ustxtxb_obs_1972_08_25_50_00016-00000_000.pdf

years old. Texas is 46th among all the states in the union in the mental health and mental retardation services furnished to its citizens. I am not proud of Texas being 46th in anything, much less mental health and mental retardation. Mike McKool, Texas Senate, Austin, Tex. Disgusting Concerning Mr. Harrigan’s disgusting article of July 21 on the subject of Arlington’s Seven Seas, I resent the insinuations he made against the park. The people of Arlington have always maintained honest standards and we are as anti-cruelty against animals as Mr. Harrigan. We dislike being compared in any way with what goes on at Galveston, as we are two entirely different types of town. Richard Eugene Krause, 708 McKay Court, Arlington, Tex. 76010. Boo Farenthold Chihuahua speaks In your article entitled “Chihuahua Champion” you stated that in my 42 hours 33 minutes filibuster, I “was attempting to add $17 million to the stingy state appropriation for mental health and mental retardation. It was no go, but during his marathon, McKool did get the message across and across and across that Texas ranks 46th in state spending for the mentally handicapped.” There was some good that came directly from this filibuster in addition to getting the message across. The conference committee added between five and six million dollars to mental health and mental retardation. This was badly needed and for the first time the mentally afflicted got more instead of less from the conference committee. It just so happens that anytime there is any cutting to be done_ it is always in the mental health-mental retardation area. During the last regular session of the Legislature, the conference committee cut approximately 60 per cent for funds for new facilities. During this special session, the Senate cut over $17 million from the bare necessities of this program. In my opinion, mental health and mental retardation should be given a number one priority. This is what my filibuster was all about in placing the spotlight on the neglect of our mentally ill and mentally retarded. Many are on waiting lists for six or more years awaiting admission to our state hospitals. There are over 1,100 \(mostly Many of these youngsters are in need of such care and treatment when they are six years old, and not when they are 12 or 13 16 The Texas Observer Having been an avid supporter of Frances Farenthold in her gubernatorial race I feel an obligation to challenge her behavior with respect to the Democratic presidential effort. There are many Texans who are going to vote for McGovern regardless of what Ms. Farenthold does, nor did we support him only because he was identified with her. I am chagrined and shocked that she should see fit to continue the antics which characterized her candidacy for the Democratic vice presidential nomination. I most violently take issue with her early statement that she could not support the ticket with Eagleton on it. It was an incredibly premature and stupid gesture. The press and the right wing of the Democratic Party have more or less brought Eagleton’s resignation about. But they have been aided considerably by zealots like Farenthold. I would have expected restraint from someone whom I had always considered intelligent. A number of my liberal friends have even vowed that they are through with Farenthold because of her action with respect to Eagleton…. In retrospect, the consequence of her candidacy for governor was ultimately not to create a new female star for Texas, but rather to give us a weak, backward governor instead of the more intelligent and less reactionary Ben Barnes. Daton A. Dodson, 1653 Bonnie Brae, Houston, Tex. 77006. See item in Political Intelligence this issue for the correct Farenthold quote. Eds. Chuckles I immensely enjoyed Kaye Northcott’s report on the Farenthold for vice president boomlet at the Democratic National Convention. Having been a small part of Ms. Farenthold’s late but great campaign for governor, I couldn’t help chuckling as I saw some familiar faces swinging into action again B. Rapoport, Emilie Farenthold, the irrepressible Ralph “Meatball” Collins and the candidate herself, ducking out to have her hair done. While I was disappointed at her later attempts to have Thomas Eagleton dumped from the ticket, I was still very proud to see Ms. Farenthold run another brilliant but disorganized race. David Powell, P. 0. Box D, Austin, Tex. 78712. Not interesting Sony that we do not want to continue, but since the ladies took over we find that the Observer is not as interesting as it used to be. We’re sorry because we believe in the idea of the Observer and we believe in Ronnie Dugger and we would like to support both. But if we really don’t find the ladies interesting, how else can we protest? If you ever change editors, let us know. We may want to subscribe again. Mr. and Mrs. K. Deffeyes, 40 Western Way, Princeton, N.J. 08540. Every word excellent The August 4 Observer arrived this morning and I have read the “editorial” on McGovern. Excellent! Every word excellent even including the jabs at the Star-Telegram and the Times Herald, on both of which I worked before you were born. Your poke at Wan John really was showing a great deal of forebearance, since he is one of those men who covers enormous ignorance in a blanket of loud and positive bluster. Wan John’s standing surely indicates the mental vacuity of a lot of people. Speaking of being radical, I think a lot of people are putting the label on the wrong man. I contend that a 7 percent tax refund for big business is radical, that invading Viet Nam to take part in a civil that violating the constitution is extremely radical, that putting men in jail because they might commit a crime is radical. In short, I think the radical man is in the White House right now. Gerald Forbes, 4001 Idlewild Rd., Austin, Tex. 78731. Dialogue