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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1998)
t MP»"’"'i Hk MS The Battalion Nation Disk in one ROBERT MCKAY/The Battalion Ftank Aragon, a junior speech communication major, putts on the disc golf course at Research Park Thursday afternoon. GOP expects only modest gain among Hispanics from Puerto Rico vote WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans hope for modest gain from legislation to give Puerto Ricans a chance for political self-determination, but a promi nent GOP polling firm warned in advance it could take “several years if not a generation” to add sub stantially to current support. “A majority of Hispanics have come to believe that Republicans would rather have an America that did not include them,” pollsters Ed Goeas and William Stewart wrote in a survey of the political landscape distributed Wednesday to the GOP rank and file. “Hispanics in this country hold many of the same virtues and values as Republicans, but they continue to feel alienated by what they charac terize as close-mindedness on the part of Republicans in their ap proach to governing,” particularly on immigration, they wrote. Legislation giving Puerto Ricans the right to vote on their political fu ture cleared the House Wednesday night on a roll call of 209-208, large ly on the strength of Democratic votes. The proposal drew 80 percent support in polling among Hispanics in the GOP survey, but Republican backing in the House melted away af ter lawmakers rejected a proposal to declare English as the nation’s official language. “The Republicans are definitely fixed in the sense that they brought it up,” said Carlos Romero-Barcelo, Puerto Rico’s Democratic nonvoting resident commis sioner in the House, said Thursday. “However, the vote yesterday didn’t help the Republicans.” Whatever the political fallout from the measure, the vote occurred at a time when Republicans are strug gling to build support among Hispanics, a rapidly growing segment of the population. “The ability of the GOP to sustain a majority into the next century hinges on its appeal to Hispanics,” con sultant Ralph Reed argued in a recent memo. He not ed that Hispanics are poised to replace blacks in 2005 as the nation’s largest minority voting bloc. “Both parties are desperately trying to win over the Hispanic vote,” said Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y. “1 don’t know that they agree on anything else.” Polling data suggest Hispanic support for Republi can candidates declined in 1996 from 1994, when the GOP controlled both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years. And Goeas’ survey reported that in a recent poll, 52 percent of Hispanics indicated sup port for a generic Democratic can didate, compared with 32 percent for a generic Republican. There was no organized cam paign by the GOP leadership to line up votes for the Puerto Rican bill and no suggestion that by itself, the issue could alter attitudes held by Hispanic voters. Some rank-and-file Republicans grumbled that the measure was brought to the floor only to appease well-connected lobbyists and un- derscored that the GOP as yet has no election-year legislation to bring to a vote. Still, House Speaker Newt Gingrich has talked fre quently with other lawmakers about Republican out reach to minority voters. And one GOP source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the speaker told an au dience as recently as last weekend that bringing the Rier- to Rico bill up for a vote was desirable as part of an effort to present a gentler Republican face to I lispanics. In a brief interview, Gingrich said he arranged for a vote on the bill because every Republican platform for decades has proclaimed support for Puerto Rican self- determination, and the measure came out of a House committee on a 44-1 vote. “In the long run we’re going to get the Hispanic vote because we stand for lower tax es, smaller government” and other core Republican be liefs, he said. “Both parties are desperately trying to win over the Hispanic vote.” Jose Serrano Democrat - N.Y. Replant Continued from Page 1 Replant committee members have also formed partnerships with local elementary schools this year. They have given presentations to the children about the environment and will return next month to plant trees at the schools, Hamelers said. “We wanted to reach out and ed ucate the community in addition to the student body about the impor tance of trees and how to plant them,” Arriens said. Hamelers said Replant members are enthusiastic about the new community involvement. “It’s always been our goal to give back to Bryan-College Station, but it’s been easier to use the Lake Somerville site (for the planting),” she said. Members of the Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Somerville assist Replant by caring for trees during the year and providing the tree compound where the seedling trees grow, Arriens said. They also choose the specific site for the planting. This year, the reforestation site is near a Boy Scout camp. “We’ve found a wonderful place for Replant where the trees are pro tected and appreciated,” Adair said. “We have a good relationship with the folks at Lake Somerville.” Almost all the trees planted are donated, Arriens said. The Nation al Tree Trust sponsored by Texaco has donated almost 90,000 trees in the past six years and has given grants to buy pots and shovels. Ar riens said this year’s trees will in clude crepe myrtles, sawtooth oaks and bald cypresses. Replant was founded in 1990 by Scott Hantman, then chair of Stu dent Government’s Environmental Issues Committee. “He wanted a way for A&M to give back to the earth and counter act the environmental effects of Bonfire,” Arriens said. "It wasn’t an anti-Bonfire message at all. In fact, some of the redpots helped him with the idea.” Arriens said students can still sign up today to participate in Re plant. Sign-up forms are in 127 Koldus and at the Replant web site, http://stuact.tamu.edu/stuorgs/re- plant. Hamelers said Replant will happen tomorrow, rain or shine. Replant will have an informa tion table in the MSC today as part of Bonfire/Replant Tradi tions Day sponsored by the Tradi tions Council. Iriday • Ma r( Candidi owe pi due t; VICTORIA (AP) one-fifth of the can; Matagorda Count) Tuesday’s primaryow property taxes indht. their businesses, T/ie Victoria Adit ed Thursday that sev; candidates owe ir $69,000 in unpaid school taxes, includir and interest. Ami Matagorda * collector Bill Wigint; does not have muc: 1 ! with that. “I don’t care who should pay your i cially if you're goir fice.” he said. Wiginton, whoseo 98 percent collectkl county property taxe I number of candidatel tax bills "very unusua.1 The single largest j cy is $41,103 owed h i a chemical company Republican countyjuf date Hill Winfrey Jr. “It’s corporatetais sonal taxes. My own 1 paid.” Winfrey told: care. “I have threeh:{ three lots, and rmpj.:J of them.” County records shrj sonal property taxesa.1 Winfrey is prejl Verichem but saidhei about 40 percentofth: and that two partnerPK chusetts own the rest In a five-way Dem ini one n! the count e I sioner seats, three cartel their businesses are d 'rtv taxes. n Natividad "Nat"lx (I who owes $3,007 datir fe said he was unaware! I m\ i .i\ti iii .i mu’ °j owned in 1988-89. olj Hi Wd ou're invited to Spring Preview March 19-20 at a > y d al on thl at n’t! George W. Truett Theological Seminary Baylor University CHALLENGE THE MIND NURTURE THE SOUL CELEBRATE THE 'ey; 11 thl e B You’re invited to discover more about Truett Seminary, a community of faith that is redefining the task of preparing leaders for ministry. Meet current students, attend classes, have lunch with the University president, explore the various concentrations, and find out about financial aid Lodging and meals are on us. The preview begins at 5 p.m. March 19. For more information or to register, call Matt Cook at l-SOO'Baylor'U or e-mail him at Matthew_Cook@baylor.edu.
