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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1992)
ECTIO Williamson beats Guerrero in railroad commissioner race By TODD STONE Reporter of THE BATTALION Republican candidate Barry Williamson defeated Democrat Lena Guerrero for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission after a bitter campaign in which both can didates attacked one another's honesty and integrity. "The people of Texas, it appears tonight, have spoken. I want to congratulate Barry Williamson on his victory. We wish him well," Guerrero said to supporters in Austin. With 81 percent of precincts counted, Williamson had 57 per cent of the vote to Guerrero's 43 percent. Libertarian candidate Richard Draheim Jr., 34, of Rock wall, had 7 percent. "It's time to create jobs for Texas. That's what this campaign is all about," Williamson, 35, said to cheering supporters in Dallas. He supports tax incentives for Texas energy industry and a competitive trucking system statewide. Guerrero, who was appointed to the commission by Gov. Ann Richards in 1990, was attempting to salvage her political career after Williamson it was revealed she had falsified her resume by claiming she gradu ated with honors from the Univer sity of Texas in Austin. Guerrero, 34, resigned from the commission but remained in the race "to go out and earn it on my own." Guerrero was the first His panic woman to hold a state office in Texas. The controversy placed an other wise low-profile campaign into the limelight of Texas politics. During the campaign, Williamson attacked Guerrero's character with political advertise ments showing Guerrero at a Texas A&M commencement last summer in which she recalled her own com mencement although she never graduated. Guerrero countered with claims that Williamson would misuse the Railroad Commission to enhance his family's business interests be cause of the extensive energy hold ings of Williamson's wife and fa- ther-in-law, Bobby Holt of Mid land. "The opportunity to manipulate the government for personal gain is in the very essence wrong," Guerrero said. "If it is not illegal, it is totally unethical." Williamson said his family's en ergy holdings are in a blind trust, and he has promised to excuse himself from any proceedings that would involve his family's busi ness. The Railroad Commission regu lates oil and gas production and the trucking industry in Texas. Despite the personal attacks. both candidates had few differ ences on specific issues. Both wanted to explore new markets for the oil and gas indus try, specifically natural gas. Their main difference centered around regulating the trucking industry. Williamson said he supports deregulation, claiming it will save 20,000 jobs and bring $1 billion in economic growth to Texas. Guer rero wants to continue regulation to maintain safety. Williamson began working in the U.S. Department of Energy in 1988 and was director of the feder al Minerals Management Service from 1989 to 1991. The Railroad Commission will be the first pub lic-elected position of Williamson's career. Guerrero accused Williamson of mishandling the federal Minerals Management Service while he was head of the agency. But Williamson called Ms. Guer rero's claims off-base and focused on the diploma brouhaha. "Since she found it easy to lie about her own record, it's not sur prising she would lie about his," said a Williamson campaign ad. With contributions from the Associ ated Press Experts predict busy time in D.C. Renewed Congressional activity, new political appointees could break gridlock THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - Bill Clinton's sweeping victory and the election of dozens of fresh faces in Congress create instant expectations for a break in government gridlock and a rush toward solutions to fix the economy. After 12 years of Republican rule at the White House, the country is turning toward another course, with Clinton's activist government in command. It's an unmistakable vote for change. "We're going to have a very ac tive government for awhile," pre dicted Michael K. Deaver, one of the top advisers in Ronald Rea gan's White House. "That's going to get the town bustling. All the communications people and lobby ists are going to be active again — health care, jobs bills, tax propos als." "Hold on to your seats," said Burton Yale Pines, chairman of the National Center^for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank, predicting a surge of legisla tion when Congress returns in Jan uary. Bills that President Bush ve toed, family leave for instance, are sure to be back next year and coast through. There will be a giant turnover in jobs, as more than 3,000 Republican political appointees are replaced by Democrats. Real estate agents already are licking their chops in anticipation of sales. Clinton offered a generational and ideological change. At 46, he'll be the first baby boomer in the White House. Come January, more than 100 new House members will take their seats. Intent on restoring their legit imacy in the eyes of voters, law makers will be intent on getting things done. Stephen Wayne, a Georgetown University specialist on the presi dency, said Clinton's victory gener ates "a kind of new optimism that government can work." Fixing the economy is job No. 1. And Election Day provided an un welcome reminder of the problem: The government's gauge of future economic activity fell in September for the third time in four months. Clinton aides said his first pro posals would be aimed at sparking the economy. He is expected to propose investment tax breaks and tens of billions of dollars in spend ing on public works projects to cre ate jobs. Clinton promised tax cuts for the middle class, but that might go on hold because of the record budget deficit that topped $290 billion. Voters also made clear they want the president and Congress to pro duce a plan to control soaring health-care costs and provide cov erage for the more than 40 million Americans who have no health in surance. Clinton said he would phase in universal coverage, and a national health board would set budget ceil ings for health care spending. With the election behind him, Clinton's next assignment would "We're going to have a very active govern ment for awhile." - Michael K. Deaver, a top adviser in Ronald Reagan's White House be the 10-week transition to taking over the White House. His first appointments were ex pected to be members of his eco nomic team and his secretary of state. The hope is to send reassur ing signals that he's serious about getting the economy going, and that he will be a serious player on the world stage. How the U.Sd r ELECTORAL POPULAR VOTE (« BUSH 160 30,138,339 (38%) □ (76% o N 36 ^ (43%) Libertarians sieze ovei of Marrou THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Several Texas Libertarian candidates benefited Tues day from protest votes, polling more than 10 percent in some state races. Leading the way was Ran dal Morgan who got 18 per cent of the vote in State Sen ate District 16 against Repub lican John Leedi But for dent in several e Libertarian rou, who recei’ votes cast shoi pre la irl ;ht. all h e The contentii’is missioner N. Draheim the vote. Noel Kopala hardly state ir te And 1 percen Railroc rtarian nly 7 pe r in the 3 Sheriff-elect Bobby Riggs is congratulated at the Plaza Club in Bryan after early elections returns indicated his victory over Republican incumbent Ronnie Miller. Electioimi go, but no THE ASSOCIATED ™ [ r„ AUSTIN - After two hundreds of television con'' 1 and thousands of speed' ^ 1992 elections are over. Finally. But before Texans ofallf persuasions breathe a sigh of relief, here's a lastlo at some of the highs am bests and worsts, mosts $ of the state's long, longed season: leather e hot a ded by tl ien. Lloy xas Den ates irate s lack of Shortest Political Future "No. A definite, absolo qualified no." — Interim Railroad Coa 11 Jim Wallace on whether he terested in serving three months. est long f h Most Ill-Timed Complain' "It's hard getting covers! down-ballot race." — Aide to Lena Guer^ ) day before the Democratic!' Commission candidate's she lacked a college diplj 1 her on every front page in Best Surrender "I'm calling in the posse*), giving myself up." — U.S. Rep. Charlie n, ackn bad c t Weathe gentle b: 'and Cc o, Clintc iger, or tember Alleg e miss irian Ber campaig lalina ' in audii n burnt etractio pando aign stop Harmor iul Simoi 'emocra nan, wh» his favo