ustxtxb_obs_1990_08_17_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

Concern About Peak Levels For seven years I have lived three-and-ahalf miles from Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant. The book review by Gayle Hudgens in your June 15th issue spoke eloquently to me. Those of us’who live within 20 miles of that plant should be pargovernment has conspired to cover up increased death rates following nuclear 1970, the Government stopped publishing Infant mortality decreased to 20.-year-old levels following the shutdown of the Peach Bottom Reactors, probably because dairy products from the region were no longer contaminated. You might be interested to know that no public health tests are being performed on dairy samples from thousands of nearby called to have my cow’s milk tested, the local county agent knew nothing. The Tarrant County Public Health Center knew of no such testing program. The State Director of Public Health in Austin did not return my call. Finally. atter many calls, I reached the Director of Public Relations at Comanche Peak.. They sent a man out from Texas Utilities to take samples and mail the milk for testing somewhere in Wisconsin. When I said I did not trust Texas Utilities to tell me the truth, the men drove off in their new white T.U. truck. My milk was never tested. No agency independent of that nuclear power plant even exists, as far as I can tell. Perhaps people in Fort Worth and Dallas would be more concerned about Comanche Peak if they knew the likelihood of terrible deaths among both the unborn and the already-living children who are threatened by leukemia as a direct result of milk contamination. Comanche Peak will close because of its financial problems. How much damage has already been done? And will the truth never be revealed? Kenall McCook Tolar Pleasure to Read the Truth My wife says “Es un placer leer la verdad.” It’s a pleasure to read the truth. And that’s why I continue to appreciate Texas Observer. To those of you who complain nothing is perfect but Texas Observer is still the best around. Sam Terr Austin Ms. Valdez Fisher Brownsville Asking Way Too Much Oh, alright! Just for old times’ sake. But I did want to suggest that somebody try to find, and reprint, investigative efforts that tell us: 1.How much of the debt to the Third World is outstanding, how that money was spent, and who will lose on the defaulted loans? 2.How stockholders of failed banks and S&Ls have fared? 3.What the total might be after adding HUD, faulty NASA fiascoes, the useless farm subsidies, and the growing liability of the huge retirement costs for the military? Plus other outrageous charges to the people responsible for providing ‘revenue for the operation of the government. I don’t want much, do I? And you may already have done this while I let my subscription lapse. If so, send me those issues and take them off the 25 I’m paying for with the enclosed check. Also, before I forget, can you tell us how far the political appointments have reached in 10 years -besides the judicial and foreign service ones? Oh, and has anyone calculated what the “multiplier effect” is of federal money that comes into a commu nity to pay or supplement salaries? If disposable income is increased in that manner, what usually happens to it? Is this too much to ask for $27? Al Ramirez Edinburg WRITE DIALOGUE Texas Observer 307 W. 7th St. Austin, Texas 78701 DIALOGUE Observing a State of Confusion In answer to your eighth renewal request. I dropped my subscription because you concentrate too much in worldwide issues are not a TEXAS observer judging by the contents of the magazine. You are not, as you say “requiring politicians and the establishment press to confront economic and social issues” in Texas. Foremost in my decision is your negative coverage of the Texas labor movement. Your treatment of Jim Mattox was unnecessary. I miss the Observer, but I can do without … I’ll keep an eye on the magazine and renew when you become a truly TEXAS Observer. . .1.-yinn: o= N ‘ , a la i ._,… Au gi –I ‘ liar’. I. THE TEXAS _0 -, \\,. server A JOURNAL OF We will serve no group or party truth as we find it and the right dedicated to the whole truth, to interests, to the rights qf human-kind of democracy: we will take orders own conscience , and never will resent the truth to serve the interests carer to the ignoble in the human Writers are responsible for for anything they have not themselves publishing them we do not necessarily agree with them because this SINCE ,It ,, ‘ / -14 , FREE VOICES but will hew hard to the as we see it. We are human values above all as the foundation from none but our we overlook or misrep of the powerful or spirit. their own work, but not written, and in imply that we is a journal O. ffree voices. 1954 Publisher: Ronnie Dugger Editor: Louis Dubose Associate Editor: Brett Campbell Copy Editor: Roxanne Bogucka Editorial interns: Vince Lozano, Eva Llorens, Richard _Axellano, Sean Farrell Mexico City Correspondent: Barbara Belejack Contributing Writers: Bill Adler, Betty Brink, Warren Burnett, Jo Clifton, Terry FitzPatrick, Gregg Franzwa. James Harrington, Bill Helmer, Ellen Hosmer, Steven Kellman, Michael King, Mary Lenz, Tom McClellan. Bryce Milligan. Greg Moses, Debbie Nathan, Gary Pomerantz, Lawrence Walsh Editorial Advisory Board: Frances Barton, Austin; Elroy Bode, Kerrville; Chandler Davidson, Houston; Dave Denison, Cambridge, Mass, Bob Eckhardt, Washington, D.C.; Sissy Farenthold, Houston; Ruperto Garcia, Austin; John Kenneth Galbraith, Cambridge, Mass.; Lawrence Goodwyn, Durham, N.C.; George Hendrick, Urbana, Ill.; Molly Ivins, Austin; Larry L. King, Washington, D.C.; Maury Maverick, Jr., San Antonio; Willie Morris, Oxford. Miss.; Kaye Northcott, Austin; James Presley, Texarkana; Susan Reid, Austin; Geoffrey Rips, Schmidt, Fredericksburg. Layout and Design: Lana Kaupp Contributing Photographers: Bill Albrecht, Vic Hinterlang, Alan Pogue. Contributing Artists: Eric Avery, Toni Ballenger, Richard Bartholomew, Jeff Danziger, Beth Epstein, Dan Hubig, Par Johnson, Kevin Kreneck, Michael Krone, Carlos Lowry. Ben Sargent, Dan Thibodeau, Gail Woods. Managing Publisher: Cliff Olafson Subscription Manager: Stefan Wanstrom Special Projects Director: Bill Simmons Development Consultant: Frances Barton SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year $27, PA 0 years $48, three years $69. Full time students $15 per year. Back issues $3 prepaid. Airmail. foreign, group. and bulk rates on request. Microfilm editions available from University Micro who finds the price a burden sahould say so at renewal time: no one ned forgo reading the Observer simply because of the cost. THE TEXAS OBSERVER \(ISSN 0040-4519A IPS 541300published biweekly except for a three-week interval between issues in Second class postage paid at Austin, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE TEXAS OBSERVER. P.O. Box 49019, Austin, Texas 78765. 2 AUGUST 17, 1990