V
7///<y//?ww/.uesday, September 18, 2001
Northgate businesses treated unfairly
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u ned SotR - - J f ter a i on g week of classes and work, many
e ('hampu /% students find the local strip of b:trs and restau-
was the Bi Vaants known as Northgate to be a great place to
94' 'la| and unwind with friends. Northgate hits been an
Aggie hotspot for decades and, for
many, a huge part of their college
experience. This experience, how
ever, soon could become only a
memory to students because of the
outrageous parking situation adopt
ed by the city.
To some extent, Northgate
has become part of the Texas
A&M experience by bringing
Vggies new events like North by Northgate and
^Bino tournaments. Some of the Northgate bars
lata back more than a decade, long enough to
intertwined during the years with songs
! . ih .g,,- md(traditions about A&M. Recently, however.
tgate was dealt a crippling blow by the City of
fontml tkrollege Station. The city, while in the process of
: htiye run- ^novating Northgate. closed a major portion of the
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available parking without considering input from
Northgate merchants. Furthennore, after taking
away the available parking, construction began on
what was to be a great addition to the area, the
This experience soon could become
only a memory to students because
of the outrageous parking situation
adopted by the city.
Northgate parking garage. This six-level parking
area was supposed to solve all parking problems
around the Northgate area and make up for the
parking spaces that the city had closed. To area
merchants, this idea seemed like a great addition to
the area. A lighted, safe area where their customers
could park seemed like a great addition to
Northgate. But now, after the construction is com
plete and the garage is open, many merchants are
wondering where all the customers have gone.
The truth is, at the current rate of $1.50 per
hour, few students can afford to park there and
still have money remaining to spend at Northgate.
Area merchants were given very little say in the
price adopted by the city and are now suffering
from lack of student interest in the area. “It's just
not worth the $1.50 an hour to park there. I can
spend that money on better things than parking,”
said Kendel Osborn, a senior English major.
Students are not alone in their disenchantment
with the garage. Business owners also have their
own objections to voice, and rightfully so. Rick
Lemmons, owner of Zapato’s Cantina and Big
Pauly’s restaurant, says he has seen a marked
decrease in his business since this time last year
when parking was free. He attributes the high
garage parking rates and low availability of free
spots for the decline in his business. “I would
have preferred to see a flat fee or a small fee in
order to generate more interest in the garage
instead of the higher $1.50-per-hour rate that is
currently in place,” Lemmons said. The city
could have dealt with the situation better by
entertaining more input from Northgate business
owners. “Our goals are the same as their goals ”
Lemmons said. “We both want the garage full.”
By working more closely with business owners
like Lemmons, the city council could have gained
valuable insight on what students are willing to
pay. Many wonder how the city will handle the
parking for the North by Northgate concerts that
will fill the area later this year in March. Will the
students be willing to add another $6 to the cost
of their ticket for every four hours of parking or
will the event see a decline in attendance?
The money lost by this pricing scheme reach
es far and wide. The city loses revenue because
no one will park at the garage, local businesses
lose money because fewer people are able to
visit their establishments and if the attendance at
North by Northgate falls, local non-profit organ
ization? like CARPOOL will lose the benefit
from the proceeds of North by Northgate. By not
giving more weight to the input of Northgate
business owners, the city has not only damaged
the local economy but threatened a valuable
piece of College Station history as well.
Tim Dyll is a senior
electrical engineering major
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Gramm good for A&M
So
BRIAN
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i yourself,
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Iniversity Naval
15-1775
A t the first Aggie home
football game this year,
U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm
stpod among the wave of
maroon not as a senator but as
an Aggie.
Gramm has
been a part
of the Aggie
family for
many years.
He has
described his
relationship
to the school
as a “life
long love affair with Texas
A&M University.”
I With his decision recently
not to run for Senate re-elec
tion, speculation has intensi
fied that he may be a candidate
for A&M’s presidency vacan
cy. A man of honor, integrity
and deep patriotism like
Gramm would make an excel
lent successor to current A&M
President Dr. Ray M. Bowen.
I Gramm is more than quali
fied to hold the office of presi
dent. He holds a Ph.D. in eco
nomics and has established
himself in the academic world
with numerous published
works ranging from monetary
theory and policy to private
property to economics of min
eral extraction.
I Gramm’s A&M roots begin
in the 1960s when he was
• hired at A&M as an econom
ics professor. Thirteen years
later, he began a career in poli
tics starting in College Station
and ending up on the steps of
the nation’s Capital. While in
Congress, he distinguished him
self as a leader, holding high-
,ranking positions such as chair-
mun of the Banking Committee.
He is a Texan, who knows how
to get results. But more impor
tant, he knows firsthand the tra
ditions at A&M. a necessary
quality for a good president.
I Gramm’s long involvement
in politics also would help to
advance A&M. Former
President George Bush had the
same effect when he decided
A&M would be home to his
presidential library.
| Dignitaries, ambassadors
and high-ranking government
officials now grace our campus
on a regular basis because of
events hosted by his library.
Gramm’s deep understanding
of politics would give A&M a
knowledgeable guardian on the
state level. His lobbying skills
could help A&M in state legis
lation pertaining to state uni
versities. His experienced abil
ity to raise large amounts of
money easily could bring in
extra monetary funds that
could help A&M reach its
Vision 2020. These days, uni
versity presidents spend a lot
of time fundraising.
Undoubtedly, his presence
alone would attract more atten
tion to A&M, which will only
strengthen A&M’s stature and
name recognition nationwide.
As a conservative
Republican, Gramm would
also fit in well with Texas
A&M. Compared to other uni
versities, we tend to be less lib
eral. Protests are not a weekly
event, nor are the students as
vocally active, except at the
football games. The A&M
campus is friendly, much like
the senator. The faculty and
students here should gladly
receive someone of Gramm’s
caliber. His morals and strong
leadership would be a stable
rock for to lean on in our
quickly changing society.
When Bowen steps down,
A&M will no doubt find a
qualified leader. Good leader
ship is important, but what
Gramm will bring is a devoted
love and passion for A&M.
That also is needed for this job.
He has shared many high
points and his low points with
A&M already. Six years ago,
Gramm stood on the steps of
the Administration Building
and shared with the Aggie fam
ily a tough defeat for president
of the United States. He is
family, and when he comes
home to College Station,
regardless if he is the next
president, he should be treated
as a valued public servant. And
if does decide to pursue the
presidency of Texas A&M,
there is no question that
Gramm could do great things
for the University.
Brian Cheadle is a junior
political science major.
The patriotic spirit
Last Friday, I took my mom (Class of
1977) and my dad (Class of 1975) to the
Dixie Chicken when they got into town.It
was crowded, and people were slamming
dominoes down, talking to their friends and
singing along with the music.
At 7 p.m., the television tuned to a can
dlelight ceremony in Houston. As if on cue,
everyone became silent and watched the
television as the “Star-Spangled Banner”
began to play. Tears welled up in my eyes,
as they did in everyone else's.
Someone on televison said, "Let us
pray,” and we all did. Everyone bowed
their heads and prayed for the healing of
our nation. On National Prayer Day, I did
n't have to go to a church to have a prayer
vigil, because Aggies were in prayer every
where. My parents and I left the Chicken,
feeling so proud to be Americans, and so
very proud to be Aggies.
Heather Howbert
Class of2003
Show respect for the flag
Amid the new trend of patriotism, many
people are caught unaware of the etiquette
that should be followed when displaying
the American flag. For example, our flag
should never be flown after dusk unless
illuminated, nor should it be worn as cloth
ing, affixed to a ceiling or allowed to touch
the ground. When hanging the flag vertical
ly, the Union (stars) should be on the
observer’s left. Wave our flag with pride,
but give her the dignity she deserves.
Steve Brauer
Class of 2002
Attack demands war
Since the attack on New York and
Washington, D.C., I have heard a lot of talk
about revenge and retribution. I know it is a
natural reaction to want to hurt those who
have hurt us, but I don't think that should
be our national priority. We are at war
with an enemy that has the capability and
the clear intent to destroy our cities and
kill our people.
Today, we need to get our people out
of the rubble. Then we need to go to war.
We need to destroy that enemy and that
capability. What happened last week was
not a crime. It was a coordinated attack
on our country by an enemy army, an act
of war.
When a crime is committed, the
appropriate response is to find the crimi
nals who committed the crime or who
MAIL CALL
knowingly participated directly or indirect
ly. War is different. When an enemy soldier
is part of an attack on a friendly position, it
is not appropriate to be concerned with
proving beyond a reasonable doubt which
individual pulled the trigger, who pur
chased that bullet or who gave that soldier
the specific order to fire his weapon.
The appropriate response in war to is
go after the elements that are attacking you,
the other units of that army that are form
ing up in the rear, the command and con
trol elements, the supply and support ele
ments, the training base and the industrial
base that gives the enemy the capability to
make war.
Americans never dance in the streets
when innocent people are dying and suffer
ing. We do not bomb office buildings or try
to kill innocents. Innocent people always
suffer in war, but we try to minimize such
suffering and regret it when it happens. It
will never be our goal, as it was the
enemy's goal in New York and Washington.
We are not at war with a religion or with
people of any race or ethnic background.
We are at war with a network of organi
zations made up of people who have made
the decision to bring this war to us and to
the rest of the civilized world.
I have heard people say that we don't
know who to attack. This is nonsense.
Our intelligence community knows who
and where the terrorist cells are and who
supports them. There is a coordinated
network of organizations around the
world who cooperate with each other to
plan, support and implement terrorist
activity. There are countries that harbor
them, providing them with training
CARTOON OF THE DAY
areas, support and encouragement.
This is an international problem. Most
of the civilized world will join us because
they are targets of the same enemy and
because they know we are right. But those
are Americans under the rubble and we
will lead the effort. Not out of hatred, but
out of determination.
Before the attack, countries that have
supported terrorist activities have been
repeatedly warned. Now those countries
need to decide whether they are going to be
an active, supportive, cooperative partner in
the solution, or if they intend to continue to
be part of the problem. Either way they are
going to be involved.
These cells and those who support them
need to be brought to their knees, and their
capability destroyed. Not out of revenge or
retribution, but as a legitimate act of
national self defense. And we should not be
at all concerned that we will destroy some
cells and terrorist organizations that were
not directly involved with this particular
attack. They are part of the terrorist army
and so they are the enemy.
We need to come together, to love
and support each other. Americans are good
at that. Witness the brave fire fighters,
police, and volunteers in New York and
Washington, D.C., over the past several
days. We have tried to deal with the terror
ist problem with diplomacy, economic
sanctions, and legal remedies. Those efforts
were not successful. Now we need to go to
war. Fortunately, Americans are good at
that too.
Dr. Lawrence Petersen
Department of Computer Science