The Big Lake Wildcat (Big Lake, Tex.), Vol. 58, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 18, 1983 Page: 2 of 12
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PAGE 2
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AUGUST 18,1963
Opinions ... .ours, yours, theirs....
STATE CAPITAL
HIGHLIGHTS
By Lyndall William*
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
AUSTIN — Investigative
journalism's spotlight again
shined on embattled Texas
Atty. Gen. Jim Mattox last
week, this time focusing on
his beneficial intervention in
a Galveston multi-million-
naire’s bankruptcy lawsuit.
Mattox stepped into the
private lawsuit during his
first month in office, and re-
versed a 12-year history of
state litigation against Gal-
veston financier Shearn
Moody, Jr.
Ten days after his action,
reports show Moody paid
$20,000 in legal fees to Mat-
tox’s former law partner and
current business associate
Don Crowder.
Moody was accused of
fraud in connection with the
1971 bankruptcy of his Ala-
bama-based insurance firm,
and in 1979 a Dallas federal
jury returned a $5.3 million
judgment against him.
Moody was appealing the de-
cision to the U S. Fifth Cir-
cuit Court of Appeals when
Mattox stepped in, filing a
“friend of the court” brief
arguing that certain legal de-
cisions rendered in the
Moody case would impair the
decision-making power of
Texas state agencies.
The Circuit Court affirmed
the Dallas decision, but Mat-
tox apparently is considering
filing a similar brief on
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MEMBER OF TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
AND THE WEST TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
Established in 1925
Published Every Thursday in Big Lake, The County
Seat of Reagan County, Texas 76932
Entered as second-class matter January 2, 1926, |
at the post office at Big Lake, Texas under the Act i
of Congress of March 3, 1879. SUBSCRIPTION
RATES $10.50 Per Year In Big Lake, $12.50 Per
Year elaewbere. Subscriptions are Payable in
advance.
Change of Address Notice should be mailed to
The Big Lake Wildcat, P.O. Box 946, Big Lake,
Texas 76932.
David Werst ....................................... Editor
J.L. Werst.Jr.............................. Publisher
Ph. 915/884-2215
Publisher is not responsible for copy omissions,
typographical errors or any other unintentional er-
rors that may occur further than to make correction
in next issue after it is brought to his attention.
Moody's behalf before the
U.S. Supreme Court.
Phone Conversation
Both Mattox and Crowder
have acknowledged they dis-
cussed the Moody case by
telephone, but denied any
conflict of interest. Mattox
also said he never benefited
in any way from Moody’s
payment to Crowder.
Mattox also said he turned
back a campaign contribution
from Moody prior to his
election because of possible
conflict of interest,
The court incident is the
latest of a series of Mattox
miscues and eye-lifters.
Last week a grand jury
. continued its investigation of
alleged misdemeanor viola-
tions in Mattox campaign
funds report.
Voter Registration
Vice President George
Bush represented Republi-
cans while Democrats Ted
Kennedy and Charles Manatt
sought to capitalize on Texas’
growing Hispanic bloc.
The trio spoke to more
than 200 Hispanic activist*
in San Antonio last week
during the Southwest Voter
Registration Project.
The project aims to add 1
million Hispanic votes to the
rolls in 23 states, including
200,000 in Texas.
Bush criticized the Carter-
Mondale contributions to a
poor economy that he said
offered no opportunity for
minorities, and Democrats
countered by pointing out the
high unemployment rate
along the Rio Grande Valley.
Drought Aid
Meanwhile, both Gov,
Mark White and Agriculture
Commissioner Jim High-
tower continued to blast the
Reagan Administration for
failing to provide federal
drought relief to a group of
27 West Texas counties. In
the past half-year, the coun-
ties have received only a little
over an inch of rain.
Both White and High-
tower, Democrats, want U.S.
Agriculture Sec. John Block
to implement the federal
Emergency Feed Program
for livestock in the area.
White said stockpiles of
corn in the Panhandle, left
over from the 1980 grain
embargo, could be used to
provide relief.
Cattle, sheep and goat
ranchers are already liquidat-
ing their herds.
Manges Lawsuit
The State, Exxon Corp.
and south Texas multimil-
lionnaire Clinton Manges ap-
parently are about to settle
the controversial oil and gas
royalties suit on Duval
County land.
Land Commissioner Garry
Mauro expects Exxon to pay
the State some $4 million,
but part of that sum, perhaps
as much as a million, will go
to Manges, owner of the
land.
Mauro's attorneys are ad-
vising him to let the Attorney
General decide Manges
share. Both Mauro and Mat-
tox received over $50,000
each in campaign contribu-
tions from Manges, and
Mauro's handlers are advis-
ing him to avoid potential
conflict of interest.
Property Purchased
Summer revelations by the
Capitol press corps have
caused state officials to think
harder before entering into
situations which might put
profit into their hands or
those of their friends.
Last week Gov. Mark
White dropped his opposition
to the state purchase of land
across the street from the
Governor’s Mansion, even
though his campaign trea-
surer was representing a
group of developers bidding
against the state.
The developers wanted to
build a luxury hotel on the
site, which had driven up the
asking price of $2.5 million
for the choice half-acre.
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Letter to the editor.....
To the Editor:
When I first read the article in last week’s Wildcat
concerning our City Council, 1 chuckled a little inside.
No, 1 laughed out loud, thinking how can five grown
people, leaders in our community, act like little chil-
dren when they don’t get their own way. I’m sure
there is a lot more to this than I know, but from what
I read in the article, this was my opinion on the subject
of a utilities manager. The more I thought about it,
the more serious it got.
Twenty thousand dollars is a large sum of money
for a city that claims to be broke with no funds to fix
the streets. The $20,000 would be just the beginning.
There would be the cost of a vehicle, uniforms, and
all the other benefits the city employees have. It
would probably be more in the neighborhood of
$30,000 or more per year. 1 feel that if we have city
employees that are not capable of doing their job,
we need to replace them, not add another.
For two months, of this year, I stayed on one city
councilman’s back trying to get some pot holes and a
ditch covered up on Third Street alongside of Oilwell
Supply. At first I was told it would be done,
but finally he told me it would be done, but he didn’t
know when, because the city didn’t have the funds for
street work at that time. 1 took him at his word, and
had the work done on my own, costing $500.00.
Now I read they, the City Council, want to hire a
new man at $20,000 to $30,000 to do what I figured we
are paying someone to do now. One council person
said, "1 feel this person, New Manager, could save
us money in the long run.” Another one said, ”1
can see where this could be beneficial.” Personally.
I would like to see some facts and figures on the
money ti could save and where the money is being
wasted now.
I feel that any person accepting a public office,
where people have put their trust in you to do the best
job you can do for the most people with the substance
you have to do with should leave their personal differ-
ences at home and get on with it.
For the good of our city, I pray that each council-
person will search their own heart and seek God’s
Will in this matter, to be one-in-accord when the sub-
ject is brought up again. As for me at this time, I
don’t think we need a supervisor to supervise a super-
visor.
J. D. “Wabbit” Richmond
c
Social
Security
news..
The 1983 Social Se-
curity Amendments
make several signifi-
cant changes in Social
Security benefits. One
of the changes will in-
crease the amount of
delayed retirement cre-
dits received by workers
who delay retirement
past age 65.
Under present law,
delayed retirement cre-
dits are equal to 3 per-
cent per year. That is,
for each full year after
age 65 that no bene-
fits are paid, the wor-
ker’s benefit amount is
increased by 3 percent.
The 1983 Amend-
ments provide that be-
ginning in 1990, delayed
retirement credits will
increase by one-half of
one percent every other
year until reaching eight
percent per year for
workers who reach full-
benefit retirement age
after 2007.
This provision is in-
tended to encourage
people to continue wor-
king beyond age 65 by
increasing the credit for
people who delay re-
tirement.
For more information,
contact the San Angelo
Social Security Office
located at 2214 Sher-
wood Way. The tele-
phone number is 949-
4608.
J
When was the last
time your home
had a check-up?
Attic Insulation
&-
Heating
System j
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Conditioning wBler Heater Window* Door* Floor CcuMting & Weatherstrippmg
A RESIDENTIAL CONSERVATION SERVICE ENERGY AUDIT BY
WTU TRAINED SPECIALISTS WILL HELP TO FIND WAYS TO
MAKE YOUR HOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND SAVE YOU
MONEY ON YOUR ENERGY BILL THE EVALUATION WILL TAKE
APPROXIMATELY Vh HOURS AND WILL COST $15.00
YOUR RCS AUDIT CHICK-UP INCLUDfS:
1 Measure windows and doors and check for weatherstripping and caulking.
2. Check and measure ceiling insulation.
3 Determine the (EER) Energy Efficiency Ratio of your air-conditioner.
4 Check the walls for insulation.
5. Measure duct length and determine if insulation wrap is needed.
6. Determine if storm/thermal windows or doors are needed.
7 Check your water heater to determine if an insulation jacket is needed
8 Determine whether a dock thermostat should be installed
9. Information on materials, equipment, installation and other helpful ideas.
c
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Werst, David. The Big Lake Wildcat (Big Lake, Tex.), Vol. 58, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 18, 1983, newspaper, August 18, 1983; Big Lake, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth659862/m1/2/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Reagan County Library.