
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 6, 1990                   TAG: 9005080503
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: F2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

LARGER GOVERNMENTS ALWAYS COST MORE

RATHER than advocate consolidation, may I suggest that Marilyn Donato (letter April 29) address her concerns about education to the City Council as 500 city citizens did recently. Her interests would be better served in this venue. It's the city school system that is underfunded and out of step.

"A more efficient and responsive government under consolidation" is a statement that flies in the face of fact. Exhaustive authoritative studies and statistics prove that larger governments are less responsive and always more costly per capita. Also, bureaucracy inherent in larger governments makes them much more expensive due to layered management and other efficiencies.

Please, everyone sit down and examine consolidation carefully; it's for keeps. If we find it doesn't work, it cannot be reversed. It's as final as death.

Cooperate yes! Consolidate no!

\ DON TERP\ Coordinator, Citizens Against Merger\ ROANOKE

by CNB