Opinion
uesday, March 24, 1992
The Battalion
Page 13
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The Battalion Editorial Board
DOUGLAS PILS, Editor-in-Chief
The
llattalion
BRIDGET HARROW, Managing Editor
BRIAN BONEY, Opinion Editor
JASON MORRIS, Night News Editor
MORGAN JUDAY, Night News Editor
MACK HARRISON, City Editor
KARL STOLLEIS, Photo Editor
SCOTT WUDEL, Sports Editor
ROB NEWBERRY, Lifestyles Editor
The following opinions are a consensus of The Battalion opinion staff and senior editors.
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Apartheid's end
Referendum signals beginning of end
On March 17 South Africa's 3.3
million white voters voted for
, . President F. W. de Klerk's referendum
jfl-nl to abolish apartheid. Over 68.7 percent
of the voters voted "yes". More than 86
percent of those registered turned out
to vote on the referendum. It was a
great accomplishment and sign of
change in the one of the most racist
and segregated countries in the world.
Yet the United States and other
countries should not loosen the reigns
of economic sanctions on South Africa.
There is much to be done in the
creation of a democratic society in
South Africa. Afrikaner's, white South
African citizens, have only said yes to
de Klerk's referendum. The process
and the actual adoption of a new
constitution and law to allow all blacks
to vote has not been done. The
possibility of complete anarchy,
coupled with Afrikaners' fear of losing
power, might destroy the process of
creating a democratic system.
De Klerk has the support of over
two-thirds of Afrikaners. In addition,
several major South African
corporations have encouraged their
edtodii employees to vote yes. With major
oadingm economical backing by these interest
ig leaked groups, de Klerk has a better chance of
idicatedp:abolishing apartheid. Furthermore, the
iry. 'i support of the industrialized world in
! ending apartheid gives de Klerk even a
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better reason. De Klerk can persuade
the Afrikaners who voted "no" that
economically, the sooner South Africa
abolishes apartheid, the sooner South
Africa can be accepted into the
industrialized world.
For his actions, de Klerk has earned
consideration for the Nobel Peace
prize. He put his political career on the
line in order to get his referendum
passed. De Klerk realizes the danger of
change and the result of what might
happen. He has struggled and pushed
for equality between blacks and
Afrikaners. De Klerk deserves the
prize as an acknowledgement for his
tireless efforts for democracy.
The process of change in South
Africa will be a slow and painful one.
All South African citizens will sacrifice
much in the cause. There is resistance
in many different forms on both sides,
but all must stop the violence and
bickering if they want to accomplish
anything.
South Africa must change.
Afrikaners have no choice in the
matter. There are nearly 30 million
blacks to 3.3 million whites in South
Africa. The process must go on if
Afrikaners want to cling to some
autonomy.
It is not a question of what is a
better form of government. It is merely
logical.
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No VAT
Forget about regressive tax
State Comptroller John Sharp
recently proposed to replace the local
property tax and the state franchise tax
with a new state value-added tax. The
proposed move is described as an
attempt to create a constitutionally
acceptable solution for Texas public
school finance; but its archaic
regressive tax stance will not solve our
state's revenue woes.
The value-added tax, or VAT, is
little more than a hidden sales tax.
Present sales tax rates around the state
range from about 6 percent to 8.25
percent here in College Station. The
proposed VAT would add a 3.75-
percent tax rate, bringing state taxes
on certain good to 12 percent around
A&M.
Sharp proposes placing the 3.75-
percent tax rate on the value added to
goods and services at every point of
production minus labor and materials
cost. He expects about $9.5 billion
from the VAT, roughly equaling the
revenue generated by school property
taxes and the corporate franchise tax.
But the tax places more burden on
consumers than ever.
The sales tax is a regressive tax, one
that places a greater proportionate
burden on the poor than on the rich.
The new VAT would place an even
greater burden on the poor in our
state. The Texas tax structure has
never been significantly modified to
meet the changes in the economy, and
the VAT does nothing to help the
system.
The VAT could be detrimental to
business activity in the state. The VAT
will be placed on services and would
operate similarly to the service tax
already used in other states. Such a tax
would drive service work, such as
computer programming and legal
work, to the 48 other states without a
service tax. The potential business loss
is too great to gamble with a new tax.
The VAT may be capable of
working around the Texas Supreme
Court ruling on public school
financing, but only by using
technicalities. The Supreme Court
ruling requires more equality in school
finance. The VAT may shift burden
from property bias, but it will hurt
lower income ranks in its quest for
equality.
Several fiscally responsible ideas
have come out of Comptroller Sharp's
office, and we welcome changes in the
tax structure in Texas. But the VAT is a
rehash of old ideas, not a fresh idea in
revenue generation.
Sharp must try some new ideas if
Texas is to get out of its budgetary
mess.
MAWues
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MIPEAST
NEGOTIATIONS
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MIPEAST
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The pursuit of happiness
Government should stop its interference into our private lives
B y now, my three regular readers
have seen my face here and
expect yet another dry
dissertation on some aspect of
government or politics, with
supporting quotes from dead people.
They are only half right. I will talk
about the
government and
quote old
documents, but I
have also written
here about fun
things like
drinking beer and
driving fast , and
gambling, and
listening to rude
music and
drinking beer.
This, of course, is
only a partial list
of fun things, and
is not necessarily in order.
First of all, here is one of the places
in which I will quote old documents.
In the Declaration of Independence is
the statement that man has "certain
unalienable rights," and "that among
these are Life, Liberty, and the
Pursuit of Happiness." I feel that the
most important of these three,
besides life and liberty, is the
happiness deal.
I recently returned from the grand
state of Nevada, and let me tell you,
they know how to pursue happiness
with a vengeance. Nevada is the only
place I am aware of in the United
States in which casino gambling is
legal. Atlantic City is not an
exception unless you consider New
Jersey a part of this country, which is
a dubious proposition at best.
In Nevada, the drinking age is
probably 21 as it is here in Texas.
However, neither I nor my younger
brother was ever asked for
identification in Nevada, and I got
the distinct impression that nobody
cared whether or not we were "of
age." Better even than that was the
fact that the casinos served drinks for
free! It's incredible, but true - -
bottled beer or gin and tonic, they
didn't cost one thin dime. There was
one catch, however. One has to be in
the process of trying to take money
from the casino by gambling in order
to be served free drinks. Go figure
that one.
In this wonderful state, one is
allowed to drive 65 miles an hour, not
just on rural interstate, but on any
highway Nevada decides.
Apparently, this state told the federal
government where to stuff their
highway money and decided to set
their own speed limits.
Perhaps these reasons have
something to do with the fact that
Nevada had the highest population
growth of any state in the 1980's.
Maybe everyone wanted to go to a
place where they were free to spend
theii; money on gambling, prostitutes
(legal there also), and the burning of
gasoline on faster highways. That, or
they were avoiding a state income
tax, one of the few vices not legal in
that state.
This is not a Nevada tourism
brochure. My intent is to show an
example of a place in which people
seem to have a clearer idea of the
fundamental purposes of
government. This is where life,
liberty, and pursuit of happiness
come in. The government is supposed
to ensure that you are not overrun by
foreign armies, murdered by your
fellow Americans, or imprisoned
without due process of law, and then
it is supposed to leave you the hell
alone. Then you could be free to
pursue sex, drugs and rock & roll
until you either wise up or die, but at
least your choices would not be
dictated to you by some pompous
father-knows-best politician.
Seat belt laws, for example, are an
arrogant and condescending way of
protecting poor dumb constituents
from themselves. Argue against the
outrage of a mandatory helmet law
for motorcyclists and someone will
likely extol the virtues of helmets in
retaining the contents of a rider's
head. One might hear that helmets
(and seat belts) save lives, and all of
this is true. That is why I use both.
However, in invoking these
arguments, one abdicates one's own
responsibility for personal safety and
relinquishes it to the government. It
makes no difference if anyone
disagrees, because the responsibility
for their welfare is simply taken from
them by the law.
Prostitution, besides causing the
downfall of televangelists and
offending the morally self-righteous,
probably is not a safe activity for
either participant (assuming only two
are involved), but again, who is best
equipped to weigh the risks and
decide? Is it the individual or is it the
state?
If the idea of the PMRC, the group
which campaigns for laws to restrict
the sale of music with lyrics of which
they do not approve, does not set
your blood to boiling, you may be
missing my point. Who appointed
these guardians of wholesome "Leave
it to Beaver" values to guard
everybody's children? Had "2 Live
Crew" been making albums when I
was 12 years old, my parents would
not have needed a law to prevent me
from purchasing that music. They
were allowed to do their job of
parenting without the interference of
Sen. Do-gooder and his distinguished
colleagues.
The drinking age is not only
another example of big government
usurping the rights of parents and
their children, but is the biggest
political joke ever. Imagine being 18
(some of you don't have to) and
having beer, and your choice of
regular or light, taken away; and
replaced with voting, and your choice
of Demo-idiot or Republi-dolt! Small
consolation indeed.
That pesky Declaration of
Independence goes on to say that
"whenever any Form of Government
becomes destructive of these Ends, it
is the right of the People to alter or
abolish it. .." I do not advocate the
violent overthrow of the U. S. I do
advocate an overthrow at the polling
place. Tell these strange people in
Washington to leave us the hell
alone!
Loughman is a junior
journalism major
1
\
Mail Call
Seek true meaning
of voting column
[ A good sense of humor, I feel, is vital to one's
mental and physical health, and therefore I would
like to thank Brian Boney for that wonderful piece
of satire on voting. I practically fell out of my
chair reading it because I was laughing so hard. I
really howled with laughter reading Michael S.
Mason's hotheaded denunciation of Brian Boney,
too. Michael, Michael, Michael. . . you need to
chill out, smile, learn to read between the lines
and think before responding to your knee-jerk
reaction! Lighten up; you'll live longer that way.
I mean, you really made yourself look foolish!
(Brian Boney's article was written very much
tongue-in-cheek, Michael.)
It kind of ruins a good joke to explain it, so I'll
let you try and figure out what Brian Boney really
meant. Find some friends who are English
majors— they might be able to help, because you
seem pretty clueless. As for Brian Boney, I think
The Battalion is very lucky to have a satirical
writer with as much skill as he has. Keep up the
good work!!!
John J. Ronald
Class of '93
YCT does not speak
for Republicans
First, on March 10, Anthony Cutola stated in a
letter to the editor that the Young Conservatives
of Texas was a Republican organization. The
National Republican Party and its auxilliaries are
in no way affiliated with the YCT nor its projects.
Second, whether Cutola wants to admit it or
not, Repulicans are not all white conservative
Christians. Tens of thousands of non-Christians
and minorities have found a home in the
Republican Party. Texas Aggie Fred McClure
(Class of '76) and Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas quickly come to mind.
Let's not forget some basic facts. The first
Republican Party in the county was founded by
former slaves. Many of these men amd women
were hanged by white conservative Christian
Democrats. Democrats have since become more
subtle in their manipulation of the race issue.
Rather than resorting to shameless bribery,
promises and political correctness to win votes,
the Republican Party still offers honest solutions
to the problems of racism in this country. Some
people on this campus have yet to open their
minds and take a look at the big picture.
Joseph F. Trimble
Class of '92
Bonfire causes
little damage
Just when you think the bonfire controversy
has gone into its dormant state, something comes
along that just can't be ignored. This little tidbit
comes to us from the inside of the box top of my
Kellogg's Rice Krispies. "Did you know that if
Americans recycled all of our Sunday
newspapers, we could save over 500,000 trees
each week..." Hey Ags, that's about 26 million
every year! Kinda makes bonfire look like a
matchstick, huh?
Robert E. Vaughan, Jr.
Class of '93
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