Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 29, 1995 TAG: 9510300037
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Bedford County
District 1:
Russell "Butch" Wright: "No. I think there [are] sufficient tax dollars to support an increase in educational funding. The monies need to be shifted to educational programs."
Wesley Gordon Jr. : Did not respond.
District 5:
Eugene Erb: "If necessary, however, I do not believe an increase is necessary at this time. The education of our children is paramount to our survival as a nation and I believe more of the existing resources should be allocated to education. If the resources are truly not available, then a tax increase may be warranted."
Betty Earle: Did not respond.
District 6:
Hunter Hale Jr.: "We really don't need an increase in state taxes. If we would just be wiser in what we do with what we have. Not so many state mandates and more educational funding."
Shirley McCabe: Did not respond.
District 7:
Stanley Butler: "Only if it were clearly evident that our education system was deteriorating because of the lack of financial resources. First we need to maximize our usage of educational financial resources. Let's get the most bang for our buck."
Benny Shrader: "No. Available funds should be re-allocated, prioritizing educational funding."
Botetourt County
Valley District:
Michael Beahm: "I would support an increase in state taxes to provide more money for education only if the money is truly used for education and is used for public and higher education. I would support the increase only if a genuine concerted effort is made to bring all localities up to an equal higher plane."
Fincastle District:
Sally Eads: "I would like more help in achieving smaller classes in elementary schools, especially in the primary years. This would save the state money in the long run, because less remediation would be needed, less special education later, fewer dropouts would occur. Does that warrant a tax increase? I don't know."
David Emeigh: "No. Not immediately. Let's first make sure that we are not wasting tax money."
L.W. "Jack" Leffel Jr.: "I would support it if the money were used efficiently and effectively. I would not support more money just to say we have higher per student spending."
Blue Ridge District:
James Ruhland: Did not respond.
Craig County:
Alleghany District:
James Cady: Did not respond.
Simmonsville District:
Bonnie Hutchison: Did not respond.
Rodney Williams: Did not respond.
New Castle District:
Thomas Zimmerman: Did not respond.
Two at-large seats:
Patrick Myers: Did not respond.
Brenda Allen: Did not respond.
Robert Knepp: "Yes, I would, but I would much rather see the money come from the state lottery."
Hettie Farley: Did not respond.
Floyd County
District A:
Clay Link: Did not respond.
District B:
David Sulzen: "I believe the state should rearrange its priorities and shift funding from other programs, such as prison construction, to education. Adequate funding could be provided within the existing tax structure. Enough revenue is provided to the state government, but Gov. Allen and the General Assembly choose to spend the funds on more short-sighted programs. However, I do believe that we should drop consideration of any cut in state taxes when we are failing to properly provide for education as it is."
Cheryl Whitlock-Allen: Did not respond.
District C:
Howard Cundiff Jr.: Did not respond.
District D:
Marie Mathis: "No. The `excess' lottery funds' number one purpose or use should go for education."
Margaret Hubbard: Did not respond.
District E:
Douglas Phillips: Did not respond.
Louellen Sharp: Did not respond.
Franklin County
Blackwater District:
Shirley Jamison: Did not respond.
Van Flora: "No. The people of Virginia are taxed enough. It's the way that the tax dollars are spent. That's the problem."
Boone District:
Guy Buford: Did not respond.
Snow Creek District:
Terry Lovell: "I would prefer a reallocation of funds prior to any increase in taxes."
G.B. Washburn Jr.: "Yes. If and only if additional tax revenues are used to reconcile disparities in education in the state's poorer school districts. We should offer the same opportunities in each school district."
Union Hall District:
Perry D. Hambrick: "Yes. Education is a must. It is more than logic, that dictates that a good offense is better than a poor defense in educating our kids. Give them something to take to the world when they graduate into a working field instead of them having to take a menial job and play catch-up the rest of their lives."
Rocky Mount District:
Steve Flora: Did not respond.
Gills Creek District:
Jack Newbill: Did not respond.
At-large (one seat):
Amanda Davis: "No, not unless need proved more money justified such an increase in state taxes."
William Helm Jr.: Did not respond.
Giles County:
Western District:
J. Lewis Webb: Did not respond.
Central District:
Joseph Gollehon: Did not respond.
Carolyn Linkous: Did not respond.
Mary-Paul "Widget" Shannon: "No. Raising taxes is not the issue. It's the mismanagement of state taxes. As a state employee, I see this a lot and feel there needs to be a change in attitude."
Eastern District:
Jeffrey Wiegand: "Yes, I would support an increase in state taxes for specific educational programs that would strengthen academic standards."
Ronald Whitehead: Did not respond.
At large (two seats):
J.B. Buckland: Did not respond.
John Billos: Did not respond.
Phillip Morris: Did not respond.
Montgomery County
District B:
Robert Anderson: "No. We need to look at the whole budgeting process and see how much money is spent on overhead and actual teachers' salaries. Some reports show up to 50 percent is overhead."
Bernard Jortner: "As a school board member, I would not have the authority to raise local or state taxes. ... My first inclination would be to examine a reordering of priorities, or possible, efficiency of operation .... Raising taxes should only be considered as a last resort."
Oscar Williams: "Yes. But, only if there was no other way to obtain the funds needed to ensure or maintain a quality education for our youth. I would prefer that the state (General Assembly) would reprioritize its funding allocations and place education in a much higher category."
District E:
Jack LeDoux: "No. Many studies have shown that money is not the solution to better schools or education. We spend almost 50 percent of the education dollar on overhead. These overhead costs need to be reduced so we can improve teacher pay."
Victor Sheppard: Did not respond.
Michael Smith: Did not respond.
District F:
Richard Edwards: "No. It is unrealistic to anticipate any increase in state taxes for education. Federal block grants may well be a source of increases. However that plays out, it may be prudent to look at state/federal revenues being used for more specific requirements such as facilities, maintenance, materials, etc. ...."
James Klagge: "Surveys show that the vast majority of citizens would rather put money into education than into more prisons. I would like to see a larger portion of money in the state budget allocated to education. But if we do need to resort to higher taxes to fund public education, I hope we can come to see that as a wise investment, rather than as a burden ..."
District G:
Peggy Arrington: "Over the past four budget cycles, the state has increased funding for our public schools every year .... We are very grateful for this money. Without it, our schools would be even further behind in technology, sciences and tech-prep programs, to name just a few. However, to meet the goals established by our community by the 2006 Planning Commission, we need to increase the school budget by $4 million or 8 percent per year. With this in mind, I would support increased state taxes to provide more money for education. But I don't expect this to happen despite the fact that the group that profits the most from quality public schools is the American taxpayer. I expect the current political climate to pressure the General Assembly to reduce all spending, including education."
Wat Hopkins: "More money is needed for education. If a tax increase is the only way for such an increase to take place, I would support it. Recent news accounts, however, have indicated a brighter revenue outlook for the state; therefore, I would first suggest that existing expenditures be readjusted to allow increased allocations for education."
Pulaski County
Ingles District:
Ronald Chaffin: "New revenue needs to be generated through selected tax increases such as alcohol, tobacco, entertainment, recreation, etc."
Barbara Chrisley: "Yes, if raising taxes were the only means of providing funds for education."
Robinson District:
Sybil Atkinson: "No. Not at this time. We need to put our financial house in order within the state to know what is really needed as far as new revenue is concerned."
Rhea Saltz: Did not respond.
Massie District:
Jeff Bain: "No, not until an equitable funding system is instituted in the commonwealth on a per student basis and not until the funds from the state lottery are properly distributed to the school systems."
Nathan Tuck: "Yes."
Draper District:
Lewis Pratt: Did not respond.
Cloyd District:
Beth Nelson: "Should I be successful as a school board candidate, I will be on a governing body with no authority to raise revenues. However, I believe our schools are poorly funded. In order to gain the additional resources necessary, it may be possible to reorder priorities and increase funding for schools from current revenue. If that were possible, I would support that approach. Like any prudent government officer, I would consider adding to the tax burden of our citizens only as a last resort."
Carolyn Brown: "I would not support an increase in state taxes to provide more money for education because the state should put more money into education. Our senior and retired citizens cannot afford more taxes because of their fixed incomes."
Roanoke County
Catawba District:
William "Bill" Brown: "No. We are taxed enough already. Through better budgeting and other sources of revenue, such as lottery revenues, funds should be available for education."
John Reed: "No, I do not think that a state tax increase is necessary at this time."
Marion Roark: Did not respond.
Cave Spring District:
William Irvin, III: "Yes. But only after all efforts were made to eliminate 'fat' in other areas of state spending."
Carol White: "No. Increasing taxes is not the solution to public education. Education needs to become a priority at the state funding level."
Vern Jordahl: "Much-needed salary raises for teachers, renovation of deteriorating schools and building projects can be financed by a variety of means. I am opposed to raising income taxes for three reasons. First of all, there is an enormous amount of waste in the whole state education budget which should be curtailed first. Next, consideration should be given to taxes on alcohol, firearms and gambling. Finally, proceeds from the state lottery, originally designated for education, must be recommitted to this purpose."
Keywords:
POLITICS
Memo: ***CORRECTION***