THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 16, 1995 TAG: 9510130022
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
I was one of the few who thought of the ward system as salvation for Norfolk's management. Boy, was I wrong!
Thousands of voters signed petitions asking for voter approval of Nauticus and Harbor Park, only to be told by the court that their voice meant nothing.
We, the taxpayers, are now being told we have to shoulder another burden - Nauticus! Where will the $1 million come from? The general fund of course. The fund that apparently is bottomless. Citizens of Norfolk will have to do without to bail out something we didn't want. Even more shocking is a councilman who was once opposed to Nauticus saying that he doesn't see any other way. It hasn't taken long for the illness called ``Good Ol' Boy Syndrome'' to infect him. It was foolish for our city leaders to believe that an attraction in downtown would have attendance figures surpassing those of Colonial Williamsburg.
Services in Norfolk have been reduced or consolidated because of the financial strain our city is in. If this city is truly stretched financially, where does council keep getting funds to finance projects that were doomed to financial failure from the beginning?
Our council is still planning for the construction of MacArthur Center. How long will it be before we are told that we are going to pay its debts? Not long. How much are we going to have to pay to bail it out? Millions - millions that are generated by overtaxing the property owner.
Maybe it's time for a new broom to sweep council chambers clean. I will not vote for any incumbent in the next council election, even if it means not voting for the first time. No need to vote for those who never listen.
D. W. EVERTON
Norfolk, Sept. 30, 1995 by CNB