THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609280604
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: DECISION '96
As Virginians look forward to the Nov. 5 election, they're thinking a
lot about issues that are important in their lives. Leadership.
Economic security. Education. Crime. National priorities. Each Sunday,
we will hear from candidates and citizens about these issues.
LENGTH: 180 lines
THE CANDIDATES ON WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR VIRGINIANS
You have achieved extraordinary success and standing. How do you prevent this from being a barrier to understanding Virginia as most Virginians do?
MARK R. WARNER: ``Very simply, I have the same friends now that I've had all my life. I've been fortunate to succeed in business beyond my wildest dreams, but I haven't forgotten where I came from. Fifteen years ago, everything I owned fit in the trunk of a 1965 Buick. Now, I have it better than most, but I don't think I have changed, and neither do my friends.
JOHN W. WARNER: ``I never forget where I came from and the most important lesson my parents taught me - concern and compassion for my fellow man. It is this understanding of the challenges facing working Virginians, and my strong desire to help those most disadvantaged in our society that give me the drive and rewards of service.''
JOHN F. TATE: ``I am an ordinary Virginian who grew up in a hard-working, middle-class family. When I was 19, I had to leave college and take a job to help pay my family pay the mortgage. That is an experience I will never forget. Today I earn a middle-class living and live in a middle-class home. I know first hand how hard it is to raise a family and make a payroll, especially with the government taking an ever-larger bite out of my income.''
OWEN B. PICKETT: ``With three children and six grandchildren with whom I stay in close touch and my almost daily interaction with retail clerks, gas station attendants, seniors, students and a myriad of other similarly situated, I understand better than most the events and challenges of everyday life for ordinary citizens. I do not isolate myself. I return to my district every week to ensure that I never lose this hands-on grasp and understanding of all things relevant and important for all the people in my district.''
ELSIE GOODWYN HOLLAND: ``You hold town meetings - many of them. Send newsletters often. Communicate. I'd let them know my office was open and standing ready to help with their concerns.''
ROBERT C. SCOTT: ``Just about every weekend I'm in the district talking to constituents. There are very few weekends that I'm not in the 3rd Congressional District. We've had frequent town meetings and issues briefings, and I expect to continue that close contact with the voters.''
NORMAN SISISKY: ``By having an open door and having office hours up here and in my three district offices, I can feel for somebody who's 50 years old and has been laid off of his job and lost his health insurance and has nowhere to get it. We just passed a bill that will allow them to get health care. Any illnesses before that will not be considered. Insurance companies will have to take them.''
ANTHONY J. ZEVGOLIS: ``I would fight for enacting term limits. And I myself will vow that if I am elected to Congress, I will not spend more than six years. And if we enact all the bills that I would like to enact, then I'll be willing to get out of there even sooner. I just want to get some fiscal sanity back so that our kids can have a future. As one of 13 children growing up, my father went to work as a carpenter. And I think he decided somewhere along the way if he opened up a cafeteria, he could make a better living. All of us children were expected to work in the cafeteria. I would wash dishes, bus tables, mop floors, after school and on weekends. Five of my brothers and sisters remember the depression vividly. I probably have one of the most diversified backgrounds for public service that one could want because I have actually done those things.''
THE CITIZENS ON WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR VIRGINIANS
Bill Hinkle
Dublin
"Does he understand how I feel carrying my lunch to work in a brown paper bag? ... Do they understand our problems of buying a home, educating our kids, buying groceries, hoping to have a retirement and hoping to buy leisure time to go on vacation or something?"
Carolyn S. Babcock
Office manager at a Virginia Beach print shop.
``I have family in the Navy. I have family in business. And I have friends who are on welfare. I am comfortable, so I am caught in the middle. I'd like to see a win-win situation presented. We need clear goals. It's just like running your life. You have to have a focus in order to fulfill your dreams.''
Carolyn H. Knehans
Chesapeake
Saleswoman with Sofas Etc. in Virginia Beach
``It's abysmal, and anyone who thinks otherwise ought to be put in an institution and observed. I'm working harder, I'm working more diligently. I'm so much worse off than six years ago, it's not even funny. I would absolutely say it's imperative that there needs to be a tax decrease. Give it back to the American people.''.MDBO/
Kevin G. Leaptrot
Assistant store manager of New York Carpet World in Virginia Beach
"We're in business and when we don't have the revenue, we cut back on expenses. If the government doesn't have the money, then it should cut back, too. They should cut entitlements. We have to have a strong defense. It's probably the most important function of the government, to defend the boarders, stop drugs from coming into the country, that sort of thing. Cutting entitlements woulsome suffink we eventualld get e of theiramily members on thet for solutions.''
Cat White
Pulaski
Entertainer and small business owner
"In order to turn the economy around, which really isn't that bad right now, but to keep it moving you really need to restructure and take a look at the social services program and maybe even put in a bit of education in there as well, it's about putting the power of knowledge in people's hands and not loaning it to those who can get money in their hands first."
Christine W. Peele
Norfolk
``I work every day, and I thank God for that. Even the college kids are struggling to find jobs they're suited for.''
Dana DeHart
Radford
Elementary school teacher
"I think the economy is something a lot of voters will be looking to see, what kind of vision someone might have for the future. I think a lot of people are scared. I guess it's of not having jobs. There are a lot of people without work and a lot of people on welfare."
Tom Johnson
Commercial real estate broker in Norfolk
"I don't think that the country's in big trouble. I think the country's going pretty well and if the little things we're talking aut here are the big ems relativeo what we've facedin the last 200 years of our hory, then we're in prety good shape. I understand that most families have two income, two wage-earners now. But America is very competitive relative to the rest of the world and Virginia is competitive relative to the rest of America. Hampton Roads, if it could get over its squabbles could be a tremendously dynamic region, more dynamic than it already is."
John Kiefer
Retired Marine officer and doctoral student at ODU, Norfolk
"The economy has changed ... While we're not necessarily doing badly, I think that there have been some significant shifts in the past 10 or 20 years. There are many underlying problems that are just waiting to explode. I think that we're starting to become a nation of have's and have-not's. I think the rich are getting richer. I think the poor are getting poorer. I think that's not necessarily a good direction. We've got a larger and larger class of people that are being excluded from the opportunities to participate in the American dream. And when there's this perception that these people are excluded, they don't have a chance - no matter what I do, I won't have the opportunity to move up in life - I think that's a very problematic situation." ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Graphic
WHERE VIRGINIANS STAND
29 percent of Virginians list the economy as one of their two most
important concerns
Those people cite a range of related concerns when they talk about
the economy. Among them:
31 percent General concerns about the economy
15 percent Hard to make ends meet
10 percent Not enough good jobs
9 percent Layoffs and corporate downsizing
9 percent General concern unemployment too high
6 percent Jobs going overseas
5 percent Weak economy causing violence
5 percent Gap between rich and poor too big
3 percent Personal fear of losing job
Note: Above doesn't add up to 100 percent because other concerns
were cited in smaller percentages.
SOURCE: The Harwood Group, a Maryland-based research firm, designed
the survey at the request of the Virginian-Pilot. It was conducted
by Communications Center Inc. of Washington. Communications Center
Inc. of Washington surveyed 672 adult Virginians from June 27 to
July 1. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points,
with 95 percent confidence.
KEYWORDS: LEADERSHIP ELECTION VIRGINIA U.S.
SENATE RACE VIRGINIA CONGRESSIONAL RACE VIRGINIA CANDIDATES
ISSUES CITIZENS PUBLIC JOURNALISM COMMUNITY
CONVERSATION by CNB