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

DATE: SUNDAY, February 5, 1995                   TAG: 9502030056
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: F-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MILLS E. GODWIN JR., LINWOOD HOLTON AND GERALD L. BALILES
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

VIRGINIA MUST INVEST IN HER FUTURE

EACH OF us has been privileged to hold the highest office within the gift of Virginia's people. One of us has held that office twice. We share a deep pride in the remarkable story of the commonwealth's progress over the past three decades.

We join in this letter not only because we believe in Virginia's destiny, but also because we know that to secure that destiny Virginians must now make wise and fateful decisions on public matters of the first importance.

In recent decades, Virginia has been among the nation's fastest growing states. We have attracted several million new people. That growth has been fueled by a dynamic and varied economy that has depended not only upon traditional manufacturing enterprise, but also upon high-technology companies whose success is built by brainpower rather than the speed of traditional assembly lines.

Economic growth - welcome in itself - has imposed increased demands upon government to help educate our citizens, build a sound infrastructure to move our people and products to their destinations, preserve our natural resources and our culture; and provide for the basic needs of our less fortunate citizens, especially the mentally ill.

Private prosperity has generated the revenues necessary to support the increased cost of essential governmental services. Fortunately, in the use of that revenue, Virginia has adhered faithfully to its strong bipartisan tradition of careful fiscal management and low taxation. Our ability to manage Virginia's fiscal affairs prudently is the product of the bedrock common sense of Virginia's people and the rising dividends paid by a dynamic and growing private sector.

As to the future, we believe that Virginia must shape a public policy for the commonwealth which rests on the twin pillars of economic growth and the careful investment of public dollars in essential governmental services.

Virginia's excellent and diverse system of higher education must be among our most crucial future investments. The economic progress we need will not happen if Virginia's universities remain mired near the bottom in public support when compared to other states. Virginia's universities will become inaccessible for far too many of our people if tuition costs remain higher than any other state but one.

Virginia has become the commonwealth we love because of its fidelity to values which define its history: integrity, foresight, frugality and the courage to make wise investments for the long term. We have consistently avoided the costly errors of the federal government. Solutions appropriate to deal with problems caused by systematic mismanagement in Washington over the years are not needed in Virginia.

Now is the time to make critical new investments in Virginia's future. We believe the place to start is by reaffirming public support for our unique system of higher education, which is the envy of the nation and which must remain so.

Mills E. Godwin Jr. was governor from 1966 to 1970 and from 1974 to 1978, Linwood Holton from 1970 to 1974 and Gerald L. Baliles from 1986 to 1990. This is their letter sent last week to the General Assembly leadership.

by CNB