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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1992)
Wednesday, October 14,1992 The Battalion Page 3 ctoberlj, I §s that ai i and uni; fulfilling fi filling om ghts. i lists speoj sed by eii Jes infotiri ins, clean a )hostgue> y. il documai -■anted stj ilable fra 'iser, Tea Services a an Centei th Center, assistant! ir area res >y the Heal ioom 01b Hispanics seek education change Mexican American attorneys say border area in need of 'first-class' universities COUPON M THE ASSOCIATED PRESS icy ce ays ig right;:: ightnow. 1 3 heanrij present aa latest ffltn he force, lavegat southeast!- day since 1 ) protest fair treatme controvers ro protest 11 (city a a is blao he atted cial c _ .s arrested •otests. dans to® U.S.Depi londays Id neveh edanin® v blame !■'* dingth 11 en ed len a'ho had ^ an office. - ordered AUSTIN (AP) — Lawyers for Mexican Americans in the border area asked the Texas Supreme Court Tuesday to declare the state's higher education system unconstitutional be cause it denies their clients equal opportunity. "There's no (other) place in the whole Unit ed States where so many people live so far away from first-class universities," Al Kauff man of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund said after the court hearing. But state attorneys said the Texas Constitu tion doesn't require that everyone be provided substantially equal access to a comprehensive, "first-class" university, such as the University of Texas at Austin or Texas A&M. "It may be good policy, it may be good leg islation, but it's not required by the constitu tion," lawyer Rick Gray said. The Supreme Court didn't immediately rule in the case. Justices questioned the lawyers about constitutional provisions and the place ment of universities. Kauffman cited among other items a consti tutional mandate that the Legislature provide for "an efficient system of public free schools." That was the section originally used by the Supreme Court in ordering reform of elemen tary and high school funding. "I'm having some difficulty wrestling with your rationale" that the provision also applies to higher education. Justice Bob Gammage told Kauffman during the hearing. Special Assistant Attorney General Javier Aguilar and Gray said if applied to universi ties, that would require the state to provide tu ition-free higher education to all students. Kauffman said that's not the case. And he said that under the constitution, "There is no way you can have a system like this." Besides denying equal access, he said the system is inefficient, in part because of the con centration of resources in some areas. The state has spent money "in a discrimina tory fashion," Kauffman said. Some areas of the state have "every conceivable program," he said, while the border area has "basically nothing." Among other questions from the court. Jus tice John Cornyn asked whether the state could remedy cited problems by providing students with transportation and rooming costs. He noted that it's not "particularly un usual" for people to attend college away from their homes. And Justice Raul Gonzalez asked if the loca tion of universities is more a matter of "politi cal clout" than discrimination. Gray said plaintiffs have cited five areas with comprehensive university programs: Austin and Bryan-College Station, whose uni versities are provided for in the constitution; the large population areas of Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston; and Lubbock, which Gray suggested got program expansions at a time when state leaders hailed from West Texas. The state is asking the court to overturn a January ruling by State District Judge Ben Eu- resti Jr. of Brownsville, who found that the higher education system violates the Texas Constitution by denying Mexican Americans equal education opportunity. Plaintiffs have contended that the state has discriminated against Hispanics by systemati cally underfunding higher education institu tions in a 41-county swath stretching from Brownsville to El Paso. Euresti gave lawmakers until May 1, 1993, to make changes or quit funding state colleges and universities. Since the Supreme Court scheduled Tues day's hearing, Hispanic leaders have offered a $2 billion, 10-year plan as a way to end the lawsuit. The University of Texas and Texas A&M University systems have announced their own plan, with a similar price tag, to boost border programs. Monty Jones, a UT spokesman, said that the universities didn't offer their plan as a pro posed settlement, although Attorney General Dan Morales has said it had that potential. Kauffman said there are no ongoing settle ment discussions. Some state leaders have not ed that Texas is facing tight budget times. "This state doesn't have money," Gov. Ann Richards said. She said she's warned state agencies, "We're going to make do with less." 32 On Routine Cleaning, X-Rays and Exam. (Regularly $71, With Coupon $39) Payment must be made at time of service BRYAN COLLEGE STATION Jim Arents, DDS Dan Lawson, DDs Karen Arents, DDS Paul Haines, DDS 1103 Villa Maria Texas Ave. at SW Pkwy. 268-1407 696-9578 CarePlus-^tfr DENTAL CENTERS L. — _ EXP. 10-15-92 - _ _J GMAT? Classes are starting right now. Call 696-3196 KAPLAN Th* answer to the tost question. LOCATED IN NORTHGATE 846-4135 Buy any item <§> regular price , Receive any item of equal or lesser value i i ^Not valid with other advertised specialsj Governor endorses insurance reform plan THE ASSOCIATED PRESS schedule :aring®' o discuss 1 AUSTIN — Gov. Ann Richards on Tuesday endorsed a proposal for the state to start collecting in formation independent from in surance companies to help in set ting automobile insurance rates. Currently, the data considered by the State Board of Insurance is supplied by organizations that are controlled by the insurance indus try, Richards said. Changing that system "may be the single most important reform that the Board of Insurance has considered to make insurance more accessible and more afford able to the people of the state of Texas,” she said. A proposal is being considered by the three-member Insurance Board. Insurance representatives criti cized the plan, saying the cost to collect independent data would drive up premiums. They also said a recent state au dit found nothing wrong with the data supplied by the industry to the Insurance Board. "The bottom line was that the data collection organizations were doing a good job," said Rick Gen try of the Insurance Information Institute. Gentry said another concern was that if the state collected the data, then insurance companies could find out confidential infor mation about their competitors. But Richards dismissed the in surer's objections as "non-issues," adding that no other regulated service is the sole supplier of in formation in the rate setting process. "This independent data collec tion would give us what we have never had before, and that is reli able, verifiable information. Let the sun shine in," she said. Richards said she did not know if the proposal would lower rates, but added, "It's designed to tell the public that these are the hon est to God fair rates." But insurance spokesmen said it would cost tens of millions of dollars for the state to collect the data, and that would have to be passed on to the ratepayers. On another topic, Richards crit icized a proposed health insur ance plan by Employee Retire ment System for teachers and school district employees. She said the health insurance plan was too expensive and of fered low benefits. "The agency has failed to do what the Legislature told it to do," she said. Last resident left in town refuses to leave for collider THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BOZ — The last resident of this tiny North Texas communi ty has refused to leave her home to make way for the su perconducting super collider being built in Ellis County. However, if she hasn't moved by Oct. 26, she could be removed forcibly by sheriff's deputies, said Robin Stringf el- low, spokesman for the Texas National Research Laboratory Commission. The state began proceedings Monday against Monnie Bratcher, but the woman re fused to sign eviction papers and insists she won't budge. The 84-year-old woman has been living in her home for 56 years. "AH hell is coming loose," Bratcher said. "I'm not going to do it." State officials say they will file a complaint with an Ellis County justice of the peace if the woman doesn't move out within three days. Bratcher's case is the first eviction proceeding in the 172 relocations of families in the collider's path, Stringfellow said. The state plans to move 181 families in all. Bratcher already has sold her house and 42 acres to the state for $170,000 and has bought a house and 47 acres in nearby Maypearl for $160,000. But she says the new house is rundown and dirty and the land has no fences, which she needs to keep her 10 head of cattle. She wants more money from the state to fix it up. Bratcher has been living in her house rent-free since Febru ary 1991, when she sold it She bought the new property in April. The state also paid her clos ing costs and a relocation al lowance, leaving her about $20,000 extra to repair her new property, according to Rick Hurst, project manager for United Field Services, the com pany handling land purchases for the collider. Boz, which once had a popu lation of 200, sits in the path of what will be the West Campus of the $8.3 billion collider. The campus will contain laborato ries, office buildings and the machines that will send sub atomic particles speeding around a 54-mile underground ring of magnets. RESEARCH Skin Infection Study VIP Research is seeking individuals 12 years of age or older with uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections. If you have a skin infection, you may qualify for a four week research study using a currently available antibiotic medication. Participants who qualify and complete the study will he paid $200. Genital Herpes Study Individuals with genital herpes infection are being recruited for a 3 week research study of an investigational anti-viral medication. If you would like to find out more about this study, call VIP Research. $400 will he paid to qualified volunteers who enroll and complete this study. CALL Volunteers in Pharmaceutical Research, Inc. 776-1417 Friday, November 13 Rudder Auditorium Tickets on sole Saturday, October 17 8:00 am Rudder Box Office RESERVED SEATING Judge encourages passage of law okaying castration THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HOUSTON - A Houston judge who agreed to grant proba tion to a sex offender if the man underwent castration says Texans should demand the Legislature pass laws allowing alternative punishments. State District Judge Michael T. McSpadden told sex offenders counselors attending a statewide conference Monday that they should work for such legislation. "I strongly urge you to accept (castration) before every woman and child is touched by this horri ble, horrible crime," McSpadden said. McSpadden drew nationwide attention earlier this year when he agreed to allow Steve Allen But ler, 28, to undergo castration and receive a 10-year probated sen tence if he pleaded guilty to rap ing a 12-year-old Houston girl. The sentence never was carried out because no doctor could be found to perform the procedure. Butler, who already was serving a probated term for sexual assault of a 7-year-old, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. McSpadden said the laws should make surgical removal of a man's testicles a voluntary alter native for sex offenders and sug gested the state eventually might follow the path of some European countries that have made castra tion mandatory treatment for rapists who repeat their crimes. But a medical authority speak ing at the same conference urged restraint in such cases. If all 9,000 sex offenders now in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice were castrated, there would be only 450 repeat offend ers, McSpadden said. ^resh Food - Family Fun. Find it all in the Food Court at Post Oak Mall. And now, fantastic savings during the Festival of Food, going on now at Post Oak Mall! ♦ CHICK-FIL-A Chargrilled® ^Chicken Sandwich, Tossed Salad ** & Medium Soft Drink .-* FRENCH FRIES $3.79 With purchase of 1/4 lb Corn slop oft .-REG. F00TL0NG SANDWICH Expires 10/30/92 ^ ^ Limit one per customer, per visit Check out our Ham & Cheese Sandwich-of-the-Month ♦ ♦ ♦ HAPPY HOUR X ♦ Mot good with Club Card or any other offer, * Expires 10/31/92 — Limit 4 ♦ Expires 1/15/93 ♦ % ♦ ♦ % ANY HOUR Any Drink $1.25, One coupon per perspn ••'10% OFF'-. ANY COMBO y n % ^ ** Z N ySUPER SUNDAE $2.99 ♦ # # # 2 Super Hot Fudge Sundaes for $2.99 * ^ * Not valid with any other promotions. Expires 10/20/92 % * ♦ ♦ * OVER $3.99 Expires 10/31/92 A mm l k m m I I I 11% I Y II 1L* L* Texas 6 Bypass at Hwy 30 ♦ College Station