Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 13, 1995 TAG: 9502140002
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
If I were Jones, I'd be concerned that initiative and referendum would harm the political power that interest groups such as the Virginia Education Association have skillfully accumulated over the years. Ordinary voters are more difficult to lobby than members of the General Assembly.
The information age lends itself to more citizens participating in decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods. The top-down management style of Virginia government is being abandoned by many industries that find it to their advantage to include ordinary workers in management decisions.
One way to rate an idea is to look at the type of opposition it inspires. If Richmond power-brokers such as the VEA are against initiative and referendum, this may be a good indication that the idea is worth considering.
HOWARD DICKERSON WILLIS
Cure the cancer of intolerance
WAR AND terrorism scare me. Homelessness, disease and man's continual inhumanity to man sadden me deeply. I have little or no control over these events or tragedies. However, a trend is developing in our world, especially our nation, that touches us on a daily basis.
Intolerance has permeated our culture like a cancer that goes from cell to cell, doing more and more damage as time progresses. We're intolerant of people based on religion or lack of it, on reproductive rights, on sexual orientation, on income or lack of it and on many other personal issues.
We continually hear about family values in today's politically correct society. As I watch my son grow up, I wonder at what point we'll begin legislating intolerance. We stand up and scream that this or that is wrong, but I often wonder when individuals became divine. I can only pray that before we impose more "family values," we'll stop the malignant disease of intolerance.
For those who say this is just another liberal thinking aloud, well, that's true. But please be gentle. I'm married, have a small child, work and pay taxes.
CHUCK M. CRUSH ROANOKE
A masterpiece on urban renewal
THE ROANOKE Times & World-News should be congratulated for the journalistic masterpiece written by one of your staff writers concerning the plight of Gainsboro and Old Northwest Roanoke over the past 45 years (Jan. 29 series, ``Urban renewal's untold stories''). Her command of the facts is obviously based on months of copious research, and her gift for exhibiting pieces of the lost American dream in the living color and exact shadings of well-written prose is as evident as her desire to approach the issues with dignity and fairness.
I applaud the editors for their boldness in publishing this valuable piece, due to its controversial nature.
The mirror image is sometimes not a pleasant or painless thing to behold, but it's right and proper for the community newspaper to lead the way in taking a look at ourselves as a people in a far-reaching community, and the course of our evolution to this place in time. Real growth and positive renewal, both internal and external, are born from this.
I've saved that edition for my kids to read to their kids one day.
MARY HAMLIN ELLISTON
College cuts will hurt local economy
FUNDING to public colleges and universities is being cut so that Gov. Allen can lower taxes. This is good for working Virginians, but not for students. Institutions are being forced to cut programs that could help students get better jobs when they graduate.
Working America is getting more competitive, and students coming out of school are finding it harder to get good jobs. If educational programs are cut, many students will bypass Virginia and go to other schools. This will hurt our economy. In small towns like Blacksburg, Tech students give the town a huge economic boost.
Virginians are going to have to decide whether we would rather have lower taxes or give young people a better education. I just hope we make the right choice.
HOUSTON JOHNSON SALEM
Taxpayers may foot new `Marshall Plan'
FOR 50 years since World War II, America's tax dollars have been expended, starting with the infamous Marshall Plan, to rebuild nations and protect their freedom from communism. At long last communism, for the most part, has collapsed.
America immediately went to the financial aid of Russia. Thanks to the almighty dollar, Russia can afford to wage a disastrous war against its own people, with our leaders' blessing.
Russia has had three years to settle differences. It chose the dead of winter to destroy Chechnya to create the maximum misery of its citizens. Thus, our next ``Marshall Plan.''
America apparently is bankrupt. Our citizens know where the money will come from.
SHIRLEY H. CANNADAY ROANOKE
Social Security is Congress' dip fund
IN RESPONSE to Fred Worth's Jan. 28 letter to the editor ``Retirement, longevity must be linked'' regarding Social Security:
He suggests that Americans should be willing to extend the retirement age to 67 to keep the Social Security Administration afloat. I totally disagree.
The only way to salvage our benefits is to remove them from government hands. Social Security has become a dip fund for elected officials - when government overspends, officials dip into Social Security funds to make up shortages.
I read awhile back that government was spending $1 billion weekly of Social Security funds. Social Security is a fund contributed to solely by employer-employee donations, and it has no business in government hands. It should be managed privately, and the funds used only for their intended purpose - employee retirement benefits.
I think a person who works 40 years and pays taxes to support this great nation deserves to retire, regardless of age. If withheld Social Security funds were only used for their intended purpose and all surplus money was placed in an interest-drawing account, the fund could never go broke.
As a final thought, I'd like to point out that after the snafu with Social Security, the federal government now proposes to fix our health care by making it a government agency. Wake up, Americans.
BARRY L. CAREY BLAND
Dropouts most likely to need prisons
AS PART of his scheme to reduce state expenditures, Gov. Allen asked legislators to eliminate dropout-prevention grants to localities. This move would save the state $10.5 million a year (Jan. 29 article, ``Here's the logic behind Allen's proposed fund cuts to schools''). This proposal is incredibly nearsighted.
It's ironic that Allen wants to save $10.5 million by eliminating the dropout-prevention program, and at the same time wants to spend some $2 billion to construct new prisons. High-school dropouts are more likely than graduates to end up in those prisons.
Nationally, about 20 percent of adults didn't finish high school, but they make up about 60 percent of the inmates in state prisons. I'm not sure if Allen doesn't know this, doesn't care or thinks it's someone else's problem. But in my view, a governor needs to look at the big picture and try to understand the causes of crime
His approach - lock them up and throw away the key - isn't my idea of looking at the big picture.
THEODORE D. FULLER BLACKSBURG
Satisfied patients weren't included
I SUBMIT that the Jan. 15 article on Dr. Eric S. Korsh (``Back patients hit back at surgeon'') was totally biased in favor of the disgruntled patients with chronic-back syndrome listed in the article.
I'm a patient with chronic-back syndrome, and found the doctor's treatment to be in complete opposition to its portrayal in the article. Korsh told me I had three choices:
Do nothing, and treat acute stages.
Physical therapy.
Surgery as a last resort.
He recommended No. 2, which I followed, and received relief.
I feel the article should have included comments from patients who received relief from his treatment rather than being confined to patients and an attorney (making money) criticizing him. I can attest to discomfort patients have, and am in total sympathy with their difficulty. However, what did Korsh offer to relieve their pain? Were choices offered the same as mine? The ultimate decision was theirs to make.
HELEN B. MARTIN ROANOKE
by CNB