ustxtxb_obs_1981_03_13_50_00007-00000_000.pdf

Pkv or \(pardon qnviction. e tw ice, a century. s’ way. consistent at best worst for atiy w ent a g ency to 4:league of state ****. stature accusa ihe\(f’in black on circulated Texas “For years, the ob s and pecial interest groups that spread the most money around in Austin have pushed through legislation favorable to them. “The hookers sell. The customers buy. “And how many times have you ‘wing state ‘himself or ied before hun t s of fellow cat .1141 nimate of a brothel. The legisl4 tors have subpoena grs. Will they subpoena Stin and make demand upon him r his evidence? Or will they sub ena Theresa Brown and perse cUtg her for unfair competition? Tune in’ next century. Be patient, be patient. At least wait for the memoirs of former State Senator Babe Schwartz of Galveston, defeated in 100 ‘after a quarter of a century in , the legislature. With a head-back “bellylaugh that resonated back down off the distant ceiling of the Capitol hallway, he said last week that his tentative title is “The Second Best little Whorehouse in Texas.” R. D. THE TEXAS OBSERVER 7 The Mo Ranch Meeting Mo Ranch; Austin As steelworker Sam Dawson sagely noted, there are only two things They have not been able to take away from Us “a cool drink of water in the winter and a warm place to sleep in the summer.” But just in case there’s a chance in hell of wresting a bit more for the folks from Them come 1982, Jim Hightower and a group of 70 to 80 progressive Democrats gathered together near Kerrville Feb. 20-22 to set up an informal alliance. Former Observer editor Hightower explained that the aim of the meeting at Mo Ranch near Kerrville was to “set up a network to support populist issues and populist candidates.” He said no formal organization was planned just a cooperative effort to trade information and assistance. Most of the men and women from around the state who gathered at the Presbyterian-owned camping facility had been connected in one way or another with Hightower’s 1980 campaign for railroad commissioner against Jim Nugent. Hightower was asked if the meeting was the opening gun of a campaign on his behalf for land commissioner. He said it was not, although the progressive network he envisioned certainly wouldn’t hurt should he make up his mind to run. He said the main purpose of the meeting was to bring progressives together to get to know each other, to plan support for all progressive candidates in 1982, and to learn a few more basic political skills. Representatives of the steelworkers and other unions provided the most interesting commentary and guidance as those present met for workshops on how to run campaigns from the envelopelicking level up. Black and brown faces were few and far between. There were comments on the tendency of white liberals to head for the neighborhoods to ask for help and support more often than they are seen working with people from an area about their doing the job themselves or pitching in to work for minority candidates at the grassroots level. Hightower explained later that the Kerrville gathering had been held at the same time as the State Democratic Executive Committee meeting and the United Farm Workers convention, preventing many minority Democrats from attending. The Uribe Senate campaign in the Valley was a similar factor, he said. State Reps. Jerry Benedict of Angleton and Bill Keese of Somerville gave an account of the nefarious deeds of the current legislature. “The system is stacked and it’s stacked bad,” Benedict summed up. Hightower takes a more optimistic view. He contends that the current legislature is handing progressives made-toorder issues such as 30% interest rates. Part of the plan laid at Mo Ranch is a series of press conferences to be held throughout the state to let the folks know what the legislature is actually up to these days. Hightower said that to start things off, such conferences will be held soon in the Panhandle, Northeast Texas, and Southeast Texas dealing specifically with the interest rate issue. He also plans to write a column for Texas weekly newspapers and would like to get a radio show going. Hightower said he believes progressive Democrats are in the mainstream of the Democratic Party today, ndw that the moneyed establishment has been lured away by the Republicans. “I’m talking about people who believe in decentralization of power and little-‘d’ Democracy, and local control of economic power and government power,” Hightower said. “We want to get the message out to more people and to organize.” M. L.