THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996 TAG: 9602230019
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
Becky Norton Dunlop, Virginia's secretary of natural resources, claims the Virginia Conservation Network is misleading the public by stating that environmental protection is suffering under the heavy hand of the Allen administration.
It is Ms. Dunlop who is misleading the public. Under the guise of governmental reform, she is dismantling Virginia's environmental-protections programs, thereby threatening quality of life, economic well-being and public health.
She simply doesn't get it: She dismisses those concerned about clean air and water as a ``special interest.'' She describes state money spent on environmental programs as dollars that ``have been taken from taxpayers,'' implying that Virginians do not support these programs. In fact, clean air and water are very important to all Virginians, and polls have consistently shown that citizens are willing to pay more for a clean environment and are concerned that the Allen administration has gone too far in rolling back environmental-protection programs.
Citizens consider environmental protection to be a high priority and a responsibility of state government. Two years into this administration, Governor Allen and Secretary Dunlop still do not understand this.
LISA KENSLER
Norfolk, Feb. 12, 1996 by CNB