ustxtxb_obs_1979_02_02_50_00006-00000_000.pdf

The lay of the land O. w , renn…… or re . vaarea ,046. 414littr i al l Or 77..7.7:::;4 , : v i miltillitz ; t-srawa7 …;,,’:i 1 .,,,,ri ,,rit , ,,,.. -:…i…,……,….,..,/ , ,….,-,…… t 4 i ittittlitZ1 Two-twenty-one West 6th Street isn’t on the regular tour that Texans get when they come to see their state government in action, but if it is the exercise of power that interests you, this gold-glassed buildingthe American National Bank Towerwould be a “must to visit. In it and a dozen similar buildings that surround the Capitol, every major corporate interest in Texas maintains a lobbying staff to shape government policy to its liking. To aid the curious tourist, the Observer has drawn a map of power centers in Austin. Not all lobbies are in the high-rise office buildings the Texas Bankers Association, for example, has built its own neogrotesque headquarters since the last session, subtly positioning it right across the street from the governor’s mansion. Rumor is that the bankers built an underground tunnel linking them to the governor, but you’ll just have to check that out for yourself. And not everyone is located downtownthere are the utilities, for example, that have chosen offices way out at 7800 Shoal Creek Boulevard, which also just happens to be the address of our state’s Public Utility Commission. Or there are the Texas Association of Realtors out on North IH-35 and the Texas Nursing Home Association on Highway 290-East, which just happen to be right in the respective neighborhoods of the Real Estate Commission and the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing Board. Well, it does save on cab fares. Lobbyists can’t just sit in their offices all the time, since their jobs require some field work, so we’ve penned in some of these work sites on the map for you, too, ranging from La Tour high atop the Westgate \(where the tonier crowd can sip a Drambuie and literally look down on bunch. 1. Austin National Bank Tower Assn. of Consumer Finance Companies Austin Bankshares Corp. Austin National Bank Educational Testing Service, Inc. Insurance Premium Finance Assn. Lone Star Industries Mitchell Energy Corp. Texas Assn. of Accredited Beauty Schools Texas Assn. of Bank Holding Companies Texas Cable TV Assn. Texas Day Care Providers Assn. Texas Federation of Drug Stores Texas Food Marketing Assn. Texas Forestry Assn. Texas Television Broadcasters 2. American Bank Tower Building Associated General Contractors of America Assn. of Consumer Finance Companies Assn. of Electric Companies of Texas Brown & Root Central National Insurance Co. of Omaha Consulting Engineers Council of Texas CRS Services, Inc. Entex Group Hospital Service, Inc. Group Life & Health Insurance Co. Houston Natural Gas Co. Industrial Foundation of the South Lone Star Gas Co. Lumbermen’s Assn. of Texas Miller Beer Distributors of Texas Pharmaceutical Manufactures Assn. Texas Assn. of Accredited Business Schools Texas Assn. of Taxpayers Texas Independent Insurance Adjusters Assn. Texas Land Title Assn. Texas Medical Assn. Texas Opthalmological Assn. Texas Package Store Assn. Texas Society of CPAs 3. Southwest Tower Building American Finance Management Corp. Consolidated Lloyds Insurance Group Dallas Board of Realtors Holiday Inns, Inc. Texas Assn. of Taxpayers Texas Audio Visual Dealers Assn. Texas Auto Dealers Assn. Texas Car & Truck Rental & Leasing Assn. Texas Funeral Directors Assn. Texas Heavy Equipment Rental Assn. Texas Independent Auto Dealers Assn. Texas Manufactured Housing Assn. Texas Merchandise Vending Assn. Texas Mobile Home Assn. Texas Motor Express Assn. Texas Oil Marketers Assn. Texas Retail Grocers Assn. 6 FEBRUARY 2, 1979