THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 4, 1995 TAG: 9501040012
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
In Chesapeake, Republicans now control City Council and have won the right to appoint their partisans to the hospital authority, School Board and planning commission.
Mayor William Ward and other Democrats say diversity in government may suffer. They warn that under the Republican regime, fewer women and blacks will hold appointive positions and minorities will be disenfranchised as important decisions are made.
Republicans counter that minorities who hitched their wagon to the Democratic star in disproportionate numbers can hardly be surprised that, as that star has fallen, their influence and access to power have waned.
There are two choices available to those who feel disenfranchised by the rise to power of Republicans. They can switch their allegiance to the Republican side in hopes of winning clout in exchange for electoral support. And Republicans could gain by making a greater diversity of people welcome in a party that hasn't always done so.
But if women, blacks and other minorities aren't comfortable joining Republicans, don't share their views on the issues or their philosophical preconceptions, then they have a tried-and-true alternative. They must do the tough political work needed to return Democrats to the majority.
Complaining that under the Republicans they won't have a seat at the table won't earn them one. And the notion that any minority ought to receive special treatment in order to assure diversity is both unrealistic and undemocratic.
When the Democrats were in charge, they rewarded their supporters with positions of power and didn't give away free seats to Republicans to honor the principle of diversity. Now that Republicans are in power, they can hardly be expected to behave more altruistically or to stiff their loyalists to make seats available to their political foes.
Disenfranchised Democrats must face the harsh political facts of life. In the system that treated them well for many years, the majority rules. Republicans are now calling the shots because they won the right to do so by articulating views that appealed to the voters and by getting their supporters to turn out at the polls in superior numbers.
The Democrats will return to power and put their friends back in charge only when they behave the same, rewinning a majority one vote at a time. by CNB