DATE: Tuesday, April 29, 1997               TAG: 9704290262

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 

DATELINE: NAGS HEAD                         LENGTH:   51 lines

POLL SAYS MORE BUSINESS PEOPLE ON SCHOOL BOND'S OPPOSING SIDE

A few more business people oppose a school bond than support it, but a fifth of them are undecided, according to a poll by the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce.

The results of the poll on the controversial $59.5 million bond proposal were announced at the chamber's annual Legislative Breakfast, on Monday at the Dunes restaurant.

The chamber sent questionnaires to 1,095 members asking their opinion on the school bond and other issues.

Of the 332 responses, 142 said they opposed the bond issue, 121 said they favored it and 69 said they didn't know or had no opinion. The bond issue will go up for a vote on May 20.

Asked to rank community programs needed on the Outer Banks, youth programs were listed as the top priority, followed by child care, family activities, cultural arts, older-adult programs, fitness, aquatics and camping.

More than half the respondents, 193, said an adult-entertainment business in their community would damage their business. Ninety-nine said it would have no impact, and 23 said it would have a positive impact. An additional 23 they had no opinion.

Asked if they supported a salt-water recreational fishing license, 118 respondents said no, 73 said yes and 41 had no opinion. Asked how they felt about building a jetty to stabilize the Oregon Inlet channel, 245 supported the jetty, 42 opposed the jetty and 49 had no opinion.

The jetty and the salt-water license drew support from Sen. Marc Basnight, D-Dare, the leader of the state Senate, who spoke along with state Rep. William T. Culpepper III, D-Edenton, to about 130 chamber members.

Basnight said ``deeper and stronger involvement'' will be forthcoming from federal sources including President Clinton. He also said that if drastic measures aren't taken soon the inlet could close and no longer drain inland waters, which would create chaos on the Albemarle Sound and its tributaries.

Basnight said he supports a license for salt-water anglers if the revenue is used to enhance the fishery stocks. ``The reason for the license must be to provide more fish.''

Basnight also said he hopes to see political campaigns shortened and contributions regulated more closely so more people would be willing to seek office.

And he said critics of hog farms who blame all of the pollution in North Carolina on them are overlooking the biggest cause of pollution - people.

``We are the pigs, and we all are responsible for polluting our waters.''

Culpepper said the legislature is working on bills that would better regulate personal watercraft such as Jet Skis, and he said ``crazy'' proposals to ban fishing nets in North Carolina waters ``are dead as a doornail.''

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