THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604170376
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
About 200 Republican Party faithful convened an ad hoc caucus at the Central Library on Tuesday night to hear School Board and City Council candidates argue why they should win endorsement.
The first-ever local caucus was intended to help party members sift through the unusually large number of candidates who are seeking elective office without having received an official party blessing.
What emerged was an unusual collection of candidates who received the caucus blessing even though the vote does not have the official backing of the Virginia Beach Republican Party.
For the School Board's two-year, at-large seat, caucus members endorsed Gail A. Ball, a 53-year-old real estate agent, while it gave the nod to Vernon H. Fix, a 65-year-old retired Navy lieutenant commander, for the four-year, at-large seat.
For the Lynnhaven Borough seat, the caucus backed Ben A. Krause, a 53-year-old investment executive, while the Princess Anne Borough seat endorsement went to Frankland P. Babonis, a 44-year-old businessman.
For mayor, the caucus backed political newcomer R.F. ``Bob'' Yurina, whose self-described job title is that of a ``sporting arms ordinance technician,'' while it backed Robert C. ``Bob'' Spadaccini, a 38-year-old collection manager for a law firm, for the at-large seat.
The caucus also backed City Council incumbent Robert K. Dean for the Princess Anne Borough seat.
Before the votes were counted, Jim Munford, a 47-year-old civil servant and the father of three children, came to hear the candidates' views on fiscal accountability and Goals 2000, a federal program that would give $6.7 million to Virginia to improve its schools.
Gov. George Allen has refused to apply for the money, saying the federal money carries too many conditions. Democratic lawmakers have threatened court action to force Allen to apply for the money. Virginia and New Hampshire are the only states to spurn the money.
Munford, having heard about the Goals 2000 debate, wanted to know what the local candidates had to say, but he was disappointed in that only some of them addressed the program.
He said the federal government has no business in state education policy.
``I hope Goals 2000 recedes to a footnote in Virginia history,'' he said.''
The caucus was held against a backdrop of concern about why the city's party was not officially sanctioning it. But if there was doubt among some party regulars about the wisdom of partisan endorsements, none were present at the two-hour event held in the library's auditorium.
``I don't think endorsements are a bad idea,'' said State Sen. Ed Schrock, who sat in the audience listening to the candidates make two-minute presentations on their views.
``I think it's a wonderful idea. There are so many candidates that there is almost no way for people to find out what any of them stand for. We don't live in a non-partisan world anymore. People take sides all the time.''
Schrocks' comments came just one day after John Paul ``J.P.'' Godsey, the newly elected chairman of the Virginia Beach Republican Party, said the caucus was not sanctioned by the party or affiliated with the Republican city committee. The committee is comprised of grassroots level people who were in abundance at Tuesday's caucus meeting.
Bruce J. Meyer, chairman of the Virginia Beach Young Republicans, said he favors eventual party endorsements in races like the School Board and City Council which have traditionally been nonpartisan.
Virginia Beach, he said, is a Republican city that is beginning to show its political stripes through the election of people like Schrock, Sen. Ken Stolle and other conservative leaders.
But it was not the potential endorsements of candidates that interested Meyer as much as getting the candidates to state clearly where they stand on issues of concern to the Republican Party.
Like many in attendance, Meyer hoped to hear candidates speak forcefully about fiscal responsibility - the principle theme in this year's election - and the need to adopt more traditional approaches to education. ILLUSTRATION: JIM WALKER/The Virginian-Pilot
George Coker, a School Board candidate, makes his two-minute pitch
to the Virginia Beach Republican caucus, which met Tuesday night.
The first-ever local caucus was intended to help party members sift
through the large number of candidates seeking office without having
gotten an official party blessing. by CNB