Opinion
Friday, April 16,1993
The Battalion
Page 11
SENATE
G.O.R ,
The Battalion Editorial Board
The Battalion
Jason Loughman, managing editor
Todd Stone, city editor
Stacy Feducia, opinion page editor
Susan Owen, lifestyles editor
Kyle Burnett, news editor
Dave Thomas, news editor
Don Norwood, sports editor
Darrin Hill, photo editor
100 years at
Texas A&M
Editorial
The invisible tax
Value-added taxes seem worthless
In what has now become an al
most familiar routine of reluctant an
nouncements, White House officials
said Wednesday that a national sales
tax is under consideration to pay for
the as-yet-completed national health
care reform plan.
A value-added ta would apply to
all levels of production. It is regres
sive by nature because it would hit
lower income brackets much harder
than others. Such a regressive plan
does raise a great deal of revenue,
but also leads to price hikes at every
stage, not just at the consumer level.
Although other proposals are be
ing considered and President Clinton
has remained noncommittal about
the issue, the way in which the new,
value-added tax has been brought up
is similar to the grudging introduc
tions of the recent income tax in
crease and energy tax proposals.
The first strike against this propos
al is that both parties in Congress are
in rare harmony in their disapproval
of it. Both Democrats and Republi
cans agree that a value-added tax bill
has little chance of being passed, be
cause such a tax is just another bur
den on the middle class, which may
bear the brunt of Clinton's income
tax increase and will be hit hard by
an energy tax. This directly contra
dicts Clinton's campaign promises of
middle class tax relief.
Additionally, some questions sur
rounding both a sales tax and the
health care plan must be answered.
What products and/or services will
be subject to a national sales tax? If
food products are subject to the new
tax, how will the poor be able to af
ford to feed themselves? How, if at
all, will the issuance of food stamps
change to compensate? Perhaps most
importantly, exactly what kind of
health plan does Hilary Rodham
Clinton's task force have in store, and
will Americans be even remotely
willing to fund it?
These questions may be moot if
the predictions of the tax bill dying in
Congress come true. But the rhetoric
surrounding the proposal begs the
question of how much authority the
president has over the issue.
Some of Clinton's advisers have
suggested dismissing a value-added
tax altogether, and Clinton himself
said two months ago that such a tax
was not a consideration. However, at
least two Cabinet members, deputy
budget director Alice Rivlin and Sec
retary of Health and Human Services
Donna Shalala, are treating the plan
as a viable option. If Clinton is in
deed following his advisors' lead by
playing down a value-added tax, the
comments of Rivlin and Shalala
could be interpreted as efforts to un
dermine his authority.
All of this presents Clinton with a
prime opportunity to take charge
and clear up the foggy economic and
health care proposals. A concrete
health care plan should be finalized
and approved first. Then the White
House can determine how it will be
funded.
Juice Tigers, Bedazzlers and Flobees
Infomercials: You'll never leave your couch again
I sat in the basement of Reed Mc
Donald, contemplating what
could be said about the Supreme
Court vacancy, the trade policy of the
United States with Vietnam and the
words of Jesus Christ — via Waco.
Enter News Editor to the stars
Kyle Burnett.
"Hey man," he called out, "Have
you ordered the Elvis plate?"
"What are you talking about? The
Franklin Mint Plate? No, Kyle. I'm
just trying to come up with some
thing to write about."
"I don't know what you can write
about," he said, "but that plate is a
great investment."
His idle banter led into condemning me for always try
ing to create something out of nothing. It was true; no one
really cares about my ideas on judicial activism. I'm an un
dergraduate. I have no true political experience. I can
barely dress myself. Aside from the 10 or so people that
have responded to my political columns, no one cares.
"Write about what you know," Kyle said. "I think you
know a lot more about things infinitely more interesting
than politics."
Does this man know me or what? The wisdom of the
ages came to me. You must do what you know. If you
have a column due yesterday and can't think of anything
to write about, then you must write about what you know.
The point was so clear. Beauty is in the simplest of
things. The good news for college students is that this
beauty is Infomercials — cheap and fun to watch.
Moreover, college students probably care much more
about these program-length advertisements than they do
any trade embargo, Soviet coup or standoff of the week.
The most important thing to note about these Infomer
cials is that with the products advertised, you may never
need to leave your fouton again. With the advent of new
technology, the tasks of obtaining food, clothing and shel
ter were never easier — or so much fun.
For those viewers with an interest in fashion, late night
TV offers the Bedazzler, the Lasting Kiss, and the Super
Scissors from Dick Van Patten.
Balding? Well, with a phone and your roommate's cred
it card you can order spray-on hair. Too much hair? Get
the Flobee, the vacuum cleaning barber machine. With
these amazing products, you can create a swank new look
that will, well, bedazzle your friends. Even better is the
fact that your chic style will all be created in the privacy of
your den.
If your interest is in creating a living environment, you
probably would be more interested in vinyl siding from
Sears or Gallery Glass — an aerosol that makes stained
glass that rivals most cathedrals.
But the most prolific advertising is in the food service
industry. Everything here is fast, cheap and healthy. The
cyclonic oven probably runs the full range of the hyperbole
the best. It cooks an entire turkey in 30 seconds or so. It
costs half the price of most microwaves. Most importantly,
this miracle machine locks in all the vitamins and minerals
that the microwave zaps out.
Of course, the most nutritionally aware of all Infomer
cial products is the Juice Tiger. The beauty of this juicer is
that it creates a way for all of the couch potatoes who
watch program-length ads to stay healthy. If you don't be
lieve, ask that 110-year-old geek in the purple polyester
jumpsuit on the commercials who "pulled 70 boats behind
him on his 17th birthday."
Hey — at least he's healthy, maybe he should get a Be
dazzler to liven up that wardrobe.
Well, regardless of the quality of the products, the ads
are fun to watch. And, in the ease of having everything at
your fingertips, people can learn about the simple beauty
of life. Instead ot everyone worrying about the problems of
U.S. judges, economics, and standoffs, people might in
stead enjoy judging which product to charge, how many
items to buy and the standoff between the different types
of juicers on the market — you'd be surprised.
But I think all political problems can be solved. Kyle,
the philosophy guru, might be right. If we could get the
whole world to come over, cook up a turkey or two in the
cyclonic oven and serve them all on an Elvis plate, we
might all be able to forget about the petty problems of our
world.
It's just that simple.
Henderson is a sophomore political science major.
RICH
HENDERSON
Columnist
Hats off, please
Students respond to
MSC hat controversy
removal of the hats is just a tradition and
not a law, but it disappoints me deeply to
imagine an Aggie not willing to make
such a small effort to pay a little respect.
Josh Wadsworth
Class of'95
• This letter is a reaction to the com
ments made by the president of the A&M
chapter of the N.A.A.C.P., Joseph Gourri-
er, in the April 14 issue of the Battalion.
First of all, I do not appreciate the ac
cusation made by Gourrier that Congres
sional Medal of Honor winners from
Texas A&M were members of a lynch
mob. This in itself shows both a great
deal of disrespect for these courageous
soldiers and a lack of class by Gourrier.
Secondly, I don't buy the story of
blacks not taking off their hats in the
M.S.C. because their hair will not cooper
ate as easily as someone else's. That's
simply a bunch of hogwash as far as I'm
concerned. Taking off one's hat is a small
price for an Aggie to pay to show a little
respect for another Aggie.
In conclusion, let me say that I fully
acknowledge and respect the fact that the
• This letter is in response to the April
14 article on the MSC hat controversy. I
do not think that this is a racial issue,
rather it's an issue of honor and respect.
I know that it is not just minorities that
wear their hats in the MSC; I have seen
people of all races wearing their hats. I
think that it is sad that people don't have
more respect than this for our veterans.
These are the people who fought for our
country, our freedom and our way of life.
People of all races fought for this country.
Many veterans "messed up" more than
their hair while defending our country.
I don't think that it is too much to ask
someone to take his or her hat off for
someone who gave life and limb for
America. I would bet money that if you
asked veterans or people that lost some
one they loved in war how they felt
about this, the answer would be unani
mous.
In my opinion, there are three ways to
avoid this controversy: (1) don't wear a
hat, (2) don't go in the MSC or (3)
TRANSFER!
The more diversity we have on this
campus, the better the learning experi
ence will be for everyone. If everyone
wants to be treated equally, everyone
must follow the rules equally. People
that want to be treated with respect,
should show some respect.
Taking your hat off in the MSC is not a
rule, but it is a reflection of your respect
and integrity as a human being.
Wade Hooker
Class of J 92
• I am outraged at the remarks in the
MSC hat controversy story (Vol. 92 No.
130)! The remarks by Joseph Gourrier fi
nally hit a raw nerve in me.
He stated that some minorities
shouldn't take their hats off for people
who would have lynched them if they
had been here during World War II.
The worst remark he made though
was that blacks can't run their fingers
through their hair to straighten it out af
ter they've been wearing hats. He said
this was a "cultural difference" which
prevents blacks from taking off their hats.
Is Joseph Gourrier, president of the Na
tional Association for the Advancement
of Colored People, FQR REAL? I am a
white male that looks as if I had crawled
out of bed.
No matter how I run my fingers
through my hair, it is still the hat hair
from hell. Please do not insult the intelli
gence of others by calling this dilemma a
"Cultural Difference." As for Gourrier's
remark on the lynchings, I cannot believe
that someone in his position would com
mit such a racial slur.
The MSC was initially a memorial for
remembrance for those Aggies in the first
and second World Wars, but today it is a
remembrance for those who died in ANY
war. These individuals did not sacrifice
their lives for their own specific races, but
for an entire country. I don't take my hat
off for only the white soldiers - I take it
off for any color, any person who made
the highest sacrifice for this country.
So get off your high horse and GET
REAL! The least every individual can do
is show respect for those who died fight
ing for fvftat they believed in. The hat
policy in the MSC is not a discrimination
problem - so lets not make it into one.
Paul T. Zutz
Class of '93
• This letter is in response to the
front-page story in the Wednesday Bat
talion concerning the MSC hat controver
sy. I, along with several fellow members
of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Cadet Corps,
have a few things to say to Joseph Gour
rier.
I agree that the men who are com
memorated by the "hats-off" tradition in
the MSC were all white. This I have no
control over. However, Gourrier must re
alize that he and all of those who agree
with him also enjoy the freedom for
which these heroes made the ultimate
sacrifice.
I would like to be able to bring one of
these men back for one moment and
watch Gourrier look him in the eye and
tell him that he doesn't even have
enough respect for him to remove his hat
for a few minutes in his memory.
Do the organizations represented on
Gourrier's hat deserve more respect than
the men who died so that we may be free
to attend such a wonderful institution as
Texas A&M? Additionally, if Gourrier is
having such a problem with the way his
hair is behaving, may I suggest carrying a
comb? Furthermore, I would like to pro
pose to him that this issue is much more
than mere tradition. However back
wards you may accuse me of being.
Highway 6 runs both ways, mister.
Jeffrey Miller
Class of'94
Accompanied by 57 signatures
• It is ironic that a group of people
who wish to have their own history rec
ognized, are refusing to recognize some
one else's. The fact that the Aggies who
died were white is completely irrelevant.
These men are fellow Aggies who sacri
ficed their lives, refusing to uncover is
blatant disrespect. Remember this, be
cause your name will be called at Aggie
Muster someday.
Shea Snyder
Class of'95