THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 29, 1994 TAG: 9412280017
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
I want effective state government that provides the services my community needs to thrive. A good quality of life and making sure my family is safe are important to me. That is why I sympathize somewhat with our Republican governor and his right-wing, conservative establishment as they try to cut waste and the tax burden. On the surface it makes good common sense.
But does it make sense to plunge the commonwealth into billions of dollars of debt to build and maintain the vast prison system Governor Allen has told me I want? While proposing this, he also wants to cut taxes in a state that is already inching further into deficit. This sounds awfully similar to the federal-government policies of the 1980s, which have nearly strangled this nation in debt, where 25 percent of each tax dollar goes toward paying the interest on that debt.
However, the real horror is that the Republican governor wants to destroy some of the things that make my community great. He wants to eliminate adult day-care programs, respite care for care givers, delivered meals for homebound older adults and transportation to doctor's appointments. Our governor says these services are ``nonessential.''
He wants to eliminate in-school dental clinics for young children in rural areas. He proposes cutting educational funds to all of our major universities and community colleges, as well as primary and secondary schools. He would severely reduce funding to museums, fine arts and, yes, even local police departments.
Our commonwealth already enjoys one of the lowest tax burdens in the country. Do we really want to gut our wonderful commonwealth for a $46 tax cut the first year, and a $368 cut the fifth year? I think not, but obviously Governor Allen wants to lay this on the Democratic legislature this spring to make it look ineffective before next fall. Well, at least we will have the finest prison system in the world. I wonder if there will be room there for the elderly who have nowhere to go.
JAMES P. POLK
Virginia Beach, Dec. 23, 1994 by CNB