THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 1, 1995 TAG: 9510310110
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: ELECTIONS '95
LENGTH: Long : 138 lines
Voters statewide will head to the polls Tuesday to elect legislators to the General Assembly, and in Virginia Beach they will be asked to choose a Circuit Court clerk of court.
Virginia Beach is carved into four Senate districts and twice as many House seats. Of those 12 overall, six incumbents are running unopposed this year. The contested race affecting the greatest number of Virginia Beach residents is the Senate's 7th District, where incumbent Democrat C.A. ``Clancy'' Holland is being challenged by Republican Edward L. ``Ed'' Schrock.
That race has become one of the most expensive General Assembly fights in Virginia, and the incumbent has served 12 years in the Legislature - longer than any current member of the city's delegation.
Staff writer Karen Weintraub recently asked the two candidates where they stand on several issues:
1. What is your top priority for fighting crime?
Schrock: Keeping violent criminals in jail for their entire sentence where they cannot rape, rob or murder innocent Virginians.
Holland: My top priority for fighting crime is to give our law enforcement agencies the police officers and resources they need to help to effectively investigate and successfully prosecute violent crime. We have abolished parole and have sufficient prisons to meet Governor Allen's own projections.
2. How do you think the state should handle lottery proceeds?
Schrock: They should be returned to the localities where they can be used for education, law enforcement or local tax relief. I support using lottery profits in Virginia Beach for education and law enforcement.
Holland: I will continue to support specifically designating Virginia's lottery proceeds only for education. Virginia Beach could lose as much as $95 million in education funding over the next five years if the lottery proceeds are not designated for our schools.
3. What is your position on riverboat gambling in Virginia?
Schrock: I'm opposed to it. I think it's a bad idea.
Holland: I am against riverboat gambling. Not only will it attract undesirable people to Virginia Beach, but riverboat gambling will inevitably lead to pressures for land-based casinos.
4. Cite one way to bring more jobs to Virginia.
Schrock: Repeal the job-killing BPOL tax which is not in effect in North Carolina or Maryland - the two states that have out-hustled Virginia in recent years on job creation and economic development.
Holland: We need to continue to work hard to maintain a favorable business climate in Virginia. High-tech companies are looking to expand into communities which keep taxes low, maintain a quality education system and are safe. These are things we all want, which is why I have always fought to prevent tax increases and assure that we have the needed resources for schools and law enforcement.
5. What is your position on giving school boards their own taxing authority?
Schrock: I am absolutely opposed to giving any school board the power to raise taxes. I believe that we are already overtaxed by the federal, state and local governments.
Holland: I have always believed that elected officials should have the power to carry out the voters' wishes, and I am on record as being against elected school boards precisely because they should have taxing authority. If elected school boards are given taxing authority, the tax and any increases should require approval by voters. In this way, communities will be able to decide what is best for their needs.
6. Do you think tuition at state institutions is too high and how would you lower it?
Schrock: It is much too high. This is a result of four years of cuts to higher education that resulted in double-digit tuition increases from 1990-1993. Governor Allen successfully capped tuition at the rate of inflation and required colleges to implement restructuring plans.
Holland: I believe we need to lower tuition at state institutions of higher learning. We can lower Virginia's tuition at state schools, now one of the highest in the country, by stopping any further cuts to the higher education budget and restoring funding specifically designated for student aid.
7. Do you think mental health and disabled health care now provided by the state should be privatized?
Schrock: I believe the Community Service Boards do a good job of providing services. But we need to be as efficient as possible with tax dollars. In instances where there would be no reduction in services but savings can be found through privatization, we need to look at that.
Holland: I am against privatization for privatization's sake. As a physician, I would support any effort, including privatization of health care facilities, which would maintain quality health care at a reduced cost to taxpayers.
8. Cite one way the juvenile justice system could be improved.
Schrock: Hold violent juvenile criminals accountable for their adult crimes, and we need to adopt the recommendations of the Governor's Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform.
Holland: I have always supported increased penalties for juveniles who commit violent crimes.
9. Do you think cutting state taxes would help or hurt local residents?
Schrock: It depends on which taxes were cut. For example, eliminating the gross receipts tax on business, which is levied regardless of whether a business makes a profit, would not hurt localities because under the plan I support, the state budget would make up the difference to localities for the loss of local revenues, and local small businesses would thrive and they would create a larger local tax base which would benefit all residents.
Holland: If we can cut taxes without increasing local tax rates to make up cuts to essential services, like education and law enforcement, local residents will be helped. The reality is that a significant cut in the tax rate will cut into these essential services we expect to be provided.
10. As the federal government reduces services and gives more authority to the states, do you think state government should assume those added costs and responsibilities or pass them down to the localities?
Schrock: I oppose unfunded mandates on localities whether from the federal or state level. The state government is the most logical place for many services currently administered by the federal government, because that way there will be one set of rules and regulations for the entire state rather than one set for each locality. Regarding cost, if the federal government passes the money down in the form of block grants, that is fine. However, if there is no money sent back to the state, it would depend on the service.
Holland: The only way Virginia Beach has to absorb additional responsibilities caused by federal cuts is to increase the real property tax. Our property taxes are too high now, which is why I have fought against administration attempts to cut aid to schools and law enforcement or increase property taxes. Most of the programs, such as Medicare, are appropriately handled at the state level. Most communities are not equipped to handle the added responsibility of new federal programs. MEMO: VOTER GUIDE
For more information about Tuesday's elections, look in today's
Virginian-Pilot for the ``Voter Guide,'' a special section detailing
elections around South Hampton Roads.
Also look for more information in Sunday's Beacon.
ILLUSTRATION: C.A. ``Clancy'' Holland
Incumbent Democrat
Edward L. ``Ed'' Schrock
Republican challenger
KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLE RACE CANDIDATES ISSUES by CNB