Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 6, 1994 TAG: 9402080004
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SHARON MILLS WOZNIAK
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Disney recently poofed into our community, slapping us with the Golden Rule: "Whoever has the gold makes the rules," an idea portrayed in their latest fantasy movie that is fast becoming reality in Haymarket. Disney sees us as being partners in building roads, creating jobs and evolving tax revenues.
Partners - all Virginians send money here to make Disney money. Rob Peter to pay Paul, letting your road money suffer; and we suffer with new roads thrown as only life preservers to areas already drowning in traffic. We don't need roads to just tread water (still not going anywhere) for thousands and thousands of tourists every day.
Jobs - were you asked in Covington with a 10.8 percent unemployment rate or Buchanan County at 11.7 percent if you'd like some of those jobs? How about South Boston or Petersburg at 9.6 percent unemployment? Do you and other Virginians want to send your tax dollars to Northern Virginia, where mostly white-collar unemployment rates hover between 2 and 3 percent?
Has anyone asked if you'd like to plan for such an enterprise in a more reasonable area than one already choked with traffic and forced to find more expensive ways of building roads around so many people?
No, you haven't been asked anything and neither have we.
Gov. George Allen immediately vowed state aid before asking any of us. Our elected representatives fell all over themselves for Disney before the people here in Prince William County were asked.
As taxpayers, we deserve to know monetary arrangements from square-one negotiations. Our legislators should not have been put off until Jan. 20 to get details of Disney's demands. We are contributing taxpayers, not children awaiting a parental decision about what's best for us. With a $500 million revenue shortfall, do we want $245 million in obligations to help a megabusiness like Disney with no legal commitment to pay back taxpayers? I bet you small-business owners would like such treatment.
What if Disney starts losing hundreds of millions, like its Euro Disney in Paris? Or worse yet, in the middle of the project money problems surface unendingly, and Disney holds us hostage, saying: "We're in this too far; help us more or we all lose!"
What if they finally build and make that almost $2 billion in 30 years that we've been promised in tax revenues? Then, Northern Virginia will be asking you for that $2 billion bypass and zillions more road dollars for traffic to Disney-generated flop and burger joints and for trucks to keep Disney-generated strips supplied in toilet paper, buns and booze.
Multibillion-dollar companies get that way by thoroughly researching needs, including building and investment sources. The $8.5 billion Disney company's two years' planning knew more than the timely revised information trickled out at a snail's pace to hinder opposition.
Profit isn't a dirty word, but taking advantage of hard-working people is a dirty shame! Zonings are being changed and concessions are being made as Disney muscles its way through, gathering supporters with special interests. We have the mistake to make by acting in haste. For two years we've unknowingly been in their best interest. What's the hurry?
We must remind our elected officials that they represent us! Let's show Disney and their billions that their gold does not rule!
\ Sharon Mills Wozniak lives in Haymarket.
by CNB