Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 5, 1990 TAG: 9004041329
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But the Democrats strongly denied the allegation, saying no such offer or promise was made.
Macher said that Councilman David Bowers and several other Democrats approached him earlier this year and suggested that the party would support him for a council seat in 1992 if he didn't become a candidate this year.
"They wanted me to support their ticket this year. They said they would support me for the School Board and they wanted me to run as a Democrat," he said.
Macher said he also talked with two Democratic candidates in this year's election - James Harvey and William White - about the possibility of joining the party and not running for council this year.
Harvey, a former councilman, is running on a ticket with White and Councilman Howard Musser. Bowers, a close political ally of the Democratic candidates, won't face re-election until 1992.
Asked if he took the Democrats' overtures to be an offer for a School Board seat, Macher said, "Yes, that's what I understood it to be."
But the Democrats denied that, saying they only encouraged him to join the party and that he apparently misunderstood the overtures.
"There is absolutely no truth to any allegation that any promise was made by me to Mr. Macher or anyone else about the School Board," Bowers said. "If he said that, it is a bold-face lie."
Macher disclosed his conversations with the Democrats at a meeting at which all six council candidates were interviewed by the city's Central Council Parent-Teacher Association.
"To me, they were playing politics with the School Board," he said.
Macher said he decided to comment publicly about his contacts with the Democrats because Bowers and Musser charged earlier this week that other council members are playing politics with School Board appointments.
Macher, who elaborated on his contacts with Democrats in interviews with reporters after the meeting, said Bowers called him in early January and invited him to lunch.
Macher said Bowers suggested that he ought to apply for the School Board and "pay my dues" in the party before seeking the Democrats' backing for a council seat.
Bowers confirmed that he met with Macher, but he said it was only to get to know him better after he heard that he might be interested in running for council. Bowers met with Macher before he announced that he was going to run as a Republican.
"I had no idea whether he was a Democrat or a Republican. We are always interested in bringing people into the party if they have an interest and share our philosophy," Bowers said. "Obviously he doesn't share our philosophy."
Macher said he hadn't been affiliated with either the Democrats or Republicans before he considered running for council.
"I think I upset their plans by deciding to run as a Republican this year," he said.
Harvey said the three Democrats in the May 1 election aren't in a position to offer or promise anything to Macher because they don't have majority control of council now.
Harvey confirmed that he also talked to Macher by phone and encouraged him to join the Democratic Party, but he said he never offered or promised him anything.
"I told him I would like to see him come into the party," Harvey said.
Macher said that Gary Waldo, executive director of the Roanoke Education Association, also talked with him about seeking a School Board seat.
But Waldo denied that he made any offer or promise to Macher.
In February, all candidates who had either announced or said they were considering running for council were interviewed by the teachers' group.
"After we interviewed them and decided we were going to endorse the three Democrats, we suggested it might be good for him to apply for the School Board because of his interest in schools," Waldo said.
"We suggested it might be good for him to apply for the School Board if he wanted to get into politics because he has had no experience in it," Waldo said. "But I don't know how anyone could assure him of anything."
by CNB