THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 29, 1996 TAG: 9603290463
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONY WHARTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Virginia's new third party is open for business and looking for members.
The Virginia Independent Party, organized from the remains of previous campaigns for Ross Perot and Marshall Coleman, launched its 1996 effort downtown Thursday.
``We're going to abolish the old-boy network in Virginia,'' said Stephen Merrill, a lawyer and head of membership for the party. The sparsely attended press conference was held in the Town Point Club in Norfolk.
The VIP generally supports a balanced national budget and fiscal responsibility, campaign reform, term limits and privatization of entitlement programs. It also hopes to tap into voter discontent with Democrats and the Republicans.
``We're the middle-of-the-roaders,'' said Carolyn Taylor, chairman of the party in the 4th Congressional District.
Locally, the party has endorsed its first candidate, Jim Whitener, who's running for Chesapeake City Council.
On Feb. 1, the state Board of Elections certified the VIP as a third party in Virginia, able to raise money and put candidates on state ballots without having to go through an additional petition drive.
Louis Herrink, state chairman of the party, said they have a ``working relationship'' with the Reform Party organized in other states by supporters of Texas businessman and former presidential candidate Ross Perot. That means, Herrink said, that if Perot or someone else runs as the Reform Party's national candidate, the VIP will consider supporting them. In return, VIP delegates can go to the Reform Party's national convention.
The VIP has a ``skeletal organization,'' Herrink said, and is looking for members. Its local offices include: 1700 Calm Wood Lane, Virginia Beach, Va. 23456; and 2921 Princess Anne Crescent, Chesapeake, Va. 23321. The local phone number is 465-2807. by CNB