ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 13, 1996 TAG: 9610140091
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
D - Democrat
R - Republican
L - Libertarian
VIP - Virginia Independent Party/Reform Party
How do you see the problem? What's causing it?
FOR U.S. SENATE
Mark Warner (D)
``The statistics tell us that crime is dropping, but it seems much more random and much more violent. Meanwhile, kids are committing adult crimes. The problem arises because of a general moral decline in this country.'' Blames parents who ``avoid their responsibilities.''
John Warner (R)
``The origins of crime are frequently rooted in the upbringing of a child, in substance abuse, or a loss of moral compass. A breakdown in moral values and the undermining of our judicial and law enforcement systems have made it too easy for crime to flourish.''
FOR 5TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Virgil Goode (D)
``For too many years we had a liberal, lenient parole system that recycled violent offenders out onto our streets and into our communities.''
George Landrith (R)
``Society has been far too tolerant of violent crime and far too concerned with criminals' rights. We must punish violent criminals and keep them off the streets.''
Tex Wood (VIP)
``Violent crime rates are falling, but the ghastliness and the seemingly senseless nature of the crimes are changing, as is the age of those committing them. Among the causes are ignorance, poverty, a collapsing or warped sense of values'' and permissive parents.
FOR 6TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Bob Goodlatte (R)
``There is a serious crime problem in this country when children must pass through metal detectors to go to school, teen-agers feel more loved in a gang than in a family, and many seniors are fearful in their own homes.''
Jeff Grey (D)
``Crime seems to rise and fall in contrast with our economy. When the economy is on the rise, crime is down and when the economy is down crime is on the rise. The major concern is teen crime. Although teen-age crime has been down over the past few years, everyone agrees we have a long way to go. Teen-age drug and alcohol abuse is rising, which leads to crime and even larger problems. There is also concern about criminals that do not serve their full sentence and become repeat offenders.''
Jay Rutledge (L)
``The number of crimes committed in America is higher than it should be because of the political regulation of the economy. A great many burglaries, robberies and murders are caused by federal-war-on-drugs, black-market-creating, prohibition law.''
FOR 9TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rick Boucher (D)
``Crime in America is predominately an inner-city phenomenon.To a significant extent, violent crime in today's society derives from the prevalance of and traffic in narcotics. In rural areas, violent crime typically arises from domestic disputes and disputes among acquaintances.''
Patrick Muldoon (R)
``For every 100 crimes reported, only three criminals go to prison. The time for coddling criminals is over. We must put criminals in jail and keep them there for their full sentence. We must resume the war on drugs as drug use contributes heavily to our crime rate.''
Tom Roberts (VIP)
``Some form of crime will likely always be with us as long as there are human beings. I believe that today's worst problems with crime are illegal drug-use related.''
What is its primary effect? What other things does it affect?
FOR U.S. SENATE
Mark Warner (D)
``It's linked to a declining sense of community. Sometimes, we expect government to solve all of our problems. It can't. If we're going to bring the crime rate down, we have to rebuild communities with the private sector, churches and community organizations working together.''
John Warner (R)
``High crime rates have been a leading cause for the decline of our central cities. It also has worsened poverty, illegitimacy, welfare and education. Fears about crime have hindered efforts to reverse economic decline in many areas, thus compounding the feelings of despair.''
FOR 5TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Virgil Goode (D)
``A high crime rate does more than almost anything else to destroy the quality of life in a community. When people do not feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods, government is not doing its job.''
George Landrith (R)
``We have a right to be safe in our homes, in our neighborhoods and on our streets.''
Tex Wood (VIP)
``The primary effect is an amazing willingness on our part to flush our Bill of Rights to combat crime not because we have more crime (we actually have less), but because we apparently think modern police aren't as smart as were their predecessors.''
FOR 6TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Bob Goodlatte (R)
``America has become a nation too accepting of violent crime. Parents with children turn off the evening news each night, expecting story after story of grizzly murders, rapes and robberies.''
Jeff Grey (D)
Jay Rutledge (L)
``Prohibition restricts supply, thus increasing product price and inciting property crime. Product demand and high prices make a profitable market. Unprotected by public law, those in the black market must use private force to protect their lives and property.''
FOR 9TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rick Boucher (D)
``Crime has a devastating effect on the young people in the inner cities who are often drawn at a young age to the easy money of a criminal career. It restricts freedom of movement for the law abiding and stresses local and state government budgets.''
Patrick Muldoon (R)
``Fear of crime in our communities lowers our qualify of life and disrupts our sense of security. I want families in Southwest Virginia to feel safe again.''
Tom Roberts (VIP)
``The primary effect of illegal drug use is the creation of a market for illegal drugs as well as a drain on personal resources, a disinclination toward work, and a diminishment of personal self control which all tend toward promoting criminal behavior.''
How does this affect you personally?
FOR U.S. SENATE
Mark Warner (D)
``I worry about my family's safety. I also worry about my daughters growing up in a world with declining moral standards and where people aren't able to trust each other as much as they did when I was growing up.''
John Warner (R)
``I am deeply troubled by the crime that victimizes my fellow Virginians. Consequently, I have devoted much of my energy in the Senate to supporting and promoting measures aimed at thwarting criminals and helping all Americans be more secure.''
FOR 5TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Virgil Goode (D)
``While attending a meeting in Richmond, I was robbed at knife point. It's not an experience I care to repeat, and it is one that I want to prevent any other citizen from having to face.''
George Landrith (R)
Did not address.
Tex Wood (VIP)
``Many of us feel less secure because of the craziness and randomness of the crimes and a bit insecure because we can have our privacy invaded virtually at will because of recent hysterical legislation. In short, we're catching it from all sides.''
FOR 6TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Bob Goodlatte (R)
``I refuse to accept this mind-set and have been working to change the view that crime is inevitable in today's society.''
Jeff Grey (D)
Did not address.
Jay Rutledge (L)
``The war on drugs has voided individual protections against arbitrary search and seizure by government agents, has taken the property of many completely innocent people, and has doubtless corrupted some officials. These consequences are repugnant to me.''
FOR 9TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rick Boucher (D)
``When Congress is in session, I maintain residence on Capitol Hill in an area which is crime prone. I am constantly aware of the dangers this situation presents and take special precautions after dark.''
Patrick Muldoon (R)
``Violent crime is a real concern to me and my family. My brother is a Christiansburg policeman and is confronted with our escalating crime rate on a daily basis. All Americans desire and deserve a safe and nurturing environment in which to live.''
Tom Roberts (VIP)
``The fear of criminal activity diminishes mine and everyone's quality of life. We all become the indirect (if not direct) victims of crime by not feeling safe.''
What actions should be taken?
FOR U.S. SENATE
Mark Warner (D)
``We have to work to restore this nation's moral compass. I support the V-chip to help parents control what their kids see on TV. I also believe we should impose tough sanctions for criminal behavior and invest in prevention programs, but only those with a proven record.''
John Warner (R)
``We must instill in our children a greater sense of personal responsibility and respect for themselves and others.
[Also], we must have truth in sentencing, sufficient prison space and tough sentencing for violent offenders.''
FOR 5TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Virgil Goode (D)
``Virginia took a good step by abolishing parole, and I was proud to be the first Senate co-patron of that [bill]. At the national level, we need to refocus on the war on drugs, to increase efforts to stop the inflow of drugs and to crack down on the drug pushers.''
George Landrith (R)
``We need to focus more on controlling and punishing violent criminals'' than on gun control. ``In the long run we must encourage strong families and the values of respect, honesty and integrity so that in future generations there are fewer violent criminals stalking our streets.''
Tex Wood (VIP)
``Pay our cops a decent wage. Come down harder and quicker on young offenders. Make our children appreciate that what they are inside is more important than how they appear on the outside, that being something requires more is more than dressing like it.''
FOR 6TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Bob Goodlatte (R)
Says Congress has increased funding for anti-domestic violence programs by 700 percent; built more prisons in states that make prisoners serve at least 85 percent of their sentence; and reduced ``ability of liberal federal judges'' to order early release of release violent criminals.
Jeff Grey (D)
``For years we have known that strong families and expanding economic opportunity reduces crime. The heavy demands on families today force us to work even harder to keep our children growing toward productive and honest lives. Parents must know who their children's friends are, where they are and if they are home on time. Parents need to take their children to church, not send them. Reducing teen crime must begin at home.'' Governments should back community centers with organized teen activities. Criminals should serve full sentence.
Jay Rutledge (L)
``We must simply end the legal war on drugs while continuing non-coercive social efforts to discourage substance abuse and to reduce dependancy. Ending the legal war will make these efforts more productive. Persuasion is better received in the absence of threat.''
FOR 9TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rick Boucher (D)
``I strongly favor the provision of federal funds to the states for their law-enforcement needs. Those needs are prominent in Southwest Virginia where our mountainous terrain poses special communications difficulties.''
Patrick Muldoon (R)
``I want to make it easier to prosecute and punish criminals. My agenda includes more prisons, sending criminal aliens home, reducing the number of criminals who go free on technicalities and passing laws requiring criminals to serve most of their sentence.''
Tom Roberts (VIP)
``The public should consider how bad that they would like to take care of the situation. Some countries have the death penalty for users of illegal drugs and have safe streets at night and few stupid enough to use illegal drugs.''
What's standing in the way of these actions?
FOR U.S. SENATE
Mark Warner (D)
``Partisan wrangling. In 1994, some in Congress were more interested in scoring political points than supporting a tough new crime law. And last year, they tried to kill the program to put more police on the streets simply because it was President Clinton's idea.''
John Warner (R)
``Politicians who give lip service to the strategies I have outlined, but who demagogue these efforts as politically incorrect when given the opportunity.''
FOR 5TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Virgil Goode (D)
``Crime is not a Democratic or Republican problem. We all need to come together in a bipartisan manner to determine what works - stiffer penalties and more law enforcement officers on the streets - and make certain those things happen.''
George Landrith (R)
Did not address.
Tex Wood (VIP)
``We're standing in the way of such solutions. Basically, the crime problem is a moral, social problem. Legislation and police action constitutes a reaction, not a solution. In part, we listen too much to the kids, and they listen to adults even less than we did.''
FOR 6TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Bob Goodlatte (R)
``Our nation's skyrocketing rate of drug use among teens. [A study] revealed marijuana use among 14-15 year olds had risen 200 percent since 1992. Cocaine use is three times the level it was in 1992, and overall drug use among 12-17 year olds jumped 80 percent.''
Jeff Grey (D)
Jay Rutledge (L)
``Vested interest in high profits from the black market and in budgets to continue the legal war on drugs, law enforcement career self-interest, and an immoral attitude toward the official use of force to compel peaceful behavior all oppose ending this war.''
FOR 9TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rick Boucher (D)
``Given the budgetary constraints we face, it is extraordinarily difficult to launch any new federal initiative. I am hopeful that within the coming year, federal funds will be made available to local law enforcement agencies in our area to meet their specialized needs.''
Patrick Muldoon (R)
``Over half of convicted inmates report being under the influence of a drug when they committed their crime. Under President Clinton, drug control enforcement is down, drug use is dramatically up, especially among teens, and so is our crime rate.''
Tom Roberts (VIP)
``Since the nature of the illegal drug problem is that it gradually eats away at our general standard of living, in general most people are inclined to do nothing for the moment, or the next moment or the next.''
What can a member of Congress do?
FOR U.S. SENATE
Mark Warner (D)
``A senator should support efforts like the V-chip and school uniforms, and a senator can vote for tough sanctions like the death penalty for drug kingpins. A senator can also invest in preventive measures, from Head Start to vocational education, that give kids a future.''
John Warner (R)
``I feel a particular responsibility to bring both my experience as a [former federal prosecutor] and an expert in national security to bear on this issue. I have sponsored legislation to fight drug trafficking, to strengthen law enforcement and to reform the criminal justice system.''
FOR 5TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Virgil Goode (D)
Make sure law enforcement has ``adequate'' support. ``One of the most troubling aspects of [Landrith's economic proposal] to slash revenues is that, if he is serious about balancing the budget, resources for the FBI and the construction of prisons could be drastically reduced.''
George Landrith (R)
Did not address.
Tex Wood (VIP)
``We have youth leagues, church activities, dance and self-defense academies, music schools, public athletic fields, public libraries, service organizations, chess clubs, athletic clubs, bowling leagues, the Scouts and more. And we need more of such and more kids in them.''
FOR 6TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Bob Goodlatte (R)
``In the absence of moral leadership from the White House, Congress is marshaling resources to provide that leadership. We have restored funding for drug interdiction efforts, and rejected the Administration's spending cuts in using the military's expertise in the war on drugs.''
Jeff Grey (D)
``This problem would require that Congress make families a number-one priority.''
Jay Rutledge (L)
``The legal war on drugs was declared at the federal level and it must be undeclared there. The public statement made by Virginia's 6th District in electing a Libertarian will be national news and can lead the nation to domestic peace on this issue.''
FOR 9TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rick Boucher (D)
``Congress should discuss with local law-enforcement officials the needs which exist in their communities in order to gain a clear understanding of the most effective use of federal resources in aid of law enforcement programs and then provide those resources.''
Patrick Muldoon (R)
``Our Washington lawmakers must stop coddling criminals and ignoring the detrimental effect of drug use on our communities.''
Tom Roberts (VIP)
``A member of Congress can do very little that is positive in this situation. Trying to stop the supply has proved to be impossible. This will have to be a problem solved by the demand of the general population.''
What can citizens do?
FOR U.S. SENATE
Mark Warner (D)
``Citizens can take part in improving the nation's moral climate by working together to get some of the trash off TV and out of the movies. And finally, they can work in their neighborhoods to restore a sense of community.''
John Warner (R)
``The war on crime is everyone's responsibility. Whether you are a teacher, business person, parent, or neighbor, our young people must be made to understand that crime does not pay. We each must be examples, mentors and disciplinarians.''
FOR 5TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Virgil Goode (D)
``In my own home town, we have a Neighborhood Watch that, in my opinion, does a great job of preventing crime. These efforts across the country represent what is best about America: neighbors looking out for neighbors to keep each other safe.''
George Landrith (R)
Did not address.
Tex Wood (VIP)
``More citizens can occasionally 'just say no' to kids so they'll know what the word means. More citizens can volunteer [for youth programs]. The neighborhood watch associations often extend services to community projects, with the youth helping, voluntarily or otherwise.''
FOR 6TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Bob Goodlatte (R)
Did not address.
Jeff Grey (D)
``Parents and citizens will have to take on responsibilities.''
Jay Rutledge (L)
``Citizens must take their conscience and their common sense into the voting booth on this issue. Many products are dangerous and can kill, but we do not imprison people for twenty years for selling them. Who benefits from the propaganda for war on drugs?''
FOR 9TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rick Boucher (D)
``I have been impressed by the volunteer citizen efforts such as 'Crime Watch' in which citizens take responsibility for their neighborhoods. Citizens should also inform themselves concerning the types of crimes which are found in their communities.''
Patrick Muldoon (R)
``From neighborhood-watch programs to church youth groups, community efforts to combat crime and drug use are more effective than Washington's so-called solutions.''
Tom Roberts (VIP)
``Citizens can rationally review the situation and petition their government to act on the possible solutions. To do nothing is not a solution.''
What other public institutions should be involved and how?
FOR U.S. SENATE
Mark Warner (D)
``Government can't do it alone. Communities, businesses and non-profits will have to work together to restore our moral code and keep kids away from criminal behavior.''
John Warner (R)
``The primary responsibility for developing and enforcing our criminal code falls on state and local enforcement agencies and courts. Their policies must deter people from crime, catch them when they violate the law and punish them appropriately.''
FOR 5TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Virgil Goode (D)
``All of us can participate in Neighborhood Watch programs and become actively involved in our communities in ways that prevent children from getting into the kinds of trouble that leads to more serious crimes.''
George Landrith (R)
Did not address.
Tex Wood (VIP)
``Other than perhaps funding and publishing access guides to such, government, beyond reacting can't do much to solve the crime problem at its source. We're going to grow tired and broke locking all these misfits up, so let's stop producing them so prolifically.''
FOR 6TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Bob Goodlatte (R)
Did not address.
Jeff Grey (D)
``Public centers will have to open their doors.''
Jay Rutledge (L)
``Speaking out against the use of force on drug users and on the drug market is not the same as speaking in favor of drugs. Decency forbids us to use force on one another. Voluntary social organizations must lead us out of the darkness on this issue.''
FOR 9TH DISTRICT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rick Boucher (D)
``My Commission on the Future of Southwest Virginia is evaluating region-wide approaches to addressing crime related problems.''
Patrick Muldoon (R)
``Proper moral guidance from our churches, schools and communities will help ensure our youth won't turn to drugs and crime.''
Tom Roberts (VIP)
``In this case I feel that the news media and other information sources have done a good job of informing the public. It is up to the public now to decide to stand up and not take it any more.''
LENGTH: Long : 474 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 11 photos KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB