THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 19, 1995 TAG: 9511170754
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Reed
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Pick up your morning paper, or flick on your TV any day of the week and what do you see?
Stories about bickering politicians in Washington, Richmond or down at City Hall, all blaming each other for the sad state of the world. And they all seem to follow the same sorry plot line.
In Washington, the Republicans say they're going to balance the national budget by cutting high-dollar Democratic programs like Medicare and Medicaid and giving rich folks a tax break. Democrats say, ``Like heck you will!''
At the state level, the Guv says he wants to build a zillion new prisons to lock up the bad guys forever. However, to do it, we're going to have to borrow a few billion bucks, he says.
Democrats say, ``Like heck you will!''
At the local level, the City Council has told the School Board that it is going to have to pay back the $12.1 million that was overspent in operating city schools last year.
Furthermore, board members were told, they must say they're sorry and go stand in the corner until they repent the error of their ways.
Board members, say, ``Like heck we will!''
What seems to be lost in all the haggling is the average Joe and Jane, who carry the heaviest burden in paying for government operations on all three levels.
And Joe and Jane are being turned off by the charade in ever increasing numbers, recent polls show.
For instance, most folks - from your basic burger flipper to branch bank manager - knows that the current budget flap between President Clinton and the Republican dominated Congress is nothing more than an exercise in political brinkmanship.
The first side to blink comes in second in the next general election, or so their thinking goes. However, there's another school of thought that sees the budget issue as a stick of dynamite that could blow up in the faces of all parties in future balloting.
At the state level, election returns two weeks ago revealed that voters want to maintain a balanced conservative government that folks here have been accustomed to for generations. They ain't buying into radical ideology, whether it's liberal or conservative.
A closer look at the local scene shows that voters may have more than a little ammo to use in coming elections as the political power struggle between the City Council and the School Board goes on and on.
City residents may be forced to change the lineup on both sides of the conflict come May or November, if constructive progress is not made by then.
At issue is how your tax money is being spent. It doesn't matter whether it is expended to install sewer lines, pave roads or build schools and pay teachers, it all comes from one source - your wallets.
The technicalities of divvying it up each year between municipal and school functions doesn't generally concern the average wage earner.
That is usually left up to the folks who are paid to oversee both operations. They are expected to be competent, responsible and forthright.
If they don't fit any of the above criteria, strange things happen and whopping $12.1 million deficits suddenly appear to haunt the entire city.
It is the duty of both council and board members to see that this doesn't happen and that the professionals do their jobs.
They should leave the fault-finding and the blame-laying to an impartial body of citizens, such as a special grand jury, which has the legal tools to summon witnesses and records needed to get at the truth. by CNB