THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 30, 1995 TAG: 9509290016
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
The Republican and Democratic parties in Virginia Beach do not conduct ``grass-roots'' primaries for the endorsement of candidates for local government. It is their argument that the candidates at the local level should be ``bipartisan.'' If they think that their failure to endorse and support a slate of candidates makes it bipartisan, they are sadly mistaken.
Unfortunately, in Virginia Beach it boils down to big business and special interests as one party, residents and homeowners as the other party. One party is well-organized and well-financed, the other party has no organization, no funding, only a deep resentment at the special attention paid to the tourist industry at its expense. Let's face it: Virginia Beach City Council has been bought and paid for.
Prior to last year's election, the City Council turned down a request from Sandbridge for the city taxpayers to foot the bill to add sand to Sandbridge beaches. After the election, the issue passed. Two of the re-elected councilmen changed their votes after receiving sizable campaign contributions from the Sandbridge coalition.
There is no way a resident can run for office in the city of Virginia Beach, and get elected, without the support of big business and/or the Hotel Association. There is no way he or she could accumulate enough campaign funds without compromising. I know; I have tried.
There is only one solution. Get the two political parties to support candidates that represent the majority of the people by raising grass-roots funds that will allow for a respectable campaign.
The second part of the solution is to adopt the ward system. With a ward system, an individual could campaign in a limited area with a minimum amount of funds.
Politics will be improved in Virginia Beach only when the residents stand up and say ``I've had enough'' and decide to do something about it.
LOU PACE
Virginia Beach, Sept. 21, 1995 by CNB