Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 26, 1995 TAG: 9501260127
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: VIRGINIA EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
State Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County, wants to slash funding for museums in Martinsville and Staunton and use the money to make up proposed budget cuts to the Hotel Roanoke, Explore Park and various Roanoke Valley museums.
He says he's simply looking out for the interests of Roanoke Valley taxpayers who are being forced to subsidize two museums he says either aren't well-attended or well-supported by their home communities.
Specifically, Bell wants to cut state funding to the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville and the Museum of American Frontier Culture in Staunton by 50 percent.
But some fellow Western Virginia legislators - so far, all Democrats - reacted with indignation Wednesday, loudly complaining that Bell has "declared war on his neighbors" and fractured the unity of the region's legislative delegation.
The result was a verbal firefight with his Western Virginia colleagues - one that has them accusing Bell of being a traitor to the region and him accusing the Democrats of being spendthrifts.
Bell's proposals face dim prospects, because they have to go before a Senate Finance Committee that includes Virgil Goode, D-Rocky Mount, whose district covers Martinsville.
Indeed, the sniping began even before Bell could publicize his budget proposals - which would cut almost $980,000 from the Martinsville museum and more than $620,000 from the Staunton museum and distribute it among 10 Roanoke Valley organizations.
Goode spotted the amendments and spread the word to his fellow Democratic legislators, who quickly alerted the news media back home.
"Now I know how folks in Atlanta felt when Sherman came through," declared Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Martinsville. "It's a scorched earth policy."
Martinsville museum backers feel especially embattled after spending much of the past year trying to save their institution. Last January, Bell suggested that Explore take it over. Later, a gubernatorial commission looking at reorganizing state government toyed with cutting off state funding entirely.
Bell said it's "unfair" that the state pays almost 100 percent of the operating costs of the Martinsville and Staunton museums because they're state agencies, while paying only about 20 percent of the budgets of such Roanoke attractions as Center in the Square and the Virginia Museum of Transportation because they're not state agencies.
"All I'm asking the Martinsville area to do is go into the private community" and raise private funds to help pay for the natural history museum's operations, Bell said. "I think the Martinsville area would enthusiastically step forward to sustain the museum."
But Armstrong said that cutting half of the natural history museum's $2 million budget would put it out of business. "We're talking about a door-closing amendment," Armstrong said.
Roanoke Valley Democrats rallied to the defense of the Martinsville museum. "I don't believe in trying to cannibalize Southwest Virginia," said House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County.
He and other Democrats declared that Bell had committed the unpardonable sin of pitting one part of Western Virginia against another. "You don't need to declare war on your near neighbors," said Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum, D-Roanoke.
Instead, he said legislators from Western Virginia needed to band together to protect funding for projects throughout the region. Cranwell suggested if Bell wanted to cut a state agency's funding to pay for Roanoke Valley projects, he should target one in another part of the state - such as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.
"Why is he picking on ones in Southwest Virginia?" Cranwell asked.
But Bell countered that Democrats were fixated on protecting state funding for projects that could be partially paid for through private contributions. "That's not in keeping with the direction of government these days, which is to reduce the cost to taxpayers," Bell said. "They want to spend more and more money. I don't think they're responding to what people want."
He denied his budget proposals would make it difficult to unite with other Western Virginia legislators. "I've always worked on a regional basis," he said.
Woodrum, though, said he'd had to spend much of his day assuring Martinsville legislators that Bell's plan isn't a Roanoke Valley plot to steal their funding.
"We have a rich tradition of working together for one another," Armstrong said. "I'm not from Roanoke but I've looked out for Roanoke and legislators from Roanoke, excluding Senator Bell, have looked out for Martinsville. For another member of this delegation to rape and pillage from Martinsville and Henry County is reprehensible."
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GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1995
by CNB