THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408260312
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
When Councilman Alan P. Krasnoff proposed last week that voters be given a chance to say whether Chesapeake should continue to grow at a faster rate than it can provide schools, roads and other services, all eight of his colleagues were suddenly struck dumb.
Not one would offer a second to Dr. Krasnoff's motion, which is required by parliamentary rules to bring a proposal to a vote. So, the idea expired without discussion.
Why, do you suppose? Here are some possible explanations:
It could simply be party politics. As the council's only independent, he can count on neither Republicans nor Democrats as allies when the chips are down.
It could be that the other councilmen think they already know the voters' opinion on the question and have no need to ask.
It could be that the silent councilmen were merely being pragmatic. The city seems helpless to control growth without special legislation, and our representatives in the General Assembly have made it clear they have no intention of coming to the rescue. Why buck them?
Or it could be that the councilmen aren't interested in what the public thinks, especially if that opinion might be different from their own and those of the special interests who back them.
If just one of the eight silent councilmen had seconded Dr. Krasnoff's motion, the position of all nine would have been a matter of record. Some might have been in the awkward position of publicly opposing the people's right to be heard on this important issue. That could have been a real liability at re-election time.
But, the thing of it is, their refusal to let the matter come up for discussion has exactly the same effect.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE CITY COUNCIL
by CNB