ustxtxb_obs_1982_12_24_50_00016-00000_000.pdf

.\\.11 and Associates 502 W. 15th Street Austin, Texas 78701 REALTOR Representing all types of properties in Austin and Central Texas Interesting & unusual property a specialty 477-3651 E POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE Texas Railroad Commission members testified before the Sunset Commission that accepting contributions from oil and gas industry member did not constitute a conflict of interest. Buddy . Temple told the Dallas Morning News that “I’m quite confident that the three. of us feel that our campaign contributions have not influenced us one bit, He added that most of the issues presently before the commission are among private parties. so presumably. the oil industry contributors would have no prevailing interest anyhow. Although oil and gas money was spent on a winning candidate in the person of Buddy Temple. for the most part oil political action committee contributions did not prove so successful. The Dallas elect only 29% of the Senate races and 22 % of the House races to which it contributed after spending $244,000. In 1980, DALENPAC contributions went to 77% of the winning Senate races and 60% of the winning House races. Members of a Congressional subcommittee on foreign affairs say Bell Helicopters of Fort Worth may be in violation of a congressional ban on the sale of military equipment by selling both helicopters and providing training to the government in Guatemala. The International Institute for Strategic Studies in London released figures showing that Guatemala has purchased about $25 million in helicopters from Bell over the past two years. According to reports coming out of Guatemala. helicopters are being used to move troops and attack the Mayan Indians populating the rural areas, who often support guerrilla groups. v Federal hearing judge Ellin O’Shea upheld a May 14 Labor Department ruling that Charles Atchison had been fired from his inspector’s job at the Comanche Peak nuclear plant because of his reports of defective welds in plant construction. \(TO, sued December 7. O’Shea recommended Atchison’s reinstatement with back pay. Atchison, however, thinks Brown & Root will fight the ruling. Hearings are scheduled for late January on appeals by the contractors at the Waterford II nuclear plant near Taft, Louisiana, who are protesting a Labor Department ruling that Atchison’s subsequent firing at the plant was illegal. The significance of the black vote in the November election was a surprise to no one. The percentage of registered black voters who went to the polls in Dallas’s 24th Congressional District nearly equalled the percentage of the white voter turnout in the district and almost doubled the percentage of the 1978 turnout. Incumbent Cong. Martin Frost received 93.7 % of the district’s black vote and 73% of the total, while Mark White garnered 94.3 % of the district’s black vote and 63% of the total. Bill Clements subsequently charged the Democrats with attempting to scare the black electorate with claims that the election of Republicans would mean the loss of Social Security or food stamps. nouncement as a candidate for mayor of El Paso came as a surprise to many observers, even his own staff members. Reportedly. Moreno announced to ensure that a qualified Hispanic would make the race. But Moreno has little chance for the mayor’s post since Texas law prohibits fundraising by state reps from now until the end of the session. This leads analysts to believe that Moreno’s bid is not serious, but designed to allow him to throw support to a third party and take credit for the victory All this is seen as Morello’s buildup for a rematch with El Paso state Sen. Tati Saritiesteban. investigation by the Travis County DA’s office, was elected December 2 to chair the Legislative Black Caucus. He replaces Senator-elect Craig Washington, who declined to run for Caucus office, but will remain a member. Wilson, who was not an announced candidate, put together a coalition to derail Austin Rep. Wilhelmina Delco during a secret-ballot, closed-door sesare not presently members of the Caucus, were elected to the other two offices. For Wilson, this is the shot of prestige he needs to retain his activist image: he is unlikely to retain a committee chairmanship once the legislature reconvenes. The DA wants to know how Wilson, a full-time UT law student, can work nearly seven days a week for a year on legislative and committee business a job as a public affairs rep for Hermann Hospital in Houston. Wilson says it’s because he’s the hardest working rep in the legislature. Wilson’s opponent already asked why he owns a home in and lives in Austin, but has no residence in his Houston district. The voters didn’t mind, though; despite his troubles. Wilson \(his col60% of the vote in last November’s reelection bid. Whatever this means for Wilson. it means new hope for the Black Caucus. During Washington’s tenure, the Caucus never formally endorsed a single issue. Several black members even dropped out, reportedly due to personality and legislative conflicts with the chair. Ragsdale, who will now serve as vicechair, dramatized the disenchanted by joining the Mexican-American Caucus. One of the Legislature’s most wily conservatives, Rep. Bill Messer \(Dthe powerful Calendars Committee next session, according to at least two state reps. Since nearly all legislation passes through Calendars. some progressives fear that this will give the ambitious Messer the power base he needs to make a run for speaker in 1985. The Congressional House Freshman Democratic Caucus added their support to a Democratic movement in the Congress to strip Cong. Phil Gramm of his committee assignments because of his continued support of the Reagan budget proposals. The caucus asked House Speaker Tip O’Neill to make sure that Gramm gets the last choice of new committee assignments out of all 435 members of the House. Earlier this month party members acknowledged that they will try to strip Gramm of his membership on the Budget Committee and on the Energy and Commerce Committees. The House has only broken its self-imposed seniority rule once in its entire history. that being in 1974, a year when a record number of freshman legislators were in the House. E Reveley Memorial Services Simple Funerals Austin Information: 441-7500 16 DECEMBER 24, 1982