White catches! Clements in latest survey Bush travels to state to build up JUL:tam:Ns White House links 13y John C. Henry 2 8 1986 Ameilum-Slolesman Staft HOUSTON — As a new poll hit thi streets showing former Gov. Bill Clements in a dead heat with Gov. Mark v.'hite, Vice President George Bush flew to Texas Saturday to campui;In for Clements, the Repub- lican gubernatorial nominee. In campaign stops in San Antonio and Houston, the Republican vice president defended Clements' re- cord on public education and criti- cized campaign commercials by White challenging that record. "It offends me, as a friend of Bill's, to see an attack on him on this question of education," Bush said, calling Clements a "pro-educa- tion governor." Bush's visit came as a Gallup poll commissioned by The Houston Post and KPRC-TV in Houston was published showing Clements and White tied with 46 percent each of 1.013 Texas voters surveyed last week. It was the first published survey indicating anything other than White trailing Clements, although it conforms to a pattern shown by oth- er polls that the incumbent was closing the gap on his Republican challenger. The Post/KPRC poll indicated that Clements finished about 10 points ahead of White when voters were asked which candidate could do a better job keeping the state proposerotis, balancing the state budget and keeping taxes down. Clements said he was not sur- prised by the poll results. "I'm the underdog in this race. I knew the race would narrow," he said. "No one I know ever thought we were going to win this race by 18 or 20 points." White, asked about the poll at an Austin news conference, said, "Ties arc not good enough for me. 1 want to in by a decisive margin. But e're going to work trird and try to earn the votes of the people of this state." The poll, which also was financed by KVUE-TV In Austin, did not question voters about their percep- tions of the candidates 'positions on public education. Although educa- tion has long been an issue in the ciemems-White race, in the past week it has moved to the forefront of both campaigns. Unlike a battery of other cam- pr,i;,-1 commercials by White, a tele- vision leivertisement last week questions Clements' commitment to education and has drawn criticism from the Republican's campaign. It also prompted Bush, whose vis- it was set up two months ago, to amend his speeches to mention Clements' support for public educa- tion when he was governor from 1979 until 1983. "When he (Clements) was gover- nor, he was known as the pro-edu- cation governor," Bush said. "He's been strong for education, (which) has been demonstrated by the fund- ing level he was able to bring about." "If there ever was a governor whose record has spoken for itself, it's Bill Clements," Bush said. Clements' record shows that he pushed for an overhaul of the pub- lic schools, but he unsuccessfully fought legislative efforts to increase teacher pay. Bush also criticized White for damaging Texas' relations in Wash- ington with unrelenting, partisan at- tacks on the Reagan adminis- tration. "It's hard for people in the ad- ministration when a governor seems to delight in going after the president and me," Bush said. "Very candidly, there was some of it I thought was rather personal a couple of years ago. We'll get over it. We're big boys." The vice president was referring to White's criticism of Bush's claim to Texas residency during the 1984 presidential campaign. Earlier that year, it was learned that for federal Income tax purposes Bush listed Kennebunkport, Maine, as his home. Asked in what ways Texas would be better off in its federal relations if Clements was governor, Bush re- plied: "We'll return his (Clements') phone calls." Bush said Clements could "work est with the present administra- Mon, with a president who is very popular in this state." Ile explained that he does not !normally dwell on an issue like fed- \eral relations in such depth, then went on to say that "this is my state rind I feel strong about it." It is important tor Texas in good times and in tough times to have a governor who can work with the ad- ministration, leave party out of it for a minute," Bush said. Bush's visit was the first of sever- al scheduled by high-profile Repub- licans who plan to campaign with Clements in the next five weeks. Justice keeps prison housing ban TDC appeals for temporary units to avoid release of inmates DALLAS TIMES HERALD By PATTI KILDAY Austin Bureau sr P 2 7 146 AUSTIN — Denying a request from state officials, U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice Fri- day refused to postpone an order prohibiting the expansion of state prisons with temporary housing. Texas Department of Corrections attorneys immediately appealed Justice's ruling, which at midnight Tuesday requires them to drop 395 beds from capacity calculations and risk triggering the early release of inmates. "We filed a request for a stay (postponement of a legal order) with the 5th Circuit Court of Ap- peals in New Orleans," said Assis- tant Attorney General F. Scott McCown. "Hopefully, we will get a ruling before Oct. 1." Prison officials had asked Justice to approve a plan expanding T'DC's capacity by nearly 1,000 beds through the temporary use of Na- tional Guard quarters in Mineral Wells and through adding inmates :to existing prison facilities. Concerned about escalating ad- 'missions, TDC officials two weeks ago added 395 beds to the prison system's official capacity in an ac- '.counting maneuver to avoid reach- ing the legal limit of inmates. Un- der the Texas Prison Management Act and federal court orders, TDC must release inmates once it reaches 95 percent of its capacity. Justice last week banned the temporary housing arrangements because they did not comply with TDC court agreements to provide sanitary facilities, sufficient securi- ty staffing, as well as educational, 37 work and recreational programs for inmates. On Friday, the judge refused to suspend the effect of his order un- til the federal appeals court rules on the temporary housing plan. In a 12-page ruling, Justice said pris- on officials had not demonstrated any harm would be caused by his order taking effect. Specifically, Justice noted that in January 1985, TDC awarded 60 days of "good time" — time sub- tracted from an inmate's sentence as a reward for good behavior — to all inmates in certain educational and work programs to alleviate overcrowding. Although the award of time aid- ed many inmates in obtaining re- lease from prison earlier than ex- pected, no evidence surfaced that those inmates committed new crimes at a higher rate than other parolees, Justice noted. But McCown said the "pool' • of inmates from which to select parol- ees has substantially changed in the last 18 months. Fewer good candidates for parole — inmates who can be trusted not to commit new crimes — are left in prison, he argued. "The pool for parole is like a res- ervoir of water," McCown said. "The number of your good prison- ers (for parole consideration) is di- minishing faster than it is being re- plenished. Because we had enough water a year ago, that doesn't mean we have plenty of water today." elk -71-4-41tr-I'