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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 2, 1994                   TAG: 9501050003
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

COUNTDOWN

IF THE POLLS are correct, Americans have never felt so crabby about their government.

Never mind that the economy is looking right rosy, the deficit is coming down, employment is up, inflation is holding steady. We`re mad, and we're not going to take it anymore.

Consider just one recent survey, taken for Time magazine and CNN, that measured our disgust with Washington, D.C.:

Asked how much of the time we trust the government to do what's right, only 19 percent said always or most of the time, compared with 76 percent who trusted government in 1964.

Choosing phrases that describe our elected officials, 88 percent said ``mainly concerned about getting re-elected,'' 84 percent said ``heavily influenced by special interests,'' 84 percent said ``out of touch with the average person.'' Only 20 percent said ``govern wisely;'' 19 percent said ``honest.''

Asked which groups we think have too much influence in government, 86 percent said the wealthy; 84 percent, large corporations; 83 percent, the media; 79 percent, lawyers; 64 percent, special-interest groups; 59 percent, the gun lobby; 48 percent, labor unions; 36 percent, consumer advocates.

Only 6 percent attributed influence to middle-class Americans. Only 3 percent claimed influence in government by ``people like you'' - meaning, of course, themselves.

Fortunately, we live in a democracy. Six days from now, important elections will be held - in Virginia and other states - to choose many government officials.

Unfortunately, many Americans won't participate. According to one estimate of nationwide turnout, about 36 percent of those eligible will vote. That's a disgrace.

Large corporations, special interests, other distracting influences and the politicians themselves will have to watch next Tuesday from the sidelines. So will the media. On Election Day, power shifts completely to ``people like you.''

So cheer up, get involved, plan to use your influence by participating in the poll that counts. And do choose wisely.

by CNB