Associated Press Bill Clements says at an Austin news conference Monday that most of his proposed cuts in state jobs could be accom- plished by attrition. Clements vows cuts in state work force By Sam Attlesey Political Writer of The News AUSTIN — Former Gov. Bill Clements said Monday that if he wins his old job back he intends to target 200 state agencies for budget cuts and slice the state's payroll through attrition and possibly with a "minimal amount of layoffs." "I think there will be some re- duction in personnel without any question whatsoever," Clements told reporters. "And I want to em- phasize we can accomplish this through attrition." However, the Republican guber- natorial hopeful said he that he would not "eliminate the thought that in some instances we might have a mimimal amount of layoffs if there are, indeed, surplus people out there." Although Clements refused to say where he would make specific cuts, he did indicate that three state departments — Public Safety, Cor- rections and Mental Health and Mental Retardation — would receive budget increases if he is elected. • Funding for public education would remain about the same as it is now, he said, and a few other un- named agencies also might be al- lowed to maintain their "status quo." Repeating his campaign promise to veto any new taxes, Clements said there is "ample room in those 200 agencies to get the scrubbing out of the budget that is necessary to have a balanced (budget)." "You take a little here, and you take a little there, and you get the job done," Clements said. He said the cuts could be accom- plished without any "significant" loss of state services. Asked why he would not reveal where he would make specific cuts, Clements said, "It's not that time yet. "You know Christmas is coming and Thanksgiving is coming and November is coming, and at the proper time. . . like I used to tell my children, 'Santa Claus will appear on Christmas Day,' "he quipped. Clements, who was turned out of the Governor's Mansion in 1982 by Democrat Mark White, is the ac- knowledged front-runner for the Republican gubernatorial nomina- tion. He is being challenged by U.S. Rep. Tom Loeffler of Hunt and for- mer U.S. Rep. Kent Hance of Lub- bock. In an "open letter" to White, Clements urged the governor on Monday to call a special session of the Texas Legislature to "scrub the budget and build new prisons." "A special session . . . also will enable you to address the growing problem of the projected $1.3 billion budget shortfall," Clements wrote to White. "It is clear to every objective ob- server that your ill-fated plan for across-the-board reductions has not worked," Clements said in his let- ter. Asked if he believed White would take his advice on calling a special session, Clements said, "He never has." The governor's Corrections De- partment liaison, Hershel Mer- riwether, said White has no inten- tion of calling a special session this year. "To call one to address these prison matters," Merriwether said, "would be a waste of time."