SICK & TWISTED
On the line
Spike and Mike put on an ingeniously nauseating show
Blanchard sinks two free throws to put away Roadrunners
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DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
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WWW.UNIVERSITYSTAR.COM
JANUARY 23, 2007
TUESDAY
VOLUME 96, ISSUE 43
Cigarette tax hike doesn’t deter some smokers from habit By Chelsea Juarez The University Star It’s been almost a month since the cigarette tax hike came into effect and San Marcos smokers are appalled by the blow to their wallets. “I think it’s ridiculous, and people are going to do what they want regardless,” said Julia Salazar, five-year smoker and San Marcos resident. “This new tax has just caused smokers another financial burden.” The legislature passed a bill in May 2006 raising the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1, up from 41 cents to $1.41. Texas will move from having one of the lowest cigarette tax rates in Cotton Miller/Star photo the country to ranking 10th nationally, accordEXPENSIVE HABIT: On Jan. 1, the state cigarette tax increased ing to the Tax Foundation. The increase for by $1 to $1.41. Some smokers say they consider it extra incentive other tobacco products such as smoking and to quit because they fear burning too much money. chewing tobacco and snuff is about 5 percent.
Man arrested for impersonating police officer By Alex Hering The University Star The San Marcos Police Department arrested a 35-year-old man in the early morning hours Thursday after an intense two-hour standoff at the Graystone Apartments. Police investigated reports of a man posing as a police officer in two instances on Wednesday. They identified Timothy Logan Taylor as the suspect after a woman who had been pulled over by the man wrote down Taylor’s license plate number. Police also believe he is the same person who impersonated an officer on Jan.12 and 14. “In all four incidences he had displayed a badge and asked people to step out of their cars,” said SMPD Commander Bill Glasgow. The standoff started when police were serving a warrant at Taylor’s residence. Things went awry when they discovered he had barricaded himself in his bathroom, claiming he had a gun, Glasgow said. Subsequently, the Crisis Negotiations Team and the Hays County SWAT were called in to assist with the situation. San Marcos resident Kevin Peterson said police asked him and his family to leave their nearby apartment around 1 a.m. “We couldn’t really leave because of all the cop cars (that) were in the way, but I had my family in the car outside,” Peterson said. When negotiation efforts proved unsuccessful, the SWAT team used tear gas to remove Taylor from the apartment. “They actually used our house to get him,” Peterson said. “My back window is by his; that’s where he was. I saw when they dragged him out, he (had) cuts all on his arms.” Glasgow said Taylor had to be taken to the Central Texas Medical Center because of several self-inflicted lacerations. He said Taylor was then transported to the Hays County Law Enforcement Center. “He had evidently … injured himself by cutSee ARREST, page 3
Continuing the
City Council continued its discussion Jan.18 on the possible repeal of an ordinance passed in 1989 that prevents local manufacturers from receiving a statemandated property tax break. In a 5-2 vote, City Council passed on the first of three readings required to pass the repeal. Two council members, John Thomaides and Gaylord Bose, opposed the tax break, citing the cost to the city and the irreversibility of the decision. “This is a very serious step to take when there is no chance to change this decision later. Once we make this decision — it’s there,” Bose said. “Whatever we decide, we have to live with it; future generations have to live
David Bailiff stepped down as head football coach last week and interim head coach Brad Wright was announced as his replacement to lead the Bobcats next season. For the full story see Sports Page 8.
with it, whether it turns out to be a good idea or not.” These Freeport Tax exemptions apply to goods in transit, which are goods that come into the state for assembly into other goods. Eight local companies are eligible for the tax breaks that will cost the city more than $200,000 in collected revenue. Manufacturing firms look for these tax breaks as one of the prerequisites when determining site selection for moving or expanding into a different town. The San Marcos Economic Development Board recommended in Oct. 2006 that the council allow for manufactures to receive these tax cuts. Members of the business community and represtantatives from local manufacturing firms attended the meeting to express
Today’s Weather
Light Rain 44˚/37˚
Precipitation: 70% Humidity: 69% UV: 3 Moderate Wind: N 10 mph
their loyal cigarette consumers. Nicole Nelle, the assistant manager at an Exxon gas station, said the tax is useless. She said her customers have all shared the same negative reaction toward the tax, especially those who were not aware of it in the first place. “People have habits and they aren’t going to break them,” Nelle said. “If anything, people will stop buying as much as they use to. So far there hasn’t been much of a decline in cigarette sales.” In one rare case, Patricia Perez, who runs the night shifts at a Philips 66 gas station, said sales have increased because of the new tax. “Customers are upset by the tax but it hasn’t seemed to stop them from buying,” Perez said. “I think cigarette sales have inSee CIGARETTES, page 3
Councilman speaks to ASG, addresses R1 zoning
MOMENTUM
San Marcos city council discusses, begins voting on property tax breaks for local manufacturers By Zach Halfin The University Star
Cigars remain unaffected. “I don’t like the tax because it’s making me spend so much money,” said Audrey Adkins, Spanish senior. “It’s been an incentive to quit, and I’ve definitely been thinking about quitting.” Several reasons exist for the new hike in tobacco products: to discourage people from smoking, prevent children and non-smokers from picking up the habit and, according to House Bill 2, the tax creates revenue to use toward the public education system. The legislature had to think of ways to increase public education funding in 2005 after the Texas Supreme Court found public school funding to be insufficient. As state legislators and health organizations say the increased tax is another victory in the fight against smoking, most vendors are skeptical that the tax will have any effect on
support for the tax cuts. Richard Mendoza, president of the San Marcos Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, spoke in support of the measure, resounding the words of other local business leaders. “This is like going out and looking for a job; the more positive things on your résumé, the better chance you have of obtaining that job,” Mendoza said. “The same thing goes when site selectors are going out and looking for new sites and prospective sites. The more positives the city of San Marcos has on its résumé, the more incentives we have (and) the better chance we have of attracting new business and industry to San Marcos with better-paying jobs and benefits.” See TAXES, page 3
Two-day Forecast Wednesday Showers Temp: 48°/ 36° Precip: 80%
Thursday Partly Cloudy Temp: 55°/ 35° Precip: 20%
By Paul Rangel The University Star Associated Student Government representatives began a new semester with guest speaker Gaylord Bose, Place 2 city councilman, who recognized the senate’s involvement with the community. “We need help as a city to bring issues up to state legislation,” Bose said. He said water issues such as the potential pumping limit increase of the Edwards Aquifer is important to address because it effects communities like San Marcos. Senators brought R1 zoning to Bose’s attention in hopes that the city council would be willing to work with students living in such zones. R1 zoning, or singlefamily zoning, prevents more than two unrelated people living in the same residence. It was a controversial issue because some students who were unaware they were in violation of the ordinance have had to change residences. Bose however said he was unaware of any problems associated with R1 zoning and that it was working as far as he knew. He asked ASG members to discuss the issue with him privately after the meeting. ASG President Kyle Morris conducted his report with updates of higher education legislation and explored state Sen. Florence Shapiro’s proposal for a cap on tuition. “My mind isn’t made up on this
Monty Marion/Star photo illustration
See ASG, page 3
House backs bill to reduce student loans By Paul Rangel The University Star The U.S. House of Representatives took a step forward Wednesday in an attempt to aid the increasing expenses of college students by passing a bill to cut the average student loan interest rates in half, from 6.8 to 3.4 percent. The bill received a vote of 356 to 71. “The argument that Republicans are using is that this is going to cost a couple of billion dollars to do,” said Jeff Brooks, advocate for the Texas Public Interest Research Group. The bill in debate states that it would gradually cut the average interest rate of government subsidized loans until 2011, when it would reach its lowest rate of 3.4 percent. “The Senate is considering it right now and there is a possibility of a presidential veto,” Brooks said. “The sooner we get it going, the better.” He said students are picking up an added burden right now, and that the money it would cost to enact the bill would be well worth it. “With the soaring national debt, combined with the personal debt for the cost of going to college, many of our young people find that their future is already mortgaged,” said U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett,
D-TX, in a recent speech. He urged Congress to move forward with the bill and stated that the Republican Congress is only making matters worse. “This bill represents a constructive step forward in making the dream of attending quality institutions a reality,” Doggett said. “It lends a hand to working parents who want to earn a degree and provide a better life for their children.” What the democratic supporters did not say when proposing the bill to the public is that it would end Jan. 12, 2012, said Conwey Casillas, director of public affairs for the Sallie Mae Foundation. Also, the bill does not include loans taken out by parents to help pay for their children’s college expenses. Any loan taken out after Jan. 1, 2012 would revert back to the original rate of 6.8 percent. “Essentially what is happening is (Congress) is shifting money around,” Casillas said. It will take four years for the interest rate to reach 3.4 percent, and would only be in effect for six months. For the bill to continue after its fiveyear budget, it would take an additional $3 billion, he said. “We are all for supporting the lowering of colSee LOANS, page 3
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