THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 22, 1994 TAG: 9406220459
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEC KLEIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940622 LENGTH: WASHINGTON
You could almost hear the singing Tuesday as senators from across the land gathered in a wood-paneled, high-ceilinged room at the seat of political power in the free world. The topic of their deliberations:
{REST} Mickey Mouse.
Congress has entered the fray in what is becoming a national referendum on Walt Disney Co.'s plans to build a $650 million U.S. history theme park in Prince William County, 35 miles west of the nation's capital.
Gov. George F. Allen politely told the senators: ``There is no reason for congressional intervention.'' Citing the prospects of 19,000 jobs and $47 million in annual state revenue, Allen said, ``So, Mr. Chairman, I come here today without apology for supporting a $650 million investment that is good for the people of Virginia.''
Tuesday's Senate hearing was just the beginning. The House of Representatives is expected to host its own hearings later this summer. The lords of the national media have weighed in as well, from articles in The Wall Street Journal to editorials in The New York Times.
``It's gotten out of hand. This is a local, regional issue,'' said Scott E. Gibb, former president of the Prince William County Chamber of Commerce. ``This,'' he continued, surveying the crowd of more than 300, ``is just a misuse of taxpayers' money.''
Several House members have already endorsed a resolution opposing Disney's America, joining scores of esteemed historians, environmentalists and others who fear the project will mean commercial sprawl, traffic gridlock, pollution and the destruction of sacred Civil War sites.
The theme park would sit about five miles from the Manassas National Battlefield near the town of Haymarket.
``I have always felt that one of the measures of a nation's strength is its appreciation and understanding of its history,'' said Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., the subcommittee chairman. ``It cannot fully appreciate its history if the ability to walk on the hallowed grounds where it occurred has been lost.''
Many of Bumpers' colleagues all but rolled their eyes in incredulity during the proceedings.
``If we get in the business of land-use planning . . . frankly, I'm fearful, because we might declare the entire state of New Mexico historic,'' Republican Sen. Pete Domenici said of his own state.
John W. Warner, Virginia's senior senator, held forth from the dais like an eagle intent on swooping down and putting the issue to rest: ``This is a states'-rights issue,'' he intoned.
More is at issue than just a philosophical debate over federal intervention. Disney's America has also come to represent economic development vs. historic preservation, creating jobs vs. remembering the nation's past.
``In truth, what is at stake here is of utmost importance to the whole country,'' historian David McCullough said. ``The beautiful Piedmont countryside and its history belong not to Virginia only, but to all Americans. This is the home ground of our founding fathers, the hallowed ground of those who died in our country's greatest, most costly struggle.''
Despite the historians' impassioned plea, Tuesday's hearing is not expected to lead to any congressional action.
``We will listen very intently and then do nothing about it,'' said Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, D-Col., who promptly plopped a Mickey Mouse figure next to his microphone.
{KEYWORDS} DISNEY HISTORY THEME PARK
by CNB