Mark Sanders, a spokesperson for Republican gubernatorial candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn, called the wife of Democratic candidate Chris Bell last week and suggested that Bell drop out of the governor's race and instead run for comptroller. Bell said he has no plans to drop out of the governor's race or run for comptroller. Longtime Democratic state Senator Ken Armbrister of Victoria announced he will not seek re-election after 38 years in public service, including nearly 24 years in the Texas Legislature. He was known as a leader on water issues who often broke with his party. Capital Metro will lower the starting wages for new bus drivers and maintenance workers in response to failed contract negotiations with unions last week

1. R R
21.B.1.Folio
5 15 25 50
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
METRO & STATE
F
Wednesday, December 21, 2005 statesman.com Section B
Bell is An abode on the road Longtime
urged to
switch senator
races
Assistant: Call to wife
of Democrat not made
will not
on Strayhorn’s behalf
By Jason Embry
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
run again
A top aide to Republican gu- Victoria Democrat made name
bernatorial candidate Carole
Keeton Strayhorn called Demo- on water issues, often defied party
cratic candidate Chris Bell’s
wife last week and suggested By Corrie MacLaggan
that Bell drop out of the AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
governor’s race and instead run
for comptroller. State Sen. Ken Armbrister of Victoria, a Dem-
Strayhorn spokesman Mark ocrat who often broke with the party line and was
Sanders said he told Alison Bell a leader on water issues, will not seek re-election,
that “there would be support for he said Tuesday.
him” if Chris Bell ran to succeed “After 38 years of public ser-
Strayhorn as comptroller. vice, it’s time for new challeng-
Sanders said that he and Ali- es,” Armbrister said in a state-
son Bell have known each other ment, referring to what would be
since they worked on a cam- 24 years in the Legislature plus
paign together 15 years ago and his 14 years as a police officer.
that he wanted to advise his The statement said that the
longtime friends that they could senator will finish his term,
not win the governor’s race. which ends in January 2007, and
Sanders said that the call was that he has not made other plans.
not prompted by Strayhorn or Armbrister, whose District 18 Sen. Ken
any campaign donors and that includes Bastrop and Caldwell Armbrister
he was not trying to clear the counties, entered the state
Democratic field for Strayhorn House of Representatives in 1983 and moved to the
to switch parties. Senate in 1987.
“I made this call to Alison on He has served as chairman of the Natural Re-
my own out of a sense of concern sources and Criminal Justice committees and was
for them and their family,” one of the Senate’s negotiators this year in the
Sanders said. “And I did not Legislature’s failed efforts to come up with a new
make this call in reference in way to pay for public education.
any way to the comptroller’s
gubernatorial campaign.” See LEAVE, B2
Chris Bell said that he will not
run for comptroller and that
there was no mention in his
wife’s conversation with Sand-
ers of Strayhorn running as a
Democrat.
Although Sanders said that he
Cap Metro:
did not call on Strayhorn’s be-
half, the conversation follows a
series of signs that Strayhorn’s
effort to beat Gov. Rick Perry in
New hires
next year’s Republican primary
is struggling. Strayhorn has
See CALL, back page
Laura Skelding photos AMERICAN-STATESMAN
to earn less
Zach Crain hit the road from Pennsylvania in a 1995 Geo Metro into which he has crammed bedding, some
appliances and a Nintendo. He’s on his way to California, but he’s taking his time: ‘I don’t have any plans, man.’
Transit agency lowers wage scale
for drivers, maintenance workers
His car,
By Ben Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Capital Metro, reacting to last week’s fruitless
his castle
talks with the union representing two-thirds of its
workers, said Tuesday that it will unilaterally
institute a lower salary scale for drivers and
maintenance workers hired after Jan. 1.
Management also will begin a zero tolerance
policy for union workers who fail a drug or alcohol
A single test and will make other changes that were part of
its latest contract offer. But, for now, it will leave
its health care coverage unchanged — manage-
phone call, For guy who lives in his Geo, Austin’s home for the moment
ment had wanted to charge employees more to
cover dependents — and will leave pay increases
for existing workers unresolved.
and family By Asher Price Sunday in Austin in his itty-bitty 1995
Labor law allows management to implement
terms of its last offer if the negotiations are legally
is bug-free AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Leave it to a guy from Pennsylvania to
Geo Metro.
He’s converted the car into a kind of
21st-century Volkswagen bus and named
at an impasse.
Jay Wyatt, president of Amalgamated Transit
Union Local 1091, which represents about 850
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF it “the abode.” With green indoor- Capital Metro workers, said the piecemeal nature
make Austin a little weirder.
outdoor carpeting affixed to the outside of management’s move — putting some things into
In another tale of a twenty-something
Angelia Allen’s roach- of the body (it looks a little like artificial effect; leaving others for further discussion —
headed west to make his fortune in sun-
infested home was treated by a drenched Southern California, Zach turf), a longhorn hood ornament, a tur-
pest-control company this week, Crain, a slight, blond-haired former quoise interior (he gave it a coat of house See AGENCY, back page
thanks to Jo Ann Becerra. bartender and baker who looks like he’s paint) and a plush leopard-print bed
“I was looking for something I eaten little other than pasta and Kraft
could do for a family that would Parmesan cheese for a long time, arrived See CAR, B2
make a difference in their lives,”
said Becerra, of Pflugerville. She
called ABC Pest Control, which
Flood monitor
provides extermination servic-
es for her, and requested a visit
to the Allen home.
system in Hays
“There are some things that
are simple to do that can make a
big impact. I feel great about it,”
to get upgrade
she said. By Miguel Liscano
The Allens are part of the AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Austin American-Statesman’s
Season for Caring campaign, SAN MARCOS — Hays County emergency of-
which raises funds and collects ficials say the way they monitor floods — sending
donated goods and services to someone to check gauges at rivers and streams —
help 12 Central Texas families isn’t good enough.
and the nonprofit agencies that So they plan to install an electronic rain moni-
nominate them. toring system along the Blanco and San Marcos
Sunny Kim of Caritas of Aus- rivers by the end of next year that will include
tin, which nominated the Al- sensors to measure rainfall and lights to warn
lens, said the agency is thrilled motorists when low-water crossings flood. The
because “we wanted Angelia to sensors would automatically send data by radio to
have a safe and healthy home for an emergency response center to tell officials
her family.” where water is rising.
“She was spending part of her “You’re talking about being able to respond to a
limited income on bug bombs, problem rather than have to react to one after the
and now she won’t have to do fact,” County Judge Jim Powers said.
that,” Kim said. Officials receive rain and river flow informa-
Caritas received donated Hey, check out Crain’s hood. With his roaming home, the nation’s his neighborhood. tion from agencies such as the National Weather
movie passes, which Allen used Service and local river authorities, but that in-
to take her two older boys to see On statesman.com: Watch video with this story online. formation usually comes about 10 minutes after
“King Kong.” She plans to use flooding begins, said Brad Bailey, an executive
See SEASON, B2 See FLOODING, B2
R R