Showdown Or Superport? Galveston Harbor; (C) None of the Above; Or (D) Both a and B

OBSERVER A Journal of Free Voices A Window to the South November 26, 1976 Many happy returns

Austin wanted it. Sure enough, even before we When we saw Frank Erwin, Allan Shiv- could haul our Shiner to the Carter cam- ers, O.C. Fisher, and Sam Houston paign's election eve watch, Cronkite had Johnson all crawl out of the woodwork in awarded Texas to the Democrat on behalf the last couple of weeks of the presidential of the CBS computers. The local television election to endorse Gerald Ford, we or- analysts sniffed that Walter was talking out dered our case of Shiner. of turn, but he proved to be right—Carter They were like rats swimming toward a beat Ford roughly 51 to 48 percent, with four million votes cast. sinking ship, to use Ralph Yarborough's stinging simile, and we took it as good How did that happen? "We just ran at evidence that Carter had Texas where he (Continued on Page 3) Showdown or superport? Galveston harbor; (C) none of the above; or (D) both A and B. By Clarence Johnson If fifty pounds of applications and compu- tations by the bureaucracy don't provide Galveston enough answers for Coleman, Gov. Dolph Secretary of Transportation William T. Briscoe has shown himself more than happy Coleman Jr. will be answering a super-sized to pronounce the offshore superport plan multiple-choice test sometime this month. sponsored by nine oil companies suitable The decision could result in (A) a $650 for approval. million superport located in the open Gulf of But hold on—Gov. Rubin Askew of Mexico 28 miles south of Freeport; (B) a Florida says he should have just as much $300 million superport located onshore in (Continued on Page 18) FINANCING SCHOOLS would go to those districts which need if least. Under the governor's plan, richer- By Jo Clifton than-average districts will receive about two-thirds of the state's contribution to Austin education through the Foundation School Gov. Dolph Briscoe has finally done Program. something. He's promised more public education dollars and lower property taxes—a The Foundation School Program is the little magic made possible by a projected state's basic apparatus for funding public state revenue surplus variously estimated at education. Currently three-quarters of this $750 million, $1 billion, $2 billion, and $3 funding comes from state taxes and one- billion. quarter from local school taxes.

Trouble is, most of the state's new money (Continued on Page 20) Ed Midcik in Dallas Civic Opera production of "Salome" by directed by Stanley Hall; Armadillo World Strauss; also Nov. 30, Dec. 3; Fair Park Music Headquarters, Austin. Hall, Dallas. HOLIDAY FREEBIES—Chamber Singers NOVEMBER 30 Festival of Christmas Music, with Robert Young CHORUS CONCERT—Richard Robinson conducting; free, through Dec. 6, Armstrong conducts free Oratorio Chorus concert; 8:15 Browning Library, Baylor University, Waco. p.m., Roxy Grove Hall, Baylor University, Waco. DECEMBER 7 THESIS PLAY—Some of the most interesting WIND QUINTET—World's most active theatre in Austin occurs in the Master of Fine group of its type, the Dorian Wind Quintet Arts thesis productiions, such as "Scorpius X9" performs with John Solum on flute, Charles by David Fulk, with George Brashears directing Kuskin on oboe, clarinetist Jerry Kirkbride, Jane student cast; through Dec. 10, Drama Bldg., Taylor on bassoon, and Barry Benjamin on horn; Theatre Room, University of Texas, Austin. Hogg Auditorium, University of Texas, Austin. SYMPHONIC SOUND—Free concert, with RECITAL TIME—General recital presented Daniel Sternberg conducting Baylor Symphony by music department; also Dec. 7, 1 p.m., Recital Orchestra; 8:15 p.m., Waco Hall, Baylor Univer- Hall, Music Bldg., Texas A&I University, sity, Waco. Kingsville. DECEMBER 8 DECEMBER 1 MIMI'S MISFORTUNE—"La Boheme" is an IT'S FANTASTIC—The long-running love of operatic tale of bohemianism, consumption, and off-Broadway, Tom Jones' and Harvey love, with Elena Nunziata as Mimi leading Dallas Schmidt's "Fantasticks," with local cast; Civil Opera cast; also Dec. 10 and 12, Fair Park through Jan. 9, Theatre Three, Dallas. Music Hall, Dallas. FREE CONCERT—The airwaves are free, so SPIRITED SHAW—George Bernard Shaw's listen to cellist Lev Aronson and pianist Roger high spirits pervade "You Never Can Tell," Keyes, in concert; 8:15 p.m., Roxy Grove Hall, concerning free-thinking twins who scandalize a Baylor University, Waco. seaside resort; through Jan. 16, Alley Theatre, DECEMBER 2 Houston. CHRISTMAS MUSIC—'Tis the season, with DECEMBER 9 Chamber Singers Festival of Christmas Music CHRISTMAS CONCERT—Joint concert by conducted by Robert H. Young, free to public; choir and student singers; 8 p.m., Jones Roy Hamric 8:15 p.m., Armstrong Browning Library, Baylor Auditorium, Texas A&I University, Kingsville. University, Waco. AND MORE—Christmas music overflowing, DECEMBER 3 with Robert Young conducting Christmas TOSS HER A ROSE—Bizet' s "Carmen" sings Chorale Concert; 8:15 p.m., Roxy Grove Hall, and spits and generally acts gypsyish as Fort Baylor University, Waco. Worth Opera presents the old favorite; also Dec. 5, Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort BALLET ON TOUR—Dallas Civic Ballet, Worth. directed by George Skibine and Marjorie Tallchief, is a talented troupe with a traditional FUN THEATRE—Children's division, Fun repertoire and a few new ballets by Texas Theatre Productions, presents "Rumpelstilskin"; choreographers; Southwestern University, through December, Zachary Scott Theatre Georgetown. Fortnight Center, Austin. CHOIR CONCERT—Euell Porter conducts A By Suzanne Shelton Cappella, Chapel, and Concert Choirs in Christmas music concert, free to public; 8:15 p.m., Waco Hall, Waco. When you move, it isn't enough just to furnish the Post Office with your new NOVEMBER GRAB BAG JAZZ FEST—Incomparable Ella Fitzgerald, WAMPUM—Collection of beads and North Count Basie Orchestra, Oscar Peterson, and Joe address. American Indian beadwork from New York's Pass team in jazz fest; 7 and 10:30 p.m., Jones Museum of the American Indian includes bead- Hall, Houston. decorated objects such as belts, moccasins, and dresses; through Dec. 19, Michener Gallery, PERRY ON PIANO—John Perry, pianist, Please drop us a change of address University of Texas, Austin. joins Austin Symphony Orchestra in concert; card, too; and send along an old Municipal Auditorium, Austin. mailing label from your Observer, if HOMER GRAPHICS—Seascapist Winslow Homer also tried his hand at graphics, which was MORE YULE CAROLS—Christmas Chorals you have it. his trade long before watercoloring; Kelsey from students conducted by Ray Moore; 8 p.m., Collection, one of largest of Homer graphics, on Houston University Center, University of traveling exhibition; through Jan. 23, Museum of Houston. This way, you'll be assured of having Fine Arts, Houston, the next issue properly mailed to your NOVEMBER 27 OPERA WORKSHOP—"The Indian new address, since we can implement MEDIEVAL DRAMA—"The Play of Herod" Princess," directed by Robert Scott, is Opera an address change up to two days is Texas Opera Theatre's holiday offering for per- Workshop Production; also Dec. 4, Jones Auditorium, Texas A&I University, Kingsville. before an issue is printed and formance in Houston churches, presented with mailed . . . provided we hear directly six-piece consort of authentic early instruments, IF YOU CAN CATCH 'EM—"Butterflies Are from you. Thanks. including krumhorn, lute, vielle, and bagpipe; Free," by Leonard Gershe, with student cast; through Jan. 2, area churches, Houston. through Dec. 5, Margo Jones Theatre, Southern NOVEMBER 28 Methodist University, Dallas. DANCING GIRL—Roberta Knie joins locals THE TEXAS OBSERVER DECEMBER 5 600 W. 7th, Austin, Texas 78701 DANCING 'DILLO—Austin Ballet Theatre 2 The Texas Observer welcomes its fans back for monthly concert, Mickey Leland (D-Houston), State Rep. former-Dirty Thirtian and steady liberal Gonzalo Barrientos (D-Austin), State Sen. Returns .. Gammage is a plus for Texas. Raul Longoria (D-Edinburg), and others On the other side of Houston, the good (Continued from Page 1) who produced a massive turnout among news is that Rep. Bob Eckhardt did all but them with a traditional Democratic ap- blacks and Mexican-Americans. Then stomp on challenger Nick Gearhart, taking proach," was the analysis of Carter cam- there's Jimmy Carter, who just might have better than 60 percent of the vote. Eckhardt paign co-chair Bob Armstrong. And that's been instrumental in the victory. Despite all took this race seriously (Obs., Oct. 15) and as close to the truth as any political pundit the huffing and puffing in the press over the stunned his friends and supporters by cam- could get you. alleged Carter slander of LBJ, the truth is paigning vigorously. It paki off, as that Carter helped himself here, especially he Texas Democrats outnumber Republi- grabbed Gearhart by his big media budget on his last trip through South Texas, San and squeezed the life out of his political am- cans by a hefty margin, so (1) if Democrats Antonio, and Ft. Worth. hold themselves together, with no sizeable bitions. In addition, Eckhardt's big win will number deserting or taking a walk, and (2) if The Carter campaign in Texas was broad stand as a strong deterrent to major conser- Democrats turn out their vote, they win. based, energetic, and effective. It bore up vative challenges against him two years And that's the way it was. Unlike 1968 and admirably in the closing days when the Re- from now. 1972, Democrats mainly stayed in the fold, publican effort resorted to scare tactics, There even is good news from Dallas, and a solid campaign organization bleating warnings that election of Carter where State Rep. Jim Mattox took a shepherded them to the polls. would mean confiscation Of guns, unioniza- populist message to generally-conservative tion of farms, and government policy dic- fifth district voters and came away with a Look at the county-by-county map of this tated by George Meany. The Carter organi- solid 54 percent win. He was up against the year's returns and you'll get a general idea zation stayed in touch with Democrats choice of the city's big business establish- of how to produce Democratic victories in throughout the state and kept the troops ment, Republican Nancy Judy. This cam- Texas: stay within sight of the Republican calm. To their credit, a majority of Texas paign to fill Alan Steelman's old seat truly in Dallas; win big in such cities as San An- voters were not spooked by the negative was a battle, with ideological lines clearly tonio, El Paso, Corpus Christi, Austin, barrage. drawn, ill-tempers flashing, and hard words Beaumont, and Galveston; get all you can in Whatever the analysis, Ford is a lame exchanged. Mattox laid out about $90,000 Harris County and Ft. Worth; pray for an duck. He'll find some solace, of course, in to Judy's $145,000, with labor picking up early blizzard in Midland and Odessa; then the $100,000-a-year retirement he will draw the heaviest share of the tab for Mattox and wipe them out in the towns and rural areas from the taxpayers. When Fred Harris was big business backing Judy. of South and East Texas. The only major running for the Demo presidential nomina- "I know who elected me," exulted Mat- divergences from norm in this particular tion, he made a campaign stop in the Iowa tox in a victory statement. "It wasn't the Democratic victory were a disappointingly town where his uncle Ralph worked for the downtown newspapers; it wasn't the close win in El Paso County and a surpris- railroad. At breakfast the next morning downtown business establishment; it wasn't ingly close second by Carter in Tarrant Ralph suddenly looked up at Fred from the North Dallas fat cats; it wasn't the util- County. across the table and observed, "You know, ity lobbies." Who was it? "The working bud, if you get that job you'll be fixed for people, the small business owners, the life." That may be the thought behind the senior citizens, and the average consum- brave smile Ford had on November 3. ers," reiterated the new congressman. It was good stuff, and it put a good man in Congress. That is big news in itself, since you would have to take to the archives to The Congress fmd the last progressive that Dallas sent to November put a little better look on the Washington. face of the Texas congressional delegation. There were no other major surprises in Oh, sure, Lloyd Bentsen won as handily as congressional races, though oldtimers predicted, taking about 57 percent of the George Mahon (D-Lubbock) and Bob Poage vote in his race against Alan Steelman. The (D-Waco) raised a few eyebrows by falling senator was as stuffy as ever in the moment short of their usual runaways. The 76- of victory, crediting it to hard work and an year-old Poage, who was first elected to efficient organization. Admittedly, too, Congress in 1936, had a particularly close practically all House incumbents were recall in Bell County (Temple) and his home elected, including John Young (D-Corpus county of McLennan (Waco), both of which Christi), who found himself a principal in he carried by only ‘2,000 votes. That's not one of Washington's sex charges last exactly bowling them over in the old Poage spring. style. Straight-ticket voting in labor and But there is good news. In particular, the black precincts saved him even deeper em- one incumbent who did not win was ultra- barrassment in Waco, which is ironic since conservative Ron Paul (R-Lake Jackson). he votes against their interests at practically His race was tighter than the bark on a tree, every opportunity. Another factor holding with former State Sen. Bob Gammage (D- Poage back was his support of the U.S. Ar- Houston) presently clinging to a 260-vote my's intentions to add another 60,000 acres lead out of nearly 190,000 votes cast. Paul to Ft. Hood, thus miffing farmers in his dis- The governor came through. has called for a recount, though the early trict. All of this feeds speculation that Poage result of. that has been to increase Gam- will step down in 1978, with such Demo- There's a rush to credit Dolph Briscoe mage's lead from 250 to his current 260. No cratic lights as State Reps. Lane Denton with the Texas win, and it is clear that the one can rest, easy with that thin of a margin and Dan Kubiak mentioned for the seat. governor was a major force in holding and a recount underway, but best guesses Little by little, our House delegation is Democratic conservatives in line and was are that Gammage will hold on. Not only is looking better. We're not yet up to the stan- effective in his rural campaigning for Car- the dismissal of Paul (whose political views dard of, say, Iowa, but there's progress. ter. But a good dose of praise is due such warrant anthropological investigation) de- Democratic progressives as State Rep. voutly to be wished, but the election of November 26, 1976 3 The Legislature If you liked the cast of the 1975 legislative session, you'll be comfortable with the '77 model. No big changes overall, though there are some particular pluses and minuses. Progressive forces gained another notch in the 31-member state Senate with the election of Carlos Truan of Corpus Christi. Truan will take the seat of Corpus television station owner Mike McKinnon, whom Truan defeated last spring in the Demo- cratic primary. Progressives held their own in two other Senate races, with former Rep. Gene Jones of Houston winning Bob Gam- mage's seat and former Rep. Carl Parker of Port Arthur replacing retiring Sen. D. Roy Harrington. For those concerned that the election might result in any slippage of quality in Senate debates, rest easy—Walter "Mad Dog" Mengden (R-Houston) came screaming back into office, winning nearly 70 percent of the vote. Forty-one seats changed hands (or what- S. Valentine S. Valentine ever) in the 150-member House, but don't Ernestine Glossbrenner Lance Lalor expect much real change in legislative patterns—it's pretty much the same bunch Bush of Sherman, Betty Denton of Waco, memorabilia: 1976 produced Republican in spirit. Attrition took a heavy toll in pro- David Cain of Dallas, Jerry Benedict of legislators from Lubbock and Tarrant gressive ranks, with various members from Angleton, Gerald Hill of Austin, and Irma County for the first time; Rep. J. L. Briscoe the last session either running for higher of- Rangel of Kingsville. (R-Houston), who reportedly missed every fice or just plain clearing out. But they have Here are some statistics on the new regular meeting of the whole House, was been replaced by others with progressive House: 17 Republicans—up only two from the only House incumbent defeated in the inclinations, and it looks like the new Legis- the previous Legislature, even though they general election; and Clay Smothers of Dal- lature actually will number a few more mounted 55 challenges this election; three las is the first black Wallacite elected to the members on our side of the ledger. Among more women, for a total of 10; five more Texas House. those newly elected members expected to blacks, for a total of 14; Mexican- House Speaker Bill Clayton (D- stand tall for progressive interests next year Americans are up three to a total of 16; and Springlake) claims that, while conservatives are Lance Lalor of Houston, Ernestine labor leaders are claiming seven more didn't gain in numbers this time around, the Glossbrenner of Alice, Froy Salinas of "friends" in the house, for a total of 66. House will be more conservative because Lubbock, Ron Wilson of Houston, Bob For you collectors of political the progressives have lost their experienced

EDITOR Kaye Northcott BUSINESS STAFF THE CO-EDITOR Jim Hightower Joe Espinosa Jr. EDITOR-AT-LARGE Ronnie Dugger C. R. Olofson TEXAS Contributing Editors: Steve Barthelme, Bill Brammer, Published by Texas Observer Gary Cartwright, Joe Frantz, Larry Goodwyn, Bill Hamilton, Publishing Co., biweekly except for a OBSERVER Bill Helmer, Dave Hickey, Molly Ivins, Franklin Jones, three week interval between issues twice Lyman Jones, Larry L. King, Georgia Earnest Klipple, Larry a year, in July and January; 25 issues per ©The Texas Observer Publishing Co., 1976 Lee, Dave McNeely, Al Melinger, Robert L. Montgomery, year. Entered as second-class matter April 26, 1937, at the Post Office at Aus- Ronnie Dugger, Publisher Willie Morris, Bill Porterfield, James Presley, Buck Ramsey, John Rogers, Mary Beth Rogers, Roger Shattuck, Edwin tin, Texas, under the Act, of March 3, Shrake, Dan Strawn, John P. Sullivan, Tom Sutherland. 1879. Second class postage paid at Aus- A window to the South tin, Texas. Single copy (current or back We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to the issue), 530 prepaid. One year, $10; two A journal of free voices truth as we find it and the right as we see it. We are dedicated years, $18; three years, $25. (These rates to the whole truth, to human values above all interests, to the include 5 percent sales tax). Foreign, ex- Vol. LXVIII, No. 23 Nov. 26, 1976 rights of humankind as the foundation of democracy; we will cept APO/FPO, $1 additional per year. take orders from none but our own conscience, and never will Airmail, bulk orders, and group rates on Incorporating the State Ob- we overlook or misrepresent the truth to serve the interests of request. Microfilmed by Microfilming server and the East Texas Demo- the powerful or cater to the ignoble in the human spirit. Corporation of America, 21 Harristown crat, which in turn incorporated Road, Glen Rock, N.J. 07452. the Austin Forum-Advocate. The editor has exclusive control over the editorial policies and contents of the Observer. None of the other people who Change of Address: Please give old are associated with the enterprise shares this responsibility and new addresses, including zip codes, Editorial and Business Offices: with her. Writers are responsible for their own work, but not and allow two weeks. for anything they have not themselves written, and in The Texas Observer, 600 W. 7th, publishing them the editor does not necessarily imply that she Postmaster: Send form 3579 to Austin, Tex. 78701. Telephone agrees with them because this is a journal of free voices. Texas Observer, 600 W. 7th, Austin, Tex. (512) 477-0746. 74434-V 78701. leaders (such as Neil Caldwell, Ed Harris, Yarbrough, but there's plenty of people in proposed that low industrial and high resi- and Carl Parker). Whether that is a major that 1.2 million who voted for the wild man dential tax assessments should be factor or not, it is true that neither the just to twit the lawyers. Make a list of equalized. Burnette said this would raise House nor the Senate are in progressive people's dislikes, and high up on it will be everyone's taxes and managed to frighten hands. Clayton has a tight grip on the House lawyers. It's a distrust that Carl Sandberg some relatively affluent Democrats away reins, and such old Senate bulls as A. M. captured years ago when he wrote, "Why from Wendler. Then he dredged up some Aikin Jr. (D-Paris) and William T. "Bill" does a hearse horse snicker when he hauls a legal problems of Wendler's involving de- Moore (D-Bryan) stand as a conservative lawyer's bones?" linquent taxes, and that was enough to do it. block in that body. Dallas County has a new sheriff, 32- RAILROAD COMMISSION. State Rep. year-old Republican Carl Thomas. Prior to Jon Newton (D-Beeville) crushed Republi- his election, he was an unknown sheriff's can Walter Wendlandt two-to-one in their department officer who came from nowhere Running the Gamut race for the important post of railroad at the last minute to file against his former commissioner. Newton was backed by the boss, Demo Clarence Jones. The Dallas MR. JUSTICE YARBROUGH. For oil, gas, and trucking industries, which are Morning News reported that probably 80 sheer grittiness, Houston lawyer Don Yar- regulated (sort of) by the commission. He percent of the people in the sheriffs de- brough (the other one) merits "campaigner spent half a million dollars to win the seat, partment had no idea who Thomas was, of the year" award. He caught the entire including last May's primary, the run-off, though many of Jones' former cronies were political and legal establishment off guard in and the general election. Wendlandt, an last seen slapping their old pal Thomas on the spring, winning nomination to the state energy expert and former head of the com- the back in hearty fellowship. It is the first supreme court. Not only did that make the mission's gas utilities division, was an ad- time ever that a Republican has won control state's lawyers take notice, but they noticed vocate of consumer involvement in com- of the sheriffs department, and the same that he faced a whole mess of lawsuits Republican officials who had taken Thomas against him. Then they heard him say that mission deliberations. He spent $15,000 on his try. Newton said he didn't intend to on their ticket as a last resort (no one else God told him to run, and that he would con- speak for consumers or any group on the would make the race) are now hailing him as sult the Bible in court decisions more often commission. their rising star. than law books. Then they noticed he had no Republican opposition; ergo, he was La Raza Unida party slipped a peg in its about to be elected to the highest court in WATER BONDS. In the "You-can't- home base of Zavala County, losing four of the homeland. fool-all-the-people-all-the-time" category, five contested races to the Democratic Texans rendered a convincing "no" to the party. There is division within the party be- Good God, what a furor! Not only did proposed constitutional amendment au- tween its founder Jose Angel Gutierrez and responsible lawyers brand him wacky, but thorizing another $400 million in bonds for former allies who say he has taken too much they also made perfectly clear that he was water development projects. The vote was personal political power. That split is being not one of their own. The state Bar sought 1.2 million against it and 900,000 for it. Op- rubbed raw by Texas Atty. Gen. John Hill, to have him disbarred on some 53 counts, position to the proposition was led by an who has ensconced a large investigative and the Bar frantically began to scrounge environmental coalition headed by John team in Crystal City looking for corruption for a write-in candidate who could spare Henry Faulk, though the big part of the vote by current and past La Raza Unida public them this humiliation. Trouble is, the Bar undoubtedly comes from fiscal conserva- officials, and by Governor Briscoe, who has produced two write-in candidates—Sam tives who smelled a boondoggle. One small demagogued nonstop in an effort to deny Houston of Denton and Tom Lorance of problem for the water advocates on this Zavala farm workers a federal grant that Houston. No write-in candidate has ever vote was that they couldn't say specifically would allow them to run a cooperative won a statewide race in Texas, and the how the money would be spent, just that it farm. presence of two in the race just muddled the was needed for water plans that would be situation hopelessly. There was a great deal developed later. No La Raza candidate won outside of of public handwringing by prominent The vote was a defeat for Governor Bris- Zavala County. Fred Garza, contesting for lawyers, and the state's daily press fell in coe and House Speaker Clayton, both of railroad commission, was the only line with pompous editorials about the need statewide La Raza campaigner, polling just to keep such riff-raff out of the courts. whom had campaigned for the bonds. Bris- coe termed the loss his only regret of the '76 over 60,000 votes. Zavala County news- Naturally, Yarbrough trounced the estab- election and vowed to come back later with paper editor M. Dale Barker told The Dallas lishment, winning 1.22 million votes against same deal in another package. Texas Water Times Herald that "this election marks the a combined tally of 415,000 for Lorance and Development Board chairman Robert end of Gutierrez and Raza Unida as a polit- Houston. Yarbrough immediately an- Gillmore echoed that intention, saying that ical power here." That's a lot of wishful nounced he intended to serve every hour of a plan to import water from out of state was thinking, but it is clear that 1976 was not a his six-year term, giving the legal poobahs going to be necessary, even though water banner year for the Mexican-American poor this observation to mull: officials had assured voters during the cam- people's party, and they have a great deal of "There's a message in more than 1.2 mil- paign that the $400 million bond proposal patching up to do if they are to mount major lion votes. Lawyers are spending money had nothing to do with import schemes. statewide campaigns in 1978 as promised. taking surveys as to why people hate Gillmore told The Dallas Times Herald that lawyers. The problem is that their attitude is they were discussing the possibility of mov- There's convincing new evidence on the one of arrogance which characterized those ing water to Texas from Alaska and question of whether crime pays in Texas. In ego-jerks who elevate themselves to leader- Canada. Houston, State Dist. Judge Garth Bates, ship within the state Bar." On the "yea" side of water, voters ap- with four years of service on the bench, The lawyers blamed his election on the proved a second water proposition authoriz- spent much of his general election campaign failure of either Lorance or Houston to ing $100 million in bonds to help local gov- in court—as a defendant charged with tak- withdraw, and on the failure of the voting ernments improve or rebuild sewage treat- ing a $59,000 bribe from a pawnbroker. He public to understand the issue. There's ment facilities. had no ballot opposition in the general elec- truth in that, but not as much as they would tion, though Houston attorney Wes Hocker like to think. The press covered the Yar- LOCAL RUNS. Bill Burnette, an Austin waged a last-minute write-in campaign. brough general election campaign as real-estate appraiser, used the "Indepen- Judge Bates won four-to-one, and he sub- thoroughly as any, and voters are not al- dent Republican" ploy in beating Democrat ways as stupid as lawyers assume. Ed Wendler for the position of Travis Straight-ticket voting undoubtedly helped County tax assessor-collector. Wendler November 26, 1976 5 sequently was found guilty of the bribery candidate Dr. Dorothy Patras. She flayed efforts to limit the spread of nuclear power charges. incumbent Chris Miller as being a radical plants, with propositions losing in Arizona, If that's not enough to chap yot, take a women's libber: "Although she no longer Colorado, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, and whiff of this: Gus Mutscher, former Texas smokes cigars in public and has changed the Washington. House speaker who was drummed out of way she dresses, Ms. Chris Miller is still For those who suspect that the con- office as a result of the Sharpstown scandal completely obsessed with her women's lib servatism of the 1950s is gaining a and who recently was serving a probated philosophy! Would you vote for someone new grip on university campuses, the cen- sentence for his role in that scandal, is now who wants to eliminate women's rest rooms tral campus precincts of The University of on the other side of the bench. Out in Wash- in public places?" Texas voted strongly for the Ford-Dole tic- ington County, the court dropped the pro- ket. bation and allowed the man to run for • The Houston Post walks away with this year's "perceptive headline" county judge—a post he won November 2. • The most befitting name of anyone honors with its front-page, bold-faced offer- involved in politics this time around Parting shots ing: "Defeat disappoints Ford." belongs to the president of the UT Republi- Tackiest political ad of 1976 was run can club: Lester Van Pelt III. • The most sobering election result na- in Ft. Worth by Republican legislative tionally was the defeat of all six ballot J.H.

Erwin in court Justice 'under the influence' Austin But on Nov. 3, without advance notice Retired UT regent Frank Erwin wasn't and in near secrecy, Erwin, Granger, and drunk that night two years ago when an Erwin's lawyers (Minton, Burton, and Tony Austin policeman arrested him for driving Canales this time) met with Nueces County his big black Cadillac the wrong way on a Court-at-Law Judge Hector DePena and one-way street and weaving back and forth agreed to cut a deal. Dr. William' Levin, over the yellow line on a two-way street for president of the UT Medical Branch at Gal- five blocks. No, sir. Two years after the fact veston, was on hand to explain that on the we learn that he was merely tranked out on night in question Erwin had called him Valium. complaining that he did not feel well. Levin, Officer John Mitchell said in his arrest re- as Erwin's personal physician, recom- port that Erwin's speech was "thick- mended that he take a double dose of Val- tongued," "slurred," and "mush- ium and go to bed. mouthed," and that he "staggered" as he Instead of turning in, Erwin said, he took got out of the car. The regent, who smelled his Valium and then went over to the "strongly" of alcohol, twice fell backward Quorum Club to meet a friend. Erwin said when he attempted to perform a simple agil- he didn't drink anything that night, except a ity test, according to Mitchell. Erwin said glass of white wine hours before his arrest. he was not drunk, but he refused to take a breathalizer test. He said he was under On this testimony, County Attorney medication for a heart ailment, but he Granger reduced the DWI charge to public couldn't name the medication. intoxication under the influence of a drug, Erwin pleaded no contest, and Judge De- Travis County Atty. Ned Granger Pena fined him $200. charged him with drunk driving. It was his second flirtation with DWI, the first being in The proceeding was cozy and private. No December of 1971 when he was busted in press. No jurors. By chance, an assistant the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant near Nueces County Attorney was present. He told Brenda Bell of the American- the UT campus. According to the news ac- Erwin in reticent pose. counts of that arrest, Erwin's face was Statesman, "To me this shows the whole flushed, his eyes dilated, he smelled of al- The jury found him not-guilty after three character of the judicial system. It's a sad cohol, his speech was slurred, and he was days of testimony. commentary. The openness the court gave unsteady on his feet. Arresting officer Don This time around attorney Minton, his to this type of proceeding would not ordi- Martin said he followed Erwin's car for partner Charles Burton, and State Sen. narily happen. There was enormous influ- several blocks and observed the car's tires Oscar Mauzy delayed the DWI proceeding ence in the courtroom." spinning and the rear end swerving every for almost two years. "They were taking Granger explained to the Observer that he time the regent took off from a stop light. advantage of legislative continuances," agreed to the reduced charge because, con- Erwin's attorney, Roy Q. Minton; got the Granger explained. As a legislator, Mauzy sidering the evidence, he didn't think he 1971 case transferred to Belton on a change could postpone any proceeding scheduled could win the case. "If it hadn't been Frank of venue, a well-nigh unprecedented proce- during the legislative session. Erwin, I probably would have dismissed it dure in a piddling DWI case. On the stand, The attorneys got the venue changed this altogether," Granger said. an impressive roster of witnesses testified time to Corpus Christi, and the trial was So now Frank Erwin has beaten two that they had been with Erwin at various finally set for Nov. 15. According to The DWIs, not to mention ,six other traffic times during the evening and that he had not Austin American-Statesman, seven offi- offenses—four speeding violations, driving touched a drop. A doctor was brought in to cers, including Mitchell, were prepared to without a license, and running a stop sign. say that Erwin looked "tired" that night. testify. Granger guessed that the trial would And the only conviction on his record is last a week and a half. He normally tries public intoxication under the influence of a 6 The Texas Observer DWIs in a day. drug. K.N. Despite media indifference C.O.P.S. proves effective

This is the conclusion of an article de- scribing Communities Organized for Public Service, an activist San Antonio group. Ed. By E. D. Yoes Jr. San Antonio If Communities Organized for Public Service is not well known—much less understood—by the people of San Antonio, it is because the public gets their information about this highly active community action organization by reading the San An- tonio papers or watching the local tube. Newspaper coverage is incomplete, even in the sense of strictly "hard news." Under- standable enough, since C.O.P.S. routinely conducts simultaneous "actions" on a number of fronts. It's common for three or four events to take place daily—at city hall, City Public Service, school board meetings, and dedication ceremonies, for. example. Even if both papers assigned reporters to do nothing but cover C.O.P.S. the news people San Antonio Light might not get to everything. C.O.P.S. members at city council meeting. City hall gets more attention from the press than other C.O.P.S. action grounds. out a lot of hot air, cigar ashes, and yellow- Dr. Jose San Martin. But with C.O.P.S. The papers put major emphasis on that ing newsprint. there to remind him of his promises and vot- arena anyhow. TV stations make it a princi- "There's a new group of reporters in San ing record, he knows every time a vote pal beat, too. Antonio who arrived after C.O.P.S. came," comes up he'd better not blow it." C.O.P.S. leadership is perfectly media- says one veteran newsman. "They don't And as if that wasn't enough, there's the savvy, of course, and a fast draw with a remember how it was before, and they can't direct pressure of C.0 cP.S. research. When press release, as well as on good terms with see that C.O.P.S. has made the difference. a C.O.P.S. "action chairperson" rises to all reporters. So it isn't because the beat They think, like the publishers, that we're the microphone, he or she is briefed to the reporters don't know the. score that overwriting the story. The truth is just the eyebrows with exact dollars, dates, promis- C.O.P.S. has yet to be fully explained to the opposite. We're not giving enough space to es, and votes stretching back before the reading and viewing public. what C.O.P.S. does." Flood. According, council members have C.O.P.S. leadership suspects a pub- learned to prepare themselves equally well, Keeping score or not join battle at all. Councilmen who do lishers' effort to sit on their story. All that their homework get a chance to shine; their can be confirmed, however, is the existence The greatest difference is in politicians' behavior. Even though the organization stars continue to rise. The others recede of some disagreement between publishers into a kind of formless lump—a collective and reporters over the importance of the holds as an article of faith that it will never endorse any candidate, and though it has dormouse at the mad tea party, presided C.O.P.S. story. It's not so much media over by Mrs. Cockrell in the role of Alice. myopia or an editorial conspiracy as a mat- stated as policy that it will ignore contest- ter of interpretation. ants and deal only with winners, all the All of which is indeed news. Yet with the exception of some excellent feature articles Reporters who think C.O.P.S isn't getting bright folks at city hall look at C.O.P.S. and count at least 30,000 votes, plus influence at by Ron White—Express-News entertain- enough space or adequate interpretation are ment and feature writer—and the occa- those who've been around San Antonio election time stretching far beyond that. Just by being on hand for every meeting sional editorial-page "Don Politico" ap- long enough to remember what it was like preciation which is group-written at the before C.O.P.S.—those who were here in and keeping score on who votes how, C.O.P.S. has had a remarkable clarifying ef- Light, the papers haven't allowed them- the Gatti, MacAllister, Good Government selves the luxury of any interpretation. League days, when one covered city hall fect on what was once one of the muddier part-time, because nothing ever happened, political puddles in Texas, characterized by In addition, columnists like Roddy Stin- or what did happen came into view only backroom deals, inexplicable shifting al- son of the Express or Paul Thompson of the long after the deal had gone down. Those liances, ill-defined or un-defined positions News produce occasional comments or were the days when membership on the city on issues, and soothing syrup ladled out color stories on C.O.P.S. which dispense council was a part-time job. during campaigns. alternating praise and scoldings. The net ef- But then came Becker, and suddenly "Take Henry Cisneros, for example," says our city-room habitue. "In the old C.O.P.S. The dam burst. Like a flash flood, 7 C.O.P.S. rolled through city hall, sweeping days, Henry might have turned into another November 26, 1976 fect of these entertainments is probably confusion, both at home and abroad. That may explain how it was possible for `Chavez inspiration' Texas Monthly in its November issue to present an article about the News by Grif- Ernest Cortes Jr., one of the original organizers of C.O.P.S., called from Los fin Smith Jr. which never alludes to Angeles to dispute one sentence in the first installment of Deck Yoes' piece. It con- C.O.P.S. while touching most of the other cerned an alleged falling-out with Cesar Chavez. "The inference that Chavez is a loser political and social bases. The Monthly also is a canard," Cortes said. "In fact, Cesar Chavez has . been an inspiration for me for ran a piece by Richard West on the San An- more than a decade. I'd always hoped that a Chavez-type organization could be built in tonio city council's decisions about water urban areas, and that has had a great deal to do with my motivation in organizing and the firing of city manager Sam Granata Mexicanos in the urban area. I've always supported the efforts of the United Farm which never even mentions C.O.P.S., Workers Organizing Committee and will continue to do so in any way possible, and no though the organization was directly in- one can create any kind of schism between my organizing and that of the United Farm volved in both matters. Workers. I'm extremely disappointed that this kind of reference appeared in this article." If the San Antonio media were conspiring to keep C.O.P.S. a secret, they could hardly better the success they've had just by pro- viding the barest of facts. The C.O.P.S. tion politics. There was a flash of heavy C.O.P.S. has already grabbed the develop- story is visible only to those diligent enough coverage of the new organization. to save clippings, do a little nosing around, ers by their Achilles' heel. Without such and put together a lot of two-plus-two. But instead of remaining outrageous, or subsidies, the cost of building new upper- else drying up like standing water after middle-class suburban housing—already Does nothing redress this imbalance? weeks of hot weather, C.O.P.S. simply kept high and rising—pushes hard against the Yes, radio station KCOR. Tune to 1350 kc. on the job, talking about the same old griev- profitable price one can get for it, or, re- to learn where to find the current C.O.P.S. ances, even moderating its tactics slightly in duces the size of its market, or both. action, or for a public-affairs discussion that response to grudging official recognition digs into some of the gut-issues with that it would have to be negotiated with. C.O.P.S. speakers as guests, or to hear a What next? complete live pickup of the C.O.P.S. tes- Reporting C.O.P.S. sank into the routine If, in addition, C.O.P.S. is able to invoke timony at a public hearing of some city of feeding the goat. Reporters tired of writing and editors of reading the same old lead: agency. But to understand what you hear, strict adherence to the anti-pollution laws, you have to know Spanish. "C.O.P.S. today demanded . . . ." It's so that residential development over the come to the point that San Antonio editors Edwards Aquifer is subject to expensive Of particular interest is the station's han- apparently assume everyone knows what pollution-control measures, or if it is able to dling of paid political announcements. Dur- C.O.P.S. is. Stories sometimes.don't bother prevent creation of more centrifugal trans- ing the campaign preceding the Edwards to identify the organization until down in portation arteries—such as the proposal to Aquifer zoning referendum last winter, one the fourth or fifth paragraph, if then. transform Culebra Road into a west- could hear paid spots boosting the de- northwestward expressway connecting the veloper interests, proclaiming "Vote as Thus for the benefit of mystified immi- grants and foreign readers, we furnish the central city to the Ranch Town develop- though your jobs depended on it!" and con- following translations: "Local groups" is ment in the Leon Valley—then C.O.P.S. veying more than an implied threat that re- will have got the suburban developers by striction of suburban growth meant unem- C.O.P.S. "Protesters" is C.O.P.S. "Or- ganizations opposed to . . ." is C.O.P.S. their pursestrings. ployment. These spots would be followed nine times out of ten. by a live announcer—Dr. Mateo Camargo, This is precisely C.O.P.S.' objective, and for example—giving locations of polling Meanwhile, San Antonio's dailies con- the group in only two years has gone far places and advising that C.O.P.S. would tinue their ride into the glorious future of toward achieving it. The final outcome is provide transportation for those who might Industry (Clean, White-collar), Develop- unknown, and opposition to C.O.P.S. is otherwise be unable to vote . . . . ment (Orderly), Jobs, Prosperity, and Big- only starting to organize. But if C.O.P.S. In the outcome, the Mexican-American ger Circulation for Newspapers. With now keeps on as it has begun, big changes are in voters stopped the proposed shopping mall and then a glance back along the trail at the store for San Antonio. quite handily. Story That Won't Go Away. Contrary to charges by developer So listen to KCOR to learn about The power to tax is the power to destroy. spokesmen, C.O.P.S. is not against growth. C.O.P.S. You may also acquire a taste for To this we must add the modern It's just against growth that does not benefit ranchero music, Angelica Maria, and corollary—actually as old as the Athenians, its membership--the middle-class, home- Freddy Fender. at least—that the public subsidy is the mar- owning Mexican-Americans who declined gin of profitable development. to move out of their older neighborhoods Persistence Nobody understands this better than into newer sections of the city built in the Maybe one problem for the English- C.O.P.S.—the predominantly Mexican- last fifteen years. American, Alinsky-trained community- language media in San Antonio is C.O.P.S.' C.O.P.S. would agree that San Antonio action organization of San Antonio. Unless sheer, numbing persistence. In its earliest needs growth—in industry, jobs, and even it's their opponents, the predominantly days, when firebrand priests and little •old population—but would prefer to see it ladies toed the microphone to talk back to anglo real-estate developers of the city, achieved by rebuilding the decaying center. the mighty or when the organization tied up typified by the Greater San Antonio Build- business at the Frost Bank for two hours ers' Association, who crammed city coun- In the past twenty years, San Antonio has with a demonstration of "green-lining" cil chambers during July, 1976, hearings on become two cities: the old one (C.O.P.S. appeared en masse to demand all City Water Board subsidy policy, all wear- downtown—full of new parking lots and members' deposits, unless the bank stopped ing buttons with the slogan: "Let San An- vacant office buildings huddled between denying home-improvement loans on tonio Grow." congested intersecting freeways along the grounds of neighborhood deterioration), By zeroing in on all the different little picturesque San Antonio river; and, the C.O.P.S. was great fun. After all, the service subsidies—water mains, electrical shiny, dynamic new one—spread out east- media-consuming public loves confronta- connections, storm drainage, west along the north segment of Loop 410. streetpaving—which the city. has been ac- Development to the north, into the hills, 8 The Texas Observer customed to extend to new subdivisions, has followed traditional U.S. patterns of land-speculation and sub-division, as well membership—from thirty contributing or- only using the kind of dirty tactics C.O.P.S, as those deeper yearnings to feel and ex- ganizations to thirty-eight in the last nine had introduced. press superiority to one's fellows through months—and the financial and moral back- The cavalry appeared from an unex- literally living up-hill (and up-wind*) from ing of the Catholic Archdiocese and a pected direction. Henry "The Fox" Munoz, them. number of Protestant principalities, too.* leader of the 30,000-member AFL-CIO union of state, county, and municipal em- The Mexican-American community, on The opposition will eventually get its act ployees, announced he was starting a recall the contrary, likes rooted continuity and together, recover from its speechless cha- petition of his own, directed at removal of urbanity in the old sense. Even when they grin, and move to accomplish one of the the remaining council members: Phil Pyn- can afford to join the trek to the suburbs, two things it must do if the status quo ante dus, Bob Billa, Dr. D. Ford Nielsen, and they don't necessarily do so. The Spanish is to be regained: neutralize or seduce. Richard Teniente. Munoz said his union term for downtown is "el centro"—the Recently, Dr. Robert West, chairman of members plus their compadres and co- center of things. In Rio de Janeiro and the board of Tesoro Petroleum and charter madres numbered sufficient signatures to Caracas, slums are built on hillsides, while member of the San Antonio establishment, put such petitions on the ballot. the wealthy inhabit the center; in the U.S., offered to underwrite one $10,000-a-year the city's center today contains the slums. The developer group did not want to see seat on the prestigious San Antonio Eco- their friends as well as their enemies swept So in a sense, C.O.P.S. opposition to nomic Development Foundation for out of office; all talk of recall petitions sub- suburban development is another aspect of C.O.P.S.-backer Archbishop Francis J. sided and was heard no more. the old intercultural conflict in progress Furey. "This city needs political stability," since the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo and said West, suggesting that a C.O.P.S. seat before. on the SAEDF might calm the waters. -lose situation But it would be a mistake to think that Some, such as Ed Chambers, executive di- A no C.O.P.S. and the issues it raises divide San rector of the Industrial Areas foundation, The next major test of strength for Antonio along strictly ethnic lines. Num- which trains C.O.P.S. leaders, views the C.O.P.S. will come next January, when a bers of Mexican-Americans have exploited offer as an initial, rather crude attempt at referendum will be offered the voters, ask- prosperity by joining the anglo rush to the seduction, though it focused on the wrong ing their approval of a plan to change the suburbs. Indeed, some are among the ranks man, since the archbishop neither is for sale mode of election of city council members of developer-speculators themselves. While nor has direct involvement in C.O.P.S. from nine at-large to ten districted, plus many anglos living in sections of the city councils. mayor at-large. that were stable and pleasant fifteen years Other observers think the move was in- This proposed change is the council's re- ago now find themselves "inside the loop" sponse to a Voting Rights Act complaint and exposed to changes—zoning decisions, tended to cut off C.O.P.S. at the pocket- book by persuading the prelate to withdraw lodged against the city by the U.S. Justice freeway construction, property re- Department last April. The complaint valuations, neglect of capital church support from the organization in exchange for alleged ecclesiastic input into charged that the 1972 annexations of terri- improvements—that if not checked will tory had diluted Mexican-American and soon diminish the quality of their lives and major community economic decision- making. black voting strength. The city's choice was the value of their investment. Some of these to get right with Justice or sue. anglos are already members of C.O.P.S. Whatever it was, the ploy failed. When The Greater San Antonio Builders' As- It would also be a mistake to see in San reporters asked for his reaction, his excel- sociation opposes the redistricting plan, Antonio any parallel to the situation in lency declared that he had had no personal though they don't say exactly why. Crystal City, where a dozen years ago communication from Dr. West at all, and C.O.P.S. favors it. chicanos took over city hall and the school knew of the offer only through the news- district in the name of an almost irredentist papers. It is unlikely that this rebuff will put A look at the map shows why. Of the ten political party, which is to this day such a an end to all such overtures. The next ones proposed 74,000-voter districts, C.O.P.S. is thorn in the flesh of Texas' Democratic will just be more subtle. certain to control numbers one through six, party conservatives that the governor and may achieve voting majorities in two screams "Reds!" every time he thinks Neutralization, too, has been attempted others (seven and nine). Thus if the ten- about it. Crystal City remains a small town at least once, also rather crudely and with district plan is approved, C.O.P.S. friends in a rural, agricultural mileu; San Antonio is ignominious failure. will constitute a majority of the new council. an urban, industrial city. Political affiliation In late summer, city manager Sam is almost irrelevant to what C.O.P.S. is and Granata was dismissed by the council for It's kind of a no-lose situation for does. Plus, there are few blacks in Crystal reasons never made public (Granata denied C.O.P.S. If the change fails of adoption, the City; a significant number of C.O.P.S. the council permission to state the reasons present council will continue, and C.O.P.S. members are black people. and made them fear libel if they did so). is not slighted by it. In any case, C.O.P.S. Nevertheless, as the struggle heats up, Following his dismissal, former Mayor will continue to "ignore the contests and charges of ethnic favoritism may be hurled Becker and others vowed to circulate a set deal with the winners." at C.O.P.S., as well as the cry of "Reds!" A of recall petitions aimed at Mayor Cockrell Best of all, from C.O.P.S.' viewpoint, the lot of land-speculation money and the future and city council members Henry Cisneros, election will constitute an open struggle be- of the city is at stake. Glenn Hartman, the Rev. Claude Black, tween itself and the old power structure, and Al Rohde. Becker said his group was which thrives best when its motives and ac- Attempted seduction tivities are not subjected to full scrutiny and discussion. C.O.P.S. leaders are counting At the moment, C.O.P.S. is on the rise. It on the referendum campaign to bring into the has achieved effective dominance at City *In 1974,' the year of its birth, C.O.P.S. got $10,000 from the National Campaign for Human open all kinds of facts that the old powers Hall. It has secured many of its immediate Development, an arm of the National Council of would prefer to keep quiet. Home truths neighborhood capital improvements goals. Catholic Bishops. In 1975, it got $45,000 from the and plenty of them will be the January It enjoys a large and growing same source, plus amounts varying from $1,000 menu. to $5,000 from the United Methodist Church, the If the old power-wielders choose to make *Prof. Ian McHarg and other students of city- regional Presbyterian Synod, the United Church planning have shown that in the absence of ,of Christ, and the Episcopalian Diocese. This No Growth an issue, as seems quite likely, geophysical restraint, U.S. cities always develop year, the N.C.H.D. raised its support to $70,000. C.O.P.S. itself raised $30,000 at its July 6th pic- in the direction from whence comes the prevail- 9 ing wind. nic. November 26, 1976 they will get lots of argument, and the rest of the citizens of San Antonio will hear some enlightening things. Says councilman Glenn Hartman, who regards C.O.P.S. as a productive force even though he does not always agree with its Student paper demands: "Those who claim [the city council is pursuing a policy of] no growth are By Hoyt Purvis editors of the four student publications; patently incorrect. First of all, in terms of their faculty advisors; the United Students economic base, what can we lose? San An- Austin Association (USA) president and vice tonio already has the lowest breadwinner Conflict over the proper role of the president; and Dean John Carrier of the income level in the nation. What they [the collegiate press has hit the normally calm College of Liberal and Fine Arts. The new developer group] call growth is actually dis- campus of East Texas State University in UPC is composed of Dean Carrier; three placement" The city needs growth, all Commerce. journalism faculty members; four faculty right. Not unplanned, willy-nilly expansion, One of those involved in the controversy members from other departments; and the but its opposite. Still thirty-five to forty said, "The issues of the Sixties have finally president and vice president of the Students percent dependent on the military dollar, come to ETSU." Association, plus seven additional students San Antonio is a place where the private 'recommended by the student president, and sector of the economy has done little but Actually, the ETSU feud dramatizes the approved, like other members, by President say "we don't want to bring in organized new dichotomy on American campuses of McDowell. the late Seventies: between those who want labor." As a consequence, large wage dif- to be involved in, or at least aware of what's The creation of the UPC brought a strong ferentials exist between government and reaction from the editors of the four student private wages. going on beyond the campus, and those who are primarily concerned with traditional publications, who signed a front-page There's some irony in the fact that many collegiate activities. editorial in The East Texan, the student of C.O.P.S.' staunchest members are above newspaper, calling the move "a threat to normal intimidation because they are em- Student editors at ETSU were under fire the future of a free student press on ployed at Kelly Field or Fort Sam Houston. from a segment of the student body for mov- campus." The editors said "If university Current president Andres Sarabia, for ing away from the customary emphasis on administrators have their way, student example, is a computer programmer at coverage of campus organizations. And, as special-interest groups and hand-picked Kelly. is frequently the case, a college newspaper faculty members will select their editors finds itself in trouble when administrators 9 9 Beyond the January redistricting battle feel that the paper is threatening the there's no way to prophesy the future for school's "image" with the business coin- The young journalists are particularly C.O.P.S. or San Antonio. If the old power upset by the fact that they were not structure can't succeed in neutralizing or consulted about the decision. Not only do seducing C.O.P.S., it will simply be forced they view the administration's action as to join it. heavy-handed, they are concerned about the amount of power granted to the student Such an outcome might recall the fate of president. "Giving the USA president this The Woodlawn Organization, in Chicago. power destroys the adversary—or Trained by Saul Alinsky to fight the estab- watchdog—relationship between student lishment, TWO succeeded so well that it government and the student press," the has become the establishment—and corrupt editors said. in its turn. When radicals reproached East Texan Alinsky for having failed to anticipate the Editor Danny Goddard sees effect of success on his organization, he al- the UPC as subject to domination by either ways replied with a shrug, and the remark the university president or the student that the only thing that counted was president, or both. In any case, he sees the whether the people themselves got what paper's independence as severely limited. they went after. Further, Goddard, a senior from Klondike, is troubled by the reduced journalistic rep- "It's all there in the Federalist Papers," resentation on the new governing body. The he would say. "There are only two kinds of editors are not even ex officio members of Americans. Either you believe in the the UPC. people—or you don't. I do." And that is Saul Alinsky's Third Rule. University administrators insist that the Things have far to go before they reach changes had long been contemplated. the stage where Outs have become Ins in "There was long-term discussion," said San Antonio. Dean Carrier. "It was not an abrupt "Political sophistication here hasn't attack." The editors feel that it was a reached puberty yet," remarks councilman sudden move, precipitated by a series of incidents in recent months—incidents Hartman. "Maybe someday we can have a H. Ross McLerran Bar Mitzvah." which reflected the changing emphasis of El Editor Danny Goddard The East Texan. The East Texan is a tabloid which is munity, alumni, and influential supporters. published twice a week. For years most of As a result of action by ETSU President its coverage was devoted to campus activi- F. H. (Bub) McDowell, governance of ties, especially fraternities and sororities. student publications has been turned over Symbolic of the paper's changing nature, to a newly created University Press and in line 'with a trend which had hit many Council, replacing the Publications universities some years before, The East Committee, which formerly governed the Texan dropped its "club notes" column publications and named editors. The early this year. That move was strongly 10 The Texas Observer Publications Committee was composed of criticized by the social organizations. becomes issue at ETSU The paper began devoting more space to auto-repair article was "the final blow." matters such as the "Gupta affair." In Goddard said, "The East Texan stepped on August, the ETSU Board of Regents too many toes . . . . The administration has unanimously voted to terminate the decided to bring future editors under tighter contract of Dr. Sujoy Gupta, a tenured control." faculty member in earth sciences. Gupta When the change did come, student was highly controversial, and his dismissal opinion was split. Those who had been had been under consideration for several critical of the paper's policies and de- months. The East Texan was ciritcal of the emphasis of campus organization news manner in which the affair was handled by were also those who dominate student the administration. Gupta was accused of government. Under the UPC, this group "unprofessional behavior" and of obstruct- could have major influence over the paper. ing functions of this department. Goddard McDowell said, "Many students have com- said "no real explanation has been made plained that The'East Texan does not repre- public 7 . . for Gupta's firing." sent them. They need more stories on the "I do not know if Gupta is guilty or not," activities going on on campus." Goddard said. "I am concerned that he is It would appear, therefore, that adminis- given a fair shake by the university." tration has come down squarely on the side Goddard said university officials refused to of thOse who wanted more coverage of confirm "even the simplest neutral fact collegiate activities and less attention to concerning the issue." He said the adminis- controversy and off-campus news. tration was attempting to censor the media Dean Carrier denies this, claiming that "by refusing to release any information the administration "has come down in the concerning the Gupta case." middle . . . between the two groups." H. Ross McLerran Both the faculty Hearing Committee and crete. The editors fear, however, that there the Board of Regents considered the matter "The administration has not entered into will be a steady erosion of editorial inde- in closed meetings. Goddard, in an East the question of whether the newspaper pendence and the newspaper will become a should cover off-campus news, although the Texan editorial, asked: bulletin-board publication, avoiding any editors have overlooked matters of controversy, So what does the university have to hide? considerable interest on the campus. The Danny Goddard and his fellow editors As a public institution supported by public journalists view the paper as a training believe that important issues are at stake. . funds—every hearing and meeting should be ground and think they should cover off- They were encouraged by the fact that open to public scrutiny. The university has an campus news, community concerns, and obligation to explain its actions fully. In order elections," Carrier said. ETSU regent Houston Harte of Harte- to formulate an independent conclusion un- Hanks newspapers questioned President clouded by rumor and hearsay, the public and He noted that the paper gave McDowell about the changes at the last press should be allowed to attend any gather- considerable coverage to the recent regents' meeting. The editors hope the re- ing that affects the university and its em- presidential election "to the exclusion of gents will reconsider the whole matter. ployees . . . . homecoming activities." He said that However, even before the next regents' ETSU vice president Barry Thompson, in alumni and others have pointed out that meeting, the UPC is planning to name the turn, accused The East Texan of "slanting "they can get the kind of news about new editors for the next semester. the news" and "presenting the administra- elections in their local papers; but they want Important issues are at stake. The East tion as being cold and heartless." He said to get what's going on on the campus from Texan is losing a significant measure of East Texan editorials were "totally without The . East Texan." independence to a combination of the basis." Thompson said the administration However, Carrier concedes that with the ETSU administration and student couldn't comment further because of the 18-year-old vote, it is particularly important government. It would be easy to label it a threat of litigation. Gupta had already filed for students to be informed and that many power grab by the administration, but it is two suits, charging the university with of them don't read any paper other than The less dramatic than that, even if no less "discrimination and retaliation." East Texan. Likewise he concedes that auto significant. It is rather an erosion of the paper's independence, and the student Clearly the administration was displeased repairs are an important matter to students, with the aggressive tone of the student particularly the 4,000 who commute to editors are right to fight it. paper, viewing it as disloyal to the ETSU. Of course, this battle has been fought institution. All of this leads Carrier to conclude that successfully on other Texas campuses, but the newspaper needs more money, more there was an important difference in these Meanwhile, The East Texan was space, and more resources—a point with previous resistances: they had broad broadening its coverage to include more which the editors would strongly agree. support from the student body. Essentially, off-campus news. In 'September the paper While the school has grown steadily, and The East Texan editors are fighting alone. ran a consumer report on auto repairs in currently has an enrollment of almost This freedom-of-the-press saga may tell us Commerce garages. The article received 10,000, the paper has not really grown in 16 more about the student body' than it does considerable criticism from the garages years. Indeed, with advertising increasing the administration. If the issues of the involved, including two large auto to as much as 65 percent of the space in an Sixties have come late to ETSU, they will dealerships. issue, the news hole has been shrinking. have a hard time surviving a campus mood President McDowell announced the more reminiscent of the Fifties. ❑ changes in publications control shortly Carrier said the changes in the govern- thereafter, and the students feel that the ance of ' publications are not set in con- November 26, 1976 11 Editor falls as Corpus reporters try to organize

Austin cared for them under Favre." Readership people wanted to make more money, but I The Newsroom Association, an indepen- increased among young people and don't think the money thing was the main dent union effort by reporters at the Corpus Mexican-Americans. part of it." Christi Caller-Times, is headed for a Na- The new editor set up an aggressive, in- The organizing effort took management tional Labor Relations Board hearing in dependent Austin bureau. He livened up the by surprise. Favre apparently had become Washington, D.C. Attorneys for the graphics on both the morning and afternoon so aloof from the staff that he was unaware Harte-Hanks newspaper chain indicated papers. And he moved toward making the of the morale problem. Management took they would appeal any ruling by the regional Caller and Times separate, competing pa- an attitude survey and decided to offer up NLRB board, so the local hearing examiner pers. (The papers do not have separate Favre as a sacrifice. When Favre resigned decided to send the case directly to the facilities, but management contends that on Oct. 28, a news story written in the man- highest NLRB authority in Washington. At there is a "time wall" between the morning agement offices explained that the "resigna- stake is the Newsroom Association's right and afternoon functions. "It sounds vaguely tion was occasioned by differences in man- to represent Caller-Times reporters in labor Star-Trekky," said one skeptical staffer.) agement style." negotiations. Very few newsrooms are organized in Texas. "There. was a certain amount of excite- Staff members told the Observer that they ment in the newsroom," a source said. But Meanwhile, had ambivalent feelings about Favre's de- Caller-Times editor Gregory although Favre brought a sense of progres- parture. But even those who had harbored Favre has become the first casualty of the sive potential to the papers, he also brought great hopes for his editorship were not par- organizing effort. discord. "He was a fairly abrasive influ- ticularly unhappy to see him go. Favre, a newsman with a good progres- ence," a reporter said. Others called him As for the organizing effort, a spokesper- sive reputation, was brought in from Florida "brilliant," "arrogant," and "ambitious." son said, "We wanted to get management's to edit the Corpus paper a year and a half (No one at the paper would speak on the attention and to feel like we have a voice ago. The scion of a Mississippi newspaper- record. Reporters are notoriously goosey around here. To some extent, that has al- ing family, Favre had been editor of the about being quoted.) ready happened. We have already done West Palm Beach Post-Times, a member of some good. For one thing, Harte-Hanks has the Cox newspaper chain. In 1972, he re- Favre apparently had trouble working with some reporters he inherited. He pre- already started obeying wage and hour signed rather than follow James Cox's in- guidelines." structions to endorse Richard Nixon for ferred the people he had hired, "my own President. From the Post-Times Favre went people," as he called them. More than one The chain has not yet selected Favre's to a Miami television station and then to individual interviewed by the Observer re- successor or successors. Some staffers fear Corpus Christi. membered him as saying of a particular re- that after one unsuccessful flirtation with a porter, "I can't work with him. I didn't hire liberal editor the publisher may be tempted Reporters in Corpus were encouraged him." Many people who were not in to return to conservative management. In when publisher Edward M. Harte and the Favre's favor felt neglected and ignored. He the worst possible scenario as envisioned Harte-Hanks management in San Antonio prided himself on his open door policy, but by some, the Harte-Hanks management, hired Favre. By Texas standards, the Cor- soon many staff members had stopped situated in San Antonio, will study the pus paper is very good (see San Obs., June 18). knocking on his door, because they felt he Antonio Express News, a paper they sold It does a serious job of covering local events wouldn't listen to them. a few years ago to Australian Rupert Mur- and it has a civilized editorial stance. (One doch, and adapt Murdoch's successful for- gets the impression that at the Caller-Times Said one reporter, "Before he came, we had conservative but tolerant management. mula of sex, scandal, car wrecks, crime, editorial writers are in touch with reality. At UFOs, and screaming headlines to the the very least, they are in touch with the Under Favre, we had liberal intolerant management." Corpus Christi readership. Corpus, after all, papers' reporters, which is not always the is 50 percent Mexican-American, and Favre case on Texas newspapers. Selected report- In retrospect, Favre said, "I had some has already gotten that community's atten- ers are invited to discuss and vote on edito- different ideas on how the newspaper tion. rial board decisions). should be run, and I think a majority of the Management says it will fight the union After Favre 'arrived, the Caller-Times got people in the newsroom accepted the effort but fight it fairly. With Favre's depar- even better. He expanded the news staffs changes. I apologize to anyone who thought ture, at least one administrator should be and allowed reporters the time they needed I didn't bring them along. Change is very improving his relationship with the staff. to do in-depth stories. Jim Davis had difficult. I understand and accept that fact. For many years, publisher Harte has writ- worked on a profile of Mayor Jason Luby But the changes we made were good." ten an editorial page column, usually at one for three weeks. A reportorial team was Dissatisfaction over the way Favre and of the typewriters in the newsroom. When given three months to do a series about the sub-editors handled the staff reached Favre arrived, he banished Harte from the Mexican-Americans in Corpus Christi. such a depth this year that a group of the reporters' turf, apparently on the basis that "Until Greg came, we just wrote for a younger reporters decided to organize a Favre didn't want Harte undercutting his South Side audience. We never even tried union. "Everybody felt they wanted some authority with the staff. So during Favre's to get chicano readers," one reporter said. representation," explained one of the or- tenure, Harte wrote his column on a video "The chicanos were pleased that the Caller ganizers. "They felt kind of powerless and display terminal in the classified ad office. left out of the process around here. They When Favre resigned, iiarte was heard to felt they had no place to take their griev- say, "Well, now I can write my column in 12 The Texas Observer ances when they had grievances. Of course, the newsroom." K.N.

November 26, 1976 13 New Paper- backs

/441.4!

Although Agriculture Commissioner • John White has stopped the aerial application of Mirex in Texas, agricultural Psychology of the agents in a number of counties have handed out 1,513,000 pounds of the deadly poison Mexican to landowners for ground applications. Culture and Personality The suspected cancer-causing agent is By R. Diaz-Guerrero used to fight fire ant infestations. After In this study the distinguished White canceled Texas' air program, the En- MexiOan psychologist R. Diaz- vironmental Protections Agency decided to prohibit aerial application nationwide after Guerrero combines a strong theo- Dec. 31. Mirex will be banned altogether retical interest in the relationship after June 30, 1978. of culture to personality with a Harold Scarlett, The Houston Post's en- pragmatic concern for methodol- vironmental writer, praised . White for his ogy. This book is rooted both in "courage" in acting before the feds. He quoted White as saying that EPA's decision studies of Mexican psychology to eliminate Mirex by stages was hypocriti- as an independent phenomenon cal. "If it's unsafe for humans after Dec. 31, and in cross-cultural compari- it's unsafe now," the commissioner told sons of Mexicans, Mexican- Bob Wieland Scarlett. Commissioner White Americans, and Anglo- But the same thing might be said for 19,700-acre lake to be used for recreation Americans. White's position. If Mirex is unsafe for use and for a back-up Houston water supply. after June 30, 1978, it's unsafe for use now. 171 pages $4.95 Environmentalists, alarmed by what the The Observer asked the commissioner why the State of Texas was still distributing the mammoth reservoir might do to the Trini- Intellectual Precursors ty's estuarine system, filed suit in Federal poison. "It's the indiscriminate application of the Mexican that's so objectionable," White said. "We Dist. Judge Carl O. Bue's court a few years consider local application relatively safe, ago. Bue ruled that the Corps' environmen- Revolution, 1900-1913 because the application is directed to the tal impact statement was inadequate and , study. The By James D. Cockcroft fire ant mounds." misleading and ordered further Fish and Wildlike Service has since esti- "In this praiseworthy monograph, So county agents are distributing Mirex mated that the water project would ruin free to landowners. Each owner must swear James D. Cockcroft contributes 12,500 acres of nursery habitat. In its most to the growing list of detailed that he will distribute the Mirex bait im- recent report, the FWS stated that the re- mediately with a ground rig. "That seemed servoir would cost an average of $1.76 mil- studies that are beginning to give like the best way to move the stuff," ex- lion every year in reduced commercial us a better understanding of the plained Alvin Ashorn, an agriculture de- fishery catches. complexities of the Mexican Rev- partment administrator. FWS recommends that the Corps shift its olution . . . a sophisticated and focus upstream and build a smaller 3,300- significant study . . ."—Annals of acre project that would avoid what the Think smaller agency calls "gross environmental destruc- the Academy of Political and So- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Depart- tion." cial Science ment has formally recommended that Good news for beach freaks. The 329 pages $5.95 the Army Corps of Engineers abandon its • Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission long-stalled Wallisville Reservoir project in has approved almost $3 million in funds for favor of a smaller upstream lake. developing Mustang Island State Park near The Corps' original job was simply to de- Corpus Christi. The 3,750-acre park will in- sign a saltwater barrier to protect rice clude 5.1 miles of beach. Despite grumbling University of Texas Press from the Nueces county commissioners, farmers using irrigation water drawn from P.O. Box 7819 the Trinity River. Then the Trinity River vehicles will be banned for about two miles Authority and the City of Houston got in- of beach between Corpus Christi Pass and Austin 78712 volved and the project bloated into a the Water Exchange Pass.

14 The Texas Observer • After being indicted on five felony margins . . . ," said Wilson president Ken- counts, being convicted on a mis- neth Griggy. A major part of their expan- IN THE SPIRIT OF demeanor, being the subject of an attorney sion and diversification will be through ac- NORMAN THOMAS general's investigation, and being opposed quisition of already existing food firms. AND EUGENE DEBS for reappointment by an apparent majority of Texas senators, Charles Schnabel con- • Houston's Riviana Foods has been As the left-wing of the Democratic sidered it the better part of valor to step purchased by the Colgate-Palmolive Party, the Democratic Socialist Or- down from his $37,500 a year post as senate conglomerate, and Dallas' Steak and Ale ganizing Committee is working for such secretary. He says he hopes to catch on as Restaurant firm has been taken over by Pillsbury. essential social issues as guaranteed an administrator somewhere else in state health care, tax reform, and full em- government. The National Small Business Associ- ployment. ation reports that small- and medium- • State Sen. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin), sized businesses in 1960 accounted for 41 Join us in recreating a social awareness who carried the consumer banner into percent of business profits, while their in the United States!! many a legislative, battle during the last ses- share of profits today has fallen to 20 per- For more information, contact: sion, has been elected to the national board cent. Austin DSOC Dallas DSOC Houston DSOC of Consumers Union, the national testing • As fuel costs leveled off, 1975 turned 209 West 20th 4924 N. Hall P.O. Box 7296 and advocacy organization that publishes into a fairly lucrative year for the na- Austin 78705 Dallas 75235 Houston 77008 478-2095 522-6107 777-4470 Consumer Reports. Doggett, who is prepar- tion's top electric utilities. Texas Utilities, ing a sheaf of consumer bills for considera- the fourteenth largest in the nation, earned tion by the 1977 Legislature, joins such con- $888,736,000 in revenue. The company's sumer lights as Betty Furness on the CU profits were 13.6 percent as measured by MARTIN ELFANT board. return on shareholder investment. • West Texas cattle raisers find cold SUN LIFE OF CANADA comfort in the "improved" market for their beef—instead of losing as much as LIFE Economic notes $200 a head as they did in 1973, they now HEALTH have it down to only a $75 loss per steer. DENTAL • The average price of a house sold in Some view the ranch economy as Earl Texas at the end of 1975 was $34,700 Butz' meanest joke. 600 JEFFERSON according to the realtors' multiple listing SUITE 430 service. That was up by a third from just • Texas has the lowest gasoline tax in the union at 50 a gallon. The rate has HOUSTON, TEXAS three years earlier. Members of the Texas Association of Builders claim they are un- not been increased for 10 years. (713) 659-1212 able to produce a house in the Houston area • Instead of going down the hall from today that sells for less than $30,700, and your hotel or motel room to scoop out they say they have written off families with some free ice, you'll soon have to slug coins • incomes below $14,000. into a vending machine to get the cold stuff. ANDERSON & COMPANY Texas Business reports that Southland Cor- COFFEE • Wilson & Co., which is the nation's poration of Dallas (parent firm of 7-11 chain TEA SPICES third-largest meat company and a stores) has developed this newest way to TWO JEFFERSON SQUARE subsidiary of Dallas-based LTV Corpora- AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731 nickel and dime Texans. "The machines tion, is changing its name to Wilson Foods dispense three pounds of cocktail ice in an 512 453-1533 and aiming to become a diversified food insulated tray, shrink-wrapped," exulted a Send me your list. marketer. "The thrust is to move away from Southland exec. This technological advance commodity fresh meats to further pro- Name already is in place at 17 Dallas hotels and is cessed, value-added items, with broader being introduced now in Houston. Street City Zip There is only one 51975, Katz. Systemet, In:. HALF Earth' brand shoe. PRICE Style 110 RECORDS M.AG AZ INES The perfect shoe

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Austin assets are worth," according to one state Loans to a bank's official family, their official close to the situation. "The value of friends, and business associates—"insider collateral is a very subjective thing," the loans"—emerged again this month as a official said. The FDIC "apparently feels problem for one of Texas' small town like some of the assets are not worth as banks. much as the state examiners think they're The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. worth," said the source, who indicated that (FDIC) reached a "voluntary" agreement the bank "has been a problem bank for with the First State Bank and Trust in Rio some time to the [state] banking commis- Grande City to terminate federal insurance sion." of the bank's deposits. Withdrawal of a According to The Dallas Morning News, stilliunctioning bank's deposit insurance the banking commission has required Man- is a highly unusual action in U.S. banking. ges to pump an extra $2.5 million in capital "I don't know of any situation in which in- into the Rio Grande City bank. surance has been withdrawn in the last 20 The FDIC usually takes a harder line on years—in any bank, anywhere," said FDIC regulation than the state authorities, proba- regional counsel Charles M. Pickett of Dal- las. bly because the federal insurors must pay up when a bank becomes insolvent. The Although bank president Frank Anderson feds are more attuned to preventive regula- said the bank was withdrawing from the in- tion than are the state bank examiners. surance program voluntarily, Pickett said As one Washington source explained, the FDIC was terminating the insurance be- "The FDIC gets upset about insider loans, cause of "unsafe and unsound" loan policies. but the state banking folks say, 'Well, they're solvent, aren't they?" Owner of the Rio Grande City bank is Clinton Manges, a reclusive South Texas Bob Wieland Archie Clayton, counsel for the state rancher with his hands in numerous political Clinton Manges banking commission, said they are taking a "wait and see" attitude toward the bank. As pies. Among the individuals who have re- formation is scant on this subject, since the ceived loans through the bank are State depositors stood in line to withdraw their cease and desist actions are not public.) money on Nov. 10 and Nov. 12, Clayton Comptroller Bob Bullock and Enrique Under federal law, Pickett could not elabo- Salinas, another elusive border-area waited in Austin to see whether the bank rate on what specific banking activities the would be able to pay all their demands. banker. FDIC wants stopped. He simply said that Manges, who has been unusually talka- Since the demands were met, the bank re- the order is to stop "unsound and unsafe mained open and defiant of the federal regu- tive since the FDIC took action, claims it's banking practices," including "loans to in- lators. all a plot by John Connally and the Republi- siders." On Dec. 6 in Houston, the bank or cans to shut down his little bank. After all, banks will get a hearing concerning a per- Alan Wolf, a Washington, D.C. lawyer Manges points out, you don't see State manent cease and desist order. for Manges, told the press, "The only fail- Banking Commissioner Robert Stewart Manges insisted the FDIC is trying to ure we are going to have is the failure of the rushing down to the Valley to close the prevent him from doing business with. FDIC to ruin this bank." bank. "anyone that I do business with." He said As of Nov. 17, new deposits are no longer Manges told the Associated Press that the those associates include "some of the insured and old deposits are insured for FDIC has classified as losses five times as biggest names in the state, prominent weal- only two more years. Bank president An- many loans as the state examiners. (When thy people who have done business with our derson said he hopes the state will institute loans are classified as losses, they must be bank in San Antonio." In addition, he said some kind of state insurance for bank depo- written off as uncollectible and removed the FDIC has advised the Bank of the sitors. That's similar to what Frank Sharp from the asset side of the ledger.) Southwest in Houston that it should not do wanted in 1969 when he convinced the Manges insists that the FDIC is spreading any more business with him and should Legislature to approve bills allowing a rumors about the bank because South "call" his notes and has forbidden him to Texas corporation to insure state bank dep- Texas went overwhelmingly for Jimmy Car- keep an account or borrow money from the osits, thus allowjng state banks to remove ter for President. And Arnulfo Guerra, dis- Groos bank. themselves from FDIC control. Gov . Pre- trict attorney for Starr County, is promising Both Manges' banks are solvent. In fact, ston Smith vetoed the bills because of pres- a grand jury investigation of the rumors the Rio Grande City institution is in good sure from the banking commissioner. The concerning possible bank failure. Guerra, shape. ,Last year it managed to increase its rest of the story is known as the Sharpstown who is politically aligned with Manges, said income by nearly 50 percent. Much of this scandal. he will subpoena FDIC attorney Pickett and increase was due to recovery on loans pre- According to Martin Mayer, author of question him about the rumors. viously classified as losses. The bank The Bankers, the FDIC feels that "deposit The FDIC has a temporary "cease and ranked fourth in profits among 457 Texas insurance funds should not be put at the desist" order concerning the Rio Grande banks in its size category (deposits of $10-25 mercy of highly political state banking City bank and probably Manges' other million). authorities"—"especially [in] Texas." bank, Groos National in San Antonio. (In- FDIC and state banking authorities ap- Although Rio Grande City bank officials parently disagree over how to handle the are wearing a brave smile despite what problems at the Rio Grande City bank. "It's 16 amounts to a federal slap in the face, some The Texas Observer just a difference of opinion on what some of its loans, such as the one to Enrique

Salinas, could cause it further problems. Of course, bank examiners often flag November 26, 1976 17 Salinas owned a majority of the stock at loans to politicians, not to mention out-of- Citizens State Bank of Carrizo Springs, territory loans to the bank owner's friends. which was closed by state bank examiners Enrique Salinas has done business with last summer (Obs., Sept. 3). both of Manges' banks. Groos was corre- According to The Dallas Morning News, spondent bank for the now-defunct Citizens both state and federal examiners have State Bank. And Groos loaned Salinas criticized loans to Salinas at the Rio Grande $600,000 to buy a second bank in Carrizo Gldg, Pee* City bank, as well as a participation loan to Springs, Union State Bank. The trustee Bob Bullock and his real estate partner, who sold the Union State stock to Salinas, we print with the union Ken Wendler. Charles Gary of Dallas, has since sued Wendler, Travis County Democratic Salinas and Groos for "wilfully and fraudu- chairman and a possible mayoral candidate lently" violating the terms of the purchase in Austin next year, borrowed $1.2 million agreement. with Bullock in November, 1973, to pur- Gary wants $750,000 in punitive and/or Also: Multi-copy service chase 44 acres of commercial land in South exemplary damages because Groos released Lecture notes Austin. At that time, Bullock had stepped the Union State stock which had been put down as secretary of state and had not yet up as collateral on Salinas' loan. Groos had Collegiate Advertising run for comptroller. a first lien on the stock as collateral for the According to Buck Wood, Bullock's top $600,000 loan to Salinas and Gary had a 901 W. 24th St., Austin assistant in the comptroller's office, Bul- second lien on the stock as collateral for a 477-3641 lock and Wendler first asked Citizens for $277,520 loan to Salinas. the entire $1.2 million, but that was too But for some unexplained reason, Groos Call Today! large a sum for Citizens to loan individually. released the stock and Salinas put it up as So Citizens asked Bullock if he knew of any security on another loan at First National banks that might participate, or share, in the Bank of San Antonio. When Salinas de- loan. Wood said Bullock told the bank to faulted on the First National loan, that bank Good books in every field contact Clinton Manges, that he might be auctioned off the stock, leaving Gary out in JENKINS PUBLISHING CO. able to help. the cold without collateral and without any The Pemberton Press Bullock and Manges are "close personal payments from Salinas. John H. Jenkins, Publisher friends," Wood explained. Bullock repre- There was yet another highly curious deal sented Manges in his dealings with Gov. Box 2085 Austin 78768 Dolph Briscoe after Manges made a $15,000 concerning Groos and Salinas' Citizens contribution to Briscoe's campaign in 1972. State Bank. Shortly before Citizens State The governor never reported the gift as re- was closed, Citizens borrowed $1.25 million quired by state law, and he eventually re- in fed funds (excess cash one bank loans on watch subsequent issues for .. . turned it to Manges. a daily basis to another bank) from Groos. As collateral, Citizens endorsed $1.6 million Bullock and Wendler claim that they had in local loans over to Groos. So far, so BILLIE CARR REPORTS no knowledge of the loan participation by good. But Groos allowed the $1.6 million in the Rio Grande City bank. Wood said Bul- Paid Pol. Adv. by Billie Carr Expense Fund loan paper to remain in the Carrizo Springs 2418 Travis, Houston, Texas. lock simply gave Manges' name to the Aus- bank. tin bank, and no one informed Bullock about the resulting participation. The par- The next bit is even stranger. On the day ticipation is between Citizens and the Man- that State Dist. Judge James E. Kazen up- ges bank, not between the borrowers and held the banking commissioner's decision the Manges bank. (Rumor has it that the to close Citizens State Bank, Lindsay Lan- BROWSE sum is between $250,000 and $300,000.) gham, the senior lending officer at Groos, Bullock and Wendler also point to an ap- rushed out of the court hearing in Laredo praisal value on their land of $2.1 million as and drove to Carrizo Springs. He went into TILL • ample proof that their loan is a good one. the bank and removed the $1.6 million in The land was put up as collateral on the loan papers, despite the fact that Kazen had 10.:00 loan. They say they have paid all the taxes ordered that no assets be removed. The on the land, interest on the loan, plus Texas attorney general has filed a contempt P.M. $100,000 of the loan principal. There is no motion against Langham because of his ac- basis for criticizing the loan, they insist. tion. Jo Clifton, Kaye Northcott MONDAY thru FRIDAY The U.S. House Banking and Currency Committee's Subcommittee on Financial (Sat. 9:00-6:00) Institution Supervision, Regulation, and Insurance will hold two days of hearings on Now In Our the Carrizo Springs bank failure and related matters Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 in San 13th Year Antonio. of 'omit* to Austin Kelsay Meek of U.S. Rep. Henry Gonzalez' office said that the subcommittee will GARNER AND SMITH-1 "examine how various bank supervisory agencies worked individually and collec- tively" during the South Texas bank closing. "We're interested in whether the regu- STORE lators cooperate with one another. Do they exchange information? Do they follow up I on their examinations? If the FDIC finds a problem, does the Comptroller of the BO. -

Currenty help or hinder?" 211. Guadalupe • Austin, Texas MOS Meek said representatives of the FDIC, the Texas Banking Department, the Comp- troller of the Currency, and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board will testify. 477-9725 100-foot depth offshore Seadock at The federal government could conceiva- Superport . Freeport. bly deem both plans to be in the "national The Galveston proposal would call for the interest," but both Seadock and the Galves- (Continued from Page 1) tankers to use a terminal on the tip of Peli- ton wharves do not think that is very likely. opportunity to coach Coleman's decision as can Island, connected by pipeline to Texas Both facilities are aiming for the same Briscoe. Askew is worried that massive City's petrochemical complex. In addition, amount of oil business. supertankers, laden with Mideastern oil and super-sized cargo ships (again much bigger The possibility that Coleman will shut out plying through the Bermuda Straits off than those presently calling on the port) both projects is probably even more un- Florida, spells environmental trouble for would carry dry goods such as sulfur, grain, likely. As a Coast Guard official points out, the Florida coast. So Florida is seeking an and ore to docks planned for a section of "the very existence of the federal legislation injunction in federal court to block Cole- Pelican Island facing Galveston Island. dealing with the matter shows that Congress man's decision on a Texas superport, thus Many environmentalists have accepted thinks a superport is needed." lengthening an already-long tale long Seadock as inevitable and the "lesser of two enough for Florida officials to satisfy them- evils." Some remain skeptical of the oil And why do they think it is needed? Be- selves about possible environmental dam- companies' plan. cause the oil industry predicts Texas will be age. importing 5.5 million barrels of crude per Despite the advantages of public owner- day in 1985. And the same industry claims Theirs is no idle speculation. The Na- ship in the Galveston proposal, the planned tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis- it's much cheaper to haul it over here in dredging and the possibility of huge super- huge tanker ships, over 1,100 feet long. tration (NOAA) of the U.S. Department of tankers moving around in Galveston Bay Commerce conducted a risk analysis could turn the city's project into an en- Barbara Heller, with the Environmental months ago, concluding that Florida faced vironmental nightmare. But there's money Policy Center in Washington, D.C., be- more environmental risk from superports to be made and jobs to be created, so lieves the claims of dollar savings from than either Texas or Louisiana, the proba- Freeport and Galveston are at each other.

ble sites of superports. Coleman ruled last 18 year that Florida held no "adjacent state The Texas Observer status" in this decision-making process. Hence, the Florida suit. The matter of the injunction may have been settled as the Ob- server goes to press, but the matter of the MAO TSETUNG : POEMS superport may finally wind up in the lap of the Carter administration. With oil money at stake, the half-decade A collection of thirty- superport-seadock affair has been competi- nine of Chairman Mao tive, to say the least. The Freeport Seadock Tsetung's poems written project--Lplanned by a combine of nine oil and chemical corporations—would consist between 1925 and 1965. of four huge buoys connected with sub- Published by Foreign marine pipes, spiderlike, to a pumping platform. Language. Press, Peking, China. The platform is designed to pump Mideastern crude oil from huge supertankers through two 52-inch pipelines to a tank farm 31 miles away in Brazoria County. The whole Seadock project will be located in over 100-foot depth Gulf waters. The Galveston onshore project, proposed as a joint effort by a number of public au- Hardback....$1.75 thorities, spearheaded by the public Paperback...$1.00 wharves authority in the Island City, would (Include require a massive 67-foot dredging job from 5% tax) the mouth of Galveston Bay 35 miles out into the relatively shallow Gulf waters. That is a lot of dredging, and a lot of dregs to dispose of. Supertankers are big. "Super" just doesn't say it adequately. It's sort of like "giant" and "king-size" soap boxes; the terms have lost their meaning. Some supertankers are bigger than others, but the biggest are comparable to floating the Em- Prairie Fire Bookstore pire State Building. Big. And they are filled with oil, which promises an unimaginable 3221 MAIN STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002 mess and ecological disaster when one rup- Phone 529-1641 tures. That's to indicate what we're messing with. Please write for a free catalogue of The supertankers that could enter the Galveston channel would be much larger other books, magazines, cards, etc. than those capable of traversing the present 40-foot channel. But they wouldn't be as big as the supertankers capable of using the supertankers is much exaggerated. The Smith told a hearing that biologists would Seadock's assertion that the risks of oil maximum savings obtainable from a super- insist the dredged mud be dumped beyond spill accidents are far less likely in the open tanker amounts to 1.2 cents per gallon of the continental shelf. This is a far greater Gulf as opposed to the close quarters of a gasoline, she contends, and she believes the distance, and more costly work, than Gal- busy port is a plausible one to many en- savings would likely be gobbled up as oil veston planners predict. Galveston port of- vironmentalists. company profit. However, she believes a ficials put the dredging pricetag in the superport carefully regulated and safely neighborhood of $280-300 million, while At least one group of environmentally constructed, as well as more safely built Seadock and TOTC estimates would have minded Galveston residents doesn't like the supertankers, would be a manageable risk. placed the figure at $650 million or higher, merits of either proposal for a superport. In effect, if Texas does in fact open the about the same cost as the offshore facility. November 26, 1976 19 gates to the monster ships, then Texans interested in protecting their environment should bring greater pressure to bear upon the Coast Guard and other regulators for stringent enforcement of safety regulations. CLASSIFIED Seadock Inc. is owned by Cities Service, Classified advertising is 20¢ per word. Discounts BOOKS PRINTED from manuscript. Biography Continental Pipeline, Crown-Seadock Pe- for multiple insertions within a 12-month period: Press, Rt. 1-745, Aransas Pass, Texas 78336. troleum, Dow Chemical, Exxon Pipeline, 25 times, 50 percent; 12 times, 25 percent; 6 Gulf Oil, Mobil Oil, Phillips Investment, times, 10 percent. JOIN COMMON CAUSE. Only one person can and Shell Oil. A formidable group to do bat- make democracy work again . . . YOU. $15 ($7 tle with. The joint corporate owners won for students). Common Cause/Texas, 711 San one battle two years ago when they de- JOIN THE ACLU. Membership $15. Texas Civil Antonio St., Austin, Texas 78701. feated a Texas Offshore Terminal Commis- Liberties Union, 600 West 7th, Austin, Texas sion proposal for a state-financed super- 78701. BOOK-HUNTING? No obligation search for port. rare or out-of-print books. Ruth and John Mc- NEW ORLEANS ON $8 A YEAR. The Weekly Cully. ARJAY Books. (512) 263-2957. Rt. 8, Box The state-created TOTC proposed a plan Courier, 1232 Decatur, 70116. very similar to Seadock's, except the TOTC 173, Austin, Texas 78703. proposal called for state financing rather Sunday edition deli- than private ownership. But with political THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOKPLATES. Free catalog. Many beautiful heavyweights like Governor Briscoe on vered to your home in the Dallas area. Call 239- designs. Special designing too. Address: Seadock's side, the Legislature declined to 5325 for rates and information. BOOKPLATES, P.O. Box 28-1, Yellow Springs, institute the TOTC proposal, and the way Ohio 45387. appeared clear for Seadock to proceed. NEED SOMETHING from Germany? Jim & Hanni International, 1600 Northwood, Austin LIBERTY LUNCH. 405 W 2nd. Austin. Eclectic After clearing that hurdle, Seadock faced 78703. 474-2582. fare. Jazz Theatre. another challenge, this time from Galves- ton. Galveston port officials proposed their deep harbor. Under the federal legislation for processing superport plans, Galveston formally requested that the secretary of transportation consider Galveston's plan as $: •

an alternative to Seadock's application. In ) ,‘„, case you missed the bureaucratic term for the whole thing, it's called "comparative determination." The plan to service huge dry cargo ships is essential to Galveston's future. But, he notes, the oil terminal would be the only way to make the new bulk docks financially feasible. "I can't think of any single answer that would give Galveston better security for the future than deep water," Devoy has said. all right Devoy points to the inherent safety pro- "* tection of public ownership as an advantage ty7 irrepressible. to his proposal. But the project bears the merica's greatest folk song writer was also a great burden of numerous other environmental merican writer. He proved it in his autobiography, BOUND FOR problems. The Galveston onshore super- GLORY (about to be released as a film). And finally in SEEDS OF MAN, his last prose work. Poetic, humorous, and port "approaches the magnitude of the .. .stirring, it captures the rugged grandeur of the Big Bend Panama Canal," according to environmen- country. It tells of two pasSionate love affairs, and tal geologist David Smith, hired by Seadock Woody's just-as-passionate involvement with the border to help shoot down the Galveston project. country's migratory workers. Above all, SEEDS OF MAN brims over with the same zest for life Dredging has often been under fire from Q0dy Guthrie expressed in his great songs. environmental groups because of its effects • $11.95 at-tiidakstores upon marine life, shorelines, and fishing nurseries. Disposition of the tons of mud scooped up in the operation also concerns environmentalists, who believe valuable wetlands (where shrimp and other marine life are protected in early lifestages) and The Kirk us Reviews seafloors will be covered with dredging spoil. Button

The Galveston chapter of the Sierra Club steady overpopulation and increased subsi- concept puts the public interest into nine opposes superports on the coast here be- dence. private and enormously powerful hands, as- cause they believe the facilities would at- "We don't need more tank farms to take suring those firms of sizeable profits and tract petrochemical plants to an area al- the place of our wetlands, and we don't threatening further monopolistic control of ready "saturated" with industry. The need more refineries to take the place of our oil resources. A rational choice would be NOAA commented that the draft environ- wetlands," says Sierra Club member F. H. (C) None of the above. Other ways exist to mental impact statement for Seadock failed Rudenberg of Galveston. deliver oil. As one observer put it, "You're to adequately deal with the question. One former TOTC backer, State Sen. still going to get the oil [regardless of the outcome of this squabble], even if the oil A statement by Sierra Club representa- A. R. Schwartz of Galveston, who hotly ar- firms have to bring it here in buckets." ❑ tives claims an increase in petrochemical gued for public ownership of the superport, plants will result in massive pollution of now favors the Seadock plan. Asked about dangerous heavy metals and, in combina- his onetime reservations about private tion with overpopulation of the region, will ownership of the Seadock, Schwartz now provide serious waste disposal problems. says, "Whatever the concerns, they must They paint a grim picture of accelerating be met with regulation. We must have a School needs for fresh water for new industrial guarantee of importation facilities in the • area." plants, continuing land subsidence due to • • ground-water withdrawal, and impossible Schwartz, a liberal who represents both financing . evacuation plans during hurricanes due to Freeport and Galveston, found himself (Continued from Page 1) under fire from opponent Dr. James Parker during the Democratic primary. Parker's Briscoe has now proposed that the state 20 The Texas Observer political advertising suggested to Galveston pick up 90 percent of the program's cost, residents that one of their own was turning reducing each district's share to 10 percent. against the hometown's proposal. But Of course, the governor also suggests that Call PICK Schwartz handily won a run-off election in districts lower their taxes correspondingly. Before You Pack the three-man race. "The people who were Maybe they will, but again, maybe they FOR trying to make it an issue had no interest in won't, since "extra" money raised by the it," Schwartz said of the political charges. districts can be used for "enrichment," i.e. HOUSTON "They did it for their own selfish pur- raising teachers' salaries or hiring extra poses." teachers, air conditioning buildings or even Enjoy real money-saving buying more playground equipment. value, and relax at the Schwartz tactfully deals with the Galves- ton deepwater proposal, claiming the proj- Now they will have even more money for ALBERT ect does not necessarily conflict with Sea- "enrichment" because the state will require dock. "Each onshore facility must rest on that they pay only one-tenth of the cost of C K, its own merits," he concludes. the foundation program. MOTOR INN Another TOTC member who strongly fa- To see where the inequities lie, compare 3301 Southwest Freeway vored a public superport, Sherman Fricks, three districts taxing at the same rate: a rich at Buffalo Speedway who also is secretary-treasurer of the state one which could raise about $650 per pupil; AFL-CIO, has mixed feelings about the an average district which could raise about • Heliport and Airport Bus Seadock proposal. Though he favors an $250 per pupil; and a poor district which can Terminal near by offshore superport, he said during the sum- raise only $40 per pupil. (Districts in Texas • Color TV In every room mer, "I've always thought they [the consor- actually experience this great a disparity.) • Restaurant & Lounge tium of oil companies] didn't want to build it Under Briscoe's proposal to pay 90 per- • Heated Pool as much as they want to control it," adding, cent of the FSP burden, the state would pay • Family Plan "I know that's a hell of a thing to say." the rich district $585, the middle district • Free Parking Fricks' feeling is shared by many folks. It would get $225, and the poor district would • Meeting and Convention stems from a natural (and healthy) distrust receive only $36. Facilities for up to 375 of those who brought us high energy prices Poor districts will get more than $36 from ALL AT MODERATE RATES and profits, as well as the likes of John the state, thanks to an "equalization" pro- Connally. Not surprisingly, Seadock Inc. gram, which is designed to bring poor dis- RESERVATIONS: stands to turn a profit of $60 million a year tricts closer to the funding level of average CALL TOLL FREE for its parent companies. districts. So it is down to this equation: neither Equalization money will be given to poor 800-621-4404 plan is environmentally sound, though Gal- districts to guarantee them about $210 per In Illinois: 800-972-7200 veston's onshore facility involves massive student extra, which is not too far from the surgery on the environment; the Seadock $240 per pupil average that other districts currently spent in addition to foundation program money. Districts would have to tax themselves at a rate of 22 cents per $100 217 So. Lamar property valuation, but that's low, and Austin, Texas probably no district would reject such a good deal. Lunches & A la carte We arrive at the 22 cents per $100 figure The food, like the music, by working backwards. First of all, the gov- Entertainment Nightly • No Cover ernor's researchers asked how much money isn't canned. It's tra- Kenneth Threadgill • Musica Conjunto they could supply to school districts by put- ditional with a freshness Marcia Ball • Alvin Crow • Doc Jones ting $125 million into equalization. The an- that makes it country and Butch Hancock • Joe Ely swer to that was $210 per pupil, still $30 wholesome. Feed your below the average, but close enough, the researchers decided. belly and your soul. "Home of Texas Traditional Music" Second, you figure the average "per pupil wealth" of Texas school districts by divid- its $605 per pupil on the foundation program November 26, 1976 21 ing the market value of taxable property in because Briscoe's new financing plan will each district by the number of students in pump an additional $2.3 million into the dis- the district. Then you determine the rate of trict next year to relieve taxpayers of the taxation which would produce the $210 per property tax burden. pupil sum when multiplied by the state's An important consideration to remember average per pupil wealth. is that rich districts still might not opt to The statewide per pupil wealth average is lower property taxes but channel more about $93,800. Any district below this level money into "enrichment." will be considered poor and entitled to be Briscoe has an answer for that too: put a "equalized" under the governor's plan. Of "cap" or ceiling on property taxes of $1 per course, $210 per pupil is not equal to $240, $100 valuation. It sounds good at first, but no matter how the governor figures it. students of school finance are saying that That's hardly "meeting the challenge of the cap is meaningless for several reasons. the Rodriguez decision," a phrase in vogue Number one is that new property values during the last two sessions of the Legisla- devised by the Governor's Office of Educa- ture, but now evidently dropped in favor of tion Resources are much higher than old a more attractive political idea—i.e., lower- property values (more on that later). ing property taxes. John Poerner, who heads up that office, La Fonda de (a Noche In case you've forgotten, in that 1971 figured total taxable property in the state at Southwestern Cuisine decision a three judge federal panel ruled $238 billion—up from old values of $160 bil- Liberal Food—Conservative Prices Texas' school finance system unconstitu- lion. So a $1 effort statewide will still raise tional because children in poor districts re- more money than the old limit of $1.50 per ceived less money for their education than 2405 Nueces kki 474-7562 $100. But that's only part of the problem. *La, 1 ., children in rich districts on the basis of A rich district like Deer Park can raise property taxes. The U.S. Supreme Court significantly more money without approach- overturned that decision in March, 1973, on ing the limitation than can a poor district a 5-4 ruling, stating that education was not a fundamental constitutional interest and like North Forest. Thus, poorer districts • could conceivably hit the ceiling and be un- E3C•Ofcg should be left in the hands of the state legis- 503 5 WEST 17 TH 476.0116 lature. able to raise teachers' salaries and other- Jamul, Texas wise improve programs to the same extent 717111 Nonetheless, both courts criticized the as richer districts which never will approach Texas system, and legislators vowed to im- the ceiling. prove the system called "chaotic and un- Says Craig Foster, educational finance just" by the nation's highest court. expert for the property tax project of the Now, back to the governor's arithmetic. Intercultural Development Research As- Briscoe proposes to pump an additional sociation, "The tax cap will hit the rich, big $100 million into "equalization aid" to help districts last. If it ever hits anybody, it will the poor districts, and to cut back the hit those districts making the biggest [tax] number of districts eligible to receive such effort"—the poor districts. aid. Under the 1975 law, even districts with The $1 cap would "allow all districts to slightly above average ability to pay could move upward" in expenditures, according Bob and Sara Roebuck receive such aid. No more. But these steps to David Thompson, a legislative aide work- hardly level out the distribution of state ing with Rep. Tom Massey (D-San Angelo) school aid. who heads up two House committees on Anchor National Take a poor district like North Forest in education. Harris County. North Forest raises only $58 Massey and a number of other legislators Financial Services per pupil from its 22 cents per $100 tax. have proposed that the state take over 100 That's because taxable property in that dis- percent of the costs of the minimum founda- 1524 E. Anderson Lane, Austin trict equals only $26,476 per pupil. tion program and set a limit on a district's (512) 836-8230 Briscoe is promising North Forest and capability for enrichment. similar districts that the state will make up House Speaker Bill Clayton reportedly is • bonds • stocks • insurance the difference between it and the "average" leaning toward the Massey bill, because • mutual funds • optional retirement program district by contributing $152 in equalization Briscoe's proposal "doesn't go far enough aid. on reduction of property taxes," said a For rich districts like Deer Park, in the Clayton aide. Printers • Stationers • Mailers • Typesetters affluent section of Harris County, however, Tax reduction under the Massey plan High Speed Web Offset Publication Press • would be mandatory, rather than simply the governor's plan holds even greater Complete Computer Data Processing Services • promise. possible, as in the governor's proposal. Counseling • Designing • Copy Writing • Editing While North Forest gains about $178 per Under the Massey plan, districts would pupil more than last year through equalizing be able to spend up to $331 per student ($90 Journals • Magazines • Newspapers • Books efforts, Deer Park, through the foundation above the state average) or spend 10 per- program's provisions, will gain an cent per year more than the previous year. The Only 100% Union Shop in Texas! additional $324 per pupil. Such a plan, according to Thompson, would That's because taxable property is valued "hold the top districts stable" and let the at $275,055 per pupil, more than ten times others rise to that level. that in North Forest. For its 22 cents tax, The governor's plan, on the other hand, 512 / 442-7836 Box 3485 Deer Park can raise $605 per pupil, putting would allow for more equalization dollars it far above the state average. per student—about $35 more per student, as 1714 S. Congress Austin, Tx 78764 But the rich district will not have to spend a matter of fact, so it may turn out to be more in keeping with the Rod- Then there's the tough question of farm- And we cannot complain that the rich get riguez decision than the Massey plan. land assessment. Briscoe, as one of the richer while the poor get poorer. It's simply Both plans are aimed at property tax re- state's largest agricultural landowners, that the rich get much richer and the poor lief more than at equalization of educational could hardly suggest that farmland be val- gain too little. It's a question of fairness. opportunity, if you measure opportunity in ued at its "use rate" rather than at market Whether you favor the governor's plan or terms of dollars. And, unfortunately, that value. However, the governor's office not may simply boil down to whether you seems to be the way it is measured at the thoughtfully provided figures comparing live in a rich-, poor-, or middle-income moment. market value to agricultural use value for all school district. Or, more generously, it may districts in the state, in case legislators see hinge on your feelings about the ideal—and As if things were not confused enough by fit to make use of those figures. the political reality—of making educational these competing school finance schemes, opportunity truly equal. there are other considerations. First, there Several reporters have noted that prop- is doubt about the validity of market values erty values in the Uvalde Consolidated But regardless of your stand on the pro- assigned by the Poerner researchers to School District would fall—for taxation posals, keep three things in mind: Dolph property throughout the state. For example, purposes—from $402 million to $187 million Briscoe wants to keep his job until at least utilities provided researchers with estimates if the land were taxed at the agricultural rate 1982; increased spending depends on that of their taxable property. It is suspected rather than the market value rate. Farm- elusive state revenue surplus (to be esti- that the utilities, as well as oil and gas lands, owners and ranchers in other rural areas mated again by Comptroller Bob Bullock were treated more favorably than home- could expect to pay far lower school taxes if on Nov. 23); and, most importantly, no owners by the governor's tax office. the agricultural rate were used. But given matter what plans go before the Legislature, none will emerge whole and perfect. Also, the straight-out property tax reform- the inequities of our school finance system, ers are not satisfied. Rep. Wayne Peveto it hardly seems fair to pick on that particular So, tune in next May for the final results. (D-Orange) says he will try to get Briscoe to one. It's bound to be another long fight. ❑ abandon his school finance plan in favor of Peveto's property tax revision proposal. Peveto, chairman of a Texas Legislative Council committee on tax reform, wants a A celebration complete revision of property taxes. He Austin tried unsuccessfully for sweeping reform of The victory of Carter and Mondale was a the tax system in 1975. boon for the country and the world. They And we mustn't forget teachers, with approximately represented humanism, and Observations their continual (not to say unjustified) de- Ford and Dole approximately represented mands for higher pay. Briscoe chose not to rapacity and cynicism. For me, the minutes include that issue in his proposal. of election day ticked by slowly, one by one, for like many of us I fear that time is been a great president, I don't give a damn 22 The Texas Observer running out for the democracy and for what anybody says—he was the only other world peace, and the prospect of four years nominee whose election I was prepared to of Ford and Dole was depressing to the celebrate. Well, I don't know what we've In Austin: point of alarm. Those of us who, during the got in Carter, and neither does anybody, but Democratic primaries, preferred candidates I found myself rejoicing as he won. Texas, known to be progressive on the issues can the supposedly conservative Texas, "John We serve nevertheless celebrate. Broadly compared Connally's state," Texas! When, on the to Ford and Dole, eight years of Carter and telly, New York went for Carter, just about the beer Mondale look good, and if we really want to clinching it, I surprised myself shouting get euphoric, we might even visualize six- alone in the living room, cheering for teen years of reform since the liberal everybody. I was surprised, I was surprised You make Mondale is only 50 years old. to celebrate. Carter has consistently said his political the politics philosophy is populist. "I think the word In the morning, when, in Plains, Carter populist still fairly accurately describes my looked over the crowd of several hundred philosophy as well as any other word," he greeting him there and saw the sun rising said after the election. Asked to define over Georgia and spoke of a new day, I Garden opens 4 p.m. populism, he said it is "deriving one's polit- walked to the porch that overlooks the pas- ical strength and one's philosophy directly ture behind my house and greeted the sun from the people." Sometimes he has de- with him, here in Texas. After a little work, fined it so that it seems to encompass the I took the rest of the day off, driving around conservative impulses, as well as the com- the hills of Lake Travis in and under the fine mon interests of the people, but he is stead- fall day. I stopped at a cafe in the country ily associating himself with an historical for barbecue and beer. At an adjacent table political movement that, along with the two old guys were sipping beer in the mid- Progressive one, sought more thoroughgo- dle of the day, and one of them, his clothes ing reforms for the people's welfare than the spotted white from the construction work Democrats customarily advocated. he does, said to the other one, "It's a great day. It's a great day. It's a great day to be Carter's is the first election of a president on earth." It was. As he left he said, "I I have celebrated. The first nominee I was voted for Mr. Carter, but something might enthusiastically for, Adlai Stevenson, lost. happen along the way, we'll have to Kennedy won with a campaign that was too watch." That's right, too. It was a great day militaristic and jingoistic to celebrate. I was to be on earth because the election was an so apprehensive about Johnson, I wrote a FINE FOOD • DRAUGHT BEER historic event with potential. Everybody's a piece about him for the Progressive before skeptic now, so hope means all the more. OUTDOOR PATIO the 1964 election entitled "Before We Shall Cheer." George McGovern would have One thing that worries me a lot is some- Enter 1 - year gift subscriptions for:

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TEXAS OBSERVER, 600 W. 7th AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 20% discount on books Titles below are offered to Observer subscribers at a 20 percent discount. There is no additional charge for postage, provided payment is included with your order. Amounts shown represent the 20 percent discounted price, plus the 5 percent sales tax. Postmaster: If undeliverable, send Form 3579 to The Texas Observer, 600 W. 7th, Austin, Tex. 78701 DEMOCRATIC PROMISE: THE POPULIST MOMENT IN thing Carter said about a nuclear first strike. Nearly all of the public conversation AMERICA (I did not read about it until, after the elec- about Carter's domestic policies concerns by Lawrence Goodwyn $16.75 tion, I was perusing the Progressive for Oc- the management of the economy. Reducing THE TRANSFORMATION OF tober.) Everybody knows Carter says he unemployment and inflation, reforming the SOUTHERN POLITICS wants to inject morality into foreign policy tax system while never increasing the in- by Jack Bass & (such a simple thing, so oddly controversial, come taxes on working people who report Walter DeVries $13.39 and so correct). He wants to stop the all their income to the government—these THE TIDES OF. POWER: American trafficking in arms abroad, and he are important things. But in my opinion CONVERSATIONS ON THE says various ways that he will not commit Carter must also get in touch with the "re- AMERICAN CONSTITUTION troops to foreign countries unless American construction from below" that is emerging by Bob Eckhardt & Charles L. Black Jr. $ 9.19 national interests are directly involved. But as the distilled wisdom of the Sixties. For interviewers from the Hearst newspapers brevity here I shall just call this the "small EAT YOUR HEART OUT: asked him, (the Progressive reported) is beautiful" movement. A return to small HOW FOOD PROFITEERS whether he could foresee "any circum- VICTIMIZE THE CONSUMER business, family farms, co-ops; the de- by Jim Hightower stances in which we would be justified in velopment of small-unit energy $ 7.52 resorting to a first strike with nuclear technologies; tax policies to discourage big- HARD TOMATOES, HARD weapons, strategic or tactical," and he re- ness and encourage human-sized enter- TIMES: THE FAILURE OF plied that he would order a first strike "if I prises of all kinds—the ideas of this move- AMERICA'S LAND GRANT was convinced that the existence or the se- COLLEGE COMPLEX ment are people-concerned, democratic, by Jim Hightower $ 5.84 curity of our nation is threatened." But a populist, and have profound structural im- first strike is a surprise nuclear attack on plications for the dominance of the giant THE POVERTY OF POWER: another country. If Carter lets this position corporations. Without economic populism, ENERGY AND THE stand he puts us all at risk, those we might ECONOMIC CRISIS politcal populism quickly becomes mean- by Barry Commoner $ 8.40 first-strike and we ourselves, for if we are ingless. Since at first the Carter Administra- now, under Carter, committed to a first- tion will be trying to increase government LBJ: AN IRREVERENT strike doctrine (as we never were under CHRONICLE revenues in order to be able to finance pro- by Booth Mooney $ 8.36 Johnson or Kennedy), then the leaders of grams that will cost a lot of money, there some other nuclear nation may reason they will be a year or two when reforms on be- THE TEXANS have to first-strike us since we have said we half of the people's economic indepen- by James Conaway $ 7.52 might first-strike them. dence, reforms that don't cost much in ARCHER FULLINGIM: A Eugene McCarthy played an irresponsi- dollars, could be pushed with the Congress. COUNTRY EDITOR'S VIEW ble role in the election. He advocated a na- What a waste' of a great opportunity if all OF LIFE tional sales tax and opposed national health Carter seeks in his first hundred, his first edited by Roy Hamric $10.08 insurance, favoring the GOP platform on thousand days, is the better management of The 20 percent discount applies to books health; he was not left of Carter. Had the economy! We do not expect too much of the Observer carries in stock. In addi- McCarthy gotten on the ballot in New Carter and Mondale when we expect them tion, Observer readers can avail them- York, Carter would have lost, Ford would to think about America structurally, selves of our offer to send, at the regular have won, yet when McCarthy was asked too. R.D. retail price, any hardback book pub- about the possibility his candidacy -was lished in the U.S. No charge for postage going to elect Ford, he said he wouldn't if payment accompanies your order. mind it if it did. I do not think McCarthy (Please note: we cannot fill paperback should be forgiven for his performance this DENTON FUNDRAISER orders.) year. But he said one thing very much Johnny Gimble, one of the best When ordering, give title, author, worth remembering when he condemned fiddlers in the East, and Leon Rausch, and—if possible—name of the publishing "bipartisan militarism." I do not know if a former Texas Playboy, will be the company. Allow three weeks for deliv- Carter can find •the courage and the re- star attractions at a fundraiser to help ery. (Books ordered from our list of in- sources within himself to reverse the trend Lane Denton retire his debt from the stock titles will arrive much sooner.) toward a militarized America, but the Railroad Commission race. The people are ready for it, and if Carter is going country-western show and dance will THE TEXAS OBSERVER to be a populist he has to be a populist about be in the Waco Convention Center at 8 BOOKSTORE militarism. p.m., Nov. 20. 600 W. 7th, Austin, Texas 78701 24 The Texas Observer