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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2000)
XF1F f> ;VF:\ * i liJk'i Vi 1: WI THURSDAY March 9, 2000 Volume 106~ Issue 108 10 pages Clinton supports - iftvage hike J.P. BEATO/ThkBmi ; J.P. BEATO/ThkBmi iy Esters rounds s at Arlington. mona n at the “Mo”moriai tig 12 finishers iiut; cersity in second with ;ity of Oklahoma in e University ofNebrai 42. ;stern University upset! ‘P of the medals, com; 33. all the teams really enjo ’ Sutherland said. “We I.” WASHINGTON (AP) — President Clinton rallied Democ- itsto support a higher minimum wage on Wednesday and vowed iveto a Republican plan that would delay the increase and link to$122.7 billion in tax cuts. “IfRepublican leaders send me a bill that makes workers wait 3ianother year for their full pay raise and holds the minimum 'agehostage for risky tax cuts that threaten our prosperity, I'll etoit,” said Clinton, who hosted Cabinet members, labor and mmunity leaders and Democratic lawmakers on the South awn of the White I louse. "It is time to stop nickel and diming American working peo- leout of the money that they need and deserve,” the president aid. “This is just wrong.” "This modest in crease would simply restore the minimum wage to what it was in real dollar terms in 1982." CLINTON The GOP wants to enact a SI increase over three years and iple it with $122.7 billion in tax cuts — a move that resurrects icrtions of the Republicans’ $792 billion tax cut package that nton vetoed last year. Clinton is backing a I )emocratic plan to increase the wage by $ 1 iver just two years. “This modest increase would simply restore the minimum wage what it was in real dollar terms in 1982,” Clinton said. “For a full- ie worker, however, this would mean another $2,000 a year. And you’re on the minimum wage, that’s real money.” House leaders were trying to gauge support Wednesday tnong GOP rank-and-file for the three-year and two-year ver- ions of the minimum wage increase, with votes possible Thurs- lay on both along with the tax package. Some GOP conserva- ives, ledby Rep. Jim DeMint of South Carolina, were pushing or a measure allowing states the option of implementing the iwage increase. C “77i/s whole package shows the di Ificulty you have when you arid forge that middle way," said Rep. Rick La/io, R-N.Y., ilio has been pushing for the tax-and-wage compromise. “The hallengeistofind that delicate balance that will bring people on ward. Part of finding that balance is a modest tax relief package.” Cheryl Costas, a checkout clerk in Colton Alba, Pa., with four bildren and a disabled husband, spoke of her struggle to raise ler family on $5.50 an hour. “I am grateful that you are fighting to raise the minimum wage or families like mine,” she told Clinton. “I know how important (dollar more an hour will be for my husband, my children and ne.And so do you.” Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., sponsor of the Democ- ats’minimum wage bill in the Senate, characterized the conllict is a “women’s issue, because the majority who receive the in base ... are women,” and a “civil rights issue” because many plenties also would benefit. On Capitol Hill, House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R- lexas, said the three-year increase is “the least worst way to do le wrong thing.” He said he did not know if Republicans have ^votes needed to pass it. Despite Clinton’s opposition. House Republicans are forging Jtead with legislation to slash inheritance taxes and cut other tax- for businesses to offset the cost of raising the minimum wage. Republican leaders generally oppose raising the $5.15-an- burminimum wage but are willing to put the question to a House We Thursday to appease GOP moderates who have strong labor ionstituencies and to give conservatives another election-year op- Munity to vote for tax cuts. 'When I grow up’ PATRIC SCHNEIDER/Thk Bai iai ion .Future aggie Olivia Smith, watches the women’s tennis match. Her great grandfather, Omar Smith, was a former tennis coach at Texas A&M. Renovations start in April BY BRADY CREEL The Battalion Ask Aggies what frustrates them most, and traffic and parking are likely responses. But although improvements are in the works, construction projects in College Station are likely to make matters worse before they get better. Wellborn Road, one of the main thoroughfares that runs between main campus and West Campus, will undergo a deep rehabilitation project start ing in April. “It is really just going in there and removing the old pavement and putting in new pavement,” said Pat Williams, area engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation. During daytime working hours, one travel lane will be shut down for con struction. All lanes will be reopened at T eX as Department of Transportation n '8*' l ) t - will be closing Wellborn road during the • ! >at ( r i!™ da V time f° r f our mo^hs this summer to said the Wellborn re p a j r the pavement. The project will be project should take com p| eted jn two p hase s. about four months. “It is going to be during the summer,” said Tom Williams, director of Parking, Traffic, and Transportation services (PTTS). “A student pop ulation of 15,000 is much better than one of 45,000.” Tom Williams said PTTS will provide traffic direction and control if necessary, but he does not expect traffic to be any worse than it was when Texas and University Avenues were under construction. “We are all going to have to get into queue and be patient,” Tom Williams said. The rehabilitation project of Wellborn Road is only one of many construction projects taking place in College Station over the next year. Bob Mosley, city engineer for the City of College Station, said an upgrade to Anderson Street was just completed, and it should provide additional capacity for a north-south How of traffic. "We are trying to get a little better How options so if [drivers] don’t have Texas Avenue, they can still get in the north/south corridor,” Mosley said. Mosley said new streets are currently in design for College Station. A street is slated to be built that will run from Luther to George Bush West. The second phase of that project will tie Holleman and Harvey See Wellborn on Page 2. Senator calls for more research funds STAFF AND WIRE PHOTO OF COURTESY THE OFFICE OF KAY BAILEY HUTCHINSON Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R) thinks Texas’ public universities, including Texas A&M, are not getting their fair share of federal research money. Hutchinson convened a summit of academics and elected of ficials to explore the issue Wednesday. Despite its rank as the nation’s second most populous state, Texas ranks sixth among all states in share of federal research and development funding, the Texas Republican said at a Capi tol Hill news conference. “When it comes to federal research funding in Texas, our state just isn’t in the winner’s circle often enough,” she said. “That’s not acceptable given the world-class research that Texas universities and colleges have been doing for years.” Texas A&M Chancellor Howard Graves and President Dr. Ray M. Bowen attended the summit, as did the chancellors and presidents of the University of Texas and Texas Tech systems. In 1998, Texas institutions of higher learning received $846,000 in science and engineering research money — lagging well behind top recipient California’s $2.3 million and behind New York, Maryland, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. To boost Texas’ share, the participants suggested working more closely with the congressional delegation, honing each sys tem’s unique research abilities and avoiding duplication within Texas higher education research programs. Hutchinson said Texas is well-known for agriculture, health, education, defense and space research. “We all know how much more our state can offer,” she said. “Our challenge now is to make that happen.” Although Texas may be well-known for these strengths, Texas A&M Executive Vice President and Provost Ron Douglas said A&M has strengths in many other areas. “Some areas of our research are less well-known than oth ers, and not all areas attract federal funding,” he said. “But if those areas received needed additional funding, it would facilitate the development of those programs and help them on their way to becoming competitive nationwide.” Douglas said more well-known programs include engi neering, science and education, while lesser known pro grams at A&M include business, architecture and liberal arts programs. “We all look forward to working with Sen. Hutchinson and other universities to advance these research programs,” he said. jted it, i860 is e most makes -ea. So !s from ■ plans, ) in just College Station fiscoum Paging 18 D-l Texas Ave. 409/764-5900 taxes, third parti/charges^ ndirions appit/. Ask lor detw Group lobbies for legislation requiring English proficiency BY MAUREEN KANE Two different versions of this legislation have been in- The Battalion College students have always had difficulty understand ing what their professors are talking about, but for some stu dents at the University' of Missouri (MU), their difficulties extend beyond comprehension of the subject matter. Amidst controversy and turmoil in the Missouri Legisla ture, the Associated Students of the University of Missouri (ASUM), a student lobbying group, has taken a stand sup porting a bill introduced by Representative Joan Barry which would require professors at all Missouri state universities to be certified for English proficiency. If passed, this legislation would require the testing of fac ulty for English proficiency at the beginning of each year start ing Aug. 28,2000. According to an article in The Maneater, the MU student newspaper, the proposed English proficiency bill would re quire testing the language skill levels of professors before they are assigned classes to teach. Missouri law already requires English proficiency testing for teaching assistants. Vice President for Academic Affairs for MU Stephen tehmkuhle, is opposed to the proposed legislation. “I was opposed to the bill because I didn’t think of this as something that should be legislated. We should be address ing this internally,” Lehmkuhle said. “The bill has been voted out of the committee, but whether it will be voted on in the legislature or not depends on the priority of the bill.” ASUM has been lobbying this bill since 1996 on behalf of the student body. “This bill is being pushed by the ASUM and is a big issue forthem,” said Maneater University News Editor Paul Wilson. troduced, one by Senator Peter Kinder, and one by Barry — which is supported by the ASUM. These bills have been re viewed in the chamber’s Higher Education Committees and passed unanimously. According to Wilson, they are still be ing debated in the House. Nine hundred miles away, on the Texas A&M campus, the problem of faculty English proficiency is not such a hot ly debated topic. However, there are students who are ex periencing trouble in their classes due to the English profi ciency of their teaching assistants. Anthony Garza, a sophomore chemical engineering ma jor, took Chemistry 102 and had a teaching assistant whom he could not understand. “It was really annoying because we had to rely on our TA to reinforce concepts. We literally couldn’t understand a thing he was saying,” Garza said. “He could show us how to do a lab, he still graded effectively, but whenever we had a question he wasn’t prepared for, he couldn’t explain it.” Brent Ballard, a junior construction science major, be lieves that standards for English proficiency of teaching as sistants should be more strict. “The TAs’ qualifications for speaking English aren’t high enough — for physics TAs at least,” Ballard said. “Knowing English needs to be a higher priority.” In regard to the issue of English proficiency legislation at A&M, Dr. Lewis Ford, associate head of the physics depart ment at A&M, said, “This is not a problem to solve with leg islation. If there is a problem it should be up to departmental heads — it shouldn’t be handled by state law.” Ford said TAs have to be certified by passing an English See Fluency on Page 10. Motels offer students discount over break BY ANNA BISHOP The Battalion It is no secret that many Texas A&M University students are just plain sleepy. They doze in the MSC Flagroom, snooze in the library and sit slump-shoul dered and bleary- eyed though class lectures. The real problem arises when these sleepy students get behind a steering wheel. With spring break one day away, travel ing students should be aware of a pro gram designed to help alleviate the dangerous problem of drowsy driving — the Lupe Medina Program. In September 1998, Texas A&M student senator and junior political science major Rob Fergu son authored the Lupe Medina Bill for Driving Safety. According to the program, students traveling late at night during the weekends and throughout winter and spring breaks will be given price breaks when they need to pull over and rest. Students traveling at least 55 miles from their home campus and presenting a valid student I.D. are eligible to receive special rates at participating motels. These motels include the Supertel Hospitality Super 8 Motel franchises, which offer a $30 night’s stay for trav eling students. Discounts for students traveling within 50 miles of his or her home school are at the discretion of the General Manager. As of March 1, 2000, the Super 8 discount officially began in Texas and eight other states: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Mis souri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The rate is based upon availability and the offer is valid through December 2000. “The first year the program went into See Lupe on Page 10. LUPE MEDINA PROGRAM What?: Motel discount for students traveling late at night How much?: Students pay $30 (with a valid student ID) Where?: Super 8 Motel franchises in Texas, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin When?: Weekends, winter break, and spring break Why?: To prevent accidents resulting from drowsy driving JEFF SMITH/The Battalion mm V • 1 "' s *Ags post solid victory X over Jaguars aPP •Limits for species recovery Ecosystem diversity might take loner time to rebound Page 6 •Redass or <x*'! Dumbass? \ / Spring break 2000 Page 9 • Listen to KAMU-FM 90.9 at 1:57 p.m. for details on March Madness • Check out The Battalion online at battalion.tamu.edu