ELIMINATE, DON'T EXPAND, FEDERAL HANDOUTS

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

DATE: SUNDAY, April 18, 1993                   TAG: 9304200394
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
ELIMINATE, DON'T EXPAND, FEDERAL HANDOUTS
RESPONDING to the March 27 article about expansion of the Appalachian area to include Roanoke:
The Appalachian Regional Commission has been included on every serious and constructive list of federal programs that should be eliminated. It is a sad example of using taxing power to redistribute funds in favor of narrow regional interests, and a perfect example of how congressmen accrue federal funds in their own districts by voting for federal funds in every other congressman's district. This is how the deficit got out of hand in the first place.
While the commission may well have second-hand benefits for poor people, the benefits are diluted and this is a very expensive method to deliver help. The best way to get more help to poor people is to help them directly, not to give money to people who don't need it, i.e., local governments or businessmen. Appalachia has been depressed for more than 25 years, and government programs have not worked. Citizens need retraining for other jobs, encouragement and assistance to move to less depressed (and for West Virginia, less politically corrupt) areas. When enough people leave, the Appalachian states will be forced to do whatever is necessary to create a good business climate to attract business to their states. The Appalachian boundaries and programs don't need to be expanded but need to be eliminated.
Federal (taxpayers') money given to local governments is not cost-effective, because it is generally wasted on money-losing projects that require continued subsidy from local taxpayers. The Hotel Roanoke-conference center project, the Explore project, the "smart road" plan and the Appalachian Regional Commission programs are perfect examples of wasteful government spending. In Roanoke, particularly, local politics and taxpayer-funded projects are tightly controlled by a small clique of well-to-do businessmen who use federal, state and local tax money to enhance their own egos and dreams of grandeur, while obligating ordinary taxpayers for many years to come.
Federal government spending is out of control. Congressmen, local and state governments are scrambling to get "their share" of federal funds. They always claim "it's good for economic development" (which has become a money-grabbing buzzword that has nothing to do with economics or valid research on area development). Not only is federal spending appalling, it also increases state and local government spending on matching funds for federal block grants and programs that don't work. Taxpayers cannot support this insanity any longer!
To reduce the deficit, we must reduce the number of wasteful, nonproductive government programs. Yes, some in Virginia and in every other state. LELA C. SPITZ SALEM

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB