THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 12, 1997 TAG: 9702120007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 28 lines
Your Feb. 9 editorial, ``No support from Beach,'' chides state legislators for voting as their constituents wished. Is that not their job, to represent the people in their district? The people strongly voiced their opposition to the concept, and the legislators voted for the people.
Second, the commentary claims the estimated $5 million under consideration is tax money the state would never see. Wrong! The $5 million to be generated at the arena is at the expense of movie theaters, shopping malls, video rentals and other forms of entertainment. People have a limited budget; when they buy one thing they are forgoing something else.
Third, that $1.50 per person pops up again, this time described as a ``modest sum.'' I suggest that zero is a much more modest sum. The big problem here is that the $1.50 will not be collected from each person, but instead will find its way into property taxes.
Hampton Roads does not want hockey. This past Christmas I tried to buy my nephew a hockey jersey, but even amid the Rhinos hoopla, stores in this area did not stock them. The retailers, who are not subsidized by taxes, only carry what people will buy, and it is obvious people do not buy hockey.
STEVE RANDALL
Suffolk, Feb. 10, 1997