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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 4, 1993)
State & Local Page 2 The Battalion Thursday, March 4,1993 Hosing it down »PAT OLSEN! PIEU3I mitmM m cm Mimim mm. i t s 4 t i r s f w t 4 t Mi i0m sii hi ^“‘•“■■irrm'iiniiiiii'ii' BILLY MORAN/The Battalion Leo Goertz of Bryan waters the infield of Olsen Field Wednesday afternoon. Goertz, a graduate of A&M, is the groundskeeper of Olsen and has been keeping the field in shape since it first opened in the Spring of 1978. He said he has seen a lot of students come and go in his 1 5 years here. The field has been covered to protect it from bad weather, and as a result has not been received much rain this semester. He waters the field to keep it soft. In Goertz's words, "It gets a bath today." Congressmen push for tobacco tax Propose $1 per pack fee to fund national health care THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — A Texas congressman and a New Jersey senator fired a salvo Wednesday at the tobacco industry, saying they would push for legislation to quadruple the cigarette tax. The $10 billion or so that would be generated by raising federal tobacco taxes to $1 a pack from the current 24-cent levy mainly would go to health care, said Rep. Mike Andrews, D-Houston. "Americans spend $24 billion each year "Americans spend $24 billion each in tax dollars simply . * to take care of those year in tax dollars simply to take care smokTng7- e Andrei of those that become sick from said at tobacco tax hike would adversely affect the lower- income. "Those that argue that this tax is regressive, well they're right, but it's regressive on the very people that we need to send a message to, young teen agers," he said. "It's a very price-sensitive product, and we know quantitatively, by increasing that tax just a modest amount, we discourage thousands of young children from taking up the habit of smoking." But, countered Lauria: "Kids seem to conference, right that the industry in this country be asked to contribute to part of those costs." News of the measure wasn't well have disposable income for almost anything that they want other than expensive cars; and the Centers for Disease Control indicates kids are smoking less than ever." The U.S. Surgeon Rep. Mike Andrews, D-Houston General has estimated that for every 10 percent increase in the a news smoking. It's only right that the le 1 tobacco tobacco industry . .. contribute to part of those costs." received by the tobacco industry. "Many people have a problem with using the tax code to discourage behavior others don't agree with," said Tom Lauria, a spokesman for the Tobacco Institute, the main lobbying arm of the tobacco industry. Andrews and Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., cited findings that 435,000 Americans die each year from smoking. While Lauria disputed those figures, he said the Washington-based institute had no figures of its own. Andrews, who ranks among the leading health care experts on Capitol Hill, acknowledged that the cigarette tax, there's an estimated 4 percent drop in consumption. But Lauria questioned that assumption. "Taxes have gone up 50 percent since 1991," he said. "We have not seen a 25 percent decrease (in smoking) using their formula." Under the legislation Bradley and Andrews plan to introduce this week, 80 percent of the new revenue would be earmarked for providing health care for the poor. Another 10 percent would go to states, cities and counties to offset revenue losses due to the federal tax increase. The remainder would finance health-prevention programs, counter tobacco HfunH advertising and help growers rind substitute crops. Krueger under scrutiny over IRS unemployment debt in '87 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - Sen. Bob Krueger's campaign committee was cited by the federal government in 1987 for failing to pay more than $5,000 in unemployment insurance taxes for campaign workers, IRS documents show. The Texas Democrat who previously served in the U.S. House and as a university dean was named in January by Texas Gov. Ann Richards to the Senate seat vacated by Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen. He will face several challengers in a May 1 special election to fill the remainder of Bentsen's term, which runs through 1994. Since 1990, Krueger had been a member of the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil, natural gas and transportation. In 1978, Krueger lost by 12,000 votes in a bid to unseat the late Sen. John Tower of Texas. In 1984, he narrowly lost a chance at the Democratic runoff for the Senate seat Tower was vacating. In March 1987, the Internal Revenue Service office in Austin, Texas, placed a lien on the assets of Krueger's Senate campaign committee because it failed to pay $5,335.06 in unemployment taxes for 1983. IRS papers show that the lien was removed in June 1987, which means the taxes were paid at that time. 4 The committee paid_ an additional $607.65 in interest and penalties, according to Rafe Greenlee, a spokesman in Austin for Krueger's current re-election campaign. "The reality is that as soon as that was discovered, I immediately wrote a check to pay for it. There's nothing there," Krueger said in an interview Wednesday on the CNBC cable television network. "Obviously, somebody looked in the ancient files and sought an old piece of information that had no real relevance." AIDS test to provide results in 10 minutes THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DALLAS - New AIDS tests that can tell patients within minutes whether they are infected with HIV are planned first for Dallas County, health officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are sponsoring and financing the six-month trial for the first county in the nation, officials said. The Dallas County Health Department will administer the tests, which will reduce the time lag for results from about a week to 10 minutes after a blood sample is given. Health officials say the current delay in results discourages some patients. The tests will cost $10, officials said. But that fee will be waived if patients can't afford it. Testing probably wi|l_ begin in two or three months, county employees said Tuesday. But they must first hire and train a technician to conduct the 10-minute tests, which were approved by the federal government only last year. Dallas County was chosen as the site for the trial because of its reputation, CDC spokesman Kent Taylor told The Dallas Morning News. "Dallas is known to be a well-run program," said Taylor. Tests will be offered at the county's sexually transmitted disease clinic instead of the HIV Impact division, said Dr. Charles Haley, the county's epidemiologist. AIR FORCE CAREER DAY LOOKING FOR A CHALLENGING CAREER? ^THURSDAY - 11 MARCH 1993 *1 PM - 6 PM, DUNCAN DINING CENTER *MANY CAREER FIELDS REPRESENTED *EXCELLENT PAY & BENEFITS *CALL 845-7611 FOR MORE INFO COFFEEHOUSE & as always, good music, poetry and free cheese TAMU SNOW SKI CLUB PRESENTS STEAMBOAT SPRING BREAK: MARCH 12 - 20 Friday, March 5 Rumours 8>pm $449 Includes roundtrip transportation in Sleeper Buses with TV’s & VCR’s 6 Nights in Luxurious Condos 4 Day Lift Pass/5th Day Optional Nastar Race J. EVERYONE WELCOME!! Hurry Now To Reserve Your Space! W PRESENTED BY MSC TOWN HALL DANCE 2 TRANCE MEETING DATES Feb. 23 MSC 231 March 2 MSC 231 March 9 Rudder 308 All meeting are at 8:30 p.m. For more information come by the Snow Ski Club cubicle In the Student Services Building Or Call Jon 696-7717 Krista 696-8186 r\ Friday, March <C?n tAe decks: J E g) o l F F LK\ 6 The Edge ROBERT records ^ ^ ' 4? V 0 pAeAy Location: 202 South Bryan Street Mike cos^st^khtoim^'^ boy Info: 823-6767 RESEARCH Urinary Tract Infection Study • Lower Back Pain • Frequent urination • Painful Urination •Fever VIP Research is seeking individuals 12 years of age or older with complicated urinary tract infections. If you have a urinary tract infection, you may qualify for an eight week research study using a currently available antibiotic medication. Participants who qualify and complete the study will be paid $200. Pneumonia Study • Productive Cough • Nausea/Vomitting • Difficulty Breathing • Fever VIP Research is seeking individuals 18 years of age or older with pneumonia. If you’ve been diagnosed by a physician or you suspect having pneumonia, you may qualify for a six week research study using antibiotic therapy. Participants who qualify and complete the study will be paid $150. For more information, call: Volunteers in Pharmaceutical Research, Inc. 776-1417 The Battalion STEVE O'BRIEN, Editor in Chief JASON LOUGHMAN, Managing Editor STACY FEDUCIA, Opinion Editor KYLE BURNETT, News Editor DAVE THOMAS, News Editor TODD STONE, City Editor DON NORWOOD, Sports Editor SUSAN OWEN, Lifestyles Editor DARRIN HILL, Photo Editor Staff Members Reporters - Mark Evans, Melody Dunne, Reagan Clamon, Cheryl Heller, Matari Jones, Juli Phillips, Jennifer Smith, Brandi Jordan, Gina Howard, Stephanie Pattillo, Robin Roach, Julie Chelkowski, Jeff Gosmano, Jason Cox, Will Healy, Cynthia Trevizo, Kevin Lindstrom, Natalie Giehl, Heather Henderson and Shelia Vela News desk — Belinda Bloncarte, Carey Eagan, Lance Holmes, Elizabeth Lowe, Jennifer Mentfik and Heather Winch Photographers - Kevin Ivy, Robert J. Reed, Billy Moran, Joseph Greenslade, Richard Dixon, Craig Fox, John W. Bartram and Mark Ybarra Lifestyles - Anas Ben-Musa, Dena Dizdar, Melissa Holubec, Tanya Williams and Jenny Magee Sports writers — William Harrison, Michael Plumer and David Winder Columnists — Julie Ralston, Toni Garrard Clay, Matthew Dickerson, Chris Whitley, Robert Vasquez, Rich Henderson, Dave Brooks, John Scroggs and Janet Holder Cartoonists — Thomas Deeny, George Nasr, Clay Welch, Boomer Cardinale and Jeff Crone Graphic Artist - Jennifer Petteway Clerks- Julie Chelkowski, Dora Dees, Wren Eversberg, Carrie Miura and Shelley Rowton The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods), at Texas A&M University. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student ■ ' ‘ ~ f • '* - * ' ,r ‘ ■ : R< * ~ ' ' Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Publications, a unit of the Department or Journalism. Newsroom phone number is 845-3313. Fax: 845-2647. Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696 For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and office hours are 8 a m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-54da. Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611.