DATE: Wednesday, November 12, 1997          TAG: 9711120004

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  130 lines

LETTERS TO EDITOR -- THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

AFTER THE VOTE

Education wasn't

an election priority

One day Virginia may be lucky enough to have a gubernatorial candidate interested in our country's greatest resource - our children - and interested in raising teachers' salaries to a level at least equal to the national average. Maybe we will have a candidate interested in providing a nonviolent, quality-rich environment designed to help our children succeed. This candidate will also require the school systems to hire qualified teachers and understand that you cannot do that at the pitiful salary we are paying them now. Our candidate will realize that most teachers are in their profession because they love children and want to make a difference.

If you found a candidate in this election who sought to improve our educational system, perhaps our educational system failed you, too. You obviously cannot read!

Michael J. Zitt

Virginia Beach, Nov. 4, 1997

Our Gilmore vote wasn't

anti-car tax

As a family who voted for Jim Gilmore, we'd like those in power to know that his election, as far as we're concerned, is not a mandate to eliminate the car tax. We are moral conservatives, and for the past 15 years or so have had no choice but to vote Republican.

As recent residents of this state, we've come to respect Governor Allen and hope that Jim Gilmore will be the same type of leader. We regret when we hear our candidates selling tax relief, as Bob Dole did during his campaign, when what we hope for is a candidate espousing traditional family values.

Additionally, we find no attraction in the repeal of a tax that has so little effect on us personally. This is the most highly taxed area either of us has ever lived in. But the one tax within everyone's ability to minimize is the car tax - just don't buy a new car! What we fear is that eliminating this tax will increase one of the taxes we can't avoid, and thus increase our overall tax burden.

Mark and Jane Die

Chesapeake, Nov. 5, 1997

Stick to the issues

Democrats just don't get it! Negative campaigning will always backfire here in Virginia. The message from the Nov. 4 election is clear: Appeals to religious bigotry and fear-mongering fail.

In the future, Democrats seeking public office would be wise to reject personal attacks on their opponents and simply stick to the issues.

G. A. Hall

Portsmouth, Nov. 5, 1997

Virginians voted against

liberalism, big government

Here are my observations on the election:

The abortion issue was nonexistent. It failed to woo voters away from the conservative side.

Don Beyer using victims of sex crimes as steppingstones for his political gain failed and showed how tasteless one can be.

Using Pat Robertson in ads does not affect votes and only irritates those who are tired of religious bigotry in elections.

Trying to make Hager look as if he is for underage smoking backfired.

The voters of Virginia voted against liberalism and big-government intrusion.

Gabriel Vogel

Chesapeake, Nov. 5, 1997

ECONOMY

Combine flat tax,

value-added tax

A recent Another View presented the flat income tax vs. a value-added tax debate as a one-or-the-other contest.

Why aren't our legislators discussing the combination? Install a flat tax on income, with liberal exemptions to relieve the working poor but virtually no deductions or exclusions to ensure fairness. Use that tax to provide a large portion of government's requirements - let's say 65 percent - and then supplement it with a national VAT to provide the remainder. I think one of the figures previously debated was a 16 percent to 17 percent flat tax. Couldn't a 15 percent flat tax and 3 percent to 4 percent VAT bring in similar resources? The first $50,000 or so of income could be excluded from the flat side to make it less burdensome on the working poor.

Kenneth R. Fischer

Chesapeake, Oct. 27, 1997

NORFOLK

Keep a touch

of city's yesteryear

``What do you mean Norfolk is older than Richmond - where are your old buildings and houses from the 17th century? Why haven't you preserved your history and character as Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans have done? Richmond has the fan district, its old buildings and houses.''

These questions were put to me by a Wisconsin native who has been in this area for eight years. He truly was amazed when I said my husband's ancestor, Dr. William Hopper, was on Norfolk's Borough Council in 1747. I went on to explain to him that the city fathers are beginning to preserve Norfolk. We have the renovated Rice's and Smith and Welton's - they are the auxiliary Municipal Building and Tidewater Community College. We also have a token of old preserved homes and the lovely old churches downtown.

So much of Norfolk's past has been torn down. We need to train our eye not to see a dilapidated building or house but the potential for restoration - it's a wonderful experience to walk through the halls and ``hear'' and ``imagine'' the stories of yesteryear. Let us not, through ignorance, throw away what generations have given us - a peek into the past.

Mary McCardell Furr

Norfolk, Nov. 2, 1997

MILITARY

More jets at Oceana?

Get over it

I find it funny that so many people are worried or mad about Oceana getting more aircraft. ``Oh, the noise level will increase'' - no more than when Oceana was in full swing a few years ago. ``All our children will now be in the danger zone for crashes'' - Excuse me, but that flight pattern has always been there.

I went to Plaza Elementary back in 1981-82. I remember watching the planes fly overhead. People are a little late with being concerned. I have never figured out why someone built Lynnhaven Mall in that same zone. No one's concerned about that?

To the people who want the Navy to buy their house: Why did you move there in the first place? It's not like you could miss 20-odd tons of haze gray moving overhead.

The people of Virginia Beach need to realize that this city and the whole area depends on the military for income. It contributes much more to the economy than tourism does. If we want the benefits of roughly 12,000 new consumers, we get the jets.

Brian Monroe

Virginia Beach, Oct. 29, 1997

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