Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 25, 1995 TAG: 9508250066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR AND DAN CASEY STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A "Campaign Notes" item in Wednesday's Roanoke Times suggested that Falkinburg - who's challenging Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum, D-Roanoke - should have consulted with his Republican mentors before blasting the state's practice of paying prisoners for work, as did two weeks ago. The story referred specifically to House Minority Leader Vance Wilkins, R-Amherst County, who in a recent interview said he believed that inmates should continue to be paid.
Falkinburg said he was insulted by the implication that he might have erred by taking a position contrary to Wilkins'.
"I am not going to Richmond specifically to fall in line with anyone," Falkinburg said. "I do not need to seek the permission of any delegate and certainly do not need to kiss the ring of any delegate the way the Democrats kiss 'his royal majesty' [House Speaker] Tom Moss' ring while they debate in secret behind closed doors."
Woodrum's only comment: "I will let the debate between Delegate Vance Wilkins and Dr. Falkinburg proceed without interruption. There is no need in me interfering when they're busy debating themselves."
Falkinburg said he stands behind his call to repeal a law that allows prisoners to be paid 20-45 cents an hour for such work as sweeping floors, serving food and pressing license plates. He pledged that the first bill he would sponsor if elected would remove the Virginia Board of Corrections' authority to pay prisoners.
"This notion that we should allow prisoners to build up a 'nest egg' of money is inappropriate," Falkinburg said. "If they want to build up their own little nest egg, they will have to do it after they pay off their debt to society."
Falkinburg has one ally in his bid to quash the pay legislatively. Del. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, has agreed to co-sponsor such a bill.
"It's outrageous," Griffith said Thursday. "As a policy of the commonwealth, I think it should be repealed. I appreciate Newell bringing it to our attention."
Whether or not Falkinburg is elected, "I think we ought to pursue review of that entire concept of paying prisoners," Griffith said. "What we've done is, we've created a right for prisoners. I think we ought to eliminate that right."
The district Woodrum and Falkinburg are running in covers most of Northwest Roanoke, South Roanoke, Southwest Roanoke, and the Hunting Hills-Cave Spring section of Roanoke County.
Environmentalists endorse Edwards
The Roanoke Valley's infrequently heard environmental lobby endorsed Democrat John Edwards on Thursday for the state Senate seat representing Roanoke and a large portion of Roanoke County.
Edwards best understands the issues that are important to the "health and welfare" of Virginia residents, representatives of the Sierra Club's local chapter said at a news conference on the banks of the Roanoke River.
"John Edwards ... clearly has better positions on the issues than [incumbent Republican Sen. Brandon] Bell," said Bill Tanger, political chairman of the Roanoke River group of the Sierra Club.
After receiving the endorsement, Edwards told the audience it was a fallacy to believe that environmental protection is always at odds with economic growth.
"Without protection against polluted water, dirty air and toxic soil, not only will our quality of life erode, but our chances for economic progress will decay," he said.
The club, one of the state's largest grass-roots environmental organizations, says it has 10,000 dues-paying members across the commonwealth and 300 in the Roanoke region.
It bases its endorsements on questionnaires sent to General Assembly candidates that included questions about compliance with federal Clean Air and Clean Water Acts; cleanup of toxic-waste sites; attempts to gut Virginia's environmental regulations; and expanding public funding for state parks.
Tanger said Bell didn't return the organization's survey, a "clear indication" that he cares little about conservation issues.
"That's a bogus claim," Bell said in response. "We have not ruled out responding to their questionnaire. We've gotten a lot of questionnaires."
One of the questions Tanger highlighted concerns a national river preservation program that seeks to identify and protect the state's "pristine" waterways. Gov. George Allen has delayed implementation of the program, and Bell has taken no action to push it, Tanger said.
"That's one of the reasons we need another senator in Richmond," he said.
Bell said the organization has read his record incorrectly. He suggested it cares little about the effect of environmental regulations on job growth. And he noted the majority of Democrats in the legislature also are at odd with the Sierra Club on many issues.
"It's bogus to say that somehow, they alone can dictate whether somebody is supportive of the environment," he said. "I've worked to balance constructive environmental legislation with a strong economic focus also."
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB