?
if for over
session,"
■ “Hisap-
i? increay
al therapy
were noi
:y Reagan
d since le
day after
Air home.
mPagd
itionalaita
d,” Beaic
ange.Tk
variety it
1 Court aa;
ited. Tact
SeWrappe
igareatb
re seatine
narket] f;
50 seats;:
d. “Seatir,
oncern. -
e to sen;
ion of tfe
as a coffe;
dining are.
to get tale
i, frantic
ht" Bear;
ie fumisk
s. Hopef.
it isagoK
ed in 191i
hall for lit
icon Diitif;
;ept form
been dose.
'6.
has bee:
operaffi-
udentscatj
online £
i they «i|
; time rep
oeri
Piwoni
sthat iff
tcount aft
is yourJ
aeethatyo-
rn’t haw:
asses tod
; major Ttf.
1 classes
ling peri'
.1 cost alt
i understa#
; was noli
nouncente
before re
ias cause'
class wh ■
i’t,” Chul
•e thanf-
ie, butMf
snt to cte-
it saidf
te.”
3 others "l
isesfors-
icice bui
ging iiC
its topa^’
ay they 1
account
III
5.11071
3 ema' |!
Wednesday, January 17, 2000
STATE
THE BATTALION
Lawmakers grill prison
guards about their roles
Guards are still being blamed for prisoner's escape
AUSTIN (AP) — State lawmak
ers Tuesday grilled Texas criminal
justice department officials about the
Dec. 13 prison escape of seven in
mates and accused them of placing
all of the blame on the prison guards.
“I want to know, why is it Mr.
Chairman, that you pointed the fin
ger at the guards when we have this
kind of salary schedule and you
have a percentage of the vacancies
in the prison system, particularly at
this facility?” Sen. Carlos Truan, D-
Corpus Christi, demanded to know.
Truan’s question was directed at
Mac Stringfellow, chairman of the
Texas Board of Criminal Justice,
but it set the tone for the rest of the
day’s hearings.
Stringfellow said he is not plac
ing all of the blame of the prison es
cape on the guards, but said that two
and possibly three guards did not
follow procedures and could have
prevented the escape.
“I was not pointing any guilty
fingers,” Stringfellow said. “The
purpose of this report is not to find
a scapegoat.”
The TDCJ report released Thurs
day said inmates were able to break
out of the maximum-security Con-
nally Unit about 60 miles southeast
of San Antonio because of mistakes
by employees, including an officer
who ignored a silent fire alarm
tripped by guards being held
hostage. Another prison employee at
one point noticed the inmates were
unsupervised but did not report it,
also a violation, the report said.
The inmates — two murderers,
two armed robbers, two rapists and
a child abuser — are charged with
the Christmas Eve slaying of Irving
police officer Aubrey Hawkins dur
ing a robbery at an Oshman’s Super
Sports USA.
TDCJ officials first appeared be
fore the Senate Finance Committee
for an overview of the department’s
budget request. They later ad
dressed lawmakers on the Senate
tt
/ want to know,
why is it Mr. Chair
man, that you point
ed the finger at the
guards when we
have this kind of
salary schedule, and
you have a percent
age of the vacancies
in the prison
system?"
— Carlos Truan
state senator
Criminal Justice Committee for the
first of several hearings on the
prison escape.
At the Senate Finance Commit
tee, most of the discussion revolved
around pay scales, employee va
cancies, turnover and training.
“We’ve got folks not old enough
to buy a beer, but they’re guarding
and moving some of our worst
criminals,” said Sen. John Whit
mire, D-Houston.
Currently, there are 23,622 guards
working in the Texas prison system.
the nation’s largest. A total of 2,595
positions are open. Those figures do
not include supervisory officers.
Acknowledging there are prob
lems with employee retention,
Stringfellow told the committee that
pay raises have been his top priori
ty since he took over the post.
A starting prison guard makes
about $18,000 a year for the first
three months he is working. The
rate goes up every six months for
the first three years he is employed
by the department until the salary
peaks at about $28,000.
The criminal justice department
is asking the lawmakers for about
$171 million in raises for prison staff
during the 2002-2003 budget period.
“I am not denying that we have a
problem,” Stringfellow said.
Willie King, a prison guard in
Houston who was at the meeting,
said higher salaries are key to main
taining staff and said that if the
guards were given raises, some of
the guards who have left probably
would try to get their jobs back.
“There’s enough blame to go
around for everyone, including the
president-elect,” King said.
All state employees, including
prison guards, received a $100 a
month raise in 1999.
Wayne Scott, executive director
of the Criminal Justice Department,
told reporters later that he was not
angry at the attacks he and the oth
er officials were taking from the
lawmakers.
“They want answers. I certainly
understand that,” Scott said. “They
are angry. They are frustrated. I un
derstand that.”
Fire up the grill
PATRIC SCHNEIDER/The Battalion
Celso Tumax, an eight-year grill chief at a local restaurant, prepares grilled chicken over a hot fire.
Billionaire I calm vying for TWA
DALLAS (AP) — Carl
Icahn, the billionaire fi
nancier and corporate
raider who formerly ran
Trans World Airlines Inc.
(TWA), is trying to make a
power play against Ameri
can Airlines for the finan
cially ailing carrier’s assets.
Icahn, whose earlier al
ternative against American’s
proposal for $200 million in
TWA emergency financing
was rejected by a judge, is
now discussing a competing
bid with third parties, his at
torney said Monday.
Executives of Fort
Worth-based AMR Corp.,
the parent company of
American Airlines Inc., an
nounced last week they
would spend $3.5 billion
qn TWA’s assets and air-
c ( raft leases.
However, the purchase
by AMR is dependent on
TWA, the nation’s eighth-
largest carrier, first filing
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection.
The bankruptcy filing,
which occurred Jan. 9, left
open a door for other bid
ders to emerge even
though American had re
ceived interim approval to
provide a $175 million
loan to TWA to keep it op
erating through bankrupt
cy proceedings.
AMR officials declined
to comment on Icahn’s
proposed bid or any other
moves he plans. A final
hearing on the company’s
loan to TWA will occur
January 27.
Icahn’s attorney, Ed
ward Weisfelner, would
not reveal the identity of
any third-party clients.
Call us.
The College Station Family Medicine Center
is just what mom ordered.
Our doctors will spend the time to get
to know you and truly care about your well
being. We have hours to fit yours and we're
open Saturdays for your convenience.
Don't sit around feeling bad. Call
College Station Family Medicine Center for
an appointment. We'll take care of you.
Just like mom.
COLLEGE STATION
FAfay
MEDICINE CENTER
Call for an appointment 979-693-2586
Office hours: Sam to 7pm M-F 9am to 12pm Sat
1602 Rock Prarie Road
College Station, Texas 77845
mm
One
our
mmm
Assies pick a paint scheme
that you adore...
Ok, our new busses won't be as cool as the Volkswagen's your parents cruised in, but
they will have a really cool paint job! Come out and help Bus Operations move into
the 21 st century and tell us what your favorite choice is for a paint scheme that will
cover vour 22 new busses to be on the streets of Texas A&M late this spring.
Sunday . January 21
MSC Open House. 2-6 p.m.
(Stfrry, p<-.m shag c&rpct not inicucftxi )
■i
-
Moving With You. Movin
Ulll'MIil