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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1992)
r*” - i COUPON SAVE $32 On Routine Cleaning, X-Rays and Exam (Regularly $71, With Coupon $39) Payment irmst be made at time of service Wednesday, August 5, 1992 I I BRYAN Jim A rents, DDS Karen Arents, DDS 1103 Villa Maria 268-1407 COLLEGE STATION Dan Lawson, DDS Paul Haines, DDS Texas Ave. at SW Pkwy 696-9578 I Guidelines to help disabled Brazos Valley's Better Business Bureau sets standards I CarePlus-<Jtat DENTAL CENTERS L, EXP. 8-31-92 -J By Christi R. Ray The Battalion More Points No one has better aver age score improvements. Isn't that why you're taking a prep course. THE We Score More! 696-9099 Not Affiliated with Princeton University Six new industry-specific guides published by the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Foun dation have been set up to tell businesses how to be accessible to people with disabilities. "The goal is to bring together leaders of the business communi ty and leaders of the disabled community," Barbara Bode, exec utive director of the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Founda tion, said. The guides explain the public accommodations provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act which is the first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities. The guides apply to owners and managers of retail stores, auto sales and service businesses, restaurants and bars, health and outpatient facilities, grocery stores, and fun and fitness centers. "Virtually every business has to become accessible to the extent that it does not create an undue burden," Bode said. "There are 'cheap and easy' ways businesses can comply." All guides follow basically the same format. There are a number of questions posed in the guides and what each business must do to comply. For example, retail stores do not have to print their price tags in braille for their seeing impaired customers, but they must be will ing to read them aloud. "In the auto sales and service businesses, an interpreter may be required for hearing impaired customers if he or she is serious about buying a car and the trans action can not take place through writing notes or using comput ers," Bode said. "During test-dri ving, portable hand controls can be placed in cars in ten minutes if someone with a mobility impair ment wants them. The dealer is required to buy these controls or at least have them available. "In restaurants and bars, the whole issue is treating the handi capped like any other customer," she said. "Restaurant owners must serve handicapped cus tomers in the same way, but be willing to accommodate those with disabilities." Health and outpatient facilities must be as accessible as anywhere else. Bode said. There may be a need for an interpreter in cases such as explanations of complex medical problems. Grocery stores need to focus on widening and clearing aisles without giving up valuable space, she said. Help should also be available for people who have dis abilities. Fun and fitness centers cannot keep people with disabilities out of the centers, and they must al low trained service animals. Bode said. "The whole idea is to make things more convenient but not to put an unfair burden on business es," Larry Lightfoot, executive di rector of the Better Business Bu reau of the Brazos Valley, Inc., said. "New structures will have to be built in accordance, but without unfair or unjust expense." The compliance deadline for mid-sized businesses was July 26, and the deadline for small busi nesses is January 26,1993. r Yes'* ^ We have student airfares Lawyer representing taxpayers fights against property tax for public schools Texas farm profits will fall 14 percent this year as result of many problems, study says DALLAS (AP) — Profits on Texas farms will fall about 14 percent this year because of bad weather, lower prices, higher costs and lower government payments, a Texas A&M study says. Earnings will fall to about $2.4 billion this year from $2.8 billion in 1991, said Carl Ander son, professor and cotton mar keting economist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service of the A&M System. If the forecast holds true, 1992 would be the second straight year of declining profits on Texas farms. Total income should remain steady, but the continued de cline in profitability and infla tion is taking a toll on farm and ranch land value, he said. The average value of agricul tural land and buildings in the state will be about $466 an acre, the lowest level since 1980. Land values peaked at $694 per acre in 1985. "While the income look is rather dismal, that doesn't mean that the agricultural sec tor in total is shrinking or des tined to be pushed aside," An derson said. "What it does show is people and resources now in agriculture are getting very low returns, and that we really need to put forth every effort to ex pand our share of the interna tional market," he said. Too much rain and unsea sonably cool temperatures slowed the progress of crops in many parts of the state. The state's biggest crop, cot ton, grown in the 25-county re gion around Lubbock, was hit hardest. ff About half of the 3 million acres of cotton planted there was destroyed and replaced by other crops. Estimates of the loss to the region's economy run as high as $1.5 billion. "I don't know if you’d say it is bad, but it is not real good,” said Kary Mathis, who leads the Agricultural Economics depart ment at Texas Tech. "The cotton sector was severely hurt by weather for the second year in a row . . ." Jag Prices Texas farmers have re ceived for all commodities have fallen 2 percent in the past two years while production costs nave increased 3 percent, An derson said. SARAJE — Some 3( dren walke reach the t day after b by Serb mil The refu by bus fro Sarajevo, < them to we between Sc held lands. "They tc said Bajro Stal vict recc Studei behinc Juli AUSTIN (AP) — A lawyer representing Texas Belize $199* London $349* Paris $365* Madrid $375* Moscow $455* Sydney $599* ♦Fares above are one way fares from iy t Houston. Restrictions apply. Taxes not included. Cmancil Itavel 2000 Guadalupe St. Austin, IX 78705 512-472-4931 We issue Euraitpasses on-the-spot! taxpayers said Tuesday he will go to the U.S. Supreme Court in his fight against the county educa tion district property tax for public schools. Lawyer Jim Keahey said he hopes to file a petition with the court Wednesday. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans Monday refused to stop collection of the tax, which has been found to violate the state constitution. If Keahey does not succeed in having his petition heard at the U.S. Supreme Court, or if a ruling is un favorable, he said he will go back to state court and pursue appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court again. "Until these issues are settled in federal or state court, I suggest everyone wait to pay their 1992 CED (county education district) tax. Bills go out Oct. 1 and the last day to pay without penalty is Jan. 31, 1993," Keahey said. "Once the CEDs have your money, there's little or no chance of getting it back if we win." But Ron Dusek, spokesman for Attorney General Dan Morales, said the issue is settled, at least for now, "and the law is people have to pay their taxes.'" "Responsible citizens wouldn't even consider not paying their taxes," he said. Lawmakers created the current school finance system in an effort to meet a Texas Supreme Court mandate to equalize school funding. It was designed to shift hundreds of millions of dollars from wealthier to poorer school districts within new taxing regions made up of one or several counties. But the Texas Supreme Court in January ruled that the plan violates the Texas Constitution by im posing a statewide property tax, and by levying a property tax without voter approval. However, the state Supreme Court gave lawmak ers until June 1, 1993, to fix the system. And it de layed the ruling's effect so that it would not interfere with the collection of 1991 and 1992 property taxes in the 188 new county education districts. Negative economic reports leave investors cautious Keahey then filed the class-action lawsuit in fed eral court, saying continued collection of the levy de nies taxpayers due process, violating the U.S. Consti tution. U.S. District Judge James Nowlin in Austin sided with taxpayers on that point, but refused to issue an injunction stopping collection of the tax. Keahey then appealed to the 5th Circuit, which said the federal court did not have jurisdiction. It va cated Nowlin's judgment and sent the case back to him, with an order that he dismiss it. NEW YORK (AP) - Stock prices finished mixed in subdued trading Tuesday with little news to extend the market's five-day rally and leaving investors cau tious ahead of key economic data. The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials fell 11.08 points to 3,384.32. Advancing^issues narrowly outnumbered declines on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume on the floor of the Big Board came to 166.74 million shares as of 4 p.m., up from 164.44 million in the previous session. The Dow's five-session rally had progressively lost steam, and the average edged up just 1.62 points on Monday. Most of the good news about second-quarter corporate earnings is already out, and the marketis nervous ahead of the July unem ployment report, scheduled foi release on Friday, Dodge said. Economists expect a gain of 110,000 in nonfarm payrolls foi July and a decrease in the unem ployment rate to 7.7 percent. In June, payrolls fell 117,000 and un employment reached 7.8 percent prompting the Federal Reserve tc trim interest rates. That has helped push stock and bondj prices higher. The market reacted little teas expected economic data released Tuesday. The government said its! chief forecasting gauge of future economic activity, the Index of Leading Indicators, fell 0.2 per cent in June, its first decline in si* months. YAIR UNIVERSAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS FORD DEALER COMPUTER SERVICES SATURDAY, AUGUST 8th 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. O r * OVER 100 ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS ♦ UCS and FDCS ate leaders in the automobile dealership automation industry. Our goal is to offer our clients the very best in systems, software and services. UCS/FDCS offer competitive salary; health, dental and vision insurance; 401(k) plan, two weeks per year vacation and health club. BUSINESS SOFTWARE SUPPORT/TRAINING We seek support reps to assist users with software and do ongoing training and problem solving. College level accounting req'd, degree preferred. We will provide training. Houston based and traveling positions available. All positions require relocation to Houston! PLEASE COME TALK WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES! COLLEGE STATION HILTON 801 UNIVERSITY DR. UCS HIRES NON-SMOKERS ONLY pvuuUte Scum 15 Colliqt Mu* (NocihGut) 846-9196 2 Wk. Cl ass Dates Auqusi lOih Auqusi 17ih SpuiNT Cl ASS Auq. Hrh, 16rh Sepi. 25tIi, 26111, 27tIi NAUI RentaI OIMeIU WetsuIts Oceanic ScubA Equipment Sea Quest ScubA Equipment MasIc, Fins, SnorIceI PAckAQES Come By Ar\d Visit Hie Newest DIve Store \n Texas! We Are AUttIe Har<J To Find, But Hie Hunt Is WortIi It! Bush aides try to breathe life into campaign President develops 'fighting image' Chad Ov old Texas / ical student after being morning. Dicksor I parking 1< Chicken aft out among Accordir Police repo Hispanic m the victim, took a han and pointec the victim pect put tl two engage Witnesst the fight, t preached tl him several Dickson [Joseph Ho treated for his abdomt on his rig wounds w; inches long Lt. A.W. Station Po the suspec Tony Co Breedlove. WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Republicans gave President Bush boxing gloves on Tuesday to in voke a fighting Bush image as he and his top aides worked to re gain control of his lagging campaign. But many GOP in siders ex pressed dismay over recent events and Bush's contin ued slide in the polls. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle participated jointly in a meeting with Senate Republicans designed to signal party unity af ter weeks of bad news on the economy and in the polls. In a good-natured gesture. Bush was given a pair of boxing gloves — one labelled "Democrat ic" and the other "Congress" — and a plaque with an oversize Olympic gold medal marked "heavyweight champion." Afterwards, Senate Republican Whip Alan K. Simpson, of Wyoming, said, "George Bush is fully engaged, ready to let her rip." Later, Bush met at the White House with a group of Republican business leaders. They emerged from the session with much the same message. "The president has the fire in his belly and is ready for the fight," said PepsiCo Chairman Donald M. Kendall. At the same time, Kendall conceded, "There's no question that the president wants help. That's why we're here." "He won't do it, but what he needs to do is a little confession and avoidance. If the issue is how have you been as president for the past four years, he's going to lose," said John Sears, who man aged Ronald Reagan's 1976 pri mary challenge against President Gerald Ford. "Bush needs to get that off the table and to say, 'things didn't go as I planned. But I've learned a lot and I can do better,"' Sears said. Eddie Mahe, a GOP consultant and sometimes adviser to the Bush campaign, said that this week's flap over the criticism of Clinton by the campaign's politi cal director, Mary Matalin, was "a sideshow." He said that Bush needs to rely more heavily on advertising. "The first thing they've got to do is per suade rank and file Republicans who are expressing doubts that they should not have those doubts," Mahe said. Bush commercials focusing on the family, law enforcement and government spending began run ning Monday night. Bush's meeting on Capitol Hill with 38 Republican senators "was not a gripe session," said Sen. Connie Mack, R-Fla. Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, chairman of the GOP senatorial campaign committee, said Bush and Quayle "will carry the ball across the goal line. If anything's certain in American life, that's cer tain." Bush and Quayle both attend ed, apparently foreclosing any talk about whether Quayle should remain on the ticket. Bush was asked by reporters in Senate GOP Leader Bob Dole's of fice about estimates that uptoa third of the party's senators may pass up the GOP convention later this month in Houston. "I don't know that's trueat all," Bush said. "But I'll tell you one thing — the Republican sena tors at the Republican convention, people are going to be able to see them. They're not going to be hid den in the basement." The GOP lawmakers applaud ed the apparent reference to the relative lack of participation in the Democratic convention of Democ ratic congressional leaders. Bush said as he left the Capitol that it "was a great meeting, very, very positive . . . upbeat." "We are getting ready for our convention and much more, were "It (the s incident was conf When yc people ii one look it's hard -Richard the and saul the getting ready to take them on in I this election," Bush said. "It was a good unified meeting." \AGGI WEDNESDAY 9:00 PM THE GROVE $1 Students and $T.50 Non-Students AN ADVENTURE OF INCREDIBLE PROPORTIONS JR. FULBRIGHT Grants for Graduate Research Abroad for U.S. Citizens * APPLY NOW * Informational Meetings From 2:00 - 3:00 PM in Bizzell Hall West ATTEND ONE OF THESE DATES: 8/6 9/3 9/9 Study Abroad Programs 161 Bizzell Hall West 845-0544 Workers install bullet-proof glass for podium at GOP convention HOUSTON (AP) - Bullet proof glass went up on the speak er's platform Tuesday as the Houston Astrodome continued to be transformed into a convention hall for the Republican National Convention. The panes of glass form a waist-high rail at the front and sides of the podium. "It was deliberate to have it clear and transparent for an open effect," Mike Miller, director of operations for the convention, said. Crews lifted the panes from a truck and slid them into place on the platform, then'peeled off pa per stickers that warned: "Cau tion: Install This Surface Toward Threat." Other security measures out side the Astrodome neared com pletion as workers were installing a 9-foot-high chain-link fence be tween the stadium and the park ing lot. And bulldozers began clearing a vacant lot across the street from the stadium for use as the "offi cial" demonstration site. "We're still ahead of sched ule," Miller said. "Almost every thing is in place except for chairs and the raised floor. Obviously, 2 lot of things still need to be cov ered and decorated."