Y
STATE
■Thursday, January 27, 2(XX)
THE BATTALION
Page 7
I hursday, Jam
$1 billion state use tax may be
eliminated for individuals
AUSTIN (AP>—A spat between the
tate comptroller and land commission-
r points out a problem with the state’s
jse tax. Sen. Tom I lay wood says.
Haywood, R-Wichita Falls, on
Wednesday said he was beginning to
Ira It legislation that would eliminate the
ise tax on individuals.
“By eliminating this tax, I hope to
land over a little more freedom to the
beople of Texas, along with their hard-
lamed tax dollars,” he said.
Similar to the state sales tax, the use
|ax is levied on purchases made outside
:xas. When the Legislature passed it
ong with the sales tax in 1961, the use
Jax was aimed at keeping in-state retail
ors from suffering a competitive disad-
lantagc.
Mark Sanders, spokesman for the
comptroller, said state law prohibits of
ficials from discussing Dewhurst’s case.
The Dallas Morning News reported that
the tax could apply to hundreds of thou
sands of dollars worth of furniture, art
and other items Dewhurst and his wife
bought overseas.
Haywood said he agrees the tax
shouldn't apply to individuals.
“Comptroller Rylander was correct
in her actions to collect any taxes that
might be owed to our state, but my posi
tion is that we should not be collecting
this type of tax in the first place and I will
continue working to keep government
out of our wallets,” 1 lay wood said.
The use tax allows collection of up to
8.25 percent in taxes on any purchases
made outside of Texas. This includes
goods purchased via the Internet, by mail
Hff
Pistrict court judges
prohibit cell phones
ROBERT HYNECOa-
jp d»ocy.
ns rases
"So wen?
Miller sud that i!x
and highly poputo
[he aquifer savings
ng of mainly pa®
demand than tan?
&M Careet
le Business
Council
nt...
king
Prizes
DENTON, Texas (AP) — Walking
into Judge Philip Vick's courtroom
Hressed in shorts isn't such a good idea
H- but it might be worse to have a cell
Hhone go off in your shirt pocket.
I Vick, who presides over the 158th
E>istrict Court, leads Denton County
judges for the number of contempt
charges slapped on people for pagers or
cell phones ringing in his courtroom.
I During the last two years, he has is
sued 25 contempt of court citations for
the offense and recipients have to im
mediately pay the district court clerk
$100 or be thrown in jail.
I Six of the 25 contempt of court
charges initiated by Judge Vick have
been against
lawyers.
I Vick told
The Dallas
Morning
News it’s all
about deco-
num — and
not distracting
from the fo
cus of a case.
■ “It’s the
same as a
lawyer
putting his
feet on the
table or coming to court in a pair of
shorts,” the judge said.
1 How cell phones manage to make
their way into Vick’s courtroom have to
do with security checks, which have
been reduced.
1 Federal courthouses protections are
stringently upheld, but county and
state courthouses have differing poli
cies, sometimes leaving it up to the
discretion of the judge, according to
The News.
H That means the problem isn’t just
confined to Vick’s courtroom.
I In Rockwall County, Judy Perser,
the 382nd District Court administrator,
said everyone is asked to turn off cell
phones and set pagers to vibrate before
entering court.
LASER HAIR REMOVAL
Dallas County officials say cell
phone use during jury orientation is a
continual problem, but it hasn’t drawn
fines yet.
Potential jurors are notified during
the selection process of the need to si
lence their handsets and pagers in ori
entation films, by jury service person
nel and by posted notices.
Public and governmental frustration
with cell phones has been on the up
swing since a 1997 study in the New
England Journal of Medicine found that
talking on a handset while driving
quadrupled the risk of an accident and
was almost as dangerous as being
drunk behind the wheel.
In De
cember,
Hilltown,
Pa., officials
reacted to
the death of
a 2-year-old
girl in a traf
fic accident
by passing a
measure
prohibiting
motorists
from using
handheld
cell phones
while on the road.
The ordinance was similar to one in
the Cleveland suburb of Brooklyn,
Ohio, which is believed to be the first
of its kind in the nation.
Ililltown’s measure prohibits mo
torists from driving in the township
while using a mobile phone unless
they keep both hands on the steering
wheel.
Although other Texas counties
haven’t started to impose penalties, the
harsh punishment Vick imposes for
pesky cell phones has caught the eye of
others.
“The other judges tell me that when
a phone rings or a pager beeps in their
courtrooms, people dive to shut them
off,” Vick said.
“It [a ringing cell
phone] is the same as a
lawyer putting his feet
on the table or coming
to court in a pair of
shorts."
— judge Philip Vick
1 58th District Court
order from catalogs without Texas of
fices, or in other states or countries.
The comptroller’s office says the tax
generates about $ 1 bi 1 lion a year for state
government, most of which is paid by
businesses.
Besides the tax questions, the issue
has set up a potential political face-off
between two Republican officeholders
who could run for lieutenant governor in
2002 — should Gov. George W. Bush
win the White House and current Lt.
Gov. Rick Perry move up. Both Ms. Ry
lander and Dewhurst are in their first
terms in their present posts.
Haywood said his position on elimi
nating the tax wasn’t influenced by the
personalities involved. “Their conflict
just identified another tax to target,” the
lawmaker said.
Prison guards
face bribery-
drug charges
G( )L1AD, Texas (AP)—Four state
prison guards Lice felony bribery
charges after agreeing to launder sup
posed drug money for inmates, author
ities said.
The arrests on Monday were the re
sult ol'an undercover sting by the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice Inter
nal Affairs Office and the Goliad Coun
ty’ Sheriff's Office, prison system
spokesman Larry’ Todd said.
Three of the suspects. Eliseo Mar
line/, 29, his wife, Kimberly Marline/.,
23, and brother-in-law, Ronald Belch
er. 24. were guards at the McConnell
Unit in Beeville about 40 miles north
west of Corpus C'hristi. The fourth was
Mark Valdez, 31, a guard at the nearby
Garza West Unit.
Todd said the arrests were not con
nected with recent troubles at the Mc
Connell Unit, where a guard was
stabbed to death on Dec. 17 and an up
rising involving 80 inmates was quelled
three days later.
I nvestigators developed the case for
several weeks after receiving informa
tion about activities by “free-world in
dividuals along with the people at the
prison,” Todd said.
The Martinezes and Belcher were
arrested at 1:25 p.m. in an undisclosed,
public location in Goliad. 25 miles west
of Victoria, after Eliseo Martinez took
a package containing what he believed
to be $60,000, Todd said.
Martinez understood he was to laun
der $50,000 for an inmate and keep
$10,000 for himself, Todd said.
All four suspects are charged with
bribery, a second-degree felony pun
ishable by up to 20 years in prison and
a maximum $ 10,000 fine. Martinez and
Belcher are free on $20,000 bond each.
Valdez remained in the Bee County
Jail Monday. His bond was set at
$30,000.
Todd said both of the Martinezes
have resigned from their jobs. Belcher
and Valdez remain employed, he said.
The Battalion
Online
offers access to
news from
The Associated Press
The WIRE provides continuously
updated news coverage from one
of the world’s oldest, largest news
services via The Battalion's web
page.
■ A comprehensive, up-to the-minule news report combining
the latesl AP stories with photos, graphics, sound and video.
■ Headlines and bulletins delivered as soon as news breaks.
• H.S., World, Business, Sports, Science, technology, Weather,
Arts, and Special Sections.
http://battalion.tamu.edu
www.4.OandGo.com or call @ 696-8886(TUTOR)
Acct 230
Fine 341
Coming Next
Week,
Check
Tomorrow's
Batt
(iiiancial
Statement
Wed Jan 26
•Spin-1 1 pm
I'ari 1
Mon Jan 31
7pni-9pin
Acct 209
Test review
Kinuncia!
Statement
Thu Jan 27
6p«n-9pm
Part tl
TueIeb I
7pru-9pm
Acct 210
I'est Review
Remember-Super
Bowl Is on Sunday, &
Statement is due on
Mondayttl
Part III
Wed Feb 2
7pm-9pin
Wet 229
Test Ke> icw
PartJV
I hu l- eb 3
7pm-9pm
Acct 230
Test Review
Tickets go on sale Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
4.0 & Go is located on the comer of SW Pkwy and T* Ave, behind KFC next to Lack’s.
Check our web page at httpV/www.4.0andGo.com
Texas A&M University
Buck Weirus Spirit Award
1999-2000
Proudly supported by
The Association
OF FORMER STUDENTS
/ / l4' o/epy They Aggie; Netukydc/
Buck Weirus Spirit Award Applications
are now available for undergraduate and graduate students at
the following locations:
Presidents Office, 8' 1 ’ Floor Rudder
The Association of Former Students Reception Desk
Vice President for Student Affairs, 10 lh Floor Rudder
Office of the Dean of each College
Office of Graduate Studies
Student Activities Office, Suite 125 Koldus Building
Multicultural Services Department, Suite 137 MSC
Commandants Office, 102 Military Sciences
MSC Student Programs Office, 216 & 223 MSC
This award recognizes students for their outstanding contributions to the
quality of student life programs at Texas A&M and honors Richard “Buck''
Weirus ‘42 whose dedication and leadership established this award to promote
the success of our students in “the other education’’ while completing their
academic education.
An application workshop is being held on Thursday, January 27, 2000, in
501 Rudder, at 7:00 p.m. Questions regarding application completion may
be directed to Sandy Briers (862-1973).
Applications are due by 5 p.m., Tuesday, February 8th, 2000, at the Clayton
Williams Alumni Center Reception Desk.
Rockin’ with the Stones!
SHIRTS OR SKINS.
TIRED of covering
f up nasty back hair at
r the beach?
The right solution is losei'
hainvmovd
But which laser is kst?
We offerJwir removal with a
Cynosure, laser because they’re tire
company who pioneered the TBS'" lasing
mohixi — thesafet more effective ftsei
Check it our. And play to.win.
The civilized method of hair removal
JAMES N. CHILDS, M.D. 79
MARIA V. CHILDS, M.D.
I BOARD certified dermatologists
BY APPOIN TMENT!
696-4444
1605 ROCK PRARIE RD.
SUITE 312
COLLEGE STATION, TX 77845
© 1999 CYNOSURE INC.
ast year, an innovative band of percussionists wowed audiences across the world
when they opened for the Rolling Stones! They are The Drummers of West Africa.
And thanks to MSC Town Hall, their next stop is Rudder Auditorium.
The Drummers
of West Africa
Direct from Dakar, Senegal
The Drummers of West Africa
Doudou N’Diaye Rose, Artistic Director
Company of 35
Saturday, January 29 at 3:00 PM • Rudder Auditorium
Tickets available now! Call 845-1234
Presented by
MSC Town Hall
imimiimioiiimiiiiis:iiHii
HfllllNIIIIIMIIIIINIlllfMIIIIINIIIIIMlTlTlMTrnTN