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
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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
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Lyons, Dennis Ramirez, Chris Ferrell, Lara Zuehlke & Nicole Smith; Page Designer: Eric Proctor
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