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

DATE: SUNDAY, September 3, 1995                   TAG: 9509010014
SECTION: HORIZON                    PAGE: G-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THE MESSAGES

TAXES

DEMOCRATS

Under a Democratic legislature, Virginia is one of the lowest-taxed states in the nation - and one of only two states that made it through the recession without a tax increase. But cutting state taxes, some of which find their way back to local governments, runs the risk of prompting localities to raise property taxes to make up for lost revenues.

REPUBLICANS

Even in a low-tax state, there's still room to cut taxes. And local governments need to trim some of their fat, too.

SPENDING

Democrats:

Funding for important state programs should be maintained; in some cases, it should be increased. Giving up lottery funds, now dedicated for education, might mean cutting some of those programs.

Republicans:

The state should turn over proceeds from the lottery to localities, as a way to place more money - and the decisions on how to spend it - closer to the people.

EDUCATION

Democrats:

More teachers should be hired to lower student-teacher ratios, especially in the lower grades, and even more especially at schools in "at-risk" low-income neighborhoods. State funding should also be increased to offset funding disparities between affluent suburban school systems and poorer ones in rural and inner-city districts. But GOP plans for "charter schools" would drain money away from public schools.

Republicans:

Many, but not all, Republicans believe school boards should be allowed to contract with private groups that want to set up experimental "charter schools" within the public school system. Academic standards should be toughened. More money isn't the answer.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Democrats:

State funding should be increased; current funding ranks Virginia 42nd in the country, while average tuition is the third highest. At those levels, the state's university system runs the risk of mediocrity and is beyond the reach of many students.

Republicans:

Gov. George Allen has taken steps to hold down tuition increases. Some say state universities need to "restructure" more to eliminate unnecessary layers of administration and "superfluous" programs. A few agree funding should be increased. Some shy away from the subject altogether.

CRIME

Democrats:

Many volunteer that they backed Allen's plan to abolish parole. But they say the state needs to do more to emphasize crime prevention.

Republicans:

They stress that their party initiated the plan to abolish parole. They prefer to focus on tougher punishment. Also, the juvenile court system should be reorganized, to emphasize punishment rather than rehabilitation.

PRISONS

Democrats:

They concede the state needs to build more prisons as the logical follow-up to abolishing parole, but contend the Democratic-controlled legislature has already set in motion all the facilities that will be needed by 2001. They warn that Republicans are too eager to run up a big debt to build prisons the state may not need.

Republicans:

The state needs to build more prisons as the logical follow-up to abolishing parole. They warn that Democrats are soft on crime and are unwilling to make a financial commitment to a long-term prison-building program that the state eventually will need.