ustxtxb_obs_1976_05_21_50_00012-00000_000.pdf

CONFERENCE/Allemative Stale and Local Public Policies sponsored by Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC. The conference is a follow-up to one held one year ago in Madison Wisconsin. At that:conference several hundred activist politicians met to exchange information and ideas about alternative state and local programs. The excitement generated at that meeting encouraged the group to farm our . national organization. The Austin conference will bring together elec ted and appointed officials from states, counties and municipalities, as well as policy analysts, public interest advocates, and others. A substantial part of the program will be concerned with economic issues, in response to widespread requests from local officials and groups. The focus will be on democratizing the economy, community control of public enterprises, and new job creation. The thrust is to enable local governments to redistribute power away from vested interests and towards people and local communities. We hope that you will be a participant in this encouraging new political phenomenon. 10 13 June 1976 Austin, Texas Among the participants will be Sam Brown, State Treasurer, Colorado; Leonel Castillo, Controller, City of Houston; Loni Hancock, City Council, Berkeley; Hilda Mason, School Board, Washington, D.C.; and Justin Ravitz, Judge, Detroit. For registration and housing information and a copy of the agenda \(including workshop topcall Mary Sanger, c/o Texas Papers, 3106 Hemphill Park, Austin, Bob Wieland Joe Allen Bob Wieland Ben Bynum Felled in combat Austin The Texas House of Representatives had about normal turnover for a non-scandal yearup to a third is par, with a big chunk of that accounted for by those retiring and those seeking higher office. Of the brethren who fell in primary combat this year, most notable are two committee chairmen, Ben Short of Tahoka \(intergovernmental afFor the most part, Bynum beat himself by getting involved in a silly incident in his apartment building in Austin. A neighbor 12 The Texas Observer lady used MACE on him one night and the police were brought in. No charges were filed. The neighbor claimed Bynum had forced his way into her apartment. He claimed that she had been making noise in the hall and he was just trying to get her to shut up. The apartment became known among Bynum’s friends as the MACE Palace and the incident got pretty hot coverage back home in Amarillo. But Bynum’s opposition, a painfully straight young lawyer named Danny Hill, helped himself with a financially lean but physically energetic shoe-leather campaign. The contest was tangled up in Potter County political feuds \(see Obk., did himself no harm by letting the rumor spread that he’s a Christian. He once gamely admitted to the Observer that he’s a bit of a backslider, but couldn’t come up with any evidence to prove it. Short was felled by Jim Rudd of Brownfield. Short was never a leader but always a stalwart in the West Texas conservative delegation, and could be counted upon to follow Bill Heatly’s lead. It is rumored that The Teachers finally got him, but in his defense, he never voted against them out of malice, but only because he was always chintzy. Six other Housies bit the dust. Tom Cartlidge of Henrietta was defeated by Holliday. Finnell failed in a Senate effort two years ago and so has returned to haunt the House. This will please connoisseurs of the House who feel that the coiffure quality has fallen off. “Goose” always did have the best-groomed head of hair in the lower body. Tony Dramberger of San Antonio was knocked out by Frank Tejada. That eliminates a perennial on the Pieces of Furniture list. Al Korioth, a Dallas Republican with Houston Republican tendencies, was defeated by William H. Blanton who will face Democrat Pat Hadsdell in the fall. Camm Lary of Burnet lost to Stan Schlueter of Belton, about whom we couldn’t find anything. Lary was a walking C-minus. Greg Montoya of Elsa was beaten by two women, but then, he’s been indicted. He goes on trial next month for misusing his legislative payroll, while Jean Hines of Riviera and Irma Rangel of Kingsville fight it out for his old seat. And good ol’ Bud Sherman of Fort Worth lost to Mike Millsap. Sherman was known for being bald. So much for the losers. Among your more interesting runoffs is the case of Rep. Terry Canales of Premont v. Ernestine Glossbrenner of Alice. That’s the Duval district, folks. In best Duval fashion, some votes got mislaid on election night, and, for a while, it looked as though Glossbrenner wasn’t even in the runoff. But, some votes were found, and she turned out to be within 2-300 votes of Canales. Canales may not be exactly a Parr man; on the other hand, he was personally responsible for getting Oscar Carrillo impeached. Aside from that noble effort, he has never been known to do anything in the House, though he is semifamous for not being there. He once got a standing ovation for showing up at a rollcall. Ernie Glossbrenner is a wry school teacher and also smart. Rep. Joe Allen, the quondam liberal from Baytown, faces Ron Gorman, a conservative attorney, in a runoff. For whatever it’s worth to Allen in his recently conservatized district, the Observer will testify that Allen is NOT a liberal. There is a showdown in Houston’s District 81, where Ron Wilson, 22, administrative assistant to Austin’s Rep. ‘Mina Delco, faces Russell Hayes, 43, president of the National Sportsman’s Fraternal Order of Texas, Inc. Both are black. As much as the Observer would hate to see a sportsman lose, Hayes is .a convicted supposed to be in the Lege. M.I.