THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 31, 1995 TAG: 9507300276
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Democracy and Citizenship: Creating New Conversations
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
Naturally, you can vote. The next opportunity to vote will come in November, as all 140 seats of the Virginia General Assembly come up for election.
But you can act before then. The Virginian-Pilot, acting on what we've heard from citizens (like those shown below) wants to help you shape the agenda for this fall's campaigns.
You've said you don't trust politicians, that you don't think they're listening to your real concerns. You've said that voting may not be enough to change the system.
This is your chance to work on that challenge. Tell us what you think about the issue we're presenting today. We'll present more in the days to come. These were proposed to us by Virginians across the state.
What are we missing? How can we refine these questions to make them useful in the campaign? Tell us. Today's Issue: Education
VITAL NEED
``If we could spend money on education and take it away from other areas, I'd have no problem with that.'' - Mike Van Haelewyn, Roanoke
Virginians are concerned about budget cuts and think education is not an area in which the state can afford to cut corners. Yet tax money should be spent responsibly, most agree. There is a conflict between the two pressures - on one hand, to give the schools the money they need, and on the other, not to throw good money after bad.
Q. If you favor increased spending on schools, what would you be willing to give up in exchange?
JOB SKILLS
``One of the ideas I've heard bounced around is that each child coming out of high school must have a trade or a marketable skill, whether they go on to college.'' - Mary Roper, Fairfax
Many Virginians wonder whether the schools sufficiently emphasize trades and job skills. That has to be balanced, however, against the liberal arts education many students want and, if they're going to college, may need.
Q. Should every student go to college? Should every student have to learn a trade?
SCHOOLS VS. PRISONS
``One thing that I would ask, too, is why they're cutting aspects of education and then increasing the prison budget, building prisons and everything. That seems somewhat short-sighted to me. Education is the future, we need to support that.'' - Bill McDonald, Montgomery County
Prisons are often promoted as making the streets safe for our children. But many Virginians express greater concern about shortchanging education than about a threat to their personal safety from crime. It is still not clear whether they are willing to wait for the long-term solutions offered by education.
Q. How can the value of education be balanced in state spending against the need for public safety, particularly building prisons?
HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS
``If you go up to Northern Virginia, you would think you were in Harvard. If you go to Wise County, you would wonder, `Are they still in Virginia?' '' - Pat Radcliffe, Roanoke
Providing equal educational opportunities is important to many across the state, although the feeling is strongest in western areas. Yet this does not address the issue of how taxpayers in wealthier parts of the state would feel about their dollars going to other regions.
Q. Is it important that the state spend as much money in a small school system in Western Virginia as it does in large, relatively wealthy schools in Northern Virginia? Why? MEMO: Write Tony Wharton at 921 N. Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, VA 23320.
Or send e-mail to publife infi.net.
ILLUSTRATION: Color drawing
Color photos
Van Haelewyn
Roper
McDonald
Radcliffe
KEYWORDS: PUBLIC JOURNALISM by CNB