ustxtxb_obs_1976_04_23_50_00024-00000_000.pdf

himself a solid, consistent, progressive record. He was one of the Dirty Thirty who worked to expose the Sharpstown scandal. He has consistently concerned himself with those who haAie few championsthe elderly, unwanted children, minorities. He sponsored the open records law, which has given the public more access to information about state government. He has worked hard for teachers and has the endorsement of the AFL-CIO. As chairman of the House Social Services Committee, Denton worked on legislation to provide decent standards for nursing homes. Denton could always be counted on in the House to vote on the side What docile fools the oil and gas boys must think we areand they may be right. We’ve put up with the gouge and the ripoff for some four years now so why not forever they must figure. We shall see, I guess, in about a monthMay 1st, on primary election day. For that is the day the public will be tested. Tested to see if they can accurately understand that of all the ambitious politicians running for Railroad Commissioner, only Lane Denton has the public interest as his single guide post. Every other candidate for Railroad Commissioner has either completely sold his soul or at least “compromised” himself to the very interests that need public oversightthe oil and gas boys, i.e., the Lo-Vaca crowd and their friends…. C.S. Caldwell, 8017 Greenslope, Austin, Tex. 78758 Katz supports Denton Terence O’Rourke recently published a political ad in the Observer that included excerpts from my book, Shadow on the Alamo. This has apparently led some people to believe that I favor O’Rourke’s candidacy, which is not the case. Lane Denton has my unqualified and undivided support for the office of railroad commissioner. I believe he is the only candidate who has the experience, ability, and dedication to make this office truly responsive to public need at this critical time, and I intend to do all I can to assist his candidacy. Harvey Katz, 1619 New Hampshire Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. 24 The Texas Observer of the people, no matter what the political cost. Some progressives around the state are impressed with Terry O’Rourke of Houston. O’Rourke is bright, articulate, and seems to have an excellent grasp of what the RRC is about. However, he is a very ambitious young man. Ambitious young Texas politicians do not ordinarily go out of their way to offend the oil and gas industries. The coeditor prefers -the known quantity of Denton, with his solid five-year record and consumer-oriented approach to the RRC. M.I. IDialogue I Carter is no Wallace I was disturbed by your assessment of the ’76 presidential race \(R.D.’s column, sives should support Harris, Udall, or a liberal uncommitted slate wherever possible. Progressives should demonstrate their strength at every opportunity. However, 1 strongly disagree with your placing Carter in the same category as Bentsen and Wallace. Carter is not a Mahatma Gandhi or even a George McGovern, but he is not a Bentsen or a Wallace. He ran on a ticket with Lester Maddox, but his civil rights record is clean. Witness the large majority of blacks voting for him. He was very late in turning against the Vietnam War, but today he speaks of cutting the defense budget. He talks of eventually reducing nuclear armaments to zero. He is not a bleeding heart liberal, but he speaks of compassion rather than welfare cheaters. Unlike candidates with more sterling liberal credentials, Carter is a viable compromise candidate. If the ’72 election taught us anything, it is that a progressive candidate cannot win alone. Our time has not yet come. Meanwhile, we need to elect a Democratic president in ’76. Therefore it is counterproductive for progressives to label Carter unacceptable \(i.e. in the same will need the support of all factions to beat Ford. Ideological purists can vote for the Socialist Worker’s candidate. Bob Rossman, 1440 E. Hayes, Brownsville, Tex. 78520. Thank you, Sissy We missed the best chance we ever had when we failed to elect Sissy. What a good governor we could have had. Hers was the only campaign I ever got emotional about. I tried to win her some converts in the chemical plants where I was working then, arguing and cussing and all. I even wrote her in for President and I’m still proud of that. Now she’s gone. Frances, Sissy, love, thank you. Jack Pugh, 370 S. Wagon Wheel Apt. A, Green River, Wyo. 82935. Eckhardt in the wrong? The number of respectable Texas congressmen has just dropped to zero. Environmentalist Bob Eckhardt is carrying the ball for the slurry crowd, who want to pump water, along with strip-mined coal, from the dry states to the wet states. John W. Burns, 5210 Starkridge, Houston, Tex. 77035. Gags on word Every time I see or hear the nonword “chairperson” I gag. There must be a better way to designate the head of a committee or public meeting and perhaps the word should be moderator. It carries essentially the same meaning as chairman or chairwomanhas a ring of authority and is pleasing to the eye and ear. But chairperson? A-a-a-g-h! George M. Sammons, 4002 Prescott, Dallas, Tex. 75219. The Observer, too, finds that a most annoying coinage. We have found that by referring simply to “the chair of a given. meeting or committee, we can get around the problem. “Madam Chairman” always did sound a little silly, but “chairperson” has only aggravated the problem. -Ed. A line from Lubbock Thanks for the fresh air you folks generate. Comes in handy in Lubbock, I’ll tell ya. Only good thing I’ve found here is that at least, thanks to the Tech feedlot, it semlls like what it is. T. J. Newman, 409 University, No. 110 S, Lubbock, Tex. 79401. Postmaster: If undeliverable, send Form 3579 to The Texas Observer, 600 West 7, Austin, TX 78701. Are Texans docile fools? 4.