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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1997)
The Battalion U Hi i> il 1 Hi r llivr Monday • March 31, finance battle brews in Austin SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Spurs want a new home. So do the Mavericks. And the Stars. And the Rockets. The Astros are getting one. The Oilers are leaving Texas because they did not. Professional sports franchises across the state insist they need new lucrative stadiums to stay competitive in the big leagues. But they do not want to foot the bill alone. They want your help. State legislation under consid eration would make it easier for communities to offer public sub sidies for stadiums through local sales taxes and other fees. Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock has called the proposals “corporate welfare.” “It offends me, to be honest about it, that wed be putting millions and millions of dollars into a sports arena for people that are tremendously wealthy and own these franchises,” Bullock said. He suggested sports teams sell stock in the clubs instead of seeking ► This day in history Today is Monday, March 31, the 90th day of 1997. There are 275 days left in the year. On this date: On March 31,1889, French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel unfurled the French tricolor atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris, officially marking its completion. In 1917, the United States took possession of the Vir gin Islands, which it had purchased from Denmark. In 1932, Ford Motor Co. publicly unveiled its V-8 engine. In 1943, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Okla homa!” opened on Broadway. In 1945, the Tennessee Williams play “The Glass Menagerie” premiered on Broadway. In 1968, President Johnson stunned the country by an nouncing he would not run for another term of office. In 1976, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that coma patient Karen Anne Quinlan could be disconnected from her respirator. (Quinlan, who remained comatose, died in 1985.) money through local governments. A number of Texans have cheered on the lieutenant governor. “Maybe there is a chance for common sense to prevail after all,” a letter to the editor in the San Antonio Express- News said. “Congratulations to Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock for his stand on sport in Texas,” a letter to the Austin Ameri- can-Statesman said. “If math and science got the same attention as football and cheerleaders, Amer ican students would not perform as poorly internationally as was recently reported.” Backers of the legislation have been hesitant to fire back at Bullock. “I don’t want to get into a fight with the governor of Texas, as I think he’s referred to,” said Jack Diller, president of the San Anto nio Spurs basketball franchise. Still, the Spurs and other Bullock sports executives, along with sev eral big-city mayors, have spoken out in favor of legislation allow ing local choice for sta dium financing. Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk and Houston Mayor Bob Lanier were among those testifying before the House Business and In dustry Committee in support of a bill spon sored by committee chairman Rep. Kim Brimer, R-Arlington. The bill does not al low for the use of any state mon ey but gives cities and counties a “buffet-style menu of finance mechanisms,” said Mance Bow den, Brimer’s legislative director. Among the finance methods are a half-cent sales tax increase and fees on car rentals, hotel rooms and parking and tickets to events at the new facility. An amendment to the bill ex pected to be considered this In 1986,167 people died when a Mexicana Airlines Boeing 727 crashed in a remote mountainous region of Mexico. In 1995, Mexican-American singer Selena, 23, was shot to death in Corpus Christi, Texas, by the founder of her fan club (Yolanda Saldivar was convicted of murder and sen tenced to life in prison). Today's birthdays Today’s Birthdays: Actor Richard Kiley is 75. Actor William Daniels is 70. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Gordie Howe is 69. Ac tress Shirley Jones is 63. Country singer-songwriter John D. Loudermilk is 63. Actor Richard Chamberlain is 62. Musi cian Herb Alpert is 62. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is 57. Ac tor Christopher Walken is 54. Comedian Gabe Kaplan is 52. Vice President Al Gore is 49. Actress Rhea Perlman is 49. Actor Ed Marinaro is 47. week also would allow facilities such as concert halls or museums to be built. Brimer’s bill would apply to communities of all sizes. On Wednesday, the Texas Senate approved bills allowing most com munities to vote to raise taxes to build or renovate sports stadiums. One of the Senate bills, spon sored by Sen. Frank Madia, D-San Antonio, would let communities with populations of 1.5 million or smaller vote to raise stadium con struction money by increasing car rental taxes up to 10 percent; adding a $1 fee to event tickets at the facility; and charging an addi tional 50-cent parking fee. The bill appears tailor-made for the Spurs. The franchise wants to move out of the Alamodome and into a smaller arena with revenue-pro ducing luxury suites. The cost of such a facility could range from $75 million to $125 million. Weather Today Catnp us Nation Regents approve fee increases for fall Fee increases will go into effect in Fall 1997 after being approved by the Texas A&M University Sys tem Board of Regents Thursday. Students will see increases in tuition, the Student Services Fee and the Computer Fee. The Stu dent Center and Library fees also will increase in the fall. The Board also approved the on-campus child care center pro gram requirements and selected an architect and engineer for the proposed center. The center will be constructed on a site in the University Apart ment Complex, near the intersec tion of University Drive and South College Avenue. The University will provide close to $1 million in start-up costs for the center, which will operate on its own funds. The Board approved a contrac tor for the completion of Olsen Road on West Campus. Tonight Lawmakers firedu about forest plan WASHINGTON (AP)-Srote : made a career of stompingai! so it might seem odd to think; Forest Service setting trees alfe Not everybody is happji Clinton administration plans: crease so-called prescribed: ing from 750,000 acres ini? 1.3 million acres nextyearti overstocked national foresl dead and dying timber. Rep. Bob Smith, R-0re.,( man of the House Agriculture mittee, sees "a lot of hidderi lems in prescribed burninfB'» e | prefers salvage logging toe ••pi est floors of tinder instead. ■ e | "People will always rra-ftt. | judgments. Nobody can prec*^ weather," said Smith, «iB bs I about blazes getting out of W c Forest Service Chief Byi Dombeck agreed, telling la®* 1 ! ers fire must be treated*®- e l spect. "There isn’t a burn® 11 * not dangerous." thr I pla [ feij £■ Tomorrow Highs & Lowi Partly cloudy with east winds at 5-10 mph. Partly cloudy with east winds at 5-10 mph. Increasing cloudiness with gusty winds. 60 per cent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Today’s Expected 69°F | Ionian's HxpecH 52°F li c ' Tomorrow’s Expeif High 68°F Tomorrow Nigh'!' Expected Low j 60°F Information courtesy ofTAMSl You can ALWAYS retake a class . . . But you can NEVER r e I i v e •Ti Sigma Chi SORORITY SKIT NIGHT Presents: featuring SUPER TYRONE APRIL 4,1997 at HURRICANE HARRY’S Skits Start at 5:30 Proceeds Benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Advance tickets may be purchased at Marooned Records & Rother’s Henio ATTENTION ON-CAMPUS RESIDENTS The deadline to cancel your housing contract for Fall 1997 and Spring 1998 and receive a $200 (100%) deposit refund is: APRIL 1 by 5:00 P.M. I Cancellation forms can be filled out in lOE YMCA. Letters of cancellation can be faxed (409)'862-3122) or mailed to the Housing Assignments Office 101 YMCA Building College Station, TX. 77843-1258 (409) 845-4744 Deadlines to receive a portion of your deposit: April 2 - May 1 $150 (75%) May 2 - May 15 $100 (50%) May 16 - June 1 $50 (25%) After June 1 Deposited forfeited utoring 725B University Drive FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 31 - APRIL 3 SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING MON TUBS WED THUR Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 CHEM 5-7 CH CH CH CH 107 PM 10 11 12 13 CHEM 7-9 CH CH CH PRAC 101 PM 10 11 12 TEST CHEM 102 TANG/ WOLF 9-1 1 PM CH 20 CH 21A CH 21 B PRAC TEST TANG/WOLF RHYS 11PM- CH CH CH CH 218 1AM 9 10,11 12 13 MON Mar 31 TUBS Apr 1 WED Apr 2 RHYS 6-9 CH CH PRAC 208 PM 30,31 32,33 TEST RHYS 9-12 CH CH PRAC 208 PM 30,31 32.33 TEST BUSINESS NOTE: ACCT 230 WILL BEGIN SUNDAY APRIL 6 MON Mar 31 TUBS Apr 1 WED Apr 2 THUR Apr 3 ACCT 5-7 CH 9 CH CH CH 12 229 PM 10 1 1 &REVIEW FINC 341 7-9 PM PART I PART II PART III PART IV FINC 341 9-11 PM PART i PART II PART III PART IV /MSG GREAT ISSUES) Presents: Social /^security and Mediscare: An Economics Perspective With panelists from the Department of Economics Tuesday, April 1st 8:30 P.M. axz ix. Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 to inform us of your special needs. \ request notification three (3) working days prior to the event to enable us to assisllj to the best of our abilities. The Battalion Rachel Barry, Edtor in Chief Tiffany Moore, Managing Editor | I Kristina Buffin, Sports Editor Wesley Poston, City Ed[ior Stew Milne, Visual Arts Editor Alex Walters, Opinion Edik* John LeBas, Aggielife Editor Chris Stevens, Web EDiton Jody Holley, Night News Editor Tim Moog, Photo Editor Helen Cuncy, Night News Editor Brad Graeber, Cartoon Edi®| Staff Members City Desk - Assistant Editor: Melissa Nunnery; Reporters: Rebecca Torrellas, Brandon Hausenfluck, Kevin Cuirmcfl Oliveira, Erica Roy, Graham Harvey, JoAnne Whittemore, Jackie Vratil, Benjamin Cheng, Shikonya Cureton.Joej ] Schlueter, Kathleen Strickland, Marissa Alanis & Shea Wiggins Aggieufe Desk - Assistant Editor: April Towery; Feature Writers: Aaron Meier, Shea Wiggins, Michael Schaub.DapM ■ Phillips, Brandon Truitt, Missy Price, & Karen Janes; Page Designers: Artie Alvarado & Daphne Phillips Sports Desk - Assistant Editor: Paul Mitchell; Writers: Jamie Burch, Sara Duesing, Jeremy Furtick, Matt MitclieHC^j Lyons, Dennis Ramirez, Chris Ferrell, Lara Zuehlke & Nicole Smith; Page Designer: Eric Proctor Opinion Desk - Assistant Editor: James Francis; Columnists: Jon Apgar, David Boldt, Mason Jackson, Stephen Uano,**| Hill, Steve May, Donny Ferguson, Kate Shropshire, Dave Johnston, Glenn Janik, General Franklin, RobbyRay,W*| Phillips, John Lemmons, Brandon Hausenfluck, Travis Chow & Jeremy Valdez Night News - Page Designers: Jennifer Bishop, Angie Rodgers, Joshua Miller, Lisa Wells & Michele Chancellor Copt EonoRs - Elisa Douglass, Missy Davila, Shea Wiggins, Gina Panzica & Matt Weber Visual Arts Desk - Assistant Photo Editor: Dave House; Photographers: Rony Angkriwan, Patrick James, Derek DenW I Robert McKay, Ryan Rogers & Amy Dunlap; Graphic Artists: Jennifer Maki, James Palmer & James Vineyard;^ isrs: Michael Depot, Chad Mallam, David Hoffman, John Lemons, Ed Goodwin & Quatro Oakley Webmasters - Dusty Moer, Sara Candy, David Friesenhahn & Daniel Holwerda News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of StudentP#! cations, a unit of the Department of Journalism. News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom?^ 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647; E-mail: Batt@tamvml.tamu.edu; Internet Address: http://bat-web.tamu.edu. Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. ForcaM#] cal and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertisii'8 1 ’ 1 ] are in 015 Reed McDonald, and office 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 ofRit ^ ion. Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To charge by Visa,* Card, Discover or American Express, call 845-2611. The Battalion (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesteis^l Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) 3tT(@s*j| University. 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