THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996 TAG: 9610230116
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letters
LENGTH: 68 lines
Petition drive
During the presidential election on Nov. 5, the Chesapeake Council of Civic Organizations will sponsor an advisory referendum petition drive. Volunteers at all the 45 voting precincts will be asking you to sign petitions so that citizens will have a process that will allow citizen-generated questions to be put on the ballot. We will take these petitions to our City Council and state legislature and ask that the City Charter be changed to allow us this right.
Why is this needed? In our past, the City Council and state legislature have not always listened to the majority of the people. Many organizations have brought forth issues and governmental officials have passed them off as ``special interests'' and not representative of the majority view. The advisory referendum process would allow citizens to collect signatures on petitions to put any question on the ballot and provide a means to get the majority view on any issue from the people.
If the wording of a question on a voting ballot was listed plainly, politicians would have a hard time ignoring the result. Citizens would have a means to promote their causes, place causes up for public scrutiny and get the majority view from fellow citizens. The result would be used to promote changes in our government to reflect the majority view.
Is this already in use? Most definitely yes! The Citizens for a National Referendum movement has stated that 24 states already have a referendum process. The referendum process is also supported by many organizations like the Pennsylvania and Washington League of Women Voters, civic leagues and many other grassroots organizations all over the country.
What can you do? This process will not become a reality unless we all join together and support it. We can get involved and attend the advisory referendum rally on Monday at Deep Creek High School, 7 p.m., where City Council members and state legislators in support will speak to us on the merits of advisory referendum. We also need volunteers to work at each of the 445 voting precincts in the city. If you can help, please call the CCCO corresponding secretary at 547-8885.
Gene Waters
President
Chesapeake Council of
Civic Organizations
Clearfield Avenue
Pit plan is back
Are you aware that there is a possibility of a large increase of dump trucks traveling down Dominion Boulevard to Interstate 64 this winter and that the traffic may continue for the next seven years or longer, six days a week, 12 hours a day?
Group 104 Borrow Pit is back at the Planning Department looking for approval. The location of the borrow pit is at the intersection of Dominion Boulevard and Route 17, just down the road from the new city park.
Cindy Painter
President
Grassfield Civic League
Gross story
You guys are so cool!
I nearly choked when I read the thoroughly gross story of the man attempting to set records for his obsessive hot dog consumption (``Hot dogging it: Mechanic goes for record,'' The Clipper, Oct. 18).
Considering the content of a hot dog, can anyone imagine the sheer number of snouts, eyeballs, lips, tails and internal organs this man will consume in one lifetime? Shock journalism in The Clipper. I love it!
Sue Perna
Rabbit Run by CNB