Willie Velasquez 1944-1988 DIALOGUE
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I THE TEXAS LLOYD BENTSEN Dsel7ver (Pg• 4) A JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES JULY 29, 1988 • $ 1.50 REBECCA McENTEE Willie Velasquez 1944-1988 DIALOGUE Jackson 6/17/88), was right on target in identifying Detraction why voters are not blindly accepting the bTEH TEXAS statistics that say the U.S. is in an Hats off to Richard Ryan for his recent unprecedented period of economic article entitled "The Jackson Mystique" expansion. The magnitude of the bank and server which appeared in The Texas Observer (TO, S&L failures eclipses those of the Great A JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES 5/6/88). Ryan's assessment of Democratic Depression. There is an unprecedented We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to Presidential candidate Jesse Jackson was number of business bankruptcies and home the truth as we find it and the right as we see it. We refreshingly to the point and free of the foreclosures. Hundreds of thousands of are dedicated to the whole truth, to human values flaptrap nonsense that is so frequently an above all interests, to the rights of humankind as the workers have been removed from the labor foundation of democracy; we will take orders from everyday trademark in the Pro-Jackson news market due to forced early retirement at ages none but our own conscience, and never will we over- media hype. But then, in all likelihood, Pro- that make finding meaningful employment look or misrepresent the truth to serve the interests of Jackson media and campaign supporters virtually impossible. They are receiving the powerful or cater to the ignoble in the human spirit. alike have suffered quantum doses of toxic, Writers are responsible for their own work, but not retirement pay that is far less than they had for anything they have not themselves written, and in charismatic, mind-numbing Jackson Juice planned to receive. Thus, low publishing them we do not necessarily imply that we which, in the end, reduces one to repeatedly unemployment figures do not tell the whole agree with them because this is a journal of free voices. babble Rainbow Coalition poppycock like story. SINCE 1954 "Multinational Banks and Corporations The bank and S&L failures were the result have forged a new global order which has Publisher: Ronnie Dugger of greed — theiis and the developers. The Editor: Dave Denison replaced unionized labor at home with slave lenders apparently never asked for market Associate Editor: Louis Dubose labor abroad." The only comfort here, of studies to determine if a building or an Editorial Assistant: Kathleen Fitzgerald course, is knowing that nature and fate being apartment complex were needed. All they Editorial Intern: Doug Anderson what they are inevitably had to produce a Calendar: Kathleen Fitzgerald cared about was high-interest income. The Washington Correspondent: Richard Ryan reverend Jesse Jackson, opposite bipolar developers were lured by the ill-advised 15- Contributing Writers: Bill Adler, Betty Brink, cosmic counterpart to the insufferable year depreciation schedule that was allowed Warren Burnett, Jo Clifton, Craig Clifford, John reverend Jerry Falwell. by Reagan's 1981 tax law and the ability Henry Faulk, Terry FitzPatrick, Gregg Franzwa, Especially perturbing and contradictory, Bill Helmer, James Harrington, Amy Johnson, to use paper losses to offset other tax Michael King, Dana Loy, Rick Piltz, Gary even for a politician, are Jackson's views liabilities. The unneeded properties were Pomerantz, Susan Raleigh, John Schwartz, on the United States role with developing sold to unsuspecting investors in limited Michael Ventura, Lawrence Walsh countries of the so-called Third World. A partnerships who were seeking tax shelters Editorial Advisory Board: Frances Barton, Jackson Presidency would fail to see a Austin; Elroy Bode, Kerrville; Chandler through paper losses. Ironically, they also Davidson, Houston; Bob Eckhardt, Washington, beneficial cause and effect relationship in ended up with real losses of capital. D.C.; Sissy Farenthold, Houston; Ruperto Garcia, doing business abroad. Jesse's linear world The taxpayers now face a monstrous Austin; John Kenneth Galbraith, Cambridge, is made up of United States Robber Baron federal deficit caused by the huge tax write- Mass.; Lawrence Goodwyn, Durham, N.C.; Corporation Monsters who manifest their George Hendrick, Urbana, Ill.; Molly Ivins, offs claimed by the developers, tax write- Austin; Larry L. King, Washington, D.C.; Maury willful power with the macho agenda of offs claimed through the limited Maverick, Jr., San Antonio; Willie Morris, inflicting "exploitation," "economic partnerships, and in the subsequent capital Oxford, Miss.; Kaye Northcott, Austin; James violence," "slave labor," and general losses the investors claimed, and the losses Presley, Texarkana; Susan Reid, Austin; Geoffrey suffering on our foreign neighbors. He fails Rips, Austin; A.R. (Babe) Schwartz, Galveston; claimed by banks and S&Ls related to the Fred Schmidt, Fredericksburg; Robert Sherrill, to see even a hint of socioeconomic and defaults on these properties. Now, the Tallahassee, Fla. cultural exchange in promoting business and taxpayer must fund the huge FDIC and trade with the world community at large. Layout and Design: Layne Jackson FSLIC payments that are needed to bail out Typesetter: Becky Willard Blind of the fruits of a global economy, be the banks and S&Ls. If that were not Contributing Photographers: Vic Hinterlang, Bill assured that a Jackson Foreign Policy would enough, the public is seeing commercial Leissner, Alan Pogue. be a romantic charade of show boating and property values plunge, which in turn causes Contributing Artists: Eric Avery, Tom Ballenger, U.S. bad mouthing with the likes of Castro Richard Bartholomew, Jeff Danziger, Beth the individual's ad valorem taxes to Epstein, Dan Hubig, Pat Johnson, Kevin Kreneck, of Cuba and Ortega of Nicaragua, at the increase. Carlos Lowry, Ben Sargent, Dan Thibodeau, Gail expense of laying waste to numerous fragile The final irony is that most of the failed Woods. semidemocratic sovereignties. In fact, upon projects were financed with no-recourse Managing Publisher: Cliff Olofson close examination of Jackson's platform loans that absolved the developers of any Subscription Manager: Stefan Wanstrom with respect to U.S. business abroad, one personal financial liability and with a few Publishing Consultant: Frances Barton concludes that Jackson's views are molded exceptions the developers have been able Development Consultant: Hanno T. Beck of the stuff of spy novels and tempered with to protect their ill-gotten gains. THE TEXAS OBSERVER (ISSN 0040.4519) is published biweekly except the gobbly gook slime of Mother Jones for a three-week interval between issues in January and July (25 issues per The American public may be forgiving, year). Copyright 1988 © by the Texas Observer Publishing Co., 307 West Comic Books. but there is no way they can forgive an 7th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. Telephone: (512) 477-0746. Second class postage paid at Austin, Texas. In closing, many thanks go out to the administration that has permitted this brilliant Richard Ryan for his shining POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to P.O. Box 49019, Austin, Texas 78765 travesty to occur. There was a total lack Jackson Mystique article. of regulatory oversight of the vast banking SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year S27, two years $48, three years S69. Full- Norm Worthington time students 515 per year. Back issues S3 prepaid. Airmail, foreign, group, and real estate industries. This is the classic and bulk rates on request. Microfilm editions available from University Las Cruces, New Mexico example of hands-off government carried Microfilms Intl., 300 N. Zee)) Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Any current subscriber who finds the price a burden should say so at renewal time; no too far and unrealistic tax loopholes that one need forgo reading the Observer simply because of the cost. Address Economic spawned gross abuse and the resulting all correspondence to: The Texas Observer, 307 West 7th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. Fault Lines disaster. Blake Cowden Your editorial, "Something Happens" (TO, Dallas 2 • JULY 29, 1988 EDITORIALS ir,,,,,, THE TEXAS 110 server JULY .29, 1988 Electoral Empowerment VOLUME 80, No. 15 IT IS A FUNDAMENTALLY radical merce. According to Glossbrenner, it is FEATURES proposition. That is, to register as many likely that it will come before the Legislature eligible voters as can be included on county next session. "If the Secretary of State will The Velasquez Legacy clerks' rolls. It is not a very romantic fight. just remain neutral, we feel that it will have By Larry Hufford 6 In this issue we remember Willie Velasquez, a good chance of passing," Glossbrenner the founder of the Southwest Voter Registra- said. At the federal level, a bill sponsored On Willie Velasquez tion and Education project, who died last by California Senator Alan Cranston would By Ernesto Cortes, Jr., month in San Antonio. In the pages that provide for a simplified, universal system James C. Harrington, follow, a half-dozen voices of some of those of registration for federal elections. Jose Angel Gutierrez, who knew Willie Velasquez consider his life Cranston's commitment to voter registration Malcolm Greenstein, and what he was about. was strengthened by his close victory in Juan Sepulveda, Federal policy is fairly hostile to voter 1986 over Republican Ed Zschau. Ramiro R. Casso 8 registration. State legislators hire staff The story of Cranston's recent feud with contortionists to draft legislation that pro- the Southwest Voter Registration and Who Will Lead vides for state-employee-assisted registra- Education Project is only beginning to SW Voter Project? tion but does not violate the ironclad unfold. Some public policy activists have By Kathryn Kase 13 proscription of use of federal funds. The suggested that Cranston sees voter registra- tion as a prelude to an election and is The Hispanic Agenda U.S.