I Tuesday, September 17, 199?
Opinion
The Battalion
Page 11
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EDITORIAL
Editorials expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board and do not
necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, faculty or the Board of
Regents
PTTS overcharges for parking violations
Texas A&M and the Department of Parking, Transit and Traffic
Services overcharge students for violations of parking procedures.
An A&M student, faculty or staff member can be charged $10 to
$100 for a minor violation of the PTTS parking rules.
Most Aggies live on limited budgets, and a $25 or $50 ticket can be a
financial burden on their pocketbooks.
Is PTTS in business to make a profit by penalizing students and
faculty with excessive fees? Or does it exist to serve the A&M
population in a crowded campus atmosphere where parking has
always been an inconvenience?
Maybe A&M is worried about paying for the University's three new
parking garages, which are unavailable to off-campus students who
make up the majority of the Aggie population.
Students should be responsible for their actions, but the price for a
minor parking infraction should not financially encumber anybody.
A&M and PTTS should be more understanding of everyone's
resources, and adjust parking fines accordingly.
?d a 2k
)nds lei
The Battalion Editorial Board
lased
11 recorcl
:onsecti:
assies of towin
ause much grie
; 27.
"elcome back to school
Ags. I hate to start school
with bad news, but I feel
e madet« a g reat injustice is going on here in
wheni»ollege Station. Let me share with
es froir lou a very unpleasant episode my
and Dvjidfe and I experienced over the sum-
aer.
It began on a Sunday afternoon
Bi early July. We had been at
tending summer school at
■tephen F. Austin and had
■ot been back to Texas A&M
■ince the end of the spring
■emester. We decided to go
lo the Dixie Chicken to get a
■eer and something to eat.
tittle did we know we were
■bout to be taken for a ride of
I life time.
As we pulled up to the Chicken's
tarking lot, my wife asked me if we
tould go to the bookstore and get a
tumper sticker for our car. Thinking
tothing of it, we did. After 10 min-
ttes of shopping for the sticker, we
•left the bookstore to get our beer.
On the way to the Chicken, I no
ticed something odd. Since it was a
Kunday afternoon, there were only
tbout three or four cars in the parking
p)t, and one of them was supposed to
e our's. However, it was not there.
My first thought was it had been
‘Stolen. Then I was brought back to re-
tlity when a young man from the
tack patio of the Dixie Chicken said,
■ I had your car towed!" 1 was dumb
■truck. I asked him why it was
towed, and he very rudely said,
|Can't you read?" Then I saw the
ign hanging about 15 feet in the air
vhich read "Parking for Sticky Chins,
ixie Chicken and Duddley's Draw.
11 Others Towed."
I told the young man we were
.planning on stopping in at the Chick-
tn just as soon as we had bought a
tumper sticker. He said that did not
natter.
Well, the story gets even worse. I
tsked him how I was suppose to get
Readers
Opinion
Shannon George
is a senior
industrial
distribution
major.
my car back. He gave me a phone
number and told me I would have to
go find a pay phone because their pay
phone was broken.
My wife and I walked to the 7-11
on the corner and called the towing
company. After three hours had
passed, and I had wasted $4.25, the
towing company finally told me I
could come pick up my car,
but we would have to find
our own ride out to their
shop which is located close to
the courthouse in Bryan!
The only thing'we could
do was call a taxi. By this
time, my wife was crying and
1 was definitely upset.
Thanks goes to the good
ness of a true Aggie who saw
we were in a bind. He offered to take
us out there so we wouldn't have to
spend more money on a taxi. After
we arrived at Lee and Sons Wrecker
shop, we had to call again and wait
another 40 minutes. The total charge
for the towing, with the exception of
phone call expenses, was $42.50!
Aggies, you must admit that for all
the support we give to the Dixie
Chicken, the owner does not recipro
cate the same for us. Whatever hap
pened to places that try to please the
customers? Not to say there aren't
any more out there, but if all busi
nesses acted this way, I wouldn't
want to go anywhere.
For goodness sakes, the students
are their livelihood and we shouldn't
have to put up with this nonsense.
It took them less than 10 minutes
to tow my car, but almost four hours
and $50 for me to get it back. That is
ridiculous and not much in the tradi
tion of the Aggie courtesy by which
we abide. We are all students here,
and if you're like my wife and I who
are paying our own way through
school, every penny counts.
1 pray no one else has this same
experience because believe me, you
won't forget it.
Lease on military installation runs out
U.S. must retain Subic Bay
Naval Station in Philippines
"The time has come for die Philippines to put an end to the
spirit of dependence on the United States. We need to cut the
apron strings with America, even though we are scared to do
it."
— Philippine Senator Aganito Aquino.
O n Monday the lease ran out on the
largest military installation in South
east Asia - Subic Bay Naval Station on
the northwestern coast of the Philippines. The
only other installation in the country was Clark
Air Force Base, which is now abandoned after
being covered in ash and lava from Mount
Pinatubo to the west.
In the past, both Clark AFB and Subic Bay
were vital to the United States policy of contain
ment, surrounding the Soviet Union and China
with large military bases in Europe and the Pa
cific. With the prolonged collapse of the Soviet
Union, however, Subic Bay has not been used to
keep a watchful eye upon communist aggressors,
but merely as a repair and refueling depot for the
U.S. Seventh Fleet.
Negotiations for a 10-year extension of the
lease for Subic Bay were started 16 months ago.
The biggest snag has been the amount of money the
UnitedStates would give annually to the Philippines.
Many Filipinos see the money as annual rent for the
bases. The Bush administration, on the other hand, sees
the money strictly as aid to help keep a newly formed
democracy in power. The Filipino Government under
the leadership of Corazon Aquino is asking for approxi
mately $1 billion a
year in aid in ex
change for the use of
the land the port is
on.
The Bush adminis
tration is offering
only $203 million a
year, presumably be
cause of the loss of
Clark Air Force Base,
and the fact that there
is very little money in
America to be hand
ing out all over the
world.
One week ago, the Philippine Senate - all 23 senators
- voted in committee on the extension. Two-thirds of the
Senate must approve the treaty for it to be ratified. The
committee voted 12 to 11 against, all but ensuring the
failure of the treaty when it comes to a formal vote this
week.
Defense Secretary Dick Cheney has left the decision
in Philippine hands, saying "It's a choice they have to
make. If they're not prepared to ratify the treaty and ex
tend the agreement, then we will in fact depart:"
There have been protests by both sides. Some of the
demonstrators say the bases are vestiges of American
colonialism, and the Philippines can never be truly free
until the bases are gone.
The Communist rebels in the country have an
nounced a cease-fire as long as the Senate opposes the
treaty.
President Aquino, on the other hand, has called for
large-scale demonstrations in support of the treaty.
There are more than 70,000 Filipinos who have jobs con
nected with the Subic Bay Naval Station. The
40,000 Americans who are there now buying
food, clothes, etc., from the Philippine economy
would leave a gaping hole that President
Aquino would be hard pressed to fill.
Hopefully the Filipino Senate is posturing
only to try and get more money. To be sure,
America should sweeten the deal with a larger
aid package. Subic Bay is important.
The Cold War may be over with the Soviet
Union, but China shows little sign of breaking
down any time soon, and no one can predict the
future relationship America will have with the
new Soviet government.
The treaty that ended World War II stated
Japan could never again build a defense force.
In this agreement, it is implicit America pickup
the slack to defend Japan, presumably against
the Soviet Union.
Removing the largest military base in the Pacific, one
function of which is to defend japan, must make some
Japanese very unhappy. I am not comfortable with the
idea of giving Japan a reason to begin building a military ;
force.
The withdrawal of such a huge American presence
could bring down the already shaky democratic govern
ment in the Philippines, and allow the Communist rebels
to finally win their 22-year-old rebellion.
Subic Bay is important for yet another reason. Many
of the wars in the next 20 to 30 years will be similar to
the stated cause of the Iraq-Kuwait war. Border conflicts
and struggles for national integrity will spring up all
over Africa and Southeast Asia. If the United States
wants to continue to be the world's police officers, then it
must have a presence in the "high crime areas."
President Bush said Operation Desert Storm was not
about oil but unhindered aggression. He should prove
this by taking preventive steps against that same type of
aggression which could occur in the Pacific.
The duties Subic Bay Naval Station performs should
not be underestimated. Yes, the official duties of the port
(maintenance and training) could be transferred to
Hawaii, Guam or the other naval bases in the Pacific.
But it is the location and size of Subic Bay that is impor
tant.
Any military police action the United States might try
in Southeast Asia would more easily be accepted ifa
large military presence in the Philippines is maintained.
The extension of the lease of Subic Bay is mutually
beneficial to both the American and Philippine govern
ments. The democratic government in place now will
have a much greater chance of survival if the base re
mains. Extension will save the American taxpayers un
counted millions in moving costs and will allow the
United States the chance to keep peace in the Pacific un
til the turn of the century.
David
Nash
Nash is a junior
biochemistry
major.
Mr*. SiiblimimL
THE TV AD BY RENEGADE CONSERVATIVES
C Fine jTipstaxidinfT patriots)
ATTACKING 3 DEMOCRATIC SENATORS
(Liberal slimeballs deserve it)
HAS NO PLACE IN THE SUPREME COURT
(Nice job, pu'W)
NOMINATION OF CLARENCE THOMAS.
I mNT IT PULLED IMMEDIATELY!
(Run it more often)
<§W/ THE
NEW JERSEY
Mail Call
Yell leaders need
practice before Tulsa
Have an opinion?
Express it!
❖ What was the deal with the new yell leaders
at the LSU game?
I have been to every home game and some
away games for five years, and I was appalled at
how they led so many yells when we had the ball
and were lined up to run a play.
Were they not told we are supposed to be qui
et when the Aggies are lined up to run a play and
make noise when our opponents are on offense. 1
realize this might be slightly confusing at first, but
maybe they can catch on for the Tulsa game.
I really liked the yell leaders' enthusiasm, but it
needs to be timed appropriately so not to distract
the football players.
The crowd noise is supposed to be a hindrance
to visiting teams, not the Aggies.
Julie Uhlenhaker '90
accompanied by three signatures
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Reed McDonald, sent to Campus
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