ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 29, 1996 TAG: 9604290080
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTER
DEL. CHIP Woodrum's explanation (April 23 letter to the editor, ``A tax study is already under way'') of why he voted against a resolution to study the advisability of reducing or eliminating the property tax is somewhat curious. He maintained that since a similar tax study was ongoing, this particular study was duplicative, and therefore an unnecessary waste of taxpayers' money.
He further maintains that he'll be consistent in his opposition to wasteful spending and needless duplication in our state government. Given that statement, how does Woodrum reconcile the fact that Virginia currently is funding studies by the Education Commission of the States, the Equity in Public Education Commission, the Commission on Accountability for Educational Excellence, the Commission for Educational Infrastructure and the Commission on the Future of Public Education - to name just a few. Are any of these studies redundant? And if so, which, if any, did he vote against?
My guess is that any study that will ultimately require spending more of the taxpayers' hard-earned money in the name of education, no matter how duplicative, received Woodrum's support, while a study on reducing or eliminating a tax was rejected by him as needless duplication. The only thing consistent about him is his legislative inconsistency.
WILLARD TOMLINSON
ROANOKE
AEP tries to buy favor with officials
NUMEROUS letters to the editor have appeared from members of the Coalition for Energy and Economic Revitalization in support of American Electric Power's proposed 765-kilovolt power line. Its members claim to be part of a "grass-roots" movement.
In fact, AEP funds the coalition to the tune of $600,000 annually. CEER is a registered trademark of Image Advertising, a Roanoke ad agency responsible for AEP's public-relations campaigns. CEER's "members" are AEP employees and private contractors who work for AEP.
Claiming a membership of 272,000 people, CEER purports to be the largest group involved in the power-line debate. However, groups opposing the power line include boards of supervisors in seven counties, West Virginia's legislature, and many civic and environmental organizations. These groups - genuine representatives of public opinion - speak for a constituency considerably larger than CEER's membership.
Masquerading as concerned citizens, groups such as CEER promote industry agendas at the expense of socially responsible public policy, and seek to persuade legislators and the media that they serve the common good.
Using corporate money to influence public opinion is nothing new to AEP. As this country's largest electric utility, it regularly engages in the time-honored tradition of buying the support of businessmen and civic leaders. For instance, AEP recently donated 38 acres of land to the financially troubled College of Health Sciences in Roanoke. Ostensibly, it made this donation on behalf of its employees. However, Harry Nickens, the college president, is a member of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors. It's no coincidence that the college has become the beneficiary of AEP's good will.
Those who work hard, play by the rules and expect to be fairly represented by public officials are cheated daily by such tactics. By attempting to buy politicians and manufacture "public opinion,'' companies like AEP endeavor to steal our voices and rights as citizens.
JEFF JANOSKO
Member, Roanoke County Preservation League
CATAWBA
Hokey Pokey is funand good exercise
I COMPOSED the second half of my letter to the editor in my mind when I read the April 11 article (``Creator of `The Hokey Pokey' dies'') about the gentleman in Idaho who claimed he and a couple of others created the Hokey Pokey. Later I was pleased to see the April 15 article (``Hanky-panky alleged in story of the Hokey Pokey'').
When I landed in Liverpool, England, with the U.S. Quartermaster Corps in September 1943, the Hokey Pokey was very popular in all the pubs and dance halls. It was great fun, especially when we got to the end of the song and everyone put his or her ``whole self in and shook it all about.'' What pleasant memories!
We sometimes do the Hokey Pokey at our Diners' Club, and it's still a lot of fun. Also, it's good exercise for us old folks!
GARLAND STEVENS
FINCASTLE
Extremists' views must not dominate
REGARDING Rebecca Taylor's April 9 letter to the editor, ``No gray area in abortion debate'':
I would agree that the lines on this issue are clearly drawn. Either you believe that abortion is a personal, private issue that women must decide based on their own moral convictions, or you believe that politicians and a small but vocal group of extremists should make this intensely personal decision for women.
In the near future, abortion will be induced pharmacologically in the privacy of physicians' offices. When the so-called pro-life movement loses its ability to target women entering clinics, will it turn its fervent energy toward fighting child abuse, tracking down dead-beat dads, improving the quality of life for foster-care children (7,000 in Virginia alone)? Most likely not. It seems that its members can only find the energy for campaigns of intolerance and harsh judgment against others.
HOLLY E. MARROW
CHRISTIANSBURG
LENGTH: Long : 102 linesby CNB