THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 4, 1996 TAG: 9604030154
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
My favorite ``bad'' quote of the last week occurred just after midnight on Thursday, when David Eppling was trying to find out from ``high officials'' what course he could take to get his name back on the ballot in the local Republican committee election.
He and many other Republicans had been eliminated from the committee because they had sent one check for both themselves and their spouses, instead of two separate checks.
The quote: ``David, you just don't get it. You just don't get it. It's not about honesty and integrity. It's about winning.''
My philosophy is just the opposite, and so is that of the others who ran on our ticket. We were all running to try to re-establish honesty and integrity in the party. Winning was not the goal; eliminating one-sided control and power was.
My favorite ``good'' quote during this election was one shared by Elizabeth Youmans when I was wondering why I finally chose to fill the vacant spot on our pro-family ballot when I knew my time was over-filled already. Robert Burke said, ``All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.''
I am very pleased with the victory of Arthur Whitener for vice chairman, for he does not in any way fit the term ``moderate.'' He and Chairman Kenneth R. Carpenter, along with the rest of the executive committee, point the way to a bright future for the Republican Party, and I support them.
It is a blessing that Lloyd Dunnavant is now the treasurer to watch the ``money matter.'' I am sure he and the others elected will help restore honesty to our party, not make Christians feel rejected, and once again be able to unite and get behind the true issues to get more Republicans elected.
Niecie Garner
Reid's Ferry Road
Suffolk All trips to England were paid for by visitors
After reading news articles and letters to the editor regarding the planned, city-paid trip for our mayor and city council members to Oderzo, Italy, to form a second sister city, I am compelled to alert and inform Suffolk taxpayers.
During my tenure as chairman of the Sister City Commission for more than 13 years, I made three official visits to Suffolk County, England. On two, I was accompanied by my husband and large groups of Suffolk citizens.
At no time did the city bear any expense. Each Suffolkian in our groups paid his or her expenses - airplane fare, hotels, trains and meals.
Upon the last visit to England, I requested that the Suffolk City Council proclaim the trip a business expense, which entitled each traveler to declare his trip tax-deductible. That's it.
Anne Woodward
Former Chairman
Sister City Commission Chesapeake's Connor is advocate of regionalism
The need for areawide cooperation has surfaced again. This session of the General Assembly finally recognized the need and passed legislation urging political jurisdictions throughout the state to study many areas of cooperation. This is a goal whose time has finally come.
Few people realize that the commissioner of the revenue for Chesapeake, Ray A. Conner, started this movement of cooperation two years ago. Now, as president of our association, he has redoubled his efforts.
Ray persuaded the commissioners and treasurers in 10 jurisdictions to adopt the same color each year for their city decals. Next, he persuaded all of us to adopt the same expiration date for the decals. Ray then had each of us persuade our city officials or boards of supervisors to approve by resolution mutual enforcement of expired and missing decals by all police departments. The jurisdictions included Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, York County, Williamsburg and James City County. The police in these jurisdictions have praised these efforts as being very helpful in their policing of decals.
With the energy and ability common to Ray, he next persuaded all areas to adopt the same expiration date for business licenses. The business community has been very strong in their praise of this action, particularly those who do business throughout the area and those who have business outlets. Next Ray urged us to establish a common date for the filing of personal property returns.
Ray Conner has done more to encourage areawide cooperation than all the meetings being held by those advocates of regionalism. The efforts to accomplish areawide regionalism are beginning to make a difference, and I felt that you would want to know the one person who has been demonstrating the value of such cooperation.
The individual jurisdictions cannot accomplish this alone. There must be full cooperation.
Sam T. Barfield
Commissioner of the revenue
Norfolk Police there when needed
I was walking in my neighborhood one day and had an accident.
Several policemen were in the neighborhood for other reasons. As I turned to start home, there was Officer D.L. Brannen, who was very helpful.
He took care of everything right there on his car phone. He then escorted me to my home to call my husband. I really appreciated his concern. He was very polite, and he did his duty well.
Praise is in order for our city policemen.
Beulah Davis
Delaney Drive
Suffolk by CNB