
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, July 2, 1990                   TAG: 9007030368
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

NO LOBBYIST

THE DELEGATION that the Roanoke Valley sends to the General Assembly is no bunch of slouches.

It includes the chairman of the House Finance Committee, ranking members of both the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees and three other experienced lawmakers who spend considerable time - when the assembly is both in and out of session - looking after the interests of the this region's local governments.

Roanoke City Councilman Beverly Fitzpatrick acknowledges that the valley has "one of the finest elected delegations" in the state, and he's right.

It is also one of the most influential. If its members can't bring home to the valley a rightful share of legislative goodies, nobody can.

So why on earth - as Fitzpatrick suggests - should Roanoke City spend taxpayers' money to send a paid lobbyist to the assembly? Richmond has more than enough lobbyists now. Let's not add another.

by CNB