Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 15, 1993 TAG: 9310280341
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
She says she admires President Clinton for his health-care plan. Well, have you read the fine print? Administration officials are like salespeople. They tell you what's good, but seem to forget the bad things.
Try these on for starters:
Most of us won't be able to see our personal physician.
It will be illegal to buy health insurance anywhere but from the government.
You will take what the government gives you and like it.
A type of ``medical gerrymandering'' will be created through community ratings, which means the lower class will be put with more wealthy communities.
The administration has estimated only 1 million job losses. (Of course, this will be much higher.)
I don't know about all of you, but I'm not going to sit back and let Washington tell me what kind of health-care plan I'm going to have and which doctor I can and cannot see. The senators, representatives, president, vice president, etc., are to reflect the interest of the people. Is it in the interest of the people to be out of jobs, to be told what doctor they can and cannot use, and to buy insurance from the government? What happened to the freedom of choice? Did we let it be swept out the door?
Americans need to tell Washington that we want better.
BRETT KING
ROANOKE
An unfair swipe at Powell, Reagan
REGARDING Paxton Davis' Oct. 8 column entitled ``Colin Powell for president? What an ill-considered idea'':
First, concerning the critical and very false statements about our former president, Ronald Reagan. In leading our country, Reagan gave us a positive presidency and led us back to pride in America. With all respect to Davis, I believe his remarks are a very biased view.
My opinion of Powell: Whatever he chooses to do, the job would be done well. He's not a politician but a leader. To equate him with leaders of the past is certainly not fair. As a person and a leader, he stands on his own.
The very end of Davis' column is the prime insult: ``Why not Madonna instead?''
To say the least, his article upset me with its harsh judgments.
C. GLENN STINNETTE JR.
HUDDLESTON
Allen too ready to provide giveaway
IN THE DEBATE on Oct. 7 between George Allen and Mary Sue Terry, there was one item that would especially turn people off to even consider Allen for governor. It was the statement that he would return all state taxes to all retired federal employees. If he's so ready to return their state taxes, let him do so himself. They should pay state taxes the same as the rest of us retired people.
RUTH CUNNINGHAM
ROANOKE
Learning is more than making grades
AS MUCH as I appreciate the dedication and work of teachers, a re-evaluation of how we teach and how children learn is crucial to educational reform.
I believe outcome-based education represents less memorization and test-taking for children and more application and stimulation of critical thinking.
Have you helped a child study or do homework lately? What good is all the memorization of technical definitions and equations, or the rote learning of dates and battles if there is no understanding of ``how'' and ``why'' or if no skills are developed? What good is it to spout the ``one and only right answer'' on cue if it's forgotten as soon as the test is passed? This way, how much do we remember or what we were taught? Will the child who loves science be turned off if he cannot memorize all the technicalities and, hence, fails to make the grade? Memorization, or even good grades, is not necessarily an indication of intelligence.
Knowledge is not an accumulation of facts and figures but an understanding of what they mean, an ability to think critically and to apply what one knows. This is the foundation that OBE is founded on. And those opposing it do so out of ignorance, fear of change or because they feel threatened by children who can think for themselves (which is what OBE hopes to produce).
Although OBE has become something of a political sound-bite, and the informative articles on it in the Roanoke Times & World-News came a little late, the progress taken does suggest a new trend in education - one that will empower students and teachers with more self-responsibility and creativity.
Whatever the initiative is called, it's only a matter of time before it gains acceptance. It's about time for education to become integrated into real life.
CHRIS FARRELL
FLOYD
Brumitt's fiscal advice not needed
IT SEEMS ludicrous that a person moves to Virginia from Pennsylvania and 19 months later runs for election to the House of Delegates calling for financial responsibility. It seems Bud Brumitt, who is running against Dick Cranwell, would provide better service by going back to Pennsylvania or New Jersey and teaching them something about fiscal responsibility, Virginia style.
During Cranwell's watch as chairman of the House Finance Committee, a leading financial publication has twice named Virginia as the best-managed state in the nation, and it carries the highest bond rating. Yet its tax burden is the fifth lowest in the nation, its sales tax is the second lowest and there's been no increase in its income tax in more than 20 years.
It's proof that sensible tax policies create jobs and a healthy economic environment, which in turn produce tax revenues without increasing the burden on citizens.
Take the message back North, Mr. Brumitt. We don't need you.
DAVID A. HENEGAR
VINTON
Clinton bungles foreign policy
NOW HOW do you like our new president in training and the learn-as-you-go method of policy-making in foreign affairs? The world will not wait for Bill Clinton to graduate from the school of hard knocks. How about you?
Not that I would know about policy-making personally, but one thing former President George Bush showed us was that either the presidency makes foreign policy or foreign policy will make the president. All I see at this point is a bungled attempt at leadership in Somalia and a president with no more experience in commanding men with guns than a hawker at the carnival duck-shoot game.
We all know what Bush did in the Gulf, and it seems Clinton is trying to do what Bush didn't do, by killing Aidid. But I've known the victory in the Gulf was because of a clear directive in foreign policy and Bush's own military experience. I've got news for Clinton - he's no Bush. At least Bush put our troops in harm's way with the approval of the peoples' representatives in Congress.
All this reminds me of an old Beatles song, which this administration might be hearing more often now. They all probably know the tune. It goes, ``Hey Bungalo Bill, what did you kill, Bungalo Bill ... '' Just our own men, that's all.
DALE A. GOORSKEY
CHECK
Cranwell's influence needed
AT A time when Southwest Virginia has a strong voice in the General Assembly in the person of Richard Cranwell, we need to support him rather than open an attack to demean him.
So he has increased his net worth while he has been in the General Assembly. What else is new? The people who are complaining are trying to get the same opportunity.
Constituents, meaning you and me, know how the system works. And if we aren't willing to stop eating from the public trough long enough to change the system, then we need to keep the strongest man, second in legislative power, in office to protect our trough. If we lose this influence from our area, then we deserve to be at the mercy of Tidewater and Northern Virginia.
I may not agree with all Cranwell does, but I think he's the best we have to offer.
JAMES M. BLAIR
VINTON
by CNB