THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 7, 1995 TAG: 9508050392
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP
CITIZENS' AGENDA
Today's Issue: TAXES
LENGTH: Medium: 81 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 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 might 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: TAXES THE GREATER NEED
``If you get a $100 tax refund from the state, of course that's good and dandy. But what kind of long term impact is that going to have for the future of the state? . . . When there is a tax deduction and at the same time there is an increase of debt, then that's not really good. That's just a robbing-Paul-to-give-to-Peter type of idea.'' - Kwang Choi of Virginia Beach.
Everybody wants to keep as much of their income as possible. Virginians aren't volunteering to pay more taxes. Yet many insisted that they don't need tax cuts. Are they being genuinely unselfish and thinking of Virginia first? Certainly they said that's what more politicians need to do.
When a politician proposes a tax cut, what information do you need to hear before you decide whether it's a good idea?
Does such a proposal make you more or less likely to vote for them? RESPONSIBLE SPENDING
``I don't think it's the taxes, I don't think people mind paying a lot of money for things. But you want a result. You can have results with the state taking the lead without raising people's taxes. . . If they could see it going for something really important, something for the kids to keep them out of prison, I don't think they'd mind.'' - John Burns of Fairfax.
There's the main point Virginians wanted to make: they want responsible spending. Still, they can't point to exactly what's irresponsible, because they're not that familiar with the details of the state's finances. They rely instead on their instincts, and a certain native suspicion of politicians and bureaucrats.
How well do you think the state spends your tax dollars?
What responsibility do you have to see that your money is spent wisely?
``How are we going to pay for all of the things that we need to do, and how do we determine what is truly necessary and what is truly not?'' - Floyd Childress III, of Christiansburg.
MEMO: YOUR RESPONSES TO LAST WEEK'S ISSUE:
EDUCATION/A5
Write Tony Wharton at 921 N. Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, Va. 23320.
Or send e-mail to publife@infi.net.
ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
Choi
Burns
Childress
Drawing
KEYWORDS: PUBLIC JOURNALISM by CNB