DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997              TAG: 9703270012

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  133 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR -THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

VIRGINIA BEACH

Let's ``rec''

31st Street

With regard to the best use of the 31st Street area at the Oceanfront, where the ice-skating rink is located, the community needs this area for recreational purposes. The profit the parking lot would make for the city is very tempting, but money is not necessarily the key to happiness. Whatever happened to uniting the community?

A park would leave room for concerts, which would also bring in money, and what a place for a concert - right on the beach. The American Music Festival could be spread out along the Oceanfront and not just at the south end of the beach. A hotel or parking lot means more pollution, water usage and erosion. A park would enhance the Oceanfront's natural beauty.

Graham S. Strickler

Virginia Beach, March 20, 1997

ECONOMICS

Base the CPI on

unbiased statistics

I was distressed with your March 17 article, ``The good, the bad and the CPI.'' It stated, ``Experts have told Congress that the (Consumer Price) index is flawed, that it overstates inflation by about 1 percentage point a year. Other economists say it's not that far off.''

The ``experts'' who have been quoted are those in the Boskin Commission, who were picked from a group of 16 economists by a survey which asked the questions, ``Do you believe the CPI index overstates inflation? If you do, by how much?''

Congress then appointed the five economists to the commission who answered ``yes'' and gave the highest percentage of error. These economists then reviewed the data on which they had based their original estimates, did no new research and reported, `` By golly, we were right.''

The second article, ``Experts disagree on the index's accuracy,'' states, ``For some time, experts have contended that the CPI overstates inflation.'' Other economists equally as expert do not believe the CPI overstates inflation and in fact believe that, at least for seniors, it may understate the effects of inflation.

We must ensure that the CPI only be changed when statistical information from a reliable unbiased source says that a change is needed.

Virgil P. Kocher

President, Chapter 1682

National Association of

Retired Federal Employees

Chesapeake, March 20, 1997

SAFETY

Our roads need

off-ramp spikes

I cannot understand why the state of Virginia does not adopt the same safety feature on its interstate off-ramps as California.

Almost all exits on California freeways have spikes that go into the pavement as you roll over them when exiting a freeway. If a vehicle tries to enter a freeway from an exit ramp, it won't make it - the spikes on the exit ramp will blow out its tires.

Three young people lost their lives, one of them my son, in a head-on crash with a vehicle heading in the wrong direction on Interstate 64. I have read in the newspaper of other lives lost due to drivers entering the interstates from an off-ramp.

Joseph T. Battaglia

Portsmouth, March 20, 1997

EDUCATION

Parlez-vous

francais? Why not?

Concerning Manny Rojo's March 8 letter, which advocated eliminating foreign-language study in high school, we would like to respond.

We have studied French for four or five years and are appalled that such a suggestion be taken seriously. We have found that by taking French, we have gained a better insight into our own language and have sharpened our speaking, writing and listening skills. Learning French has helped us recognize new words in English, and learning French grammar has reinforced our grasp of English grammar.

In today's shrinking world, it is important to know another language. We can't imagine why someone would want to eliminate foreign language, because all the other foreign countries know English. However, most Americans can't speak another language. We as Americans need to expand our culture.

Furthermore, beginning a foreign language in college is ridiculous. Foreign language study should begin sooner, not later.

Elizabeth Baarlaer

and 14 others students in

fourth- and fifth-year French

Granby High School

Norfolk, March 20, 1997

GOVERNORSHIP

``Mechanic'' Beyer

will rev up taxes

What a hoot! Millionaire Volvo dealer Don Beyer has announced his candidacy for governor as a ``certified auto mechanic'' (news, March 11). This desperate attempt to alter his elitist rich-boy image reaches the heights of hyprocrisy and demonstrates that Beyer is taking a page from the Clinton/liberal book of how to gain votes by putting symbolism over substance. This Volvo stuff won't fly with the hard-working voters of Virginia. Just ask a real mechanic how many big-dealership owners regularly get grease underneath their finger-nails.

In his announcement, Beyer calls for massive increases in state spending. Now, it doesn't take a ``certified auto mechanic'' to realize that a massive tax increase would be needed to pay for Beyer's big-spending dreams.

So if you feel the need to reduce your take-home pay by spending more of it in Richmond, vote for Beyer. If you agree that you deserve your hard-earned money, vote for Jim Gilmore for governor and don't let Beyer take you for a ride!

Bobby May

Hurley, March 16, 1997

PRISONS

No rehabs

or sympathy

I just read the March 16 letter from an inmate about a protest at the Tidewater Correctional facility. It infuriated me that she feels that she and others like her deserve rehabilitation and job skills for when they get out.

Did they think about getting an education before they committed a crime? With all the help that Social Services offers, why weren't they in line instead?

As a victim of a robbery, I have no sympathy at all. The person who robbed us wasn't thinking of the trauma inflicted on our family. My husband had just gotten back to work after being laid off, and we had to struggle to keep everything we had.

One night, when we returned home, we saw that my bedroom window was open and the screen bent. Inside, everything was gone, even my son's formula and baby food.

Prisoners shouldn't cry about what they want or need. They get more than a homeless person, which is too much in my opinion.

LaGina Reese

Portsmouth, March 17, 1997

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