Tuesday
Page 2 • THE BATTALION
State returns more sales tax
money to cities, counties
AUSTIN (AP) — The state re
turned $128.3 million in sales tax
payments to Texas cities and counties
Monday, a 9.3 percent increase over a
year ago.
Comptroller John Sharp said the
increase reflects a record number of
Texans on the job and increasing con-
sumer confidence.
The monthly rebates for September
covered taxes collected on July sales.
Sharp said that more than 226,000
new jobs were created since July
1993, putting an all-time high of 7.7
million Texas at work.
A total of 944 Texas cities received
$115.5 million of the rebates, a 9.2
percent increase from the $105.7 mil
lion of September 1993, while 111
counties were sent $12.8 million, a
9.4 percent rise.
Houston received $15.5 million, the
largest amount and a 2.6 percent in
crease over last year.
Dallas’ rebate of $10.2 million was
a 9.7 percent jump. “The Dallas area
again showed strong economic
growth, adding 71,000 new jobs, more
than any other major metro area in
the state,” Sharp said.
San Antonio received the third-
largest rebate, $6.7 million, a 9.1 per
cent increase.
Austin, which received $5.6 mil
lion, showed a 20.6 percent increase
over September 1993. Sharp said the
capital “remains the fastest-growing
metro (area) in the state with sus
tained growth in all sectors of em
ployment.”
Fort Worth’s $3.4 million rebate
showed the largest increase, 21.3 per
cent, of any metropolitan area. Ar
lington’s $3.5 million payment was up
13 percent. Sharp attributed the
growth in part to 9.300 new service
jobs in the Fort Worth-Arlington
area.
The state also returned quarterly
sales tax rebates to transit authori
ties in cities around the state. Those
totaled $163.9 million.
Increases were reported for the
Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth
and Corpus Christi mass transit au
thorities, and payments were up to
the El Paso and Laredo city transit
departments.
Reassignments
Continued from Page 1
either tell West an answer to the
grievances or tell him that he needs
more information.
“After reviewing it, I will make a
decision about the grievances,” he
said, “or tell Mr. West if I need more
information, which usually includes a
hearing. The odds are, there will
probably be a hearing.”
Moore said he welcomes a hearing.
“Somewhere down the line I hope
the three of us have a chance to tell
our side,” Moore said.
Employees can file grievances with
the University if they think the Uni
versity was wrong when it has taken
some formal action with respect to
that employee. The University has a
formal procedure to file grievances,
which begins with the employee re
porting its request to the Human Re
sources Department.
Normally when a grievance is filed
with the University, the vice president
who oversees the employee would hear
the case and make a decision.
However, Smith was repeatedly
named in the grievances so the case
was turned over to Dr. Benton Co-
canougher.
“In order to have an equitable
hearing, one of the other vice presi
dents was appointed to hear it,”
Southerland said.
But because Cocanougher resigned
in August as senior vice president and
provost, A&M President Ray Bowen
assigned the case to Southerland.
“The choice came down to any of the
vice presidents because we didn’t
know who the provost was going to
be,” Bowen said. “I chose Dr. Souther
land because he has experience in
dealing with these things.”
Moore said he is glad Southerland
is hearing his case.
“I think he will be fair and honest,”
Moore said. “I haVe great respect for
Dr. Southerland.”
Casinos
Continued from Page 1
purposes of section 47 of Article III of
the Texas Constitution, and accord
ingly, may not be authorized by the
legislature in the absence of a consti
tutional amendment,” Morales said.
Because the Texas Constitution
currently prohibits gambling, with
the exception of a state lottery, the
Legislature cannot install the pro
gram without voters approving a
gambling amendment.
Bo Armstrong, vice president of
media relations for the College Re
publicans, said aside from the consti
tutional issue involved, it is also im
portant to consider the impact of casi
nos on the community.
“If casino gambling is allowed
everywhere, the only people who will
be gambling will be those in the im
mediate communities,” Armstrong
said. “This is unfair to the commu
nities and the lower and middle
class who cannot afford gambling
addictions.”
Aggie Democrat President Eric
Gruetzner said casino gambling
might be beneficial for the state.
“If casino gambling is run as
smoothly as the lottery is run, then it
could be a huge economic asset,”
Gruetzner said.
Republican State Senate candidate
Jerry Thornton said the issue should
be given to voters.
“The party platform is opposed to
casino gambling, and I tend to lean
that direction with my opinions,”
Thornton said. “But if the con
stituents in my district want to vote
on it, then I would push to put it on
the ballot.”
Dr. Gary Halter, a political science
professor and adviser for the Aggie
Democrats, said the voters and the
legislature must ask a few important
questions before approving such an
amendment.
“There is only so much money
people want to gamble with,” Halter
said. “We have to ask how much ad
ditional money could be brought in
from gambling and how much of an
economic benefit casinos could pro
vide.”
Current polls on the slot machine
issue are even; 46 percent of Texans
would approve casinos and 46 percent
would not. Morales said.
C MSC Political Forum
Presents:
Democratic
Candidate for U.S. Senate
Richard Fisher
Wednesday, September 14, 1994
7:00 p.m.
Rudder Theatre
A Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 to inform us of your special needs.
We request three (3) working days prior to the event to enable us to assist
you to the best of our ability.
The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of MSC Po
litical Forum, The MSC, or Texas A&M University.
STATE & LOCAL
iiaii
Tuesday • September IT
Corps fish orders senior rinj
Student earns
credit for long
ist of 'firsts'
By Lisa Messer
The Battalion
Like a lot of A&M seniors, Eleanor
Vessali will be picking up her Aggie
ring Oct. 5. The big difference between
Vessali and most A&M seniors, howev
er, is this senior is only 17 years old.
Vessali, who has completed 108
hours, entered A&M when she was 15
with 36 hours of credit through ad
vanced placement tests.
Sgt. Maj. Tom Epting, assistant re
cruiting officer for the Corps of
Cadets, said 15 years old might be the
youngest age anyone has ever entered
the University.
“If Eleanor’s not the youngest stu
dent to enter A&M, she’s close to the
youngest," Epting said.
Vessali said being younger than most
people in her class is not a problem.
“The age difference has not been dif
ficult at all,” Vessali said. “I’ve adapted
well in all situations.
“The hardest time I had was in high
school,” she said. “That was when
everybody was getting their driver’s li
cense, and I couldn’t.”
Vessali said her education is two
years ahead of most people her age be
cause she entered kindergarten early
and skipped the fourth grade.
“My mother started the French sec
tion of an international school in
Houston,” Vessali said. “I guess be
cause of that and because I seemed
mature enough, they let me start a
year early.
“In elementary school, if I finished
the second grade work, they’d have me
start on the third grade’s,” she said.
“By the end of the third grade, I had al
ready finished all of the fourth grade
work so they sent me to the fifth grade.”
Vessali said she attended high school
in New York but wanted to return to
Texas for college.
“I was set on A&M,” Vessali said. “I
visited campus and fell in love. I had
attended private school all my life, and
I wanted something different. A&M is
so down to earth.”
Vessali, who is a freshman in the
Corps this year, said joining A&M’s
Corps of Cadets had always been one of
her goals.
“It’s something I’ve alyvays wanted to
do,” Vessali said. “I didn't join my first
year at A&M because I was out of state
and only 15 years old. My parents were
not supportive at that time.
“I investigated the Corps my sopho
more year,” she said. “I wanted to be
able to choose my outfit like any other
guy could. In the past females could
only go into integrated outfits.”
Vessali is the first and only female
Tim Moog/THEBuT'.
Senior biomedical science major Eleanor Vessali studies for one of her classe
Vessali is getting her Aggie ring at age 17.
cadet in Company P-2.
“They’re tough on me, but they’re
tough on everybody else, too,” Vessali
said. “I’m very proud of them. They
don’t treat me any different.”
Vessali said she will be able to com
plete her four years in the Corps be
cause she intends on continuing her ed
ucation at A&M after she graduates.
“I’ll graduate in ‘96, but I hope to be
in a master’s program until ‘98,” Ves
sali said. “If I don’t get into a master’s
program, I’ll double degree until ‘98.
Either way I’ll be able to finish my four
years in the Corps.”
Vessali said her goal of being an of:
cer in the Marine Corps wasnotk
reason for joining the Corps. j
“1 could’ve done it withoJ/i#/ [»
the Corps.” Vessali said. “Unto
the Corps offers. They’re abouiito
tions, and they’re a real family.’
Vessali said she is pleased witbslfc
the decisions she has made.
“Those decisions have given met
opportunity to stay in school twoyrf
longer than most people,” Vessali sail
“I’m very happy with everything rip'
now. I love this school. I don’t to 1 ;
what I’d do if I weren’t here.”
K
By Jer
The Bai
Senate
Continued from Page 1
the governor excused classes for that
day, disrupting many class schedules.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is also
now a University holiday.
Another reason for the new calendar
was to equalize the number of class days
in the fall and spring semesters and the
number of class days for different sec
tions held on different days of the week,
Yasskin said.
It will equalize the number of Mon-
day-Wednesday-Friday classes and
Tuesday-Thursday classes by having
students attend their Friday classes on
the Thursday before Good Friday and
their Friday classes on the Tuesday be
fore finals.
“Unfortunately, it is confusing,”
Yasskin said. “We considered calling
those days ‘Aggie Days.’”
According to the new calendar, fall
classes will begin on Thursday, exactly
13 weeks before Thanksgiving.
The Friday after Thanksgiving will
be the last class day. Monday and
Tuesday would be reading days,
nals would begin Wednesday
the following Wednesday.
Spring classes will beginoii|
Tuesday closest to Jan. 15, unless! -
tin Luther King, Jr. Day falls i
following Monday. In that case.tlij
es will begin on Monday and
Luther King, Jr. Day will be obserf
the next Monday.
For the last week of classes, Thurf
classes will meet on Tuesday, wedne ;<
and Thursday will be reading days ■
finals will begin on Friday and con'
Monday through Wednesday.
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13TH ANNUAL
COLORADO
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JANUARY 2 - 15. 1995 • 4. 5. 6 0
VAII/BEAVER CRE
TOLL FREE INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS
1.800-SUNCHASE
tor a
also
The Battalion
BELINDA BLANCARTE, Editor in chief
s
MARK EVANS, Managing editor
HEATHER WINCH, Night News editor
MARK SMITH, Night News editor
KIM MCGUIRE, City editor
JAY ROBBINS, Opinion editor
STEWART MILNE, Photo editor
DAVE WINDER, Sports editor
ROB CLARK, Aggielife editor
Osi
Staff Members
City desk— Jan Higginbotham, Katherine Arnold, Michele Brinkmann, Stephanie Dube, Stacey
Fehlis, Eloise Flint, Amanda Fowle, Melissa Jacobs, Lisa Messer, Angela Neaves,Su0
Owen, Constance Parten and Tracy Smith
News desk Robin Greathouse, Sterling Hayman, Jody Holley, Shafi Islam, Jennifer Montiel,
Tiffany Moore and Stacy Stanton
Photographers— Stacey Cameron, David Birch, Blake Griggs, J.D. Jacoby, Tim Moog, Gina
Painton, Nick Rodnicki, Amy Brown and Carrie Thompson
Aggielife-- Anas Ben-Musa, Margaret Claughton, Christi Erwin, Jennifer Gressett and Jeremy
Keddie
Sports writers— Nick Georgandis, Drew Diener and Stewart Doreen
Opinion desk— Jenny Magee, Lynn Booher, Josef Elchanan, Laura Frnka, Aja Henderson, Erin Hill
Jeremy Keddie, Michael Landauer, Melissa Megliola, George Nasr, Elizabeth Prei®
Gerardo Quezada and Frank Stanford
Cartoonists— Greg Argo, Brad Graeber, Alvaro Gutierrez and Quatro Oakley
Office Assistants— Heather Fitch, Adam Hill, Karen Hoffman and Michelle Oleson
Writing Coach—Timm Doolen
By An
The B/
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