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

DATE: TUESDAY, April 6, 1993                   TAG: 9304060392
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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`GIFT' FOR TOTA IS QUESTIONED

THE March 27 article in the Roanoke Times & World-News about a possible $35,000 yearly "gift" to city school Superintendent Frank Tota for seven years following his retirement in June was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. His whole tenure here has appeared to me to have been controversial, creating extremely negative or overly positive feelings among the teaching profession, the school board and the citizenry who have to pay the taxes to fund his seemingly generous compensation.

If his 20 days per year for consultive services is to be undesirable or, possibly, a disruptive matter, then I think it most reprehensible that the city should be called upon to pay him this gift. Fair is fair and this is not. If the School Board has legally obligated the city for such a payment, then the city should have the recourse to reverse the decision and replace those School Board members who are so unfair to the rest of the school system and citizens in general.

I have no connection with the school system. This is simply a citizen's reaction to newspaper reporting through the years on Tota's appearance on the city scene. MARY JANE VADEN ROANOKE

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