• .• •(/., • ' Star-Telegram WOULD-BE RETIREE ... Garrett Morris • • -'•s• , : ..• 3., • • . -'5•• • 5:- 5 ; • • , , • • • 1, Star-Telegram DOING THE HIRING ... Bill Cleueents They're passing the PIK kuck • By RON HUTCHESON Star -Telegram Austin Bureau AUSTIN — The job pays $50,900 a year. carries enormous clout and requires no special training. De- spite all that, no one seems to want a job on the Texas Public Utility Commission. Gov. Bill Clements, the person doine the hiring, is trying to re- place Commissioner Garrett Mor- ris of Fort Worth. Although Mor- J'e ' •••• •••••. 1? , 17ovi.e. Pee:- 3 eot. tile One of tlie silty:11)11Np, bloc21,s 4..ityi'.up, a rei)1Pc,....meut t hat co:C,ONVitil joi), F01 d ‘vork for a, utility before ' • ' • -- Lie.)c,st ..vritten in sucL .y that if el., know any- tnine eto.tee, you can't 1)e , comitW::;ion ......''ore Co \vde.ii th- hat is eet : regulJti, as a fe.-;< eee.:1-Jitet.r(elp:- ,...e t•)int• r! hint lc) tie• elf ee.-. . diei.-.•!. ,:nov; f t 11fty,r, (70V•.(1t*.:i •',./1(!\'. that • On and .1 ti51%. pi‘got < • And a..• • heron-ling an. ‘e. en utility regulas,i, .,, a e;e:Tio• te-e his new I:howl- : ecenp.iny for two :i, • the c(nneii:;- ...,,e.e lie .,ti-iet.,e;e; ris' term officially expired Aug. 31 — nearly four months ago — he has agreed to stay on until Clements finds a replacement. Morris, who failed to win reap- pointment to the three-member panel, had expected to be out of his office well before Christmas. Those plans fell through when Ar- thur Busch of Dallas, a former re- gional director of the Environ- mental Protection Agency, „.• , . " Pi? /CI Sal 'S r rOarillg. That's a negative." —(7 co rge Cowcii C2 a do after leavinft: definitelv place th is one inal it bit tou,rther category tto Lille" Ford tzid. "I: got .to he pretty 1•a..-ii or be cle!:e to retnee&nt to even consider it." Althouh 51' (leas rot prohibit a form:r oommissio;lei from working for a consmuer group, the pay in ITIOst CaSeS be far 1)(„At cr at a utilit:.• company. Cowden id he has tried r (Teat- oCly to convir;,..e legislators to repeal the restrictions, which do not apply to any other regulatory body. The etteinpts meet strong resistance f roni consumer groups, who s.ay the pro!, emienc behe re- vela conflict of inter(' ;t. A eonuniioner e..ith an eye ot.: his :it.Nt ;;(1vcv::1,-s argue, would he les- li!:ely to nip., against a utility rate hil:e.The:ys:ly ieeruiting coneniscioners from utility firm- would niean letting the fox gu::1-1 i he henhouse. Even without the employment restrietiens, there are faetorsth%t _ turned down the post. The governor's press secretary, Jon Ford, said Busch is not the only prospective candidate who rejected the chance to regulate Texas utilities. "A number of people who have been considered as possibilities have said they didn't think they'd be interested in it," Ford said. Ford said the replacement of Please see 50,900 on Page 2 1 ' I o•-• mike an environtneetz:1 eni:leerieee com,oltent, told the i.,,overne:-'s he did not want to ceneieit himself to a :.ix-year t(-7..ni or :113'.'e to Au:ein. Clexilents, a conse.r ...alive. Ile- caneet appoint 1.orr.e- one Li cm Austin v..ithoot the ele oe:d of Sen. Llo!;(1 Do.e.get!, a libeil!Doineerat v:ho has token Leen interest in the e.mirnissieee As the senator Iron: Atelin, Dret,- gett has the po'.. er to block appointrient from hiS hometown. Ali.hour,h Fo:cl doulee-, to avoid ecoflhit with Daggett, he acknowled1-;ed that ;he would be a factor if Cleni;,:..is picked someone from Atr,tin. "ire ahvays seems to 1)a z, chall(:%T..',e out of it," Ford said. Another problem. Ford said, is the s:lary. Ile said most prospec- tive ( nimfl!S-LbI) ers would have to ,take a pay uut io acccin the jnb. Cowd-a -111::Cs a miega Tie jr he is not concerned alout thi.! delay in replacin: becz,.te;e the tetirime conlini- sioner has a,,,ieed to stay on until he is no longer needed. "it has not hampered us as far z•is our functionsat all," Cowden - - icert_tt. - 7(1 _
