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

DATE: SATURDAY, June 5, 1993                   TAG: 9306070113
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

THE RIGHT WAY TO PACK SCHOOL BOARDS

THE INHERENT rights of a democratic people can only be ensured by active participation. I waited for a period of months, hoping that someone would start a petition to allow a vote on the issue of an elected School Board for Bedford County. In mid-April, I decided to do it myself. Over the past month, I have had some success and met with some opposition.

A few citizens have expressed concern over the lack of school-board taxing power. Fortunately - or unfortunately, depending upon your viewpoint - the Virginia Constitution provides for a central taxing authority. In Bedford County, this authority is the Board of Supervisors. I believe the concern over taxing is baseless. The School Board and the Board of Supervisors would be coequals. If the Board of Supervisors were to try to control or deny the power of the elected School Board by denying a reasonable request for funds, it is my belief that it would be usurping the rights and power of the people as expressed through their vote. In my opinion, this would be an impeachable action that could and should subject them to recall or other legal actions.

Another expressed concern is the packing of the School Board by a religious sect or other far-left or far-right groups. A simple solution to this is citizen participation. If we vote, share our ideas with our leaders and campaign for those we support, it is a certainty that the School Board will be packed with honest, caring and concerned citizens. We will get back in exact proportion what we put into our democracy. If you consider the current system, it is truly packed and controlled by a special-interest group that picks and chooses at their whim, not yours. WILTON L. PERDUE VINTON

by CNB