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.