Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 27, 1993 TAG: 9310280299
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A statement in the opening paragraph was incorrectly attributed to me, and I want to set the record straight.
When asked by a reporter whether my family should be an issue, I responded by saying that I am proud of my family and that my wife and two children are the most important part of my life. They have helped shape me into the person I am today.
Having a family makes me empathize with families throughout Virginia who have had to endure 12 years of rule by the Robb/Wilder/Terry Democrats and their misguided tax policies. I understand that more so than before Susan and I had our children.
However, at no time did I say or suggest that having a family is a prerequisite to being elected governor. I would never imply that someone who does not have a family is not prepared for the job. The Roanoke Times & World- News was wrong to attribute such insensitive remarks to me.
My family is a part of who I am and I do not intend to be defensive because I have a family. But I would appreciate it if this newspaper would refrain from further suggestions that I somehow believe that having a family makes a person more qualified or prepared to hold public office. That is simply not my view.
GEORGE ALLEN
RICHMOND
Voting for character
IN DISGUSTED response to Walter Clark's Aug. 17 letter to the editor, ``Hitler's boys also followed orders,'' it seems that Clark has neglected the fact that in the last presidential election, we were all convinced that ``character didn't matter.'' (I never inhaled. Gennifer who? I was never drafted. I will not raise taxes ... )
Come now, let's drop this character thing and get on with the issues that deal with representing Virginia in the Senate, and not to the unintelligible brutal characterization of Oliver North as a Nazi.
The fact is that North would have voted against Clinton's tax plan, while Robb voted in favor. And that's the character I'll keep in mind when I enter the voting booth.
JAYE S. CLARKE
ROANOKE COUNTY
Give glory where it's due
CONGRATULATIONS to President Clinton and the Democratic Party for their hard-earned passage of the budget deal. Excuse me, I mean budget-deficit- reduction and economic-recovery package. To obtain this victory for the American people, Democrats embarked on a furious long-term campaign of fanning the flames of class envy, which even Marx and Lenin would have admired.
Yes, it's high time that the rich (who can all be accurately depicted by J.R. Ewing) paid their fair share in retribution for the party they enjoyed in the '80s. Forget the facts that the top 1 percent of income earners paid 28 percent of total income-tax revenues in 1988 vs.18.2 percent in 1981, and that income-tax revenues doubled during the same period.
In past weeks, we heard Democratic leaders argue as ardently for this package's passage as they did for the remarkably similar 1990 budget deal, which strangely ended up throwing the economy into recession and causing ballooning deficits.
Applying this plan, with its unprecedented tax hikes and no real spending cuts (only reductions in the projected increases in spending with the exception of defense), to our current slow-growth economy would, according to economic history, seem to be equivalent to prescribing three packs of cigarettes a day to a patient with heart disease. But, of course, this plan will defy economic reality because it deals with ``real'' numbers and was created by people who care.
So, hail to Clinton and the Democrats. For with not a single Republican vote in support of the 1993 budget-deficit-reduction and economic-recovery package, only Democrats are left to bask in the glory and take sole credit for the results that it reaps.
WALTER J. CAMPER
BUCHANAN
Pious, unholy papal words
THE POPE came to America and finally proved that he has no moral authority whatsoever. He would have done much better to dance, sing and laugh to show some sign of beauty and divinity. He only spoke as if trying to convince himself and his church that it was not his predecessors who murdered millions of native people and took their gold, which even now fills the Vatican's coffers. He spoke in solemn tones of sexual abuse in American parishes as if it was isolated and unknown to the hierarchy through the years, decades and centuries.
Recently, he declared goddess-belief a mortal sin. As if Mary, the mother of God, is some lesser being than the Christ she produced, nurtured and gave to the world. The church murdered thousands of beautiful, healing, life-giving women who were called witches. And he speaks the same venom today that previous popes spoke as the witches burned. Women should know that they are as worthy and holy as any other human!
The pope has only shown that his patriarchy is dying, if it's not already dead. Men, women and children should rejoice that we are no longer bound by any hypocritical dogma, be it in Rome or Lynchburg, that kills, condemns, preaches and steals from innocent truth-seeking people, headed by smiling pious men with diamond rings on their fingers and lust for power in their eyes.
DENNIS LUCERA
RINER
Burn it, don't bury it
OUR LANDFILLS are becoming quite a problem. Millions of tons of rotten garbage are being buried in our land. I don't care how much engineering is used in the preparation and maintenance, sometime along the way toxic substances are going to leak out, contaminating vast areas.
I do not have a total solution, but I'll give some advice. Burn all that will burn. Yes, some toxic gases may escape, but technology can correct much of that. It costs money, but it seems that several counties could go in together to lighten the burden.
Please, let's stop dumping in our land. We have all the land we will ever need, so let's care for it and consider the generations to come.
EDWIN R. ROBERTSON
PEARISBURG
Compassion is needed
REGARDING the Aug. 12 letter to the editor by Harold Vaughan (``Taking groceries home in style"):
I find this upsetting, rude and lacking in understanding. There are those on food stamps who are unable to go to the food store to redeem them. People not as fortunate as Vaughan, and who may be blind, crippled or not able to get out of bed, must have a neighbor, friend or a relative purchase food for them.
This person in line with food stamps may own a new car, have a $100,000-a- year job and pay for her food like Vaughan does, with cash. Then there is someone standing there gawking, passing judgment and not knowing anything about the situation. This makes it very tough for the receivers of stamps or the one kind enough to help them.
If you check with your local welfare department, you will find that no one able to own a new car is allowed food stamps.
LENORA GRAHAM
BOONES MILL
Beyer is ready and willing
POLITICAL analyst Mark Rozell was mistaken when he wrote in his Aug. 22 commentary (``Why won't Beyer campaign?") that Lt. Gov. Don Beyer had not scheduled any campaign debates. In fact, the first such debate is scheduled for Aug. 28 in Richmond before the Fraternal Order of Police. We also have accepted invitations for at least two more, one in Fairfax County and another in Richmond, provided a mutually agreeable format is worked out.
We have never refused to debate our opponent. We declined an invitation in June with the assurance that Beyer was looking forward with great anticipation to the opportunity for vigorous and forthright debate when the campaign season was in full swing.
That time is here, and Virginians can expect to see their lieutenant governor criss-crossing the commonwealth, talking about personal responsibility, business-minded leadership and changing the way Virginia works.
GAIL S. NARDI
Director of Communications
Don Beyer '93
RICHMOND
by CNB