THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, January 6, 1997 TAG: 9701040013
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 35 lines
The Virginian-Pilot editorial of Dec. 22, ``Good vote, bad attitudes,'' deserves a response from a Virginia Beach taxpayer.
First of all, hats off to councilpersons Louis Jones, Nancy Parker, Reba McClanan, Linwood Branch and John Baum for casting the right vote - a loud NO in a losing cause - to defeat further study of the light-rail system. A system that will not benefit the general population of Virginia Beach; a system with construction costs ranging from $376 million to $1.1 billion that will be shared by Virginia Beach; and a system that will run up millions in operating deficits year after year.
And now to The Pilot's editorial bashing of Councilman Jones for publicly condemning the lack of regional cooperation on the Lake Gaston pipeline and his assessment of light rail's disbenefits to the city of Virginia Beach. As uncomfortable as this message was to some, it took more courage to speak out than cast a politically appeasing yes vote.
Why shouldn't the councilmen have been concerned about the potentially harmful consequences of light rail on the huge investment Virginia Beach taxpayers make in tourism? Ask yourselves what other Hampton Roads city spends more than $10 million yearly to prime the tourism pump. Safeguarding the best interests of such an investment is far from outrageous.
The editorial closes by saying it's time for Beach voters to send a wake-up call to elected officials whose views fail to conform to those on some sort of ``Regionalist Team.''
By all means, let's send a clear bell ringer to the Virginia Beach City Council: No light rail; Virginia Beach first!
AL STRAZZULLO
Virginia Beach, Dec. 30, 1996