ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 15, 1996 TAG: 9605150026
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
EVERYONE agrees, you get the best deal on big-ticket items if you shop around.
Why shouldn't Roanoke City Council members shop around for garbage service? It's a big-ticket item: $3 million. More important, it's not their money - it's the taxpayers' hard-earned dollars.
City Council decided (May 10 article, ``City to keep garbage service'') to spend $3 million without comparison-shopping. To make certain the city is getting the best deal for taxpayers' money, it needs to put the automated collection service out to bid before the new budget takes effect July 1.
A formal bidding process, where prospective vendors compete for a contract, will allow Roanoke to make an informed decision on the most cost-efficient service provider. It also will allow City Council to weigh the pros and cons of forming a private-public partnership. With a bid, taxpayers have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
In the interest of responsibility and fairness, our newly elected City Council must put the taxpayers' needs first. Competition means better services at lower prices. Before the city spends millions of tax dollars, a bid would simply prove whether or not taxpayers would get their money's worth.
City Council should shop around.
KAREN FREELAND
District Manager
Roanoke District, BFI
ROANOKE
Church women got a bum rap
IN ROBERT A. Maranto's otherwise delightful commentary (April 22, ``On Earth Day, plenty of cause for optimism''), there's an unfortunate paragraph: "The trouble is, we environmentalists tend to be a sour lot, pessimistic, moralistic and bossy, like a bunch of church ladies in Birkenstocks. We may have a day, but we'll be damned if we enjoy it.''
He makes an unfair, biased stereotype. If that reference had been made to any ethnic group, he wouldn't have heard the end of it, nor should he. Does Maranto suppose that church women are too gentle and powerless to object to his journalistic spicing by resorting to ugliness?
I know environmentalists, and I have had the privilege of associating with church women for years. In both groups, I've observed that there are many of the finest people in the world - seldom sour, and less pessimistic and bossy than others.
BERNARD S. VIA JR.
ROANOKE
Provide solutions, not political scores
AFTER READING the abstract of the April 26 article, ``Budget war just begun'' from The New York Times, I'm once again disturbed by the nature and tone of media reports concerning political events in our society.
Instead of respecting both major parties for seeking a balanced resolution to the recent budget impasse, the writer (like so many of his colleagues in the media) emphasizes the zero-sum, who-won-who-lost game. Although this emphasis may help sell your products, your audience is less interested in who scored the political points than in genuine solutions to real problems.
In the future, if the writer urged - perhaps even shamed - the political parties into working together instead of staying at odds he might contribute more to solutions than to the problems.
DENNIS M. WELCH
BLACKSBURG
Letting others tap TAP's programs
APRIL 18 was a dark day for justice when the necessary state legislators' votes were not there to maintain the Virginia CARES contract with Virginia.
Gov. George Allen intends to put this Total Action Against Poverty contract on the block for private bidding. This program was conceived and implemented by TAP. Is there a law against stealing ideas for profit? I believe Allen intends to put all social programs on the auction block, not just delete them.
Look at the facts: Private prisons will be privately owned and operated businesses. The main objective in any business is profit. How does a business make a profit? By cutting expenses. How would you cut expenses in a privately owned prison? By cutting essentials - staff, food, recreation and utilities!
The Virginia CARES program has exceeded all of its goals. It works to help the ex-offender re-enter the mainstream of society. Without this program or the correct administration, all Virginians are endangered. The danger is that when inmates without hope hit the streets to earn their living, and they are unable to earn an honest living, they will return to a life of crime. All inmates cannot be rehabilitated, but most can.
When something works, why change it? The Virginia CARES program has proved itself by its performance. To put this program out for bidding for private people to administer will be a crime against all Virginians.
GLORIA A. DORMA
ROANOKE
LENGTH: Medium: 92 linesby CNB