THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 5, 1995 TAG: 9511040009
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
As I listen to and read the campaign hyperbole from the various Republican candidates for seats in the General Assembly, I can't believe that anyone who has followed or reviewed the records of the incumbents could be so unknowledgeable as to try to apply the ``liberal'' label to legislators like Sen. Stanley Walker, Sen. Clancy Holland, Del. George Heilig, Sen. Hunter Andrews and Del. Tom Moss.
The candidates remind me of the lemmings who follow the leader (such as Pat Buchanan) across the ice and into the sea - where they find themselves in over their heads and drown.
Thinking voters should take a good look around - particularly at such things as port development, the new Norfolk campus of Tidewater Community College and Virginia's strong position in finance, i.e., 49th in overall state taxes; at the top in state bond ratings; and at the top in best fiscally managed states. That is where responsible legislative leaders have put us.
While crime is of concern to all of us, media hype can put it out of perspective: According to a 1994 report by the Governor's Commission on Violent Crime, since 1984 Virginia's crime rate has never ranked higher than 34th nationally, and our violent-crime rate per 100,000 people is just a little more than half of that of our neighbor North Carolina, and only 62 percent of the national average.
Perhaps that is in part due to the fact that 61 percent of the felony firearms offenses have been added to the Virginia State Code since 1986 - a period all the incumbents have served. These incumbents are well-aware of crime-related problems and are in no way ``soft on crime'' or parole.
J. H. ROBERTSON
Chesapeake, Oct. 30, 1995 by CNB