Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 7, 1995 TAG: 9502070045
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
If it's a term to describe an organization that educates, provides forums for many points of view, enlightens, exposes, provides quality programs and delivers arts, information, science and literature to the working class in ways that other groups can't or don't, then critics may apply the term to the NEA and PBS. However, if the objective is to insinuate that these organizations serve only a small group of people with a limited scope of services, then ``elitist'' is untrue.
The NEA brings art and literary experiences to the public through a great array of worthy programs in schools, community art centers, grass-roots performance groups and others. It serves as a catalyst or necessary grantor for programs supported by their communities. While opponents would like us to believe that this organization squanders a huge portion of taxpayers' money, NEA comprises only a tiny percentage of the national budget.
There's no better example of a broadcasting system that survives because of the desire of the people than PBS. While many complain about the lack of quality programming, the unnecessary violence and the inadequate news coverage of most television and radio stations, PBS is an excellent alternative that allows us to do something positive about these complaints. By allowing PBS to be cut from the national budget, we're saying that we're satisfied with tabloid programming for the bulk of our viewing or listening.
Those who throw out the term ``elitist'' are telling us regular folk that we don't need intelligent reporting, thought-expanding shows and exhibits, or cultural and information programs. The only elitist is the one who has the economic means to expose himself to any cultural or educational experience he desires, but would deny this to those who lack the means.
MARY ELLEN PLITT CLIFTON FORGE
Classical music is the genre of fame
I'M SURE the Christopher Parkening concert was a wonderful show, but the reviewer should have written ``the most famous classical music guitarist'' instead of ``the most famous guitarist'' when describing him (Jan. 21 review, ``Guitarist fulfills high expectations''). Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Hank Williams are all better-known than Parkening.
GLENN R. RAMSEY JR. ROANOKE
Tenure: preservative for deadwood
PROFESSOR Sam Riley (Jan. 21 letter to the editor, ``How about term limits for college administrators?'') omitted a major ``failing'' in the university schema that turns his ``devil's triangle'' into a prison box: tenure.
In far too many academic departments (one hopes not all), faculty are guaranteed lifelong employment simply because they don't threaten the status quo of their senior colleagues. When new ideas and different approaches do challenge the comfort of the tenured, newcomers are promptly dropped from ``the mezzanine of the ivory tower'' on which Riley says he stands.
Limiting terms for top university administrators (who work on 12-month, annual contracts as it is) might be a good move, as long as we also reduce the now-limitless terms of our faculty. Whatever its original purpose, tenure now preserves ``deadwood'' at the expense of ``new blood.''
The New College of Global Studies' faculty served without tenure, some members having relinquished it to come to the college to avoid tenure's stranglehold on education. It may comfort some that Riley resents the emphasis on global issues and prefers to ``focus on matters closer to home.'' It causes others alarm that he, and the academy for which he speaks, cannot think globally and locally at the same time!
CHARLES E. HOWE III BLACKSBURG
An apparent slight to Rocky Mount?
REFERRING to the Jan. 11 Extra section story, ``A cardinal sin?,'' regarding an apparent slight to Roanoke city: I also don't like or appreciate negative publicity of any kind.
Your staff writer mentioned that even Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount?) was on the map. Perhaps he needs to pick up trash on the roads in Franklin County for a month or two, so that he can familiarize himself with a pretty big market for the Roanoke Times & World-News. Have him contact Sheriff Quincy Overton or the Franklin News Post, and they can show him where to start.
RON HODGES ROCKY MOUNT
Nothing uniform about assessments
IN LEE B. Eddy's Jan. 17 letter to the editor ``Assessments match market value,'' he says tax rates haven't gone up in recent years. But if assessments go up several percentage points each year, that's a tax increase. Taxes on my property have increased about 40 percent in the past 10 years.
Eddy says property assessments in Roanoke County went up an average of 3.3 percent from 1994 to 1995. I don't know how he came up with that figure, based on the following: My property increased 6.45 percent. I checked in the tax books on 20 properties within a block of my property, and there was an average increase of 6.79 percent, which is more than double the average Eddy claims.
He says properties should be assessed uniformly throughout the jurisdiction. Increases on those 20 properties vary from 2.7 percent to 12.31 percent. Is this uniform? Every lot is now assessed at the same price. Some assessments increased $1,000; others, $1,500. It's hard to believe every lot is worth exactly the same, regardless of location, size, shape or condition.
I'd like to know what kind of guidelines assessors use. On each side of my property are identical bilevel houses. One increased 12.31 percent and the other 6.6 percent. One is still priced at $7,500 higher than the other. My house is ranch style. Across the street is another larger ranch. Both have drive-in garages. Mine is assessed $5,000 higher.
Eddy mentioned going to the Board of Equalization. Based on all I've seen and heard, that's a waste of time. I tried it once and was treated with disrespect. Perhaps, as was suggested by Walker Nelms' Jan. 8 letter entitled ``Taxes may lead to ballot-box revolt,'' we need to clean house, get some people who can figure percentages and quit continually increasing the amount of our taxes they spend.
HAROLD B. HATCHER ROANOKE\ Justice system loses its perspective
I READ the Jan. 18 Knight-Ridder/Tribune story in this newspaper (``Dog rescues 9 pups that owner buried alive'') about the owner burying his dog's puppies alive (2 feet deep), and how the mother dog broke her chain to get to her babies and dig them up before they died.
Some humans aren't this compassionate. Abortion proves that. Two people are involved - the woman who has the abortion, and the man who got her pregnant. (He agrees to it whether he's there or not). A contract is made on the baby through a killer doctor. All legal. No penalties.
Yet our justice system will apply some penalty on this man for burying the puppies alive. Our justice system and elected officials no longer believe in our motto written on our coins, ``In God We Trust.''
RALPH C. WALL AXTON
Remarks to state workers were unfair
IN RESPONSE to the Jan. 21 letter to the editor from Julia Y. King (``State workers have no time for games'') concerning Gov. Allen's remarks about state employees playing games on computers during working hours:
It does happen, but it wasn't fair for Allen to imply that about all state employees. The department where I work at Virginia Tech doesn't have time some days to take lunch or any breaks, due to our work load and the fact that the department provides a service to the 23,000-plus students at Tech. Seven out of 10 employees in this department are wage workers who can only work 30 hours a week, and can get no insurance or any other benefits from the state. This is due to cuts made at Tech over the past five years.
I agree that Allen needs to reconsider his comments and focus on positive things that most state employees do for Virginia.
PATSY CHERRY BLACKSBURG
by CNB