
DATE: Sunday, August 17, 1997               TAG: 9708170166

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: Decision 97: Last Week's Highlights in the 1997 Statewide Races

                                            LENGTH:  134 lines

THE CAMPAIGNS

Wilder snipes at Beyer

It's election season in Virginia and once again former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder is making life miserable for his fellow Democrats.

Wilder strongly criticized Democratic gubernatorial candidate Donald S. Beyer on his radio talk show Monday night, igniting speculation that he may be setting the stage to endorse Republican James S. Gilmore III.

All Wilder will say is that he plans to remain neutral through Oct. 6, when he'll be hosting a debate between the two candidates. After that, well, Wilder is offering no promises.

On his radio show, Wilder accused Beyer of pandering to African-Americans in a recent campaign advertisement in the Richmond Free Press, a newspaper that covers minority affairs. The ad showed pictures of Beyer with black officials and accused Republicans -- referred to as "they" -- as being insensitive to minorities.

Wilder, the nation's only elected black governor and an influential voice in the minority community, challenged Beyer to address "real issues" and not issue racial appeals.

"Would this same ad appear in The Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Tidewater newspapers or The Washington Post?" he asked. "Appeal to my reason, not my emotions."

A few days prior to the show, Gilmore met privately with Wilder and sought his endorsement. The former governor reportedly played coy. But he has given Gilmore credit for strongly speaking out against black church burnings. And he has criticized Beyer for making perfunctory efforts to reach to minorities.

Many Democratic insiders are shrugging their shoulders at Wilder's actions, pointing out his history of giving Democratic candidates heartburn before coming on board at the last minute. He did it to President Bill Clinton in 1992, Mary Sue Terry in the 1993 gubernatorial election and Sen. Charles S. Robb in 1994.

Republicans say they are genuinely hopeful Wilder will join them this time. But even if he doesn't, they add, he's already done Gilmore a favor. Also last week:

Fire fighters are hot for Beyer.

But that seems mainly because they'd like to douse Republican gubernatorial candidate Gilmore's chances.

In endorsing Beyer, the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters Union spent most of their time hosing Gilmore, a former state attorney general, for opposing the expansion of benefits to fire fighters with heart and lung problems.

They also criticized Gilmore for his proposal to phase out the personal property tax on cars, saying it would pinch the already tight pocketbooks of many local governments - and, subsequently, their ability to finance emergency services.

"We rely on those vital funds to hire and train qualified fire fighters and parademics to protect our community," said Don Dinse, director of the York County Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics. Town Meetings:

Taxes, education, affordable housing, crime and transportation were the hot topics at a ``Your Voice, Your Vote'' Wednesday night at Ebenenzer Baptist Church in Portsmouth. Roughly 40 people attended the hour-long discussion.

Many of those who spoke complained about the personal property tax on cars and the need to discard it. They also said lawmakers need to spend more money on educating children than building jails.

Touching on the redevelopment programs in Norfolk and Portsmouth, some speakers expressed concern that poor families are being forced out of their communities and have no place to go.

They also said the state should lobby the federal government for more transportation funds to pay for an additional tunnel linking South Hampton Roads to the Peninsula. With all of the military installations in the area, the speakers said the tunnel could be considered a matter of national defense.

A few voices from a community meeting last Monday night at the Williamsburg public library:

"There are only three issues that matter in this campaign and that's education, education and education. If we really want to bring in top industry as the two (gubernatorial) candidates say they want to do, the best thing they can do is have quality education."

-- Joe Emerson, 31, of Yorktown.

"I don't think they'll ever do away with it because it's free money going into their hands."

-- Mark Hughes, 37, unemployed from Newport News, on the two gubernatorial candidates' promises to provide relief from the property tax paid on personal vehicles.

HOW TO REACH THE CANDIDATES

Governor

Donald S. Beyer, Jr.-D

1004 N. Thompson Street

Richmond, Va. 23230

Campaign Office--804-354-9797

FAX--804-786-7514

Toll Free--1-888-beyer97

e-mail--donbeyer97 aol.com

Website--http://www.beyer97.org

James S. Gilmore,III-R

PO. Box 18071