„„. .).?Lijk.) ,,,EicAict. natiOh`ar LVLrity aciviser to an, t9ld ,Congress' Iran-contra committees - • Please see Reagar_sfa Reagan holds copy of Tower Governor visits the city for a day TOM HAND/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHM Greeting Gov. Clements (center) as (from left) Charles McEntire of San pus Christi; and Larry Tucker (right), he arrived in the city yesterday are Patricio County; Leona Knight of Car- a Corpus Christi businessman. Clements denies rift over tax bill By Darla Morgan In response to questions about his ve- STAFF WRITER Governor stands to of funds for child abuse services and Gov. Bill Clements yesterday defend- $50,000 for a study of higher education ed his actions in agreeing to a $38.3 behind budget in South Texas, Clements said line item billion state budget and a record tax vetos are the prerogative of the gover- hike to pay for it. nor. • But the Republican governor denied chairman of Clements' campaign in Nu- "Anything that goes through the Legis- !Lilt he had come to Corpus Christi to mend eces County last year. Jimmy Storm, lature is subject to scrutiny and subject political fences despite his appearance at chairman of the board of commissioners to veto,” Clements said. a private reception at the Sheraton Ma- of the Port of Corpus ChriSti, hosted the No more studies were needed on, rina where he again explained his rea- reception, which drew about 100 people, higher education in South Texas, be sons for signing the tax bill to a according to a Caller-Times count, said. bipartisan crowd. At the press conference, Clements said When asked if he felt South Texas "There is no rift. I have never heard the record $38.3 billion two-year state needed more upper-degree programs about it. My business today is to tell you budget, adopted after a long battle with such as a law school, a medical school about the budget," Clements said at a the Democratic-controlled Legislature, or more doctoral programs, .Clements press conference at Chaparral Airport. actually shrinks state government when said he didn't know. Charles Nichols, one of Clements' for- inflation and population growth are tak- "We are taking that all under advise- met campaign leaders, disagreed with en into account. ment. We are looking at the previous the governor's assessment of a rift. The state already had a $1.2 billion studies," he said, adding that he also has ... Nichols led an unsuccessful movement deficit when he took office, Clements been talking to House Speaker Pro Tern in the local Republican Party last month said, and it quickly grew to a $1.9 bil- Hugo Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi, about to demand an explanation from the gov- lion deficit when Controller Bob Bullock the matter. ernor for signing the tax bill, issued a revised revenue estimate. "We are consulting with Hugo Berlan- "I did not get an answer," said Nich- "In the face of making up those kinds ga and talking to Texas A841 and people 0 ols, who received no invitation to the of deficits, I think it is an outstanding at Pan American before corning to a reception, even though he served as co- job," Clements said. conclusion," Clements said.
