Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 18, 1994 TAG: 9404180019
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mike Hudson and Dwayne Yancey
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
She says the superstore would undermine neighborhoods by increasing traffic congestion in Northwest Roanoke and by causing smaller merchants all over the valley to close down.
"The cost to the city is too high," she says.
City officials heralded Wal-Mart's plans at a news conference in February, calling it a major economic boost that "will bring 450 jobs."
But Duerk, a member of the city Planning Commission, says she believes the new store would eliminate more jobs than it creates by putting smaller competitors out of business. And she says the jobs it will offer will be too low-paying to be much of an economic boon.
"Wal-Mart will come in and offer $11,000-a-year jobs," Duerk says. "My children need more than that to survive." At a candidates' forum last week, Duerk argued that the city needs to do more to help local businesses grow and help new ones get started - instead of putting so much time into "bringing in the Golden Goose from the outside." Most of Wal-Mart's profits will be sent out of the Roanoke Valley to Arkansas, where Wal-Mart is based, Duerk said.
Democratic incumbent William White disagreed with Duerk over Wal-Mart. "I don't think we should say who can come into the valley and who can't come into the valley," he said. White said the best way to encourage economic development is to "encourage the free enterprise system."
The store would be the largest in Virginia. Wal-Mart is seeking a zoning change so it can build an access road to Interstate 581. City Manager Bob Herbert has said in a news release that "both the investment from Wal-Mart and the long-term road proposal will greatly benefit the citizens of our community."
Duerk argues that Wal-Mart's plans don't fit into the city's comprehensive long-range plan, which puts strong emphasis on improving and preserving neighborhoods.
"I do believe in free enterprise," she says. "But sometimes you just have to sit up and make decisions on how you want your community developed."
City Council is scheduled to vote on the special zoning May 2, the day before the council election.\ \ A Friend of a Friend of Bill
At a recent forum on education issues, several City Council candidates trumpeted their education in Roanoke's public schools. William White admitted that he had not gone to school here, but added that he had been educated in a pretty good school system in his boyhood home of Hot Springs, Ark. In fact, the same school system that produced the Roanoke City Council member also produced another political leader - President Bill Clinton.
Although they are the same age - 47 - they never knew each other. White graduated in 1966 from Langston High, which was traditionally the city's black school. Clinton went to Hot Springs High.
But White did "know of" Clinton. Clinton played the saxophone in an integrated rock 'n' roll lounge band with one of White's friends, Glen Mahoney. White remembers watching them perform. Mahoney went on to work for Clinton in the Arkansas attorney general's office, and White has heard he's now working in Washington.
Given the number of Friends of Bill who have risen to positions of influence these days in Washington, does White ever wonder how his life might have been different if he had gotten to know Clinton during their younger days?
Not really.
"Somebody, Mayor Bowers I think, said, `You might be in the White House today,' " White said with a laugh. "Somebody else said I might not be in the White House - I might be in Whitewater."\ \ A key issue
Barbara Duerk likes to bring audiovisual aids to her public appearances, especially her "Roanoke Proud" bumper stickers and buttons. At a Parent-Teachers Association forum last year, she held up a small bronze-colored key.
"This is the key I'm going to use to open doors," she said. "And I have a key for each of you."
She reached into an envelope full of clinking keys and began handing them out.
A voice from somewhere in the audience said: "I want the one to the Porsche."\ \ Harris `dismayed' with administration
Democrat Nelson Harris has emerged as the candidate most likely to point out that Roanoke has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any city in the state - and the candidate most likely to criticize the city administration.
At a forum last week, the Baptist minister expressed his "dismay" that more than five months after City Manager Bob Herbert pledged to appoint a task force to confront the teen pregnancy issue, Herbert has yet to do so.
"If I'm elected, teens and children will be a top priority," Harris said.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB