Left of College Station

Law Enforcement to Get $425,000

By Cassie Smith

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Brazos County law enforcement agencies will receive more than $425,000 from economic stimulus legislation signed by President Barack Obama last month.

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards announced Thursday that the money would be distributed through the Justice Assistance Grant program to the Brazos County Sheriff's Department and the College Station and Bryan police departments.

The funds can be used to hire officers, upgrade equipment and keep the streets safe, said Chris Chwastyk, Edwards' chief of staff.

Officials from all three agencies said they were grateful to Edwards for ensuring the funding for their agencies.

Brazos County Sheriff Chris Kirk said his department would use the $23,752 it will get in a responsible manner.

"It's been an unexpected amount of money," Kirk said, adding that he learned about it Thursday.

Kirk said the department might use the funds for technology projects, which have been funded through grant money.

Kirk, who was in Nevada for a sheriffs' convention Thursday, said he would have to review the guidelines for using the money before deciding how to spend it.

"We're excited about it," Kirk said.

The Bryan Police Department will receive $293,158 through the program, and Assistant Chief Wayland Rawls said officials would begin studying where to use the money.

"This is a lot of money, and we want to make sure we use it to the best use for the citizens of Bryan," Rawls said. "We believe if we properly use this money that we can make a drastic impact in crime."

Deputy Chief Peter Scheets said the funds probably would be applied toward equipment, technology and operations.

College Station Police Chief Michael Ikner said his department would likely use its $108,511 to purchase technology and equipment.

The funds will help the department in its mission of reducing crime and the fear of crime, improving the quality of life and building partnerships, he said.

It was unclear Thursday when the money would be disbursed.

POLICE FUNDING

Area law enforcement agencies will receive funding from the economic stimulus legislation

* Brazos County Sheriff's Department: $23,752.

* Bryan Police Department: $293,158.

* College Station Police Department: 108,511.

Published Friday, March 06, 2009

Dunnam pushes resolution critical of state transportation agency on eve of vote for spending federal stimulus road funds.

By Tim Woods (Tribune-Herald staff writer)

From the Waco Tribune-Herald

A resolution co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Dunnam critical of the way state transportation officials are deciding how to spend $1.2 billion in federal stimulus funds was withdrawn Wednesday amid criticism that its wording was too harsh.

The action on the floor of the state House came on the eve of an expected vote by the Texas Transportation Commission on disbursement of the federal transportation funds.

Dunnam, D-Waco, and state Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, have led the charge to sway commission members’ opinions and to bring greater transparency to the Texas Department of Transportation’s decision-making.

Since the Feb. 26 announcement of the department’s recommendations for the funds, which did not include any McLennan County projects, the two have sunk their teeth into the issue, speaking with commissioners and decision-makers, chairing hearings and helping introduce House resolutions.

Local officials requested more than $200 million to widen Interstate 35 north of Waco. That request was not granted on the transportation department’s preliminary list, though $121 million was recommended for an I-35 project to the south in Bell County.

Averitt said he has had daily conversations with commissioners and the department about McLennan County’s exclusion.

“While I am not yet satisfied with all of their answers, I recognize that managing our state’s transportation infrastructure is a difficult task, and I am confident that at the end of the process our discussions will be fruitful,” Averitt said.

Dunnam has headed a select committee looking at the disbursements and has criticized the department’s handling of the funds since last week’s announcement of the proposed projects.

On Wednesday, Dunnam co-sponsored a resolution, introduced in the House by Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, that sought more transparency and communication between the department and lawmakers in the department’s decision-making process.

The resolution, HR 709, was criticized by some House members for being too strongly critical of the transportation agency.

“The last line says that the House, by passing this today, declares that the failure of the (Texas Transportation) Commission and (transportation agency) to conduct the people’s business in a fair, open and accountable manner has lost them the confidence of the House and of the people of Texas,” Phil King, R-Weatherford, said at the hearing.

King added, “I’ve been one of the first ones to complain about TxDOT, but is that your intent today, to ask the Texas House to declare as a body that we believe that the commission has lost the confidence of the House and the people of the state of Texas? Is that really where we’re trying to go with this resolution? It’s a strong declaration.”

Dunnam, a lawyer, was delayed by an appeal hearing in Waco, so King’s question was fielded by Coleman, who repeatedly explained that the resolution was meant to improve communication between the House and the transportation department.

A representative asked Coleman and Dunnam, after he arrived, whether they believed the resolution would affect the commission’s vote today. The representative also asked why the vote on the resolution couldn’t be delayed until today so House members could read and discuss the document.

“On Friday, you’re going to get calls from constituents that say, ‘For some members, 70 percent of these funds were spent on toll roads. Why did you allow that to happen?’ ” Dunnam said. “They’re not going to blame TxDOT, they’re going to blame the members of this body. (They’ll ask), ‘Why did you allow them to spend money on projects that didn’t include our district? Or why did you allow them to spend this one-time federal money, 70 percent of it, on toll roads?’ ”

Dunnam added that the resolution was the only mechanism by which legislators could try to influence transportation officials before the meeting. This way, legislators could tell their constituents they tried to do something.

“If the members want to wait, we can wait, but TxDOT will have already voted,” he said.

After further debate, Coleman withdrew the resolution, citing the concern about its wording.

Dunnam said Wednesday that, aside from his concern about McLennan County being left in the cold, he worries the transportation department may not be complying with the stimulus act’s requirement that the funds be used in economically distressed areas.

“Our concern is that they’re not complying with the act, and that is a transparency and accountability issue because we’re going to have to testify to the federal government that we have complied with the recovery act,” Dunnam said. “They’ve received a great deal of criticism for that because it’s jeopardized the funds.”

U.S. Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., confirmed Dunnam’s concern Wednesday, sending him a letter that states, “The Recovery Act specifically requires that . . . states give priority to projects that are located in economically distressed areas.”

Dunnam said Wednesday evening that McLennan County is on the U.S. House’s list of economically distressed counties and that Bell County, to which the agency’s staff recommendations allot funds, is not.

Department spokesman Chris Lippincott has said the department has had discussions over several months with metropolitan planning organizations and conducted research into where the funds would be best allocated. The agency had to act quickly once the money was delivered to comply with the act’s requirements, he said.

Dunnam said he hopes the commission will delay today’s scheduled vote on the recommendations or at least strongly consider Oberstar’s words when awarding projects.

Published on Thursday, March 05, 2009

Waco-area legislators charge state process to disburse federal stimulus transportation funds political and not transparent.

By Tim Woods (Tribune-Herald staff writer)

From the Waco Tribune-Herald

State Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, worries that Texas Department of Transportation decision-makers might be considering more than just what is best for the state when allocating project funds.

Last week, TxDOT staff recommendations apparently left McLennan County without a dime of the $1.2 billion in federal stimulus funds the state received for transportation projects. Before the department’s recommendations, Waco-area officials had hoped to get $200 million in discretionary stimulus money to begin widening and rebuilding Interstate 35 from Lacy-Lakeview to near West.

The Texas Transportation Commission is supposed to vote Thursday on the projects TxDOT has proposed.

The TxDOT recommendations have caused frustration among Waco-area state legislators, who criticized the process as possibly influenced by politics and not transparent.

Averitt said the process may have become political, rather than simply a cost-benefit analysis. He referred to a statement by TxDOT spokesman Chris Lippincott to the Tribune-Herald last week, when Lippincott said that just because the stimulus money may fund 20 projects, that doesn’t necessarily mean that projects 21 through 25 get bumped up in priority.

“In my view, that’s a problem,” Averitt said Friday evening. “That tells me that there are other factors that weigh in the decisions of what projects get funded, rather than some methodical, analytical, financial analysis or cost-benefit analysis.”

He added, “I fear that the political factor gets too heavily involved sometimes.”

The senator said he doesn’t know for certain that TxDOT decisions are swayed by political pressure, “because I don’t know what their process is, but it raises the question.”

Lippincott later said the criteria were developed by local metropolitan planning organizations, then were evaluated by TxDOT staff.

“There was no way that this process would not yield fewer projects than there are needs,” Lippincott said.

The TxDOT spokesman also said that the process has only been politicized by the discussion since last week’s recommendations.

“The risk of this process becoming politicized increases with every day that it is attacked and questioned by people who don’t like the outcome,” Lippincott said.

Being in the dark about TxDOT’s decision-making process is something Averitt and state representatives Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, and Charles “Doc” Anderson, R-Waco, point to as a source of frustration.

“I think (lack of transparency) is somewhat systemic, and I think there will be some changes there at an organizational level,” Anderson said. He added, however, that he has had good experiences working with local TxDOT engineer Richard Skopik.

Dunnam was more biting in his criticism of the state agency.

“I don’t think it’s been good in any sense,” Dunnam said. “They’re very difficult to deal with. They’re very difficult to get information out of. When you try to get an explanation for rationale, you get a lot of double talk.”

Regarding last week’s TxDOT staff recommendations, Dunnam added, “(Thursday) they were saying that the Waco decisions were the result of the MPO, and I’m told that they told the MPO that the decisions were the result of a matrix that they use to prioritize projects, but they won’t give anybody a copy of the matrix. So, they have a great deal of expertise in double talk.”

Dunnam said he thinks TxDOT historically has acted “as though they are autonomous, with no level of responsibility to the taxpayers.”

Lippincott scoffed at the notion that TxDOT has been less than transparent.

“This has been the most open, transparent process that TxDOT has ever engaged in with the state’s metropolitan planning organizations,” Lippincott said. “These discussions have been going on for four months, and the people of Texas expect quick action with the stimulus funds that are being provided to our state.”

Commission to Decide

When the five-member transportation commission meets Thursday to decide on TxDOT’s recommendations, the legislators will be watching how carefully the commission examines those recommendations.

Lippincott said the committee has several options and is not required to either accept or reject any of the recommendations.

Though Dunnam stopped short of saying he sees the commission as simply a rubber stamp for TxDOT, he said “I don’t see them operating independently. I think we need to look at making them more accountable, and I think we should consider looking at a different structure for decision-making.”

Averitt said he knows all five members of the commission, three for quite some time, and thinks they will put great thought into the decision, but he again referred to what he sees as a lack of transparency.

“I think they deliberate,” Averitt said of the commission. “Here’s the problem, though. I don’t know what their process is. Nobody knows what their process is.”

Unless the commission opts to fund proposed projects in McLennan and other counties in Averitt’s district, the senator says he expects his constituents to continue making their voices heard.

Lippincott has acknowledged that TxDOT anticipated vocal criticism as soon as they saw the amount of funds weighed against the state’s needs.

“I represent 10 counties,” Averitt said. “Three of those counties, other than McLennan, had projects on the cusp of being funded, and none of them got done, (yet) some mega-projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth area got funded. So, yes, I’ve heard from folks in McLennan, Coryell, Johnson and Hood counties, and none of it is positive.”

Averitt added, “Everybody wants to know what’s going on, and, at this point, all I can say is we’re working on it.”

Published on Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Smoke Ban in Full Force

By Michelle Casady

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Lighting up in a College Station bar or restaurant will now cost more than just your health.

College Station's expanded smoking ban in public places took effect Feb. 1, but law enforcement officers will begin enforcing the ban this month. Fines range from $25 to $2,000.

"We engaged in a month's worth of education so we could avoid writing those tickets," said Lt. Rodney Sigler, a spokesman for the College Station Police Department. "But if we need to write a citation, we will."

Sigler said he knew of no complaints about people violating the ban since it had been in place.

"We're not looking to write tickets; we just want compliance," he said. "And so far, it looks like we have compliance."

But city officials said a number of citations could be written in the next few weeks.

"Like other Texas cities that have implemented similar smoking ordinances, we anticipate seeing a spike in calls initially," said Hayden Migl, assistant to the city manager. "But the volume and frequency of calls should decrease as the community becomes familiar with the new regulations."

The ordinance prohibits anyone from smoking in a bar or restaurant or within 10 feet of entryways to those businesses.

To report violators, residents can call the College Station Police Department's non-emergency line at 764-3600.

Published on Sunday, March 1, 2009

Professor: Every View Important

Ronald Briggs Speaks During Roundtable Discussion

By: Stephen Shepperd

From the Texas A&M University Battalion

Prairie View A&M Associate Professor Ronald S. Briggs said that everyone's point of view is important during a round table discussion on social paradigms facing minorities.

Texas A&M Center for the Study of Health Disparities in the College of Education put on the roundtable discussion in Rudder Tower to conclude Black History Month.

"We have had several students who worked with Briggs at [Prairie View A&M]," said Raynolette Ettienne-Gittens, a doctoral research assistant in the Center for the Study of Health Disparities. "They suggested that he would be a good speaker to have because it is Black History Month."

Briggs's discussion focused on shifting minority paradigms and opening up one's mind to accepting more than one point of view.

"I've been trained to look at people of color, and shed light," Briggs said. "Black people, as well as any person of color, all have different points of view. We need to see that."

"These discussions extend beyond people of color to involve even the people of the dominant culture," Ettienne-Gittens said.

Briggs gave scenarios and asked members of the round table to discuss how they viewed the characters in the different scenarios. He used music as a discussion aid to help members emotionally connect with each of the characters in an attempt to expand their points of view.

"I take a look at many people's differences, incorporate it in my learning, and it allows me to reevaluate even my own point of view," Briggs said. "Just because I think one way doesn't mean everybody thinks the same way."

People in attendance were encouraged to express their opinions on topics, including their disagreements. Briggs used the differing opinions of discussion to further explain his point.

"Everybody is not in the same place, and we aren't meant to be in the same place," Briggs said. "We need to be scattered out, and no one person is right. Being right is relative."

Briggs is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a specific emphasis in chemical dependency and group therapy.

Published on Friday, February 27, 2009

Economic Stimulus Road Projects

From KBTX

We could see dozens of road projects popping up all over the Brazos Valley in the next few months.

 
The state has released a list of more than a dozen roads in our area that qualify for funding from the economic stimulus package.

As it stands now, that tentative list contains more than $60 million worth of improvements. These projects are spread out across the Brazos Valley. You'll find a full list by clicking on the document linked above this story.

The state has chosen these projects to review, because each could be started within the next few months. This way, the stimulus money would have an immediate impact on the economy.

The Texas Department of Transportation meets on Thursday to finalize the list. We'll have an update for you when they do.

Published on Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Legislature Urged to Kick in Money to Stave Off Nursing Shortage in Texas

By Cindy V. Culp (Tribune-Herald staff writer)

From the Waco Tribune-Herald

McLennan Community College President Dennis Michaelis has lost count of the number of times community members have asked him to pull strings to get a loved one into the school’s nursing program.

Since the program always has more qualified applicants than slots, Michaelis said he understands the requests. But all he can do is tell people to be patient.

“President Obama can’t get your daughter into the nursing program,” he joked.

Soon, however, the program may be able to accept more students. A broad-based group of Texas organizations is asking the Legislature to allot an extra $60 million for nursing education, and MCC would be in a prime position to get some of the money.

The group, which calls itself the Texas Nursing Workforce Shortage Coalition, has members representing more than 100 organizations. They include health care organizations, education entities and business groups.

The coalition’s message is that if Texas doesn’t increase the number of nurses it graduates each year, the state soon will find itself in a crisis. Already, elective surgeries sometimes must be postponed because of the shortage. Similarly, some hospitals have had to temporarily close their emergency rooms due to a lack of nurses, the coalition says.

Last year, the demand for full-time registered nurses in Texas exceeded the supply by 22,000, coalition figures show. By 2020, that gap will balloon to short of 70,000 if nursing education programs are not expanded, according to the coalition.

Plenty of Texans want to become nurses, coalition officials said. Last year alone, more than 8,000 qualified applicants were turned away from Texas nursing schools due to limited space.

The additional $60 million would allow schools to hire enough nursing faculty to nearly double the number of registered nurse graduates by 2013, coalition members said. Right now, there are about 7,000 graduates each year.

Having adequate faculty is the main barrier Texas schools face in expanding their nursing programs, said Elizabeth Sjoberg, associate general counsel for the Texas Hospital Association. Schools are required to have one faculty member for every 10 nursing students — a ratio aimed at keeping patients safe while students do hands-on work at health care facilities.

That ratio means major money is needed to achieve significant expansion, said Jennifer Banda, senior director of governmental relations for the Texas Hospital Association.

That is especially true because schools must offer high salaries to compete with private-sector paychecks for nurses, she said.

If the $60 million is approved, both public and private schools would be able to apply for a share.

“It’s sort of a jump-start to put the trajectory of nurses on par with the population growth in Texas,” Banda said.

If money becomes available, it would go a long way toward MCC’s goal of doubling the size of its nursing program, Michaelis said. That was one of the things the school promised when it asked the community to approve a $74.5 million bond package in 2006.

The school’s plan for doing so is slow, however, Michaelis said. The high staff-to-student ratio causes the program to lose $555,000 annually. Because of that, MCC can afford to hire only one additional nursing instructor per year, meaning it can add only 10 students annually.

The program currently graduates 120 nurses per year. The goal is to increase that to 240.

Increasing the nursing program’s size will directly benefit local residents, Michaelis said. A study the school did in preparation for the bond election found that 67 percent of local nurses graduated from MCC, he said.

Scott Connell, senior vice president for strategic development for the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, said because of that, the chamber is a member of the nursing workforce coalition and passed a resolution last year calling for more nurse education funding.

“We could grow health care in the greater Waco area if we could just move people through the education process faster,” he said. “(Nursing positions) are good-paying jobs in an industry that’s continuing to grow.”

Published on Tuesday, February 24, 2009

B-CS Schools Await Stimulus Aid

By Janet Phelps

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Bryan and College Station schools could receive millions of dollars from the $787 billion economic stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama last week.

No one knows exactly how much money the districts will receive or when.

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards said initial estimates from the Congressional Budget Office showed that Bryan schools would get about $6.8 million, while College Station schools would receive $2.4 million.

Local school officials said that the money would help but that it's not a long-term solution to school finance issues.

Bryan schools Chief Financial Officer Amy Drozd said the district had eliminated several teaching and staff positions through attrition over the past year because of financial difficulties.

"The problem with bringing positions back with this money is that this is temporary money. What do we do when the funds are over?" she said. "This is not an annual allotment for the next 10 years."

College Station schools Superintendent Eddie Coulson said the timeline for the money would create a difficult situation when it came to deciding how to spend it.

"We don't want to put something in place and have an ongoing expense if the money will not be ongoing," he said. "It's one of the questions we have, and it's one of the questions a lot of people have."

The money has been approved for use over two years through the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Title 1, federal programs that provide funding for special-needs and low-income students, respectively.

The Texas Education Agency is responsible for informing schools about how much money they will get and how it must be spent, but a spokeswoman for the Austin agency said last week that she didn't know when the information would be announced.

Once the amount is made public, Drozd said, a staff committee will likely meet to decide how to use the money most effectively.

"Most of this [money] is going to be instructional, so it's really going to come down to: To have the most effect on students, how do we spend it?" she said.

She said the district's special-needs services could use the help. That department has lost several teaching positions over the past year because of budget cuts, she said.

And in low-income campuses, which qualify for Title 1 funds, Drozd said, the money will have a visible impact.

"What happens is usually your higher at-risk campuses require more services to get [students] on level [with the rest of the district]. So any time we can get more money on those particular campuses, it's helpful," she said.

Coulson said the money would be spent based on the district's identified priorities within the two programs. That could mean adding programs, staff positions, staff development or resources for teachers, he said.

"Like we would with anything, we will look at what we've deemed as our priorities in terms of what our needs are, then look at what the parameters are and align those. Once we've aligned those, we will move forward."

Both Drozd and Coulson said they would use the money in whatever way would most directly benefit students. Bryan schools' budget this year is $125.3 million, while College Station schools' is $97.7 million.

Edwards said he estimated that the stimulus money would create or save 8,400 jobs in the 17th Congressional District.

"A number of those jobs will be in the Brazos Valley," the Waco Democrat said.

Ultimately, Edwards said, he didn't know how the money would affect school districts but was hoping for the best.

"At worst, I hope it allows them to keep people employed who might otherwise have been fired," he said. "At best, I hope it will allow them to increase the number of teachers and staff and, most importantly, fund their highest-priority needs."

Published Sunday, February 22, 2009

Edwards Staff Talk Faith Based Hiring

By Sommer Ingram (Staff Writer)

From the Baylor University Lariat

President Obama's recently revamped office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is rekindling a timeless debate over the rights of federally funded religious organizations to discriminate on the bases of religion in hiring practices.

Representatives of the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor this week met with Stephanie Formas, legislative assistant to Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, to give feedback on this issue, along with other related topics.

"It's important for our staff to meet with local constituencies about a variety of issues," said Chris Chwastyk, chief of staff for Edwards. "The particular concern now is on church-state relations, and Baylor's institution is a leader on that issue."

The meeting served as an informational session that Edwards' office thought was a fundamental step toward a more cohesive effort in using local resources to help guide decisions made on Capitol Hill.

"Because of Edwards' commitment to religious liberty and to understand better what we do here in the institute, Formas thought it would be a good idea to become better acquainted with us and what we do," said Dr. Charles McDaniel, associate director of the institute. "This issue of faith-based hiring has always been a passionate issue for him (Edwards); he's been concerned since the beginning."

Dr. Chris Marsh, the director of the institute, was also at the meeting but was unavailable for comment Thursday.

Earlier in his campaign Obama made a promise to reverse faith-based hiring as practiced under the Bush administration, but now has reportedly turned the issue over to White House and Department of Justice attorneys.

"Our position has always been to guarantee equal protection," Chwastyk said. "Using federal funds to discriminate in hiring is something we've always opposed."

McDaniel said he voiced his concern in the meeting with the fact that Obama has seemingly sidestepped the decision by turning the problem over to the attorneys.

"It's no longer a commitment on the part of Obama," he said. "But I see this as an inevitable consequence of faith-based organizations becoming involved with the government."

However, issues like this may cause religious groups to more carefully evaluate whether they are willing to subject themselves to standards of the government that may go against their theological principles when they accept federal funding.

"My hope is that the controversy may cause some religious groups to think through the potential consequences of involvement in some government programs, especially where standards imposed for participation may conflict with their fundamental theological convictions," McDaniel said. "Private religious organizations can easily get caught up in the pursuit of government funds and lose sight of those values and commitments that make them truly effective."

Though Formas made no promises about what Edwards would do with the information she gathered at the meeting, both parties are confident that this meeting will not be the end of their dialogue.

"I think there is a desire to have an informal relationship so that we can be a part of the network of resources," McDaniel said. "We're open as a resource to anyone who wants to investigate church-state issues."

Chwastyk said he views the meeting as a continuation of an effort put into place long ago that will continue.

"The dialogue on religion started with Herbert Reynolds, former president of Baylor," Chwastyk said. "It has continued since that day and will continue much longer into the future."

Published on Friday, February 20, 2009

Professors Discuss Economic Crisis

A&M Society Ask Questions About Stimulus Plan, Auto Bailout

By: Calli Turner

 From the Texas A&M University Battalion

Texas A&M economics professors Kishore Gawande and Dennis Jansen fielded questions on the economic crisis Wednesday in the Robert H. and Judy Ley Allen Building.

The professors were participants in the A&M Economics Society's Financial Crisis Panel Discussion.

One of the issue that was discussed was the stimulus plan.

"The stimulus, like any fiscal stimulus, is supposed to create jobs. It's not as great a plan as it's supposed to be, it's not as deep as it's supposed to be, it's not as big as it's supposed to be," Gawande said.

He said the economic situation is not like the Great Depression for a couple of reasons. He said during that time, there was a deficiency in demand, but the rest of the economy was OK.

"The problem right now is the consumers are so heavily indebted as a group that they are not willing to spend," he said. "It's a tough time for this economy, there are no very easy answers."

Jansen said some think that an increase in job development indicates an upward turn in the economy.

"I would be a little bit skeptical about how well the proposed package or actual package will work to create new jobs," he said.

"Most economists will say [new jobs] can never be measured actually," Jansen said.

Gawande said the focus needs to be placed on banking systems because many banks may be close to or even at bankruptcy but are still operating.

"You can't let these guys just operate when they're bankrupt, they'll do all kinds of crazy things," he said.

But Gawande said banks that do work are needed.

The Federal Reserve System was noted as one of these banks.

"The Fed has been out there basically discounting all kinds of assets basically trying to conduct an open market of sorts," Gawande said. "It actually has succeeded, but it's not clear how much lending is coming from that."

Gawande said one shortcoming of the stimulus package was the amount of time spent creating it.

"In terms of the fiscal stimulus plan that was packaged and planned, perhaps we were in a rush to do that," he said. "I think it scores a lot of political points, but not so much for economic growth."

Gawande said he had two graduate students who bought houses with zero income, and that this was an example of how the economy ended up in this situation.

He said the lenders are willing to make the loans to potential home buyers with no credit, because they're not buying the risk, they're selling it out.

"They will sell it to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac," he said. "Junk is being bought on the market by very reputable [companies]."

He said the companies are doing this because Congress has decided everyone should buy a house.

"They were probably happy to do it in the ways that were being described, but they were being instructed by Congress to do this," Gawande said.

Jansen said the auto bailout was not a good idea.

"I do not think the U.S. car companies have been in good shape, maybe Ford being the exception, for a long time," he said. "They do not meet the market test on quality or price."

He said bankruptcy is the best option and that the auto brands, such as General Motors, would continue to exist.

"If you let them go through bankruptcy, then these problems will maybe be taken care of," Jansen said.

Gawande said he agreed with Jansen, but he did like one aspect of the auto bailout: the requirement placed upon automakers to produce an electric car.

"This is a long time coming," he said.

Dylan Kluth, the society president and a senior economics major, said the society will have more panels this semester discussing health care and energy.

Kluth said the society worked with their adviser A&M professor Brit Grosskopf to coordinate the event.

The economics society consists of economics and non-economics majors. Kluth said he hopes the panels will be understood by all in attendance, no matter what major or background.

"Our goals are to advance social and economic thought," he said.

Published on Thursday, February 19, 2009
 

'Void' Fills Gaps Between Faiths

By Brittany McNamara (Reporter)

From the Baylor University Lariat

"Void," a new collective, welcomes people of all faith, Baylor students and Waco residents to discuss and provoke questions about faith, doubt and existence. The group will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at Treff's Bar and Grill.

College of Arts and Sciences adviser Adam Moore said he envisioned beginning a faith collective, based not on an evangelical message or standard preaching and teaching methods, but on questions.

"The last couple years I've been thinking and talking to people about what it might look like to have a space, not a church, but a space, open for exploring different ideas relating to faith, religion and the uncertainty of it all," Moore said.

A handful of those interested have spent the past months planning to begin the collective. Though the majority of the group claims to be Christian or come from a Christian background, all religious preferences are welcomed.

Waco junior Aaron Ellis affirmed the openness of the group.

"People hesitate to be honest for fear of conflicting some ideology or group belief," Ellis said. "Any gathering of people that's open and honest, done through a lens of creativity, is a valuable enterprise to engage in."

Developing the group specifically in Waco holds significance. Certain expectations come along with living in Waco, Ellis said. It can be easy for someone to feel marginalized.

"Waco is the type of place where when you meet someone, the second question you ask them is where they go to church," Ellis said.

Treff's Bar usually permits those 21 and over, but for this event, the age requirement has been lifted.

Moore said choosing to hold the collective's first gathering at a bar was a decision not made in vain.

He said it is imperative to the group that this event be held in public, so the discussion could be heard in the "real world."

"It's great that it will be in a bar," Ellis said. "I don't think I've ever heard God in a bar without an expletive behind it."

Void mirrors a group started in Belfast, Ireland. The first guest speaker will be Dr. Peter Rollins who studied in Belfast and coordinated a collective of his own. Moore said Rollins is a primary source of inspiration for the new collective and will speak on the subjects of faith and doubt.

He said Rollins commonly speaks on 17th century philosopher Blaise Pascal and his belief that we all have a void that is empty until God fills us. Creation of the name "Void" derived from the opposite of this thought.

"What if it's the other way around, and we feel this void only when we've had some encounter with God," Moore said. "Maybe it's only then we realize the void."

The collective is open to Baylor University students, faculty, and those in the Waco area not affiliated with Baylor. Moore said he hopes it will be a Waco group that includes Baylor students, but is not exclusive to Baylor students.

According to Void's Web site, "Void is a creative, provocative, experiential event, marked by the religious question, but radically open and welcoming." For more information visit www.voidcollective.com.

Published on Friday, February 13, 2009

Waco Legislator Dunnam to Lead Texas Economic Committee

By Regina Dennis (Tribune-Herald staff writer)

From the Waco Tribune-Herald

As chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, state Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, threw his muscle behind efforts to unseat former House Speaker Tom Craddick.

Then, as Gov. Rick Perry continued criticism of the federal stimulus package, Dunnam introduced a measure to ensure that the House Appropriations Committee could pursue the funds without his approval.

Now, a new House committee chairmanship will give the Waco legislator considerable weight in directing how the state funnels those stimulus dollars, expected to be approved today by Congress.

The Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding will make recommendations to the state House Appropriations Committee on how federal stimulus funds will be distributed to the state’s education, transportation and health care agencies. Committee members also will lobby their congressional counterparts to maximize the state’s share.

House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, praised Dunnam in a news release as the best choice to steer the process.

“In selecting Rep. Dunnam as committee chair, I considered his wisdom, experience and proven ability to provide new, dynamic leadership and offer fresh ideas,” Straus said. “We are blessed to have Rep. Dunnam as chair of this important committee, and I know he will do what is best and right for the citizens of Texas.”

Straus, who was elected speaker last month, gave prime committee chairmanships to all 10 Republicans who first put forth his candidacy and made his rise to power possible. He also is giving Democrats their first taste of power in a GOP-controlled House. His assignments made it clear that those who supported Craddick, R-Midland, won’t have much influence under the new regime.

All representatives in the 150-member House are assigned to committees on specific topics — appropriations and education, for example — and that’s where much of the work is done. It’s where bills get their start and are crafted. Committee chairmen can be powerful because they have the discretion to let bills linger and die, too.

Straus became speaker of the narrowly divided House last month. His surprise candidacy was boosted by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans who opposed Craddick.

New committee leader posts are split between 18 Republicans and 16 Democrats, reflecting the chamber’s 76-74 GOP majority.

Dunnam also was named to the transportation and environmental regulation committees.

State Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson, R-Waco, maintained his role as vice chairman of the Agriculture and Livestock Committee for the third consecutive term. His two other committee assignments are the Committee on Pensions, Investments and Financial Services — recently expanded to include regulation of retirement systems and banking institutions — and the Administrative Rules and Resolutions Committee.

“These are committees that I have invested in, so to speak, and I’m going to continue trying to act in the best interest of the constituents in my district and the constituents in the state of Texas in these areas,” Anderson said.

Published on Friday, February 13, 2009

10 File for Bryan, College Station Posts

By Janet Phelps and Cassie Smith

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Ten Bryan and College Station residents announced their intent to run for city council or school board by filing election paperwork Monday.

Two seats on the Bryan City Council and two in College Station will be up for grabs in May. Two seats on the Bryan school board and two in the College Station district are up for re-election.

Filing began Monday and continues through March 9.

City Councils

As of late Monday, two people had applied for seats on the Bryan City Council.

Elected in 2006, incumbent Mike Southerland, 62, filed to run again for the At-Large seat, city officials said.

Art Hughes filed for the Single Member District 5 seat.

Hughes, 65, is a project manager for Madison Construction. He ran an unsuccessful bid for the same position in 2003.

That seat currently is held by Ben Hardeman, who can't seek re-election due to the city's policy on term limits. Hardeman has held the position since 2003 and served from 1984-91.

Bryan City Council members serve three-year terms and are paid $10 per month.

The College Station City Council also has two seats on the May ballot.

Place 6 Councilman Dave Ruesink and Mayor Pro Tem Lynn McIlhaney, who is in Place 4, both filed for re-election.

Ruesink, 75, is the program director for Rural Social Science Education and is retired from the Texas Agriculture Extension Service. McIlhaney, 60, is a housewife with four married children.

College Station council members serve three-year terms and are not paid.

School Boards

Six people filed Monday for four seats on the Bryan and College Station school boards.

In Bryan, three people filed for Single Member District Place 4, a seat held by Bema Johnson, who has not said whether she will seek re-election.

James Edge, a 44-year-old self-employed real estate agent, filed for Place 4.

Jeff Goehl, 46, filed Monday for the same seat. Goehl owns Bryan Outboard Inc. and was defeated in his first bid for school board last year.

Kelli Levey also filed for Place 4. Levey, 46, is a writer with Texas A&M University's marketing and communications department.

This is first time for Levey and Edge to run for public office.

Paul Dorsett filed for College Station Place 1, a seat currently held by Marc Chaloupka, who has not said whether he plans to seek re-election.

Joel Mitchell, 46, and Carol Barrett, 45, both filed for Place 2 on the College Station school board. That seat is held by Tim Jones, who has said he will not seek re-election.

Dorsett, 34, owns Expressions Dance and Music with his wife, Lynsey. Mitchell is an engineer with Mitchell & Morgan.

This is the first time any of the three have run for public office.

Published Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Landlords in CS Must Register

By Cassie Smith

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

College Station landlords will soon be required to register with the city or face a fine.

City officials say the registration will be used to establish a database of the city's many landlords. The database will allow a better understanding of how many homes in the city are rented and provide officials with contact information for emergencies.

The goal, city officials say, is to preserve neighborhood integrity.

As part of the ordinance, owners of all single-family and duplex rental units must register annually. The ordinance does not apply to apartment owners. Each out-of-area landlord will have to a local contact person. The registration deadline is March 1.

The city of Bryan has reviewed College Station's program but hasn't adopted the idea.

Lance Simms, College Station's assistant director of planning and development services, said the landlord registry would help maintain quality neighborhoods by adding a level of accountability for landlords.

"It's all about protecting and sustaining the neighborhood," Simms said.

Cindy Dillard, the city's code enforcement supervisor, said the ordinance would aid emergency officials because contact information will be readily available for health and safety issues.

"Any time there's a major fire or criminal activity, the Police Department and the Fire Department are tied to the scene until someone comes to the building," Dillard said. Knowing whom to contact will help free officials to do other things, she said.

The ordinance will ease some of College Station's challenges as a university town in which as many as half of the homes are estimated to be rentals, Simms said.

The registry will help officials locate owners when students are not in town and homes are vacant for long periods.

"There could be an incident, like a busted water pipe, and no one would be home and we don't even know where to start to get ahold of anybody," Simms said.

The ordinance is also meant to serve as an incentive for landlords to enforce the city's occupancy limit, maintain sanitary conditions and ensure that pets are properly cared for and under control.

"If we're able to be proactive in code enforcement issues ... we'll help be able to maintain a level of integrity and, in turn, maintain property values," Dillard said. "This is not set up to target renters at all."

Susan Irza, spokeswoman for the SummerGlen Neighborhood Association, said she liked the idea of landlords registering with the city because it gives property owners a stake in ensuring the quality of the neighborhoods.

"It gives a point of contact in the event of continued noisy parties, parking problems or ineffective maintenance of houses or yards," Irza said. "These have a detrimental effect on property values in a neighborhood, not to speak of the quality of life of homeowner-occupants."

College Station Community Relations Manager Peggy Calliham said city officials spent a lot of time evaluating the worthiness of the registration program and studied college towns across the country that had successfully implemented similar requirements.

"We're not unique in this," Calliham said.

The program's $15 registration fee will pay for the database software, which has mapping capabilities to allow people to see which homes in their neighborhood are rentals.

Dillard said the mapping aspect of the program, which would be available through the city's Web site, could encourage residents to report unruly renters and motivate renters to be better neighbors.

"They will rat you out if there's a problem," she said.

In Short

College Station landlords must register with the city by March 1. Landlords will be required to provide their contact information and the number of tenants in each home. Tenants will not be held responsible for the registration.

*Cost: $15 per year

*How to register: Visit www.cstx.gov/rentalregistration or the Planning and Development Office at 1101 Texas Ave. Residents may also print a registration form at the city's Web site and mail it to College Station Planning and Development Office, P.O. Box 9960, College Station, Texas 77842.

*If you don't register: Violation of the city code is misdemeanor that carries a fine from $25 to $2,000.

*For more information: Call 764-3570, e-mail rentalregistration@cstx.gov or visit www.cstx.gov/home/index.asp?page=2784 

Published Sunday, February 08, 2009

A&M, Blinn to Mark Black History Month

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Black History Month will be celebrated at Texas A&M University and Blinn College with several planned events.

At Texas A&M:

* John F. Singer will present a lecture titled "The African American Male as a Primary Stakeholder of Big-Time College Sport" at noon Friday in Room 111 of the Koldus Building.

* Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis will star in Ain't Misbehavin': The Fats Waller Musical at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday in Rudder Auditorium.

* A debate on social issues facing minorities will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.

* The movie Miracle at St. Anna -- which tells the story of four black soldiers stationed in Italy during World War II -- will be shown at 7 p.m. on Feb. 19 in Room 292 of the Memorial Student Center.

At Blinn, events include:

* A "fireside chat" on black fraternal groups' contributions to the U.S., along with a pizza lunch, at noon Thursday in Student Center Room E-120.

* A poetry reading at 3 p.m. Feb. 13 in the Student Center Banquet Room.

* "A Taste of Soul" dinner at noon Feb. 27 in the Student Center Banquet Room.

Published Friday, February 06, 2009

V-Day Features Monologues, Recognizes Women Empowerment

Actors in the show discuss sexual and domestic abuse.

By: Teri Ruland

From the Texas A&M University Battalion 

TAMU V-Day, which stands for victory, Valentine and vagina, will feature the performance The Vagina Monologues, showcasing issues women are faced with as part of the National V-Day campaign.

"The Vagina Monologues is a collection of monologues put together by Eve Ensler to showcase women's experiences with different topics," said co-director Vanessa Delgado, a senior psychology major. "Eve interviewed a large number of women and compiled all of their stories into The Vagina Monologues. It is a way to empower women and give them an outlet to share their feelings about love, relationships, friendships [and] sexual violence."

Though the show uses humor to reach the audience, it deals with a much broader sense of womanhood.

"While the show is funny it also has a very serious side, as TAMU V-Day's mission is to stop the violence against women and girls, many of the monologues are dramatic and moving," Vanessa said.

The importance of the show is to discuss abuse against women, such as domestic and sexual. Vanessa said TAMU V-Day will continue to produce the show until violence is put to an end.

There are 19 women in the show, ranging in classification and majors.

"The group is very energetic, passionate and dedicated to the mission of V-Day: to end violence against women. They have all been working very hard to make this performance a great experience for the audience. I'm very proud of all the work they have been doing and am very excited to see how the audience reacts to their performances," said co-director Carissa Delgado, a senior sociology major.

As with any show, the actors have their own connections to their parts.

"One of my greatest memories from last year's show is sitting backstage and literally hearing the audience react to every monologue. The show is at times hilarious and touching, so I expect to hear a lot of laughter and see a lot of understanding faces," said speaker Lindsey Welch, a junior English major.

Different actors perform different monologues dealing with feelings, emotions and special times in the people's lives that they represent, including coming to terms with sexuality.

"I was in the Vagina Monologues when I was a sophomore at Bowdoin College in Maine. My monologue gave me such a positive emotional outlet. The show really is amazing in the way that it lets you truly embrace the fact that you are a woman. Every part of being a woman is something to be thankful for," said actress Astrid Rodriguez, a geology graduate student.

According to the different actors, the aspects that make the show a 'must-see' are the different monologues each person speaks.

"The whole experience is worth attending the show. However, there are two readings that always stick in my head and make me smile. You will have to go to understand," said speaker Brandis Keller, a junior biomedical engineering major.

Ticket Information

The show will be in Memorial Student Center Room 201 Feb. 5-7. Tickets are available at the MSC box office for $10. All proceeds benefit the sexual assault resource center.

Published on Thursday, February 5, 2009

Feminism, Raunch Culture Spark Discourse

By: Matt Woolbright

From the Texas A&M University Battalion

The topics of feminism and raunch culture were featured Tuesday as part of Texas A&M's Social Justice Week. The event focused on the rising trends of openness, marketability and offensiveness of the sexual human, particularly the effect it has on women.

"I hope [the event] gets students to think about how we consume images, how we consume behaviors and what it does to us as individuals and to us as a society and culture, and be able to be more culturally literate of these issues," said speaker Theresa Survillion, diversity education specialist for the multicultural services. "This is the reality of our generation, so it's time that we talked about it and address these issues."

Some professors have offered extra credit for students who attend the week's events. Such is the case for Peter Munnerlyn, junior international studies major, and his African studies 302 classmates.

"[The extra credit] was the initial reason [I came,] but I really liked how [Amy Roloff] opened up many eyes to how people struggle with disability, but they still live an everyday life. So I decided to come here tonight and see another aspect," Munnerlyn said.

The fact that raunch culture is reaching lower into the age bracket, displaying lack of maturity were all raised by the speaker.

"These issues aren't going to go away, so we have to be able to navigate and think about these things in a different way to process it and change them in the future," Survillion said.

Much of the talk centered on the debate of how the media causes raunch culture.

Steven Orji, a sophomore industrial engineering major, thought the topic was well covered, and agrees that there really is not a singular answer to the central question.

"I thought it was a great way to show people what they see every day in a deeper context," he said. "I really appreciate them for putting this on and helping people realize that this is a common thing in our society for young people."

Orji said blame could be placed on the media, but also on consumers because they ultimately choose to support and buy from the companies that advertise with raunch culture.

The crowd seemed optimistic about the manner in which the topic was presented and many talked about attending other events throughout the week.

"After it was all over, I talked with a few of the guys and really liked discussing these topics with them, so I think we're gonna go to some of the other talks together," said David Joya, freshman general studies major.

The leadership and service center in the Department of Student Activities is in charge of Social Justice Week. The center planned an event promoting social justice awareness for each day of the week.

"The goal was to just find a variety of events that would resonate with different people because if the same crowd came each time, we're not reaching as many as we could," said graduate student and Social Justice Week official Ruthi Burns. "By having different topics, hopefully we're reaching different parts of the community here on campus."

Remaining events for the week will include a lecture and discussion on "White Students and Backstage Racism" at 7 p.m. Wednesday in MSC 206, a movie showing and discussion on "The Great Debaters" at 4 p.m. Thursday in Koldus 144 and a hunger banquet and free lunch on "Classism" at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Sbisa.

Published on Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Overcoming Obstacles

Amy Roloff speaks to students about embracing her disability and rising above discrimination.

By: Sarah Linebaugh

From the Texas A&M University Battalion

As one of the United States' well known little people, Amy Roloff is using her platform to encourage people to accept themselves and be the best that they can be with what they have.

Roloff, a star on The Learning Channel's reality television show, "Little People, Big World," spoke to students and faculty Monday in Rudder Auditorium in association with the Department of Student Activities' Social Justice week.

"We're much more of an open society now," Roloff said. "We're getting closer and closer. I truly do not believe discrimination will ever completely end, but if we can continue to be aware of and close that gap, what a much better society, where we are able to interact, it will be."

Despite the challenges present with being a little person, Roloff said her disability has been one of her greatest teachers.

"You know, you usually want to get rid of it, you wish it would go away, but you can't change it so why fight it?" she said. "Learn to embrace it, accept it and really look at the advantage that you can have."

Roloff said that embracing her disability has helped her to reach out and help others, especially those with disabilities.

"It's really about your own attitude, about yourself," she said. "Because how can you reach out to other people if you yourself haven't really accepted you and your limitations? How can you continually grow within in order to help other people?"

Roloff said there are advantages and disadvantages of being on a reality television show with her family.

"(The television crew) definitely knows a whole lot more about my life than some of my friends and family," she said. "The downside of putting your life out there is you get over-scrutinized, you get over-analyzed, any little itty bitty thing you do can be picked out and be plastered over who knows what else."

"I think the benefits outweigh the negative," Roloff said. "With all the positive feedback I have received, I think it continues to humble us and be hopefully a positive example for a lot of people. I think we've been able to meet a lot of people, encourage a lot of people, inspire a lot of people unknowingly."

In her speech, Roloff stressed the importance of what students can do to help those with disabilities.

"What are you going to do when you're one day a manager, and you have two people coming to you with very similar resumes, very similar qualifications and one has a disability? Are you going to be as open and as willing to look past that outside package, that box that they have to live with all of their life, and maybe choose to hire that person over the person that has no issues?"

Student reaction to Roloff's presentation was enthusiastic.

"She was very motivational yet modest at the same time," said Kelly McKee, a sophomore biomedical science major. "Being famous is still new to her. She's just a normal person."

Alfredo Ribota, a sophomore international studies major, said Roloff helped him to understand her disability better.

"She gave a lot of points about her disability and how she has to deal with things for a normal person, but people don't see that," he said.

Freshman business major Jakob Rosenberg said Roloff's speech was inspirational.

"She's short but she has stature," he said. "She was very gracious."

Roloff said she hopes students will walk away with encouragement to be the best they can be in whatever they do and to not get caught up with outside appearances.

"It's learning about yourself, accepting you for who you are, what you've been given," she said. "We're always trying to change ourselves, to meet someone else's expectations or meet what society thinks we should be, instead of, 'I'm going to take what I have and be the best that I can be with what I've got because that's good enough.'"

Published on Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Administration, Groups Resolve to Grow in '09

By: Teri Ruland

From the Texas A&M University Battalion

Organizations throughout Texas A&M have made New Year's resolutions that don't involve quitting smoking, losing weight or drinking less alcohol.

"We do have several measures of success and goals that have been established for 2009 and that started with the legislative session that will run through the end of May," said Jason Cook, vice president for marketing and communications.

Cook said a second key for success for the University in 2009 would be completion of the Academic Master Plan, a comprehensive planning effort that involves faculty across the University that will allow the University to utilize resources in the quest for Vision 2020.

He said measures were taken in the previous year to ensure success.

"We've had many meetings with members in advance of the session throughout the fall, and we are continuing to have dialogue of many issues of importance to the University, even in the early stages of the session," he said.

Though the University has established different measures of success, other organizations have made goals of achievement for the new year.

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Aggies

"The GLBTA's goals for 2009 are to increase our visibility on campus and continue to create a safe environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender students and their allies at Texas A&M," said senior psychology major Vanessa Delgado, president of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Aggies.

Other desires for the new year, she said, would be education to create more cohesion in the Aggie family.

"We hope to make Texas A&M an inclusive campus where everyone can feel welcome despite their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression," she said.

Another goal, she said, was to increase membership and bring more important influential speakers to campus. The group plans on increasing its visibility through events such as MSC Open House, Social Justice Week and GLBT Awareness Week.

"The GLBTA must be able to refer students to the many resources on campus such as the GLBT Resource Center, the Department of Multicultural Services, Aggie ALLIES, etcetera. In taking these steps GLBTA will remain an invaluable organization at Texas A&M," she said.

Some groups have resolutions set in stone, while others continue to develop their original goals for the new year.

Young Conservatives

"We will strive to better promote conservatism and oppose liberalism on campus and the surrounding community. Our mission and principles do not change and are closely tied to Aggie values," said Tony Listi, chairman of Young Conservatives of Texas and senior political science major.

The YCT will promote its cause by bringing speakers to campus, political activism and focusing on educating the student body about the most important political issues of the day.

"We have and will continue to challenge liberal students to publicly debate us on the issues," Listi said.

Published on Friday, January 30, 2009

Tuition May Increase Up to 12%

By: Nicole Alvarado

From the Texas A&M University Battalion

Texas A&M President Elsa A. Murano projected 5 percent to 12 percent increase in tuition fees for the fiscal year of 2010 at a public hearing Wednesday.

"We're doing the best we can here and we need them [the legislature] to help by appropriate us funds," Murano said.

More than 30 students, faculty and staff members came to the hearing about the designated tuition plans for the 2009-2010 academic year. Student Body President Mark Gold gave a detailed description of last year's goals, an explanation of terminology and limitations, along with a breakdown of changes made in approval processes and fund appropriations since 2008.

"Tuition is comprised of two things," Murano said. "Designated tuition, which is set by the University, plus state-mandated tuition, which is set by the state of Texas. We are here to discuss the designated tuition because it's the only one we can change."

According to the presentation, the fiscal year 2010 budget needs will total $34.7 million, which would equate a $32.40 tuition increase per student credit hour for the fall 2009 semester. The biggest changes would fall in a retention program for faculty and staff and in the academic master plan implementation.

"In 2008, we identified that Texas A&M needed around $24.7 million to cover a variety of needs, which would raise the designated tuition by about $20 per credit hour," Murano said. "We ended up only raising it by $7.25, the lowest since tuition deregulation [in 2003.]"

She said the process of being able to lower the increase involved shaving from the operating funds and finding donors to cover scholarships. She then laid out the best-, worst- and likely-case scenarios for the fall 2009 semester, ranging from a 1.2 percent increase to a 12.9 percent increase. However, she admitted the worst-case scenario would be catastrophic.

"I'd put on a bake sale before we get to this," she said.

"The more the state of Texas supplies to A&M, the less we have to rely on students and their parents to pay for tuition," she said. "If the state of Texas doesn't provide it, we have to get it from somewhere to ensure our students are still getting the quality education they deserve. The more students we have taking more hours, the more money we receive."

Even though Texas A&M may be Smart Money magazine's top university in the nation in 2008 for "payback ratio" (the earnings levels of an institution's graduates compared to what they paid in tuition, fees and related costs for undergraduate education), the economic crisis that has settled over the entire country cannot be ignored.

"These are tough times and we are working hard to keep A&M's fees as low as possible," said Hunter Bollman, junior accounting major and member of the Student Government Association's executive board. "We want to involve students in all aspects."

Bollman referred to the approval process set in place by the Tuition Policy Advisory Council, a panel established in 2003 to consider changes to tuition policy. The 16-member council reviews things like changes in tuition and when to apply different types of tuition rates.

For the fall 2009 semester, TPAC recommended that full-time students, those taking 12 student credit hours or more, have a flat rate for designated tuition and a cap be placed on state-mandated tuition.

Murano explained the University had been using cost-saving strategies to keep the tuition increase as low as possible. Because 2009 is a legislative year, the University won't know how much money A&M will be receiving until the 81st Legislative Session concludes in May. Such strategies included implemented procurement initiatives for all departments to maximize buying power, energy conservation efforts like special lighting fixtures around campus and redesigned delivery routes meant to minimize the use of vehicles and gas costs.

"We have the lowest administrative cost ratio," she said, "meaning we only spend around 4.1 percent of the budget to run this University. We pay lower salaries to our faculty than peer Vision 2020 institutions."

After the presentation, the floor was opened to the audience. When a student expressed concern about those receiving financial aid, Joseph Pettibon, assistant provost for student financial aid, reassured him.

"The funding goes up with tuition increases. This is how we make sure not to hurt students who are dependent on financial aid," he said. "Because of the current economic crisis, we can take some [adverse] circumstances and we can deal with them on a case-to-case basis."

The presentation was geared toward assuring students that their voices were being heard and the University was doing everything it could to include students in the decision-making process.

"We're not gilding the bathrooms with gold or anything," Murano joked. "We're trying to help you."

Gold agreed with Murano on many counts, including the main intent of all the advisory councils and those involved with certifying tuition processes.

"We are committed to making sure Texas A&M isn't necessarily the cheapest institution, but the best valued," he said, a theme that continued throughout the presentation.

Zach Golde, a freshman computer science major, expressed appreciation for the situation and all the University was doing to accommodate students and faculty alike.

"Murano's doing what she has to do and telling us the way it is," he said. "She cut those costs last year so much, so I think she's doing a job with everything."

Braden Deckerd, a senior and student worker at the Career Center, said he supported Murano's approach to things, but some important statistics may have been left out of the presentation to cushion the blow.

"I agree with a lot of it, I just don't know how families are supposed to budget for this," Deckerd said. "Education is an equalizer. Money buys knowledge and knowledge buys power."

Published on Thursday, January 29, 2009