The Battalion • Page 5
Monday • June 12, 1995
£[
srs
:fe
Ciei;
1
ns ;
k
dr
ant,
:pa:.
a til
oft
ry-ti
ilaji
esii:
nt t:
itmi
cpeii
orcfl
anti?
;he:
t Sir
at s?
licati
Dai
tak
for:
yYo:
eer,
TThe Battalion
Established in 1893
Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect the views
of the editorials board. They do not necessarily reflect
the opinions of other Battalion staff members, the
Texas A&M student body, regents, administration,
faculty or staff. Columns, guest columns, cartoons
and letters express the opinions of the authors.
Contact the opinion editor for information on
submitting guest columns.
Editorials Board
Jay Robbins
Editor in Chief
Rob Clark
Managing Editor
Sterling Hayman
Opinion Editor
Kyle Littlefield
Assistant Opinion Editor
Pig Protest
A&M was right to not move the
swine center to a residential area.
Because the Texas A&M
administration constantly
faces a barrage of charges of
being indifferent and out-of
touch, it’s refreshing to see
that the opposite is true with
regard to the relocation of
the Animal Science, Teach
ing, Research and Extension
complex.
Currently, the swine cen
ter is located at the corner
of George Bush Drive and
FM 2818.
Although many have
speculated that the move
was initiated because of the
swine center’s close proximi
ty to the George Bush Presi
dential Library, University
officials have insisted that
it was proposed in order to
expand and modernize the
facility.
Originally, the College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences
planned to relocate the cen
ter to the Animal Science
Teaching, Research and Ex
tension Complex on FM 60,
but nearby residents protest
ed because of the potential
odor problems.
Whether or not the move
was related to the Bush Li
brary, the appearance of
transferring the swine cen
ter from that area to a place
near a neighborhood sug
gested elitism and a double
standard on the part of the
University.
The protests prompted the
University to cancel plans to
use that location.
Although the site has not
yet been selected and will
then face approval by the
Board of Regents, the Uni
versity clearly has realized
that it must take into ac
count the welfare of the sur
rounding area in selecting
the location.
The College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences should be
commended for re-evaluating
and altering its original plan
and listening to those who
might have been affected, es
pecially since the new site
might not be as ideal as the
one on FM 60.
The concerns of the com
munity should have been
taken into account in the
early phases of planning the
relocation, but the College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences
has compensated for that
mistake.
Hopefully, other areas of
the University will follow this
example by recognizing the
needs of others outside their
areas in making decisions.
MAIL
ie t
GOP plan to balance
budget won't work
Newsflash. Republicans don’t
balance the budget. David Taylor
once again has confused some vi
tal issues and passed his informa
tion as facts.
The Republican congress has
outlined a plan that, if implement
ed and all things go well, might
produce a balanced budget some
time after the turn of the century.
This accomplishment is ad
mirable and is a significant im
provement over what the last Re
publican congress (1980-1986) ac
complished.
They were the guys who con
vinced the American public that
lower taxes and higher defense
spending would not lead to a mul
ti-trillion dollar deficit.
In a nutshell, the Republicans
believe if they can limit Medicare
to increasing 5% a year and elimi
nate some agencies, presto — the
budget balances itself.
The only problem is most an
alysts believe that, given the
aging population and the rising
cost of health care. Medicare
spending is going to increase
10% a year if similar care is de
livered to the elderly.
Imagine the chairman of
Ford Motor company announc
ing the company can reach
record levels of profitability if
the UAW (United Autoworkers)
will take a 1% paycut for the
next 7 years. That plan would
IXX. ■ X5
LxK£ A
cHocTates
AT TtfE AKKIWILoF .KEEFERS To &S/IIA...
Reagan gave us the ‘best of times’
David
Taylor
Columnist
not fly just like the balanced
budget, as it is currently envi
sioned, won’t fly.
The AARP (American Associ
ation of Retired People) are go
ing to make sure the elderly get
the 10% increases in Medicare,
guaranteeing that the budget
won’t balance.
So I hope Mr. Taylor will ex
cuse me for not sharing his ex
citement over a plan that, if im
plemented and all things go
well, might produce a balanced
budget sometime after the turn
of the century.
R.B. Davis
Class of’88
Dole should attack
own party members
When reading Senator Dole’s
comment, “I’m talking about ...
killing policemen and rejecting
law.” I had to wonder whether
he was talking about gangsta
rap or G. Gordon Liddy.
Once again the Republicans
try to villify the ‘entertainment
industry’ without checking who
amongst them is saying the
same things.
Remember the biblical quote
about casting the first stone?
Seems that the Republican’s
forgot to read their Bibles this
week.
Dale Christensen
Chemistry staff
L eadership is a quality
we like to see in our
leaders. It’s kind of a
bonus when we find it in our
IPresident. The current hold
er of the post is trying to
demonstrate some leader
ship of his own.
Yep, President Clinton
has declared his intention to
do everything in his power to lead us away
from those ’80s. Clinton is trying to make
sure that he never repeats the accomplish
ments of Ronald Reagan.
It’s time to take an ever-so-brief look at what
President Clinton isn’t going to accomplish.
Ok, I can hear your yawns from a week
away. But aren’t you the least bit curious if
you have been fed the complete truth over the
past few years?
It’s comparison time, and oh boy, this is
gonna be fun.
Clinton says that he will never treat the
economy like Reagan treated it.
Under President Reagan, average in
comes rose by 21 percent, after accounting
for inflation.
But that was only for the white majority,
right? After all. Republicans don’t care about
minorities.
Well ... no.
Incomes for black Americans rose 24 per
cent. For Hispanics ... 14 percent.
Since Reagan left office, average income
has fallen 3.6 percent overall, and 3 percent
for black Americans.
Clinton claims that all those tax cuts did
nothing but make the rich richer and the poor
more destitute.
I guess by “rich” Clinton means “anyone
not on welfare.”
Clinton claims that the econo
my as a whole was a mess under
Reagan.
Well ... not really.
Actually, the Gross National
Product rose at an average rate of
3.5 percent per year under Rea
gan. Since then, it has not even
been close.
I can hear it now — “Sure
Dave, but this all came at the expense of
the federal budget. Reagan is responsible
for the whole mess we are in now, right?”
Well, the answer to that is also “no.”
Actually, the Reagan tax cuts increased
tax revenue after their implementation.
The problem was, in seven out of eight cas
es, Congress spent more than Reagan re
quested in the budgets he submitted. In
fact, commenting on the-P981 budget, Rea
gan declared, “Cures were developed for
which there were no known diseases.”
Still, Congress wanted to raise taxes — and
they eventually did.
President Reagan explained, “Republicans
believe every day is the 4th of July, but De
mocrats believe every day is April 15.”
By contrast, Clinton submitted a budget
this year that increased the deficit by $200 bil
lion and cut nothing.
I’m pretty sure that President Clinton is
not destined to follow Reagan’s example in for
eign policy either. Actually, many Democrats
are pretty quiet on this one. Hastening the col
lapse of communism and winning the Cold
War is kind of difficult to criticize.
President Reagan left another example
that we can be pretty sure Clinton won’t
follow.
Reagan observed, “It was leadership here
at home that gave us strong American influ
ence abroad and the collapse of imperial com
munism. Great nations have responsibilities
to lead, and we should be cautious of those
who would lower our profile, because they
might just ,wind up lowering our flag.”
Leadership itself is the biggest area that
we can be sure President Clinton won’t bring
back from the ’80s. Leadership is also what we
miss most about Ronald Reagan.
I remember seeing a recording of FYesident
Reagan’s speech at Pointe de Hoc in 1984.
There, 40 years earlier, 225 Rangers, under
the command of our own General Rudder, as
saulted the cliffs. Listening to the President
and seeing his demeanor, I could genuinely
feel Reagan’s sincere gratitude for and on be
half of the United States of America.
It moved at least one cynical teenager al
most to tears.
Two years later, the nation mourned again
for the seven Challenger astronauts. That
evening, a stunned America looked to its Pres
ident for leadership and comfort.
President Reagan stated, “We will never
forget them, nor the last time we saw them
this morning, as they prepared for their jour
ney and waved goodbye, and slipped the surly
bonds of earth to touch the face of God.”
No, President Clinton is no Ronald Reagan.
That’s one promise from this IPresident that
we can count on.
Former President Reagan is not in a posi
tion to defend himself anymore, but that does
n’t mean that we should throw away his many
accomplishments.
Get the facts and check where they came
from. Then, the next time someone says,
“the ’80s are over,” remind them that the
’60s are too.
David Taylor is a senior management major
Many deserved liver transplant more than Mantle
Julie
T HOMAS
Staff Writer
A s I read in the
newspaper about
baseball legend
Mickey Mantle’s much-
needed liver transplant
Thursday morning, I
started wondering why
Mantle had top priority
over other people who also needed
a liver transplant.
Did he get a liver so quickly be
cause of need or because he is a
famous “Baseball Hall of Famer?”
Was he attended to faster because
he would die shortly if he didn’t
get a liver?
I really don’t think so.
Sure, Mantle was in great need
of a liver, since his own liver was
almost completely destroyed by
his years of alcohol abuse, along
with disease. But there are many
people in this world in just as
great a need of a liver transplant
as he was.
The disease that attacked his
liver. Hepatitis C, undoubtedly
was not Mantle’s own fault. How
ever, can we say that his abuse of
alcohol for 40 years wasn’t?
Apparently, nobody cares
that Mantle’s own ac
tions destroyed his liv
er and that some peo
ple in America, includ
ing children, also need
livers and have been
waiting for months or
even years.
These people have been
robbed of receiving a liver one
day sooner, a day that might
make the difference between
life and death — for the simple
reason that someone more fa
mous than themselves — and
probably with more money —
needed one too.
Mickey Mantle should have to
“live up” to his mistakes just like
everybody else. His drinking
caused him to need a new liver,
and it is hardly fair that an alco
holic should have precedence
over a child, a mother or a sister
— who have hardly had a drink
in their lives and have been
waiting patiently for their sec
ond chances at life.
Mantle waited no more than
two days for his liver, even though
the average wait for livers is 142
days, according to the United Net
work for Organ Sharing. The
Southwest Organ Bank in Dallas
stated that, as of June 1, 4,659 in
dividuals were waiting for livers.
So Mantle gets another
chance at life before those 4,659
people who have been waiting
quite awhile do.
I realize that blood type also
has something to do with that
waiting list; after all, the liver has
to be compatible with the person
who is going to receive it.
However, I seriously doubt
that there is not someone else out
there with Mantle’s same blood
type who has been waiting longer
than he did.
I have to question the morality
that would let something like this
happen. I know this time is not
the first, nor will it be the last,
that a “personality” gains from
their power and achievements.
Maybe Mantle deserves a little
extra attention because he has ac
complished so much, but why
should he gain at someone else’s
expense?
Why does he deserve to live
when others are dying for lack o :
an organ just because everyone
knows who he is?
Mantle has already made his
mark on the world, he has ac
complished what most people
never will. Mantle is 63 years
old and he has lived a great
life, but what about the chil
dren who haven’t even had a
chance yet?
Who gets to say that the chil
dren have to wait while Mickey
Mantle doesn’t?
Who gets to tell these children
and their parents that Mickey
Mantle took their second chance
at life away?
Mantle has done so much al
ready, the “Baseball Hall of
Earners” of tomorrow should get
their chance, too. But I suppose
the word “fair” is not in America’s
vocabulary.
I hope Mantle enjoys his new
liver as much as the no-name per
son who had been waiting for
months would have enjoyed it.
Julie Thomas is a junior
accounting major
TTme Battalion
Editorial Staff
Jay Robbins, editor in Chief
Rob Clark, Managing Editor
Sterling Hayman, Opinion editor
GRETCHEN PERRENOT, City Editor
JODY Holley, Night News Editor
STACY Stanton, Night News Editor
MICHAEL LANDAUER, Aggielife Editor
Nick GeorGANDIS, Sports Editor
Stew Milne, photo Editor
Staff Members
City Desk - Assistant Editor: Eleanor Colvin; Re
porters: Katherine Arnold, Javier Hinojosa,
Scott McMahan, Jill Saunders, Michael Sim
mons, Wes Swift & Tara Wilkinson
Aggielife Desk - Feature Writers: Kristen Adams,
Amy Collier & Libe Goad; Columnist: Amy
Uptmor
Sportswriters - David Winder and Lee Wright
Opinion Desk — Assistant Editor: Kyle Littlefield;
Columnists: Elizabeth Preston, Frank Stan
ford & David Taylor; Contributing Colum
nists: Justin Barnett, Margaret Gordon, Alex
Miller, Chris Stidvent & Mark Zane; Editori
al Writers: Jason Brown & Alex Walters;
Editorial Cartoonists: Brad Graeber &
George Nasr
Photographers — Mike Friend, Roger Hsieh, Nick
Rodnicki & Eddy Wylie
Page Designers — News: Kristin DeLuca & Kristen
DeRocha; Sports: Robin Greathouse; Ag
gielife: Stew Milne
Copy Editors - Rob Clark & Sterling Hayman
Graphic Artists — Toon Boonyavanich & Melissa
Oldham
Strip Cartoonists — Valerie Myers & Quatro Oakley
Office Staff — Office Manager: Julie Thomas;
Clerks: Wendy Crockett & Heather Harris
News: The Battalion news department is managed by
students at Texas A&M University in the Divi
sion of Student Publications, a unit of the De
partment of Journalism.
News offices are in 01 3 Reed McDonald Building.
Newsroom hours:
Sunday, 2 p.m. to 1 0 p.m.
Monday — Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647
E-mail: Batt@tamvm1.tamu.edu
The Battalion Online: The Battalion offers photos
and the day's headlines on the worldwide
web. Web Site: http://128.194.30.84
Advertising: Publication of advertising does not im
ply sponsorship or endorsement by The Bat
talion. For campus, local and national dis
play advertising, call 845-2696. For classi
fied advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising
offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and of
fice hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday
through Friday. Fax: 845-2678.
Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles
each Texas A&M student to pick up a single
copy of The Battalion. Mail subscriptions are
$20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50
per full year. To charge by VISA, MasterCard,
Discover or American Express, call 845-2611.
The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily,
Monday through Friday during the fall and spring
semesters and Monday through Thursday during the
summer sessions/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.