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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1995)
A Sc ]V1 .1 1 rRADITION REALITY I UNLIKELY RETURN Stidvent: The drunkenness of Bonfire and the messiness of Elephant Walk are a part of the tradition. The first new Beatles song in over 20 years was played on ABC during a two-hour TV special last night. Rami. 1 Louis; Ange- Blowout Leeland McElroy led the Aggies on to a 56-14 win over MTSU Saturday. Sports, Page 7 Monday • November 20, 1995 overnment reopens after budget standoff □ The White House and GOP congressional leaders claimed victory after Clinton signed a J continuing resolution Sunday. I WASHINGTON (AP) — The Clinton k ■dministration and Republican congres sional leaders ended a six-day budget standoff Sunday night, sending federal employees back to work after the White ;bouse committed to speedy negotiations to balance the budget in seven years. “Tomorrow the government will go lack to work and now the debate will be- jin in earnest,” President Clinton said, appearing in the White House press room ■ shortly after the deal was announced. By voice votes, the Senate and House adopted identical one-day measures to reopen the government. The Senate ap proved a bill funding the government through Dec. 15 and the House planned to follow on Monday. President Clinton signed the continu ing resolution at 10:10 p.m. The 24-hour measure “permits all government em ployees to return to work tomorrow,” White House spokesman Jim Fetig said. Both sides declared victory — Repub licans because the deal reflected their seven-year timetable and Clinton be cause it spoke of protecting programs he considers important. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said, “I hope in the next three or four weeks we will produce a balanced budget with the president on board.” In the four-week spending bill, the White House and Republicans agreed the balanced budget legislation would “protect future generations, secure Medicare solvency, reform welfare, pro vide adequate funding for Medicaid, ed ucation, agriculture, national defense, veterans and the environment.” The bill does not, as the White House had sought, raise the government’s $4.9 trillion borrowing ceiling. However, pri vate experts agree the Treasury Depart ment can avoid the ceiling for months by tapping retirement trust funds set aside for the civil service. Sunday’s agreement followed a long day of negotiating against a backdrop of restlessness among federal employees and the public. Forty percent of the fed eral work force — nearly 800,000 em ployees — have been on furlough. In a compromise that was key to the agreement, the two sides said the Con gressional Budget Office will measure whether or not any eventual budget deal eliminates deficits, but only after con sulting with the White House and other government and private economists. The argument over whose technical and economic assumptions are used is important because the White House budget office’s forecast would permit nearly $500 billion more in spending over seven years than the congressional office’s prediction. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R- Kan., and House Speaker Newt Gin grich, R-Ga., and their chief deputies held a news conference where they were barely able to contain their euphoria. “All I can say is, ‘Yes!’” House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich, said, thrusting two clenched fists in the air. Republicans credited Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., for the CBO compromise that proved key to the agreement. A reporter asked Dole, “Who blinked?” He responded with two words and a smile, “Seven years.” But Clinton said the agreement “rep resents the first sign of their (Republi cans’) willingness to move forward with out forcing unacceptable cuts ... on the American people.” Senate Democratic Leader Thomas Daschle and the White House chief of staff, Leon Panetta, said the Democrats would be able to protect Medicare, Med icaid, education, the environment and a tax credit for working poor families. Clinton said he would veto a seven-year budget that failed to provide protections in these areas. “It preserves all of our options,” Daschle, D-S.D., said of the agreement. d 24 secu- lints e of th a cnee, sday 17.5 [Physical Plant to review existing bampus recycling the flve □ The president of Aggies for a Clean Tomorrow says A&M could take tips from a UT campaign. and d 12 each half, over way Hor- irst- By Lisa Johnson f he Battalion I During the next year, the Texas A&M Physical Plant, under the di rection of new vice president Charles A. Sippial, will commission a de tailed study of the existing campus recycling program and appoint a jame ^ 1D jjlampus recycling coordinator. jbi ‘H j n ar) p ff nr f f n imnrnvp re antes loser V vith aake cro in 1 iU *eali- ns ame x u b« R1 In an effort to improve recy cling efforts on campus, a recycling hotline has een instituted at 845- RRR to answer any recycling questions , that students and faculty members may have. Ron Fontenot, maintenance fore man and head of the Physical Plant Depart ment of Solid Waste g 0 IManagement, said the iPhysical Plant is becoming in got- creasingly involved with on-campus recycling efforts. k “We are now recycling paper, aluminum and some cardboard,” P'ontenot said. “Currently, we are also accepting old telephone books to be recycled. With the participa- jg to tion of the Physical Plant in the re cycling efforts, the programs on campus are definitely growing.” | Fontenot said he hopes the Uni- ersity will soon receive help from a Dallas-based recycling program to increase the amount of card board salvage. The Dallas pro gram’s aid will decrease the amount of cardboard that ends up in landfills and is contaminated. Cassandra DeLarios, a junior ge ography major, president of the Ag gies for a Clean Tomorrow and chairwoman of the Student Govern ment Environmental Issues Com mittee, serves as a liaison between the Physical Plant recycling efforts and those of A&M students. DeLar ios said the University currently recycles only 10 percent of its recy- cleable paper, 400 of 4,000 recy- cleable tons each year. One campaign the Uni- versity could benefit from, DeLarios said, is the example set by the University of Texas at Austin’s “Any thing That Tears” campaign. In the 7? campaign, UT has 5 taken out a contract with the Balcones company to recycle its paper waste products. GtA$5> “[UT’s] program has a strong commitment from the president of the university and has been very successful in the first year of its contract with Balcones despite mediocre support from stu dents,” she said. “In the same year, A&M’s recy cling program didn’t break even, al though the state is of the opinion that we have a better program in view of the support from our student body.” See Recycling, Page 2 Stew Milne, The Battalion Picture perfect Steven Bailey, a freshman cadet in Company F-2 and a parks and recreation major, wires logs onto Bonfire stack Sunday at sunset. E be )C ity of CS to conduct free energy audits for students Utility Rates: Bryan vs. College Station $85.00 $80.00 $75.00 $70.00 $65.00 College Station Summer Winter Avg. Per Month *All information is based on an average residential use of 1000 kilowatts per hour (kwh) □ The utility office is currently working to compile a list of energy-efficient apartments. By Heather Pace The Battalion Students shocked by the amount of their electric bills can gain relief through services provided by the City of College Station Energy Conservation Division. Donna Stryk, a junior marketing major, was surprised by her first utility bill and has since taken measures to save money. “Our first bill was well over $100, and we just about flipped out,” Stryk said. “Now we don’t use the air conditioning and heating as much.” The Energy Conservation Division will conduct free energy audits to help stu dents choose the most energy-efficient apartments. The utility office can provide students with the billing history of apart ments they are interested in and is cur rently trying to compile a list of energy-ef ficient apartments. Peggy Calliham, College Station public relations and marketing manager, said many students simply look at the base prices of apartments. “Many apartments are frequently not well-insulated and energy-efficient,” Cal liham said. “Students don’t take into con sideration the cost of utilities.” Students who want more control over their utility bills should choose apart ments that do not include utility fees, Cal liham said. “The good thing about paying your own utilities is that you have more control,” she said, “and can make adjustments because you know how much you are spending.” Jackie Turner, College Station cus tomer service representative, said stu dents can save money by paying their bills on time. “Students should pay on or before the due date,” Turner said, “because there is a 10 percent penalty.” Turner said students can take several steps before leaving for Christmas break to bring down utility costs. See Utilities, Page 2 Texas A&M loses Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Gordone, the Texas A&M distinguished English lecturer and the first black playwright to win the Pulitzer Prize, died Saturday of cancer at age 70. Gordone won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for drama for his play No Place To Be Somebody. The playwright’s death ends a 30-year acting, writing and directing career. Gordone moved to College Station in 1988 and taught at A&M until taking a leave of absence last spring. At his wife’s request. University of- ficials would not comment on Gor- done’s death. Gordone is survived by two daugh ters, Judy McGee of Marino Valley, Calif., and Leah-Carla Gordone of New York city; two sons, David Gor done and Stephen Gordon of Glendale, Calif; and nine grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were not im mediately available.