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VOLUME 89, NO. 21 A JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to the truth as we find it and the right as we see it. We are dedicated to the whole truth, to human values above all interests, to the rights of human-kind as the foundation of democracy: we will take orders from none but our own conscience, and never will we overlook or misrepresent the truth to serve the interests of the powerful or cater to the ignoble in the human spirit. Writers are responsible for their own work, but not for anything they have not themselves written, and in publishing them we do not necessarily imply that we agree with them, because this is a journal of free voices. SINCE 1954 Founding Editor: Ronnie Dugger Publisher: Geoff Rips Editor: Louis Dubose Associate Editor: Michael King Production: Harrison Saunders Copy Editor: Mimi Bardagjy Poetry Editor: Naomi Shihab Nye Business Manager, Web Editor: Amanda Toering Development Director: Nancy Williams Circulation Assistant: Jeff Mandell Technical Consultant: Brian Ferguson Contributing Writers: Bill Adler, Barbara Belejack, Betty Brink, Brett Campbell, Lars Eighner, James K. Galbraith, Dagoberto Gilb, James Harrington, Jim Hightower, Molly Ivins, Paul Jennings, Steven G. Kellman, Bryce Milligan, Debbie Nathan, Karen Olsson, John Ross, Carol Stall, Brad Tyer, James McCarty Yeager. Staff Photographer: Alan Pogue Contributing Photographers: Vic Hinterlang, Patricia Moore. Contributing Artists: Eric Avery, Tom Ballenger, Richard Bartholomew, Jeff Danziger, Beth Epstein, Valerie Fowler, Kevin Kreneck, Michael Krone, Ben Sargent, Gail Woods. Editorial Advisory Board: DaVid Anderson, Austin; Elroy Bode, El Paso; Chandler Davidson, Houston; Dave Denison, Arlington, Mass.; Bob Eckhardt, Austin; Sissy Farenthold, Houston; 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, Jackson, Miss.; Kaye Northcott, Fort Worth; James Presley, Texarkana; Fred Schmidt, Fredericksburg. In Memoriam: Cliff Olofson, 1931-1995 copyrighted, 0 1997, is published biweekly except for a three-week interval World Wide Web Downliome page: http://texasobserver.org . Periodicals postage paid at Austin, Texas. SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year $32, two years $59, three years $84. Full-time students $18 per year; add $13/year for foreign subs. Back issues $3 prepaid. Airmail, foreign, group, and bulk rates on request. lvlicrofilm editions available from University Microfilms Intl., 300 N. Zed: Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. INDEXES: The Texas Observer is indexed in Access: The Supplementary Index to Periodicals; Texas Index and, for the years 1954 through 1981,The Texas Observer Index. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE TEXAS OBSERVER, 307 West 7th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. HOGS IN THE CREEK I have just received a copy of Robert Bryce’s article regarding the pig problems in Ochiltree County \(“Making Bacon in Thanks to Bryce for writing such a fine, to-the-point, and accurate article regarding the current situation. Although you mention Teel Bivins’ refusal to acknowledge his constituents have a problem with their land being destroyed by Nippon Industries, it is my opinion there is more to his refusal than is first apparent. Why would a Texas senator support such a rotten industry to the extent he does? I am a landowner in Ochiltree County, fourth generation, and had planned to move my children there and open a law practice in Perryton. The Ochiltree Herald announced Nippon Industries’ arrival on the day I hauled the first load of household goods to Perryton. That day I abandoned my plans to move there. Nippon is robbing me and my children of the use of our land and our heritage. Furthermore, when the water and air are completely spoiled, our ability to enjoy economic benefit from the 25 26 27 29 31 land will also be ruined. In my research, I have discovered that due to the nature of the business of producing livestock, Nippon is legally avoiding payment of taxes to Ochiltree County, the state of Texas, and the United States. Further, local government has waived both property and school taxes for them. Again, in the face of such overwhelming opposition to Nippon Industries, why are government officials voting tax waivers for them? I also find it curious that the TNRCC rules were changed so conveniently just before Nippon began optioning and purchasing property for their operations. I sincerely hope you will consider writing followup articles regarding this issue, and invite you to contact me at any time. I will be happy to share the results of my research with you. I also have personal knowledge of some facts to which you may not have already had access. Thank you again for your insightful article. It is the first time I have seen any newspaper actually print the “truth of the matter.” Z. Jordan startext.net THIS ISSUE FEATURES The Ghost Factories on the Border by Louis Dubose 8 “Free-trade” advocates promote NAFTA and Fast Track as the flowering of economic liberation. Here’s what they look like in practice. The Public Tragedy of Pamela Reeves by Bob Elder 13 Texas abortion foes have made “parental consent” a legislative mantra, and young Pamela Reeves is their poster child. Looking for Allies in Atchison by Michael King 18 After two years of organizing and a year of procedural wrangling, the Alliance for Democracy gathers in Kansas to regroup for action. DEPARTMENTS Dialogue 2 Editorial A Donation to Match 4 Editorial Common Ground by Michael King 6 Dateline Tijuana Hyundai FAT Cats by David Bacon Political Intelligence Las Americas 22 A Mexican Bhopal by John Ross Molly Ivins 24 Taxing Simple Jim Hightower Nike Reality & Goober Judges BOOKS AND THE CULTURE Still Life Poems Poetry by Pam Lange Dancing Ghosts 11 Book Review by Steve Russell A Dark Coming of Age 16 Film Review by Steven G. Kellman Afterword Dog Days at the Ballpark by Paul Jennings Cover art by Kevin Kreneck DIALOGUE 2 THE TEXAS OBSERVER NOVEMBER 21, 1997