Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 25, 1995 TAG: 9501250051
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Charter schools are an idea whose time is long overdue. The concept is about educating our children, and empowering parents, neighborhoods and communities to provide appropriate and suitable education for the next generation. It's about restoring local ownership of education - something that has been stripped away by school bureaucracy.
Once again, we hear the same tired litany from the Virginia Education Association and school bureaucracies: Charter schools will ruin existing school systems, will siphon money from existing schools; only the wealthy (presumably white) parents will care enough to be involved, and will leave existing schools poor and segregated.
Once again, these criticisms are amazing in their smug and thinly disguised racial presumption. Those standing to gain the most from an alternative to the existing public schools are precisely those who are being harmed the most by our current system's failures.
The school boards' and VEA opposition to charter schools is based solely on their fear of competition and probable loss of control. This is exactly what we need to see happen - real competition in government-funded school systems, and return of control of schools to the neighborhood and community level.
The focus in this debate should be our children's education, not the power and control of school boards.
C. ALAN HENRY
ROANOKE
Three programs shouldn't be cut
I TAKE strong exception to many of Gov. Allen's proposals - in three areas in particular:
One feature that will set the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center apart from other similar facilities is the Virginia Tech Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement. COTA will be to the corporate sector what the statewide Cooperative Extension Service has been to the public - a vehicle for transferring important information developed by Tech to others having a need. With Hotel Roanoke and the Conference Center soon to open, now isn't the time to slash its budget and undermine the potential waiting to be tapped. It's imperative this project continue as previously planned, and in no circumstances can I support anything less.
With the governor's proposals, programs such as Meals on Wheels will be in jeopardy in many places. Senior citizens have given their families and communities much in their lifetime. Now isn't the time to turn the back of state government on them.
The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service shouldn't be exposed to budget cuts. As dependent on agriculture as Virginia is, it is imperative that the top-quality service we have now be continued. In my opinion, cutting the budget would compromise the Extension Service's ability to continue to perform its role.
RHUDY CAMPER
FOREST
When responsibility goes to the dogs
REGARDING Donna Garrett's Jan. 11 letter to the editor, ``Dogs fare better than children'':
Let me address the issue of human responsibility. Although her statement about the dog population taking over is slightly exaggerated, thousands of homeless dogs and cats are killed daily. The problem isn't how many dogs a family has, but those abusing the privilege of owning a pet. They have a responsibility to the pet and others to have only as many pets as they can afford financially and emotionally. Unfortunately, this responsibility isn't often met by dog owners or parents.
Dogs, as well as children, are abused, starved, neglected and dumped in trash bins or abandoned daily. Dogs can and have harmed people. But many times more often, the news reports are of shootings, stabbings, rapes and other violent crimes committed by youths and young children. I'm more wary of a child approaching me with a ``toy'' gun than I am of a dog. Behind all these horrible stories of violence, there's usually a responsibility not met, and it's not that of the dog's or child's.
I don't have the answer to fix these injustices. I do try to do my part to help others when I can, and by living true to my beliefs. I own two healthy and friendly dogs that bring me and others a great deal of joy and love. They're neutered and fed quality dog food, and I have them on a regular vaccination schedule - not because I'm taking food out of poverty-stricken children's mouths, but because the dogs are my choice and my responsibility.
If Garrett thinks my priorities are turned around, perhaps she should look at today's children who ``have to have'' cellular phones and $175 sneakers.
CHARLOTTE N. PANTALL
ROANOKE
Message to Kohinke: Chill out
CONCERNING the woman whose trailer is 240 feet on the wrong side of the line (Jan. 12 news article, ``Frozen out on the wrong side of the line''), Supervisor Ed Kohinke says the woman's home is trash. By association, this implies the woman also is.
Why doesn't Kohinke go to Haiti and buy one of those palatial estates up in the hills so he can look down on the masses and really feel superior? I say he should spend the next subzero night outside in a cardboard box with nothing but his aura for warmth.
Three cheers for those who are giving their time, money and effort to secure this woman's future health.
KERMIT W. SALYER JR.
ROANOKE
Quit whining about budget cuts
AFTER the Nov. 8 election, liberal whining screamed at us through the media.
Congressman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said tax cuts proposed in the Republicans' Contract with America would be the ``racism'' of the '90s. In December, Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala cried that the GOP's proposed welfare reforms were a ``cruel hoax.'' However, she testified recently that the Clinton administration's reform proposals were similar. (Jan. 11 Associated Press article, ``Shalala admits Clinton, GOP plans similar'').
After 40 years of pork, glut and failure of the Great Society, Americans have said enough is enough. Prior to Gov. Allen, Virginia was saddled with 12 years of government growth and tax increases. Our state government has been fat and inefficient. Yet we hear all sorts of whining about government reduction.
Shouts of discord were heard regarding the dismantling of the Global School at Radford, but university professors said this program was a white elephant (Jan. 10 commentary, ``Global college at Radford deserved dismantling'' by Robert M. Gill, Nicholas J. Pappas and Craig Waggaman). Mayor David Bowers said he's going to send city employees home as a ``day of reckoning'' to demonstrate how services would be missed. Citizens, though, would recognize that a well-planned million-dollar reduction in Roanoke city would cut services that would not be missed. No one would notice. Same goes for Roanoke County.
Roger O'Dell (Jan. 10 letter to the editor) says, ``Downsizing reduces the number of jobs.'' But downsizing also provides for reducing taxes and allowing small business - the largest employer in America - to efficiently put more people to work. In turn, more people working increases tax revenues.
Allen and the GOP were elected to correct the problem of gluttonous government. Thank goodness, they're going to do it.
STEPHEN B. MUNRO
ROANOKE
Clinic-access bill is necessary
I WAS most distressed to read of the close vote on the amendment to kill the clinic-access bill (Jan. 19 news story, ``Clinic bill edges forward''). This bill simply requires minimum sentencing for those with multiple convictions of blockading health-care facilities.
Unfortunately, in today's climate it's necessary to have additional protection for those entering a health-care facility. If mandatory minimum sentences are the only way to ensure consistent sentencing and to ensure punishment is meted out - then it's necessary! Without this bill, we're allowing an escalation of this illegal activity, which also can lead to violence. I'm sure no one wants a repeat of the Salvi incident here in Virginia.
For legislators favoring the amendment, shame on you. For legislators favoring the bill, thanks.
SUELLEN STRACKE
CLOVERDALE
by CNB