Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 5, 1993 TAG: 9309050130
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
If he does, Democrat Mary Sue Terry and Republican George Allen will attend, their spokesmen said.
The administration source said the governor is considering such a move because of a letter written by Del. Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, chairman of the House Finance Committee, saying the governor's prediction of a $500 million budget shortfall is overblown.
Cranwell said it may not be necessary for state colleges and universities to follow a directive to cut their budgets up to 15 percent.
Ken Stroupe, spokesman for Allen, said he would accept such an invitation from Wilder, because higher education "is certainly going to be a critical issue."
He said Allen "would welcome such an invitation" to learn where shortfalls would occur.
Jay Marlin, Terry's spokesman, said she would be willing to attend such a meeting.
Neither Stroupe nor Marlin would comment on Cranwell's letter.
Meanwhile, two close Wilder associates reacted strongly to Cranwell's letter of last week to Virginia Tech President James McComas.
Cranwell, a Democrat, said his view of the administration's projection of a shortfall "leads me to the conclusion that the figures are being deliberately distorted for political considerations."
Cranwell said Wilder was underestimating economic growth in the next two years by at least 2 percent - enough to wipe out any deficit.
Glenn Davidson, Wilder's press secretary, said Saturday that Cranwell made a similar accusation about Wilder four years ago.
History has demonstrated that Wilder was correct about Virginia's finances, Davidson said.
The governor, he said, has always been "forthright and forthcoming" about the budget, and his projections "have been on target."
He noted that Sen. Hunter Andrews, head of the Senate Finance Committee, and Del. Robert Ball, head of the House Appropriations Committee, concur with the governor's assessment.
(Andrews, a Democrat from Hampton and Senate majority leader, said earlier this year that as much as $700 million in spending cuts or tax increases could be needed to balance the next budget. Ball said the budget outcome depends on the economy.)
The governor and his team presented estimates to legislative leaders Aug. 23, Davidson said.
In more than three years as governor, according to Davidson, Wilder revenue and cost estimates have been on target.
Paul Goldman, a former state chairman of the Democratic Party and a former political adviser to Wilder, called the Cranwell letter "bad politics and policy."
Goldman said he will tour all state campuses this month, starting at the University of Virginia this week, in his capacity as a new member of the State Council on Higher Education.
He will be at Virginia Tech and Radford University at the end of the month.
He will speak to students, Goldman said, and they will question whether there really is a shortfall that will require budget cuts.
Wilder is trying to deal with a legitimate budgetary problem, Goldman said, and Cranwell's letter makes the job tougher.
Cranwell is confusing the public, he said, and the letter was counterproductive, because Virginia residents must realize this is a legitimate situation.
He said he was "baffled" that Cranwell would hand an issue to the Republicans when education is always a key to state elections.
Cranwell, a Democrat, attacked a sitting Democratic governor, he pointed out.
"This is serious," Goldman said about the prediction for a $500 million shortfall. "We're very serious about this."
by CNB