
On March 6, the Student Senate will
decide who to send the report to —
either A&M President William Mobley
or Vice President for Finance and
Administration Robert Smith. Business
Services should not wait for March 6.
Business Services needs to go out
and compare their prices to prices
charged by merchants in the
community.
Richard Brown is a junior journalism
major.
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If Business Services feels they cannot
offer items at a cost that corresponds to
their off-campus cost, then an
investigation into the administration of
Business Services needs to be done.
I'm tired of $6.35 bottles of Nyquil,
$2 soft drinks and $4 for a hamburger
and a candy bar.
I want Business Services to get their
hand out of my wallet. And today
would not be soon enough!
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