The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 237, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 20, 2000 Page: 4 of 16
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4A The Baytown Sun
Thursday, July 20, 2000
Opinion
iBaptoton g>un
Founded 1922
Wanda Qamer Ca*h, Editor and Publisher I Nyree Doucette, Asst. Managing Editor-News
Taylor B. Camp, Managing Editor | Rtchart NeMon, Asst. Managing Editor-Sports
Fred Hartman, Publisher Emeritus
1950-1974
Tougher courses prep
students for future
f | ihe state board of education
; I recently modified minimum
:JL graduation requirements,
making geometry, physics and
chemistry mandatory for students
entering ninth grade.
I The change is intended to help
students pass the Texas Assess-
ment of Academic Skills test,
which is mandatory for seniors to
graduate from high school.
The TAAS test soon will include
modified science and math por-
tions that include geometry,
physics and chemistry. The modi-
fied version of the test will be
administered in the 2002-2003
school year.
The new requirements for high
school students are long overdue.
; i ft’s time the board of education
realized the fact that many of our
state’s students are not prepared
academically to pass a test that
gauges minimum skills. Many of
those same students do not possess
the knowledge to succeed at an
institution of higher learning where
basic science and math classes
make up the standard core of class-
es that all students must take.
Texas’ students should be pre-
pared academically to compete
with the best students from across
the nation. After all, they are not
only the building blocks of our
state’s future, they also are the
future of our nation.
Our students must be prepared to
take charge of their future, and it is
our educators who must take
charge and lead our students in
achieving a top-notch education.
Today ’s editorial was written by
Nyree Doucette, assistant manag-
ing editor-news for The Baytown
Sun, on behalf of the newspaper’s
editorial board.
Missile deployment decision
should be left to next leader
A s it now stands, President
Z\ Clinton plans to decide this
1 1. year whether the United
States will build a national missile
defense system.
The latest failure of a proposed
U.S. antiballistic missile defense sys-
tem does not shoot down the argu-
ment that America needs a defensive
missile shield.
By the same token, had the third
test of the prototype missile
defense system worked, that suc-
cess would not have proved that the
United States should build and
deploy a national missile defense
system either.
; rSo far, Clinton has maintained sup-
port for a missile defense system.
I Certainly, a major question in the
debate over the wisdom of pursing an
antimissile defense system is whether
§ is technologically possible to build
H system that will work.
Hitting a bullet with a bullet, par-
ticularly when the incoming bullet
fends out decoys, is a technological
challenge. But that doesn’t mean
that it can’t be done, or that it isn’t
worth trying.
If an antimissile defense system is
Something the United States needs to
prevent the nuclear incineration of
Washington, D.C., or other cities,
then surely die technological chal-
lenges can be overcome eventually.
A more important question is
whether the threat of a missile attack
on die United States justifies die
expense and the effort.
Supposedly, a missile defense sys-
tem is contemplated only to intercept
nuclear, chemical or biologically-
tipped missiles launched from Iraq,
About Us
Iran, Libya, North Korea or other less
developed anti-American nations.
These anti-American nations were
formerly referred to as rogue nations.
The Clinton administration now has
decreed that rogue nations now will
be called “nations of concern”
Whatever you call these nations,
the proposed missile shield has had
North Korea in mind more than any
other nation. But since the shield was
first proposed, North Korea has
opened negotiations with South
Korea for the first time since a cease-
fire brought an uneasy conclusion of
die Korean War 47 years ago.
Another important missile-math
consideration is that Russia, China
and other major nations oppose the
construction of an antimissile
defense system.
These nations, as well as several
U.S. allies in Western Europe,
believe the antimissile system vio-
lates the 1972 Antiballistic Missile
Treaty and will launch another
nuclear arms race.
Because many of the most impor-
tant issues involving the proposed
missile defense system have yet to
be determined, President Clinton
should defer bis decision about the
deploying system.
There are many unanswered
questions that will have long-term
implications for this nation. Clinton
should leave the decision about
deployment of the a U.S. defensive
missile shield to the next president
who can make that call when he
takes office only a few months
from now.
This editorial originally ran July
16 in the Waco Tribune-Herald.
Our editorial board
The Baytown Sun’s editorial board meets
weekly at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Individuals are
encouraged to visit the editorial board to dis-
cuss issues affecting the community. To
make an appointment, contact Managing
Editor Taylor B. Camp, (281) 422-8302.
Members of the editorial board include:
Wanda Gamer Cash, editor and publisher;
Taylor B. Camp, managing editor; Eric Bauer,
marketing director; Dee Anne Robbins, busi-
ness manager; Nyree Doucette, assistant
managing editor-news; and Richard Nelson,
assistant managing editor-sports.
L$t us hear from you
The Baytown Sun welcomes letters of up
i, 300 words and guest columns of up to
:J '
500 words on any item of public interest.
Guest columns should include a photograph
of the writer. We publish only original materi-
al addressed to The Baytown Sun bearing
the writer'ssignature. An address and phone
number not for publication should be includ-
ed. We askthat submissions be limited to
one per month. All letters and guest columns
subject to editing. The Sun reserves the right
to refuse to publish any submission.
Letters endorsing or opposing political
candidates or issues will not be published
within two days of an election, except in
direct rebuttal to a letter previously pub-
lished in The Baytown Sun. Please send
signed letters to: Wanda Gamer Cash or Tay-
lor B. Camp, The Baytown Sun, P.O. Box 90,
Baytown, TX 77522.,
Or, fax them to: (281) 427-1880. Or, e-
mail us at: sunnews@baytownsun.com.
' v-->
Commentary \
Conventions a tradition we can skip
In the three weeks starting at the begin-
ning of August there will be three national
political party conventions. Why? The
Constitution does not mention conven-
tions. Actually, the Constitution doesn’t
mention political parties either. More than
that: The founders thought parties were
the pits. Thomas Jefferson Said: “If I could
not go to heaven but with a party, I would
not go there at all.” But, in a trice, the
newborn United States had two big par-
ties, Alexander Hamilton’s Federalists and
Jefferson’s Democratic-Republicans, .
which makes you wonder where Tom
ended up.
I Thanks to the innovative Anti-Mason
protest party in 1832, party conventions
came into style. The principal purpose of
conventions has been to nominate candi-
dates. But through our unique presidential
primary system, that selection is now a
done deal before the conventions. Founders,
relax. Americans allow parties to exist, but
not to choose candidates.
So, barring medical catastrophe, the
Republicans (July 31 - Aug. 3) will ratify
George W. Bush. Barring controlling legal
authority, the Democrats (Aug. 14-17)
will ratify A1 Gore. And talk about
unique. Pat Buchanan will apparently be
the nominee of the Reform Party (Aug. 9-
13). Buchanan earned the nomination of a
Ben
Wattenberg
party whose former leaders detest him,
but forgot to put up a candidate to chal-
lenge him.
Conventions are supposed to “introduce”
the nominee. The Gore campaign says their
convention will be “a defining event.” In
August? America is somewhere else in
August.
Until a few elections ago, the major tele-
vision networks broadcast the events
“gavel-to-gavel.” So exciting was this that
viewers clicked over to watch summer
reruns on independent stations and cable
channels. Accordingly, the networks
dropped the conventions.
Now, if you want to see the action—
what action? — watch C-Span or PBS. As
it happens, that is better than being there in
person; at least you see what (some) voters
see. I have been to every political conven-
tion of both parties since 1972. There are
two things ! will never forget about these 14
affairs: being bored and being lost.
I’m a slow learner, but slow is not never.
This year I am not going to Los Angeles for
the Democratic convention. I may, or may
not, take a Metroliner daytrip to Philadel-
phiato goto one GOP party, and immedi-
ately come home, unlost.
The biggest excitement will likely be the
announcement of the vice presidential
nominees. But is a convention necessary
to proclaim a vice presidential nominee?
It’s a choice made by one man. Why not
have a press conference and dump the
convention?
Exposure at a scripted national conven-
tion is supposed to provide a “bump” in
the polls for the nominee. But if both
Gush and Bore get a bump, they end up
back where they were. Why bother? The
only winners of the 2000 conventions are
likely to be the Seattle-flavored demon-
strators, who will jump up and down for
the television cameras.
I am not cynical about politics. There are
times when it gets interesting, exciting and
important. But this isn’t one of them.
Ben Waitenberg, a senior fellow at the
American Enterprise Institute, is the author
of “Values Matter Most ” and is the host of
the weekly public television program
“Think Tank" You may send comments to
him via e-mail: Watmail@aol.com.
Partisan comptrollers play politics with budget
* Wait. You actually think tfie Texas
comptroller “a partisan elected official”
would trot out revenue statistics with an
eye to politics?
Next you’ll say Santa Claus is my mom
and dad.
Well, not to suggest the recent revenue
estimate by Republican Comptroller Car-
ole Keeton Rylander isn’t accurate. But
suffice it to say that Rylander and her
Democratic predecessors know how to use
the revenue estimate as a political tool.
The backdrop: Legislative budget offi-
cials recently estimated that the cost to
run Texas government for the two years
ending Aug. 31,2001, will be $610 mil-
lion more than the Lbgislature budgeted
last year.
The politicafproblem is that Gov.
George W. Bush, who is the GOP nomi-
nee for president, pressed for and got a
$1.7 billion tax cut last year when the
Legislature was writing the budget.
The Democratic nominee, Vice Presi-
dent A1 Gore, says this is proof that Bush’s
plans to have a huge national tax cut if
elected could spend away a projected sur-
plus that might then disappear.
So up steps Republican Rylander, with
an early estimate of a minimum of a $ 1.1
billion budget surplus for the biennium.
That’s more than enough to cover the
$610 million projected budget overrun.
With a straight face, Rylander said the
unscheduled revenue estimate wasn’t to
help Bush’s presidential hopes, but
because she was nervous Gore’s “mislead-
ing and incorrect” charge that Texas had a
budget shortfall could hurt the state’s
financial standing.
“I want the state of Texas to have the
best possible bond ratings, therefore the
lowest interest rates, and therefore saving
Dave
McNeefy
Texans millions of dollars,” Rylander
said. “There is no deficit in Texas.”
That $1.1 billion is a “conservative”
estimate, Rylander said. Numbers are
being crunched for a more specific figure
she’ll unveil at a press conference today.
So, is it politics? Or is it economics? Or
both?
Obviously, it gives Rylattder a chance to
help the governor’s presidential race. Also
obviously, it gives Rylander “who some
think has ambitions beyond the comptrol-
ler’s office” opportunities to get her name
in the paper and her face on television.
But this ain’t strange. The comptroller’s
using the revenue-estimating power as a
tool for a variety of purposes is about as
regular as the moon influencing the tides.
Two years ago, almost to the day, then-
Comptroller John Sharp “a Democrat who
was running for lieutenant governor” dis-
closed in an early revenue estimate a pro-
jected surplus of $3.7 billion for the cur-
rent biennium. Coincidentally, Sharp also
dropped a few hints on how the surplus
might be spent, including a teacher pay
raise and a tax cut.
The comptroller was given the power to
estimate the state’s projected revenue to
keep the Legislature from overspending.
Under the state’s balanced-budget
approach, the Legislature’s budget in its
regular legislative session is limited to what
the comptroller estimates will come in.
Comptrollers usually are conservative at
the start of the budgeting cycle partly
because if they have to change the esti-
mate later, they’d rather raise it than lower
it. But certainly the last three comptrol-
lers, Rylander, Sharp and the late Democ-
rat Bob Bullock, also kept back a little
swag for bargaining leverage late in the
legislative session. And for a chance to be
Santa Claus. l-
“We always held back about $400 mil-
lion,” said a former Bullock aide, for
“trade bait” for computers, extra auditors,
even airplanes.
Interestingly, when the comptroller’s
projected budget went up, so did the rev-
enue estimate.
Sharp’s last revenue estimate, which
totaled $6.3 billion surplus when the sur-
plus for the next biennium was included
in the count, actually low-balled by about
$300 million to leave successor Rylander
a little leverage.
Not enough, she quickly decided, and
dropped the estimate by $700 million
shortly after taking office.
In the middle of May, the last month of
the legislative session, steely eyed House
Public Education Committee Chairman
Paul Sadler, D-Henderson, said he’d wait
for Rylander’s revenue estimate before
finalizing the amounts of a teacher pay
raise and a tax cut.
Rylander, who,d said she needed more
time, finally caved in and, with fanfare,
put the $700 million back plus a little.
Politics? Naah. Santa Claus? You decide. * . ;
McNeely writes about politics for The
Austin American-Statesman. i
He cdn be contacted by e-mail at dmc- ’. I
neely@statesman.com or by phone at
(512) 445-3644.
-5
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 237, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 20, 2000, newspaper, July 20, 2000; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1020367/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.