DATE: Friday, September 26, 1997            TAG: 9709260005

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  115 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

DRUNKEN DRIVING

Don't blame wine for most accidents

I read with interest the Sept. 17 column by Stephen Chapman about drunken driving. The article was quite informative, but I found the picture accompanying it objectionable.

It shows two cars piled up against bottles of wine.

The choice of a wine bottle is not complimentary to the wine industry or responsible moderate consumers of wine. If you check the figures, I believe you will find that the percentage of alcohol-related highway accidents associated with wine consumption is very low compared to other alcoholic beverages.

Your choice of a wine bottle to portray this problem is both incorrect and inappropriate. Perhaps you could replace the wine bottle with a cellular phone!

R. L. Williams

Professor of chemistry

Old Dominion University

Wine enthusiast and educator

Norfolk, Sept. 18, 1997

STATE FINANCE

Lottery revenues weren't ``diverted''

The editorial of Sept. 10 contained many inaccuracies concerning the Virginia Lottery.

When Del. ``Billy'' O'Brien was not able to participate in the lottery debates in 1987, he asked me to replace him. I agreed to do so, as all politicians felt that this was a losing cause and they couldn't be identified with it.

At every one of 32 debates, I explicitly told listeners that lottery money would go into the general fund as determined by the General Assembly. States and nations that had designated lottery funds for a particular budget item found difficulty using it all for that purpose while letting necessary budget items go underfunded.

A prime example is Pennsylvania. Lottery funds there are set aside for programs for the elderly. These are elegant programs. However, the Pennsylvania Turnpike continues to be a series of potholes and crumbling shoulders.

Never was the Virginia Lottery ``sold to the public as a revenue source for school construction.'' Prior to the successful legislation, Delegate O'Brien promoted the ``lottery as a voluntary tax'' and credited Jefferson with the quote.

Virginia had a balanced budget through the 1990 recession, one of the few states that accomplished this. The lottery revenues were not ``diverted to the general fund,'' as you say. They simply went where the original referendum legislation had specified.

Flora Haynie

Virginia Beach, Sept. 11, 1997

CONCERT

Elton John fans get a raw deal

I have followed Elton John since I was young and am very upset over the way tickets were sold. The concert date is the day of my wedding anniversary, and hearing his music would have been such a precious gift to me.

Instead, I stood in line at 6:30 in the morning only to be led to the biggest disappointment of all: sold out.

I want to know why people were allowed to buy so many tickets per person? If the number had been less, more true fans would have had a chance. Instead, ticket scalpers are raising prices to make a buck at prices I cannot afford.

Linda Goldman

Knotts Island, N.C., Sept. 18, 1997

MIDEAST PEACE

Israel's security must be guaranteed

Four years ago, the whole world applauded that the hallowed lands of the Mideast had agreed on a peace process after so many years of war.

Today, terrorism, murder and distrust have eroded every possibility of a successful peace treaty. In spite of Israel's return of Gaza, Hebron, Ramalla, Bethlehem and major cities of the West Bank; in spite of the creation of an independent Palestinian police force, collecting taxes for the PLO to support its new government, of a democratic election on the West Bank, terrorism is destroying the peace process.

How can there be peace when one side's leaders retain for themselves much of the generous financial assistance that the world has designated for rebuilding their land? How can there be peace when the PLO will not or cannot harness the terrorists? How can there be peace when 100,000 Palestinians who find gainful employment in Israel have to be locked out for security reasons?

Until the issue of security is resolved, Israel should defend its present borders and forget land for peace.

Bernice K. Levinson

Norfolk, Sept. 19, 1997

EDUCATION

School uniforms an only help

The Sept. 9 story and photos concerning school uniforms at Portsmouth's Cradock Middle School was very interesting. I'm sure many parents favor the use of uniforms since it will eliminate or reduce the informal competition that young people go through trying to keep up with or outdo fellow students. Uniforms are also much more affordable.

In Puerto Rico, both private and public schools have used uniforms since the `40s with great success. You can tell in each town what school a young person goes to by looking at the uniform. High school students in some areas are allowed to wear ``regular'' clothes as recognition of their seniority.

I believe wearing should uniforms would be a success here if we give it time to sink in and not be distracted by that oft-mentioned excuse: My right to self-expression is being violated.

Ramon Baez

Virginia Beach, Sept. 11, 1997

NORFOLK

Misspent school dollars

About the Taylor School controversy: Too bad the money spent on advertising couldn't be used to buy books. And too bad the hours spent talking, arguing, worrying over this one issue weren't funneled into volunteer time with the precious students in the Norfolk public schools.

Cheryl Chambers

Norfolk, Sept. 18, 1997

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