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

DATE: SATURDAY, October 2, 1993                   TAG: 9310020114
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ROB EURE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HOT SPRINGS                                LENGTH: Medium

ALLEN, TERRY WOO MANUFACTURERS

Democrat Mary Sue Terry and Republican George Allen each promised to follow the Virginia Manufacturer's Association agenda, down to the fine print, during a debate before the group at the lavish Homestead resort.

For leaders of the state's manufacturing industries, that means:

Generally protecting business over the environment.

Guarding conservative laws on workers' compensation and personal injury.

Vetoing any collective bargaining laws for public employees and repealing the executive order that allows state employees a union or association dues checkoff.

Aggressively enforcing the state's right-to-work law.

Reducing state regulations on industry and ensuring that those regulations do not exceed federal minimums.

Terry pledged to appoint many of those in the audience to her proposed Board of Trade and Commerce. Allen declared war on regulations, promising to create a strike force to repeal many of the current requirements on business and "slap the hands of these bureaucrats" who write them.

"If we're going to care about snail darters and woodpeckers, we also ought to look out for people," he said.

In their third debate, neither Allen nor Terry strayed from pro-business positions. Executives at the session represented much of the foundation of Virginia's business establishment.

Despite the lack of substantive disputes, the two politicians found room to squabble.

Allen charged Terry with "political cowardice" for failing as state attorney general to help collect more than $50 million in fines against the United Mine Workers union following the 1989 coal strike in Southwest Virginia.

Terry responded that in a preliminary ruling in the case, the U.S. Supreme court gave her office "no standing to collect fines." Final action is pending.

Pulaski Furniture Co. president Bunny Wampler, an executive who has backed pro-business Democrats, said he thought Terry presented more specifics in the debate.

"She knows more issues, so George has to talk in more political terms," he said. Wampler said Allen's more aggressive style in the debate would not sit well with the executives.

"I know they don't like that kind of attack," Wampler said.

Keywords:
POLITICS