Tuesday, October 18, 1994 Austin American-Statesman D3 Bush, Richards clash on state funds for education By John McFarland Associated Press DALLAS GOP gubernatorial candidate George W. Bush said Monday that, if elected, he will curtail a continuing rise in local property taxes by allocating more state money for public education. If he unseats Democratic Gov. Ann Richards in the Nov. 8 election, Bush said, he intends to relieve school districts' reliance on ad valorem taxes.
"The state's share of public education funding has dropped to an all-time low over the past four Bush said at a news conference. "We rely on property taxes hiore than ever in the state's history." Bush said the state's share of public education costs under Richards has fallen to 44 percent He hopes that amount could be boosted to 60 percent in four years. i The state has contributed $7 billion, or 44.9 percent, of education funds this budget year, compared with $8.6 billion, or 55.1 percent, from local school districts, according to the Texas Legislative Budget Board. Richards said Bush's plan shouldn't be taken seriously. 1 "This opponent has proposed so many big spending programs without telling anyone how he's going to pay for it that it's a sort of fill-in-the-blanks campaign.
Today Tm and you fill in that blank. "But there is never any explanation," Richards said at a Lubbock campaign stop. "There is never any indication of how he intends to pay for all the programs that he is doing." Richards said she wants to pass legislation in the 1995 legislative session that she said would add an additional $2.2 billion for Texas schools. Bush said more money should be available in the budget based on projected growth in Texas' economy. He averted the question of a possible economic downturn by saying, "If there's a recession and no growth, well deal with it then." Bush also said the lack of state funding for schools has basically been a tax on Texans.
"We also have a governor who goes around the state saying she hasn't raised your taxes in the last biennium, yet as a result of the school systems being underfunded at the state leveL Texas has had a significant tax increase as a result of property taxes being on the rise," Bush said. Bush also said he'd be willing to try a school voucher system on a pilot basis. Such a program would allow low-income parents to use tax dollars to pay for their children's educations at the private or public schools of their choice. "There's not a single solution to the education woes of our state. The job of the governor is to create an environment in which people are willing to try something else," Bush said.
Also on Monday, Bush released his 1993 income tax statement It showed total income of $638,193, taxable income of $558,090 and total taxes of $186,478. That total was close to his estimates made public in April, when he filed for a tax extension because income and expense information from several partnerships weren't ready. This section is recyclable Ferraro stumps for Richards Fisher hinting about Hutchison's legal woes of the United States is following the Texas governor's race. "This race is not just about Ann Richards," Ferraro said. "Without your help, the door of open government is going to slam shut on Election Day, if Governor Richards is not re-elected." Early voting begins Wednesday.
Also speaking at Monday's rally at the Terrace were Travis County District Clerk Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza and Debbie Tucker, executive director of the Texas Council on Family Violence. Richards did not attend the campaign event but said in a statement the rally was intended to generate enthusiasm for the election, three weeks from today. Hutchison on her record. This election will be decided in the ballot box, not the jury box." In a July 1 news release, Fisher called upon Hutchison to debate him face-to-face rather than let her campaign staff speak for her. "I don't make Kay Hutchison's legal troubles, her indictments, an issue," Fisher said in the release.
"I want to talk about the issues facing our country and our vision for this state and nation. But Hutchison has got to stop pleading the Fifth Amendment with Texas voters and start exercising her First Amendment rights and speak for herself." During the Democratic primary, Fisher wore the promise of not raising the indictment as a badge of honor. He reminded voters that he entered the race before Hutchison's indictment which was seen at the time as weakening her politically. Opponents Jim Mattox and U.S. Rep.
Mike Andrews entered the race after Hutchison was indicted and said her criminal case would be fair game in the campaign because questions about the case remained. Mattox and Andrews criticized Fisher for making the promise because at the time he was airing campaign commercials in which headlines about Hutchison's indictments flashed on the screen. Fisher maintained he was making good on his promise because he, as a candidate, wasn't mentioning the indictment although his commercial was. bucks' in tion and expenditure limits of the Austin Fair Campaign Ordinance." Those who do sign contracts could brag about believing in honest politics, but would face these limits and others: $200,000 in total expenditures, including a runoff, for mayoral candidates and $125,000 for council candidates. (By way of example, records show Todd spent almost $287,000 on his re-election campaign between January and May, and Council Member Eric Mitchell spent about $78,500 during the same period.) Only 5 percent of that spending limit could come from the candidates themselves.
"Working women and men make up the backbone of my campaign," she said. "These rallies are a way to capture the enthusiasm generated by grass-roots citizens." Richards' opponent George W. Bush, was not impressed. "I wish she were bringing in President Clinton," Bush said in a telephone interview. Although he won the 1992 presidential election, Clinton trailed Bush's father, George Bush, in Texas.
A half-dozen protesters, donning gas masks and anti-radiation costumes, stood outside the rally and called upon Richards to oppose a plan that will allow a West Texas county to be the site of a radioactive nuclear waste dump. campaigns Campaign contributions from each person, political action committee, company and so forth would be limited to $500 for each mayoral candidate and $250 for each council candidate. Registered lobbyists could not make campaign contributions. A moratorium on fund raising for council members and the mayor would be in effect from three months after they are elected until nine months before the next election. If a candidate signed the contract and then violated it by going over the limit, the city and the candidate's opponents could sue for damages.
any conscience would understand you don't pay for human beings." Glen Coleman, program chairman for the Kerr County Republican Club and moderator of the Sept. 13 forum, said he did not perceive Kuykendall's statement as a suggestion that slave owners should have been compensated. "I don't think he was making a racist statement, either," Coleman said. "It was one in a series of historical notes about the growth of federal power." Representatives of the National Audubon Society who participated in the forum have criticized Kuykendall's comments as racist The Texas Farm Bureau, a leader in the property rights cause, also has denounced the slavery references. The Texas conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has called on Kuykendall to apologize and resign as head of Take Back Texas.
Bush, not impressed, says bring on Clinton By David Elliot American-Statesman Capitol Staff Former Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro campaigned in Austin for Gov. Ann Richards on Monday evening, calling on hundreds of Richards' volunteers to take advantage of Texas' early voting law. Ferraro, a Democrat who in 1984 became the first woman to be nominated for vice president by either major party, told nearly 500 Richards supporters that the rest aim at 'big a pool of campaign money generated by a $300 registration fee that would, under the ordinance, be required of City Hall lobbyists. Shea estimated that 145 lobbyists are registered, which would generate about $43,500 per year to be split by the candidates who make runoffs. At some point electric utility customers would be asked on their utility bill if they wanted to donate $1 to the "Austin Fair Campaign Finance Fund." Candidates who refuse to sign the contracts would be required to include, on their printed campaign advertisem*nts, a disclaimer that says: "This campaign is not complying with the contribu Activist says By Ralph K.M.
Haurwitz American-Statesman Staff The president of a property rights group said Monday that he abhors slavery and never suggested that slave owners should have been reimbursed when the federal government freed the slaves. Marshall Kuykendall, president of Take Back Texas, also said that nearly 100 people have called since Friday to join the group, "not because of the slavery issue but because they were so incensed over the way the Audubon Society handled the issue." Kuykendall said he did not make a racist remark at a Sept. 13 forum in Kerrville, where he said, "When Lincoln freed the slaves, he did not pay for them. Some people are trying to fall back on that as a constitutional error." Later, on a radio program in Austin, he said he was "simply showing the example of where the slavery remark not racist Continued from B1 vernment should have strong ethics," the ad said. "No cheating.
No breaking the law." Fisher campaign officials said the reference was intended to show that Fisher was honest and virtuous. But a Hutchison spokesman suggested Monday that Fisher wants it both ways. "He's trying to hint at the issue in hopes others will do the dirty work for him," spokesman David Beckwith said. "He's trying to goad reporters into doing the negative campaigning for him so he can claim he's above it" Beckwith also said Fisher's actions have to do with his poor standing in the race. Several recent polls have shown Fisher trailing far behind Hutchison.
Campaign finance reports submitted last week show Hutchison outspent Fisher more than 3-to-l from July 1 to Sept. 30. In addition, Hutchison reported having $1.76 million left to spend on her campaign, while Fisher's balance was down to $157,000. "When I declared my campaign, Kay Hutchison hadn't been indicted," Fisher said in a news release on the day of her acquittal "When she was indicted, I made it clear that I thought she was innocent until proven guilty. Now the campaign can focus on the important issues facing this country creating jobs, fighting crime, reforming welfare and improving our health care system The voters will now be able to judge County clerk hopefuls vow modernization Continued from B1 precincts.
Of the 15 early voting locations, six are east of Interstate 35. Three are west of MoPac (Loop 1). The other sites are between 1-35 and MoPac. McMillin said that if he is elected, he will try to make ballot boxes more secured during voting and determine early voting sites with bipartisan input. He said he also would like to appoint more nonpartisan election judges and alternates.
DeBeauvoir said that if she is re-elected, she will continue to expand early voting and mobile voting. She said she will continue fine-tuning a new system, which will be used for the first time Nov. 8, to get returns posted earlier on election night. DeBeauvoir said that after her role as a U.N. observer in this year's South African elections, her commitment to encouraging voter turnout has increased.
McMillin said he also is concerned about the less glamorous role of the county clerk's office that of overseeing record keeping and title research in the county. "My biggest concern is the records research and retrieval capabilities of the county clerk's office," he said. "The computers that they have up there are not user-friendly. Every time I go in there, I see frustrated people." McMillin said he would like to get newer and more efficient computer systems in place and to improve the indexing system of the public records. He said he also would improve management of Condemned man By Michael Graczyk Associated Press HUNTSVUXE A condemned killer won a stay Monday night just three hours before he was to be executed for killing an Abilene man nearly 15 years ago.
The U.S. Supreme Court granted the stay for Clifton Russell, who had said he was looking for mercy and had changed from the wild teen-ager who grew up with virtually no supervision and wound up on death row. The 33-year-old Taylor County was convi't-d of the Dec. 2, 1 If I ever thought I had made a racist remark, I would be the first to apologize. 5 Marshall Kuykendall federal government did take away some property from people that they did not pay for." On Monday, Kuykendall said: "Since I did not make a racist remark, there is nothing for me to apologize for.
However, if I ever thought I had made a racist remark, I would be the first to apologize. "Anyone with any conscience would abhor anything to do with slavery, and we do. Anybody with Briefs Former Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro campaigned Monday for Ann Richards. Plan takes Continued from B1 pone the second and third votes until after the May election and then agreed to postpone them again until after the budget was adopted in September. With those events completed, Shea, Garcia and Nofziger made an updated proposal.
If adopted, the proposal would ask, but not require, candidates for mayor" and council to sign "campaign contracts." Sponsors of the measure balked at making it mandatory because of the legal question of whether it would unconstitutionally limit political speech. Candidates who sign the contracts and then make the runoff election would be eligible to split Tom McMillin Party: Republican Age: 38 Residence: Austin Careen Vice president for operations of a statewide research firm, 1994; records company owner, 1986-93; supervisor of the records department, Dallas County clerk's office, 1981-86; worked for title research company, 1980-81; worked in Dallas County clerk's office, 1979-80. Education: Bachelor of business administration degree in management, University of Texas, 1991. ture," she said. "We're not going to stop improving." She said she has plans to make the research computers easier to use and to make them accessible from office and home computers.
The county clerk makes $59,565 a year. thieves. These are the standards I had." Tobey, who worked as an air traffic controller in Abilene, was abducted from a self-service gas station. He was found dead outside an abandoned house, his throat cut his skull crushed by a large concrete block and his car missing. Russell and an accomplice, William Battee, were arrested the next day in Hobbs, N.M., driving the victim's blood-spattered car.
Battee, who testified against Russell received a 60-year prison term. '-7 Dana DeBeauvoir Party: Democrat Age: 40 Residence: Austin Careen County clerk since 1986; division director for property tax collection at the tax collector's office, 1982-85. Education: Master's degree in public affairs, L6J School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, 1981; bachelor's degree in sociology and social work, UT-Arlington. Denotes incumbent the employees in the records departments to increase productivity. DeBeauvoir said that the office was antiquated when she took over in 1986 and that she has modernized it.
"Always look toward the fu the fire under control at 1:07 a.m., she said. Damage was estimated at $85,000. "There was evidence of forced entry," Brandewie said. "There were other signs that somebody was in there." Grand jury clears man in shooting A Travis County grand jury declined to indict a man who was charged with aggravated assault after he shot at two car burglars who were fleeing a North Austin restaurant parking lot with his power tools. Charles McCord, 30, shot at Austin residents Jose Reza, 35, and Jorge Luis Martinez, 24, at Jim's Restaurant at 607 E.
Anderson Lane on Feb. 5, police said at the time. Martinez and Reza, who received a scalp wound, were arrested. They were both convicted, with Reza receiving five years' probation and Martinez receiving one year at the Travis County Jail, court records state. The grand jury "no-billed" McCord on Sept 29, according to the district attorney's office records.
Students get new try on TAAS High-school juniors and seniors who haven't passed the exit-level Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test will have the opportunity, starting today, to re-take the test! The reading, writing and math sections of the test will be offered today, Wednesday and Thursday Students are only required to take the part of the test they failed previously. The TAAS is known as a criterion-referenced test designed to measure whether students are learning the state's required curriculum. It is given each year, and passing the exit-level examination normally given in the 10th grade is a requirement for graduation. SWT student dies in head-on collision American-Statesman Staff A 20-year-old Southwest Texas State University student was killed and two others were injured early Monday in a head-on collision on Interstate 35 at FM 1327, just south of Onion Creek. Alison S.
Rhodes, a native of Baytown, was driving her 1983 Chevrolet Chevette southbound at 7:37 a.m when a northbound 1991 Chevrolet pickup crossed the grass median and struck her car head-on, police said. The pickup driver, Dean Smith, 31, was in critical condition Monday at Brackenridge Hospital with head, chest and leg injuries, officials said. A third car was hit by the wreckage but its driver and two passengers escaped serious injury, police said. Krisha Nel-mann, 19, who police said was in the third car, was treated and released Monday, a hospital spokesman said. The case will be forwarded to a grand jury to determine if charges will be filed, police said.
Fire set to cover office burglary An early morning fire that damaged two South Austin offices Monday was set to hide evidence of a burglary at one of the offices, fire investigators said. The 12:37 a.m fire at 1806 W. Stassney Lane began at Espresso Roma, causing heavy damage, said Cathy Brandewie, Fire Department spokeswoman. Flames spread through the attic to neighboring Attack Piano music studio, which had smoke damage, Brandewie said. Firefighters had wins stay on eve of execution 1979, robbery, abduction and slaying of Hubert Tobey, 41, in Abilene.
His attorney, Stan Brown, had sought the stay, saying jurors should have been allowed to consider the fact that Russell's youth was dreadful "You can't change what's happened," Russell said last week. "Everyone has to meet God himself. If the Lord wills this is the way I leave the world, so be it "I'm not asking to get out" Russell said. "I'm asking for mercy. I had a raunchy childhood.
The people who surrounded me were drunkards, dope pushers and.
