THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 27, 1995 TAG: 9509270001
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
National Republicans' 10-point Contract With America was a dramatic call for specific changes, and it contributed to the historic Republican landslide in last year's congressional races, from which Democrats are still reeling.
Last week all but eight of the 120 Republican candidates for the Virginia Generl Assembly signed a 7-point Republican Pledge For Honest Change. It is far less dramatic than the national contract because it is less specific and lists mainly positions an incumbent Republican governor already has taken.
``These are not new issues with the Republicans,'' said Virginia Beach Republican Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, who helped write the pledge. ``We've been fighting for these for a while.''
``I really wish we'd been more specific,'' said Del. Robert F. McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach, another Republican who helped shape the pledge.
Still, new or not, vague or not, the Pledge gives voters something to look at as they consider whether to vote Republican. If the Republicans gain three seats in the Senate and as many in the House, Richmond is theirs.
Here are the items:
1. Safe Neighborhoods.
Beats unsafe neighborhoods, of course, and Gov. George F. Allen Jr. was elected on a get-tough-on-crime platform. His commission on juvenile crime, headed by Republican Attorney General James S. Gilmore III, recommends switching the emphasis from protecting juvenile delinquents to protecting the public from violent juvenile criminals. Who could oppose protecting the public? The governor continues to push a hefty prison-building program.
2. Returning Lottery Revenues to the Localities.
Such an attempt was defeated last year by Democrats who said Allen failed to explain how he would replace the lost revenues in the state budget.
3. More Jobs, Less Wasteful Government Spending.
The small print in the pledge calls for ``eliminating wasteful government spending and reducing excessive taxes.'' It doesn't specify what waste and which excessive taxes. Virginia has long been a fiscally conservative, relatively low-tax state. On the subject of jobs, the governor gets high marks for his role in luring two giant high-tech plants - Motorola and IBM-Toshiba - to Virginia. Those were two of the biggest economic prizes in the United States this year.
4. Improving the Quality of Our Children's Education.
No one's against that, but earlier this year three former governors and numerous business leaders opposed higher-education cuts that Allen proposed.
5. Parental Notification.
Republicans would require that at least one parent be notified prior to a child under age 18 having an abortion. The item stops short of opposing abortion but promises pro-life voters something they haven't gotten from Democrats.
6. Real Welfare Reform.
This essentially is a pledge to do what the state has already done. The governor has caused to be enacted one of the toughest welfare laws in the country, one requiring welfare recipients to work for their benefits. The reform is being phased in.
7. Open and Honest Government.
Republicans pledge to end the Democrats' practice of selecting judges in closed door political meetings. The small print says, ``Judges will be selected based on merit and their qualifications in meetings open to the public.'' We have always favored that.
Whether or not you agree with the seven pledges, the document has the merit of telling voters where Republicans stand. It is worthy of your attention. by CNB