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

DATE: THURSDAY, April 29, 1993                   TAG: 9304290504
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TOTA, TURNER AND A BINDING FRIENDSHIP

I strongly objected to the terms of this agreement in the first place, but I feel that if it is indeed a legal and binding document to the city, it should also be binding to Tota and that he should be expected to fulfill his obligation, too.

If we had not made this agreement with Tota, who has been very controversial during his entire administration, we could have used this to give 70 city teachers a $500 per year raise for the next seven years. As it now stands, Tota will do nothing to earn this money except to have been a good friend of School Board member Jay Turner. If Turner was one of the instigators of this clause in Tota's contract, and apparently he was, it makes me wonder if perhaps we should look elsewhere when Turner's seat is open to find someone who has the welfare of the city at heart instead of his interest in keeping a friend in the city. RAY H. PHILLIPS ROANOKE