Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 26, 1992 TAG: 9202260349
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
LEADERSHIP?
IS THE NUMBER 2 ever greater than 138? So it seems - if the two are the legislature's majority leaders, Del. Richard Cranwell of Vinton and Sen. Hunter Andrews of Hampton, and at stake are blustery egos.Absent a last-minute reunion of the governor and legislators with their sense of responsibility, the majority leaders (they do call themselves leaders) would seem to have double-handedly killed the 1992 General Assembly's hallmark legislation: a proposed general-obligation bond issue.
We fully expect a reprieve. But we're bothered that the lawmakers have carried their game of chicken so close to the brink that they risk running Virginia's welfare off the road.
A bond proposal, subject to voter approval, would allow the state to proceed with dozens of top-priority capital projects, in higher education and other fields. It would create thousands of jobs at a time when Virginia's economy sorely needs them.
Lawmakers of both parties have overwhelmingly endorsed a bond issue. It is backed as well by Gov. Douglas Wilder and influential representatives of the public and private sectors.
So what's holding up the works?
Andrews says to-mah-tah, Cranwell says to-may-toe, Andrews says po-tah-tah, Cranwell says po-tay-toe - oh, let's call the whole thing off.
And off it is - unless reason and compromise soon prevail.
Cranwell wanted his very own bond proposal - one that would include transportation projects and be tied to a half-cent increase in the sales tax. Andrews wanted his very own bond proposal - one that would not include road projects but would not require a tax increase.
They refused to give an inch, and the assembly's self-imposed Monday-midnight deadline passed without a bond bill kept alive.
Wilder now must send down another bill to revive the issue before the assembly's scheduled adjournment on March 7. He must not sacrifice this urgent initiative on the altar of anyone's ego, his own included. And Andrews and Cranwell must find a way to split the difference - now.
It will be remembered that a bond issue, which really should have been passed last year, failed last year because Wilder could not bring himself to support an Andrews proposal. Now, at least, he and Andrews have come to terms. But Wilder has threatened to veto any bond proposal requiring a tax increase.
At a news conference Tuesday, the governor appropriately chastised Cranwell and Andrews for their failure to reach agreement.
"Let's go back to the drawing board, submerge the egos. Do the people's business," he said.
Indeed. A year, when Virginia could have benefited greatly from overdue capital projects, has already been wasted. To waste another year would be outrageous.
Dickie, Hunter, Doug: Get out of the sandbox, go to your room, and don't come out until you've done the people's business.