Miller, Riggs stress trust in sheriff's race
By REAGON CLAMON
Reporter of THE BATTALION
The two candidates for sheriff
of Brazos County have empha
sized trust throughout their cam
paign — trust of themselves, and
mistrust of their opponent.
Lt. Bobby Riggs, head of the
Bryan Police Department detec
tive division and the challenger,
has brought attention to incum
bent Sheriff Ronnie Miller's 1990
gambling conviction as evidence
of Miller's inability to serve a
third term.
"Myself, I would want some
one who can be a role model,"
Riggs said. "He's been found
guilty by his peers in court. I
know it's on appeal, but I believe
we need a role model that kids
can follow."
Miller was found guilty of
gambling, a class C misdemeanor,
and fined $1 by a Bryan jury in
1990. Miller is currently awaiting
appeal.
"Shoplifting is also a misde
meanor," Riggs said. "I don't
Riggs
think people in our community
want their elected officials break
ing laws their sworn to uphold."
Miller insists that he is being
railroaded by Riggs' supporters.
"What happened to the right of
innocence, and the right to call
witnesses and prove it in court,"
Miller said. "It's been two years.
Capital murderers go to trial in a
year. It's unreal."
Miller said he was told by sev
eral law enforcement officials that
the gambling house in whch he
was charged with playing dice at
was totally legal, and that he was
there only to get information for
an investigation. Miller also said
he had 12 witnesses that were pre
pared to swear that he was telling
the truth, but the court wouldn't
allow it.
"This is my reputation and my
pride," Miller said. "When this is
over, there's going to be some
people embarrassed, and it's not
going to be me."
Miller said Brazos County vot
ers should not trust Riggs with a
$4.1 million sheriff's budget due
to Riggs' financial inexperience.
Miller said Brazos County des
perately needs to create more
space for its prisoners, and he has
shown the experience to get it
done right and get it done cheap.
"We're back in a crisis situa
tion," Riggs said. "We're going to
have to build another wing on
that jail, and it's going to cost $1.5
million to build it. Do you want
to trust your tax money to some
one with no experience?"
Riggs said his administrative
experience as head of the Bryan
Police detective division at the
Bryan Police Department has giv
en him the background to work
with a large budget.
"I believe I have the manage
ment ability to operate the office
of sheriff," Riggs said. "It's been
said that I have no ability to set a
budget, but I do participate in the
budget prepared for the investiga
tive division."
Riggs said his experience in
budgeting has come from outside
of law enforcement as well.
"For about the past 10 years, I
have been the treasurer and on the
budget committee in my church,"
Riggs said. "I am a family man,
so I guess I have to have budget
skills."
During the campaign, Riggs
has pointed to a petition signed
by 182 local criminal justice and
law enforcement officials as a vote
of confidence by his peers.
Miller
Miller said the petition is
meaningless because it was
passed around in the police de
partment where Riggs works, and
it doesn't represent all peace offi
cers in the area.
"There's 470 police officers and
jailers, another 150 criminal justice
officers," Miller said. "Take that
number, divide it by the number
that signed the petition(182), and
you get 29 percent. Is that over
whelming support? I'll take 71
percent any day."
Miller also said several of the
names on the petition were of offi
cers he had fired or disciplined in
the past. He said many of those
people signed it just to spite him.
Riggs disagrees.
"I don't think there's any truth
in that," he said. "I think the peo
ple knew that I did not personally
circulate the petition, and it stated
up on the top what it was going to
be used for — to be put in the pa
per."
Riggs said the officers who
signed the petition believe in him
and support him.
"I have looked at it over the
past few weeks and I know the
people on there, and I think they
know me," Riggs said. "They
know me to be an honest trust
worthy person they can work
with."
RANDY NICHOLS/The Battalion
Students wait to vote early in the MSC Thursday afternoon. The last day for early voting was
Friday. Election Day is Tuesday and polling places will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Third parties weigh in last
Voter loyalty hampers smaller organizations, expert says
By WILL HEALY
Reporter of THE BATTAUON
Despite voter discontent and the popularity of
Ross Perot, third-party candidates will not play a ma
jor role in the future of American politics, said Dr.
George Edwards, the director of the Texas A&M Cen
ter for Presidential Studies.
Edwards said third-party candidates do not fare
well in general elections for three reasons.
First is attachments. Though party ties are not as
strong as they were in the past, people are attached
to the two (Republican and Democratic) parties, Ed
wards said.
Second, people do not like to waste their votes.
America has a "winner take all" system in the elec
toral college, and, according to Edwards, even if Per
ot comes in second in the popular vote in every state,
he will receive no electoral votes. This leaves little in
centive for third parties, he said.
The third reason for the ineffectiveness of third-
party candidates is the narrow political spectrum in
the United States.
"We're a rarity among developed nations because
we don't have a large leftist party, and that's an indi
cator of a narrow political spectrum," said Edwards.
"The differences among Americans in public policy
are not nearly as great as differences among the Ital
ians or French."
John Kormylo, chairman of the Libertarian Party
of Harris County, stressed the importance of the in
fluence of third party candidates and said the Liber
tarians could provide the swing vote in a general
election.
"If everyone who voted Libertarian in the (1990)
governor's race voted Republican instead, the Re-
I
See Third party/Page 12
Bush, Clinton truant
on education issue
School debate mostly campaign rhetoric, professor says
By BRANDI JORDAN
Reporter of THE BATTAUON
Underneath the recent hoopla surrounding the
race for the presidency. President George Bush's and
Gov. Bill Clinton's education plans have gone largely
unmentioned beyond the standard political rhetoric.
Dr. Bryan Jones, a political science professor at
Texas A&M, explained the silence surrounding the
education could be attributed to the fact that educa
tion is a function of state and local agencies.
"But, the candidates have to talk about it a little,"
Jones said. "In my day, it used to be campaign
rhetoric about mom, baseball and apple-pie. Today,
the rhetoric is shifted towards the economy, the
deficit and education." .
To satisfy the inquiries and ease the concerns of
voters. Bush and Clinton have each addressed edu-
cation, but the details
about both of their
plans have remained
sketchy at best.
Most of the informa
tion concerning the ed
ucation plans of the two
major contenders for
the presidency has been
presented to voters in
the form of printed
campaign materials.
Bush's education
plan was printed in a brochure. The plan is titled
'America 2000.' Bush's plan calls for six education
goals to be met nationwide. These six national edu
cation goals include:
• By the year 2000, all children in America will
start school ready to learn.
• By the year 2000, the high school graduation
rate will increase to at least 90 percent.
• By the year 2000, American students will leave
grades four, eight and 12 having demonstrated com
petency in challenging subject matter including Eng
lish, mathematics, science, history and geography;
and every school in America will ensure that all stu
dents learn to use their minds well, so they may be
prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning
and productive employment in our modern econo
my.
• By the year 2000, U.S. students will be first in
the world in science and mathematics achievement.
• By the year 2000, every adult American will be
literate and will possess the knowledge and skills
necessary to compete in a global economy and exer
cise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
• By the year 2000, every school in America will
be free of drugs and violence and will offer a disci
plined environment conducive to learning.
Phil Meuret, president of College Republicans,
said Bush's 'America 2000' is the best possible plan,
but conceded that Clinton's plan has merit.
"Bush's plan is more reasonable," Meuret said.
He's using the school system that's in place and re
forming it. It simply will be more affordable.
"(Voters) need to see what you can afford. See
how much money's
going to be available.
From military cuts
and elsewhere."
Jones said, howev
er, the main differ
ences between the two
candidates' education
plans center around
school choice, not
cost.
"Bush wants to is
sue tax vouchers and
allow parents to use the vouchers to choose between
public, private and parochial schools," he said.
"Clinton, though he believes in school choice, just
wants choice within the same school districts."
Another difference, Jones said, has been Clinton's
National Service Trust Plan. Jones said the idea of a
national service plan has been around since 1978
when Ted Kennedy introduced it as an alternative to
the draft.
"Clinton's plan involves pooling money into one
college fund," Jones said. "Then, he'll tinker with
the way students pay it back. They can either pay it
back as a percentage of their income over an unde
termined number of years or they can pay it back
See Education/Page 12
"In my day, it used to be campaign
rhetoric about mom, baseball and
apple-pie. Today, the rhetoric is
shifted towards the economy, the
deficit and education."
- Dr. Bryan Jones,
A&M political science professor
Debaters discuss media coverage
By ERIK MERK
Special to THE BATTAUON
The media's coverage of this
year's presidential candidates was
the focus of a debate last Thurs
day in the Memorial Student Cen
ter.
The debate, titled "America's
Right to Know: Politics, Ethics,
and the Media," was sponsored
hy the Texas A&M Chapter of the
National Association of Black
Journalists in order to give voters
an insight into what has been one
of the most volatile elections in
history.
The debaters were Dr. Don
Tomlinson, associate professor of
journalism - media law, represent
ing the media's position, and Dr.
Charles Wiggins, professor of po
litical science, representing the
candidates, with Dr. Gary Halter,
associate professor of political sci
ence, serving as moderator.
Points discussed were the fair
ness and accuracy of the media
coverage. Topics discussed includ
ed the press' handling of the al
leged Gennifer Flowers-Bill Clin
ton affair and Ross Perot's accusa
tions about Republicans possibly
breaking up his daughter's wee
ding last summer before he pulled
out of the election in June; ethics
of media support for a candidate,
including editorial endorsement
of candidates; a liberal or conserv
ative bias in media coverage, in
cluding the biases of large news
bodies versus smaller news orga
nizations; and what information
should not be for public consump
tion about the candidates.
The topic that brought about
the most discussion was the issue
of the "new" media: talk shows
like Larry King and Donahue, for
mats that lack follow-up questions
like MTV's "Choose or Lose" fo
rums, and the general avoidance
of the "traditional" media, such as
"Meet the Press."
See NABJ/Page 12
VOTER’S QUIDE
Page 6-7
STILL UNDECIDED?
Three Aggies endorse their presidential
candidates. See Opinion, page 10
Expanded Mail Call, page 11