Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 27, 1991 TAG: 9103270471
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B5 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: From Landmark News Service and The Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
"There will be no haven for drugs, for date rape, for assaults, for lack of civility, period," Wilder said in his first comment on last week's nationally publicized drug raids in Charlottesville. "They will not be tolerated."
Students and parents who think federal authorities went too far, or complain that UVa was singled out, ought to be grateful, the governor told reporters.
"I find it disturbing" that parents would criticize the operation, Wilder said. Instead, they ought to say, " `Let me extricate my child from that.' . . . Parents should be thankful that their children will not be exposed to that milieu."
Wilder sent a letter to all state college presidents Tuesday afternoon, calling the UVa raids a "rude reminder" of the need for anti-drug efforts.
"I ask that whenever you become aware of alleged drug activity on your campuses or involving your students, that you act quickly . . . to see that alleged wrongdoers are brought to justice," he wrote.
Last Thursday night in Charlottesville, police raided three fraternity houses and arrested 12 students on federal and state charges of selling drugs to undercover officers over the last year.
Wilder made his comments at a news conference called to promote the $15 million in additional funding restored to public education through the governor's budget amendments.
Wilder's original budget proposed slashing $150 million for public schools. The General Assembly restored $45.8 million.
The governor said the additional funds would come from eliminating spending on discretionary items and delaying construction projects.
"I instructed my staff members to analyze every item [on the budget] and ask one simple question: Is this project more important than the education of Virginia's youth?" he said.
More than $9 million of the restored education funds would be a result of maintaining reductions that were in Wilder's original budget. The largest area of savings would be a $3.6 million cut from Tuition Assistance Grants.
Another $1.8 million would be saved by deferring construction projects, including $550,000 for renovation of Martha Randolph Hall at Clinch Valley College.
Of the 742 bills passed by the General Assembly, Wilder signed 640, amended 83 and vetoed 19.
by CNB