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been attacked by Archer. Eckhard received top ratings in 1977 from the
League of Women Voters (94%), the
League of Conservation Voters (92%) and
the National Farmers Union (92%) among
others. Lower says Eckhardt believes this
indicates approval by the , oters and he
will continue with similar legislation in
the next Congress.
Although Archer is spending $200,000
on his primary campaign, twice as much
as Eckhardt has budgeted, Eckhardt staffers remember the $300,000 campaign
effort in 1976 by Nick Gearhart, which
netted only 40% of'the vote.
A former television announcer, Gearhart, like Archer, opposes Eckhardt's
liberal stance. "I feel a Congressman
should represent-not just legislate,
want to bring government back to the
people," Gearhart says. He proposes to
divide the huge L-shaped district into
three sub-district offices: one in the
north, one in the central and one in the
southern portion of the district, and he
intends to be in each office once a
month.
His opponent, Wynn Norris, an employee of ARCO Chemical Company,
and an ex-Naval officer, calls himself "the
people's candidate." "I believe I can best
represent the district because I was born
and raised here," says Norris. "I was here
before the district's problems even existed, whereas my opponent lives in River
Oaks."
According to Norris, the country's two
burning issues are the balance of payments deficit and inflation. He feels the
problems can only be solved through increased oil production. He would also like
to pass legislation limiting the terms of
Congress and trimming the federal budget
over the next three years.
Gearhart would like to reduce the tax
burden, end deficit spending and intro
duce legislation that will enable individuals to choose private retirement over
social security.
Although both candidates feel they
can beat Eckhardt, Norris says, "I have an
edge over my opponent, because I know
a lot of people in the district. In the end,
the only way to beat Eckhardt is through
personal contact."
District 9
In the Democratic primary, Alan Verret is
running against incumbent Congressman
Jack Brooks in District 9, which includes
Jefferson County (Beaumont, Port Arthur, etc.) all of Chambers and Galveston
Counties and Northeast Houston.
In the Republican primary Ed Falk
will be facing Randy Evans.
'There is no response from Brooks on
a personal basis," says opponent Alan
Verret. "He makes no effort to meet
people. I would keep in constant touch
with my constituency through personal
appearances and letters."
Verret, an employee of Texaco and a
newcomer to politics, is running against
Congressman Jack Brooks, representative
of the District for 25 years. He calls himself a conservative Democrat who would
like to see government reform itself. "I
want to restore honesty and integrity to
the office and restore people's beliefs. If I
ever use the office for personal gain, I will
get out."
Although Congressman Brooks did not
respond to Breakthrough's questionnaire,
his administrative assistant, Sharon Matta,
confirmed that he had voted for the
ERA.
Verret, Evans and Falk, on the other
hand are all against the ERA and the bill
to extend the time limit for its ratification. "We have enough laws granting
rights," says Verret and Evans. Falk adds,
"I used to be in favor of the amendment,
but you lost me when it started to talk
about gay rights."
Republican candidates Evans and Falk
are in favor of revising the laws on rape,
while Verret is opposed, though he feels
it is time to change the law on homosexuality. Evans and Falk disagree with that
stand and Falk adds, "I would not want
them teaching my kids."
While Verret supports federal control
of quality child-care centers, Evans and
Falk do not. Evans feels it is a "bureaucratic intervention" and Falk says " the
government cannot solve every problem."
"I am opposed to abortion, unless the
life of the mother is in danger, but I
would not vote it illegal," says Evans. "I
do not, however, support federal funding
of abortions." Verret would, because "I
do not believe in legislating morals. If a
woman wants abortion it is her right, and
it should be available for rich and poor."
Falk is totally opposed to abortion, adding, "if it's wrong for the rich, it's wrong
for the poor."
Falk adds that he does feel pregnancy
is a temporary illness and should be treated as such. Verret does not.
Both Republicans agree that women
have been discriminated against in the
areas of credit, housing, salary and job
opportunity. Verret disagrees with that
assumption. "The morals and opinions of
women run this country. We can't reverse
the roles, a woman is always going to be a
woman. I feel the entire country is suffering from a family breakdown and this is
one thing I would like to help change in
Congress."
All the candidates have women on
their staff. Evans notes, "I am not in favor of a quota system, if you're qualified
OK, if not,too bad."
"I have practiced and preached equal
opportunity for women for years," Falk
says. He believes strongly that women are
capable of doing any job. Evans feels
heavy jobs are more suited to men, as
does Verret though he says, "a person
should be allowed to apply for anything
they feel they can handle." Implementation of Title IX is opposed by Evans, but
supported by Falk and Verret.
Although Falk felt the National Women's Conference was well-conducted, "I
just didn't agree with all the issues. You
have let a minority group (lesbians) gain
control of the movement. I just don't
want my tax money spent that way."
Falk terms himself a basically conservative, laissez-faire economist who believes
in free trade and "America first." He was
the economic adviser in the mid-60's to
New York's conservative party and has
written a book about his economic beliefs. "We must stop printing more money
and balance the budget," he says.
Evans, his opponent, also calls himself
a conservative Republican who is concerned about the growing tax burden and
inflation. He has been an employee of the
Monsanto Company for 25 years and ran
unsuccessfully for State Legislature in
1972.
If elected Xo Congress, Verret would
"like to limit terms of office;ease family
tax burdens, protect the individual's
rights by punishing criminals and stop the
10 percent inflation."
Falk would "stop subsidies of the tobacco industry; vote for complete coverage of Congress by the networks and
abolish all tax shelters and education incentives."
Evans calls for "tax exemptions for elderly pensioners and an individual tax
system in which a flat percentage is
paid."
What Mark White has done:
While ASSISTANT ATTORNEY
GENERAL for 3 years, Mark White
recovered over 7 million dollars for
Texas homeowners who had been
defrauded.
As SECRETARY OF STATE, Mark
White didn't just talk about economy
in government ... he practiced it by
returning over 4 million dollars to the
Texas Treasury. This money was
appropriated by the legislature to run
his office ... he could have spent it
. . . but he didn't because he didn't
need to.
Mark White also cut through government red tape by installing a toll-
free 24-hour telephone system in the
Secretary of State's Office so you
could get answers to questions about
government.
It was Mark White who made state
agencies publish their new and
proposed regulations so you would
know what was happening in state
government.
MARK WHITE
FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
Performance NOT Promises
White established an extensive recruiting program in which listings of
available jobs were sent to a large
variety of groups and organizations.
This resulted in a significant increase
of Anglo, Black and Spanish sur-
named females in the Office of Secretary of State. White employed:
• the first woman director of the
Enforcement Division
• the first woman supervisor in the
Enforcement Division
• the first woman supervisor in the
Extradition area
• the first three women Administrative Assistants in the Executive
Division
• three, women lawyers in the Elections
Division
• the first woman deputy director of
the Corporation Division
• the first woman deputy director of
the Uniform Commercial Code
Division
• the first woman deputy director of
the Elections Division
Daniel, as Speaker of the House of
Representatives, hired no women, no
black or Mexican-American men or
women in decision-making positions
in his office.
Daniel failed to pass the State Civil
Rights Act which would have guaranteed the protection of women's and
racial minorities' rights. S.B. 558 by
Brooks passed the Senate, was endorsed by the Governor and failed in
the House...with Daniels in the all
powerful Speakers Chair.
What Mark White Will Do..
Mark White will establish a special
division in the Attorney General's office
to represent consumers on this and
other issues.
Mark White does not believe the
states of Wyoming and Montana
should get by with charging us a 30%
excise tax on coal after we have
already signed long term contracts
with those states. As Attorney General,
Mark White will go to court on your
behalf to stop these practices that are
causing Texans to pay the highest
utility rates in the nation.
Mark White opposes the new federal
energy plan that would allow the
federal government to control the
price of natural gas sold within Texas
and to force us to send natural gas to
other states during "emergencies" at
regulated prices.
Mark White believes that our' first
obligation is to protect Texas' natural
resources for Texans.
26
HOUSTON BREAKTHROUGH
APRIL 1978 |
