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

DATE: THURSDAY, February 13, 1992                   TAG: 9202130529
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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JUNK NEEDLESS PROJECTS DROP IDEA THAT MORE MONEY CAN SOLVE ALL PROBLEMS

FIRST, THE STATE government should stop authorizing expenditures on projects not presently needed or wanted.

For instance, the state recently paid consultants $2.5 million for studying, planning, preparing cost estimates, making traffic surveys, preparing layouts, etc., in connection with somebody's whim to construct a circumferential highway in Eastern Roanoke County to connect Interstate 81 and Route 220 South.

Interstate 581, just a few miles west of the proposed new highway, does that now, and East Roanoke County residents certainly did not want the proposed road in their area. The idea has now been scrapped.

Second, our elected state representatives should dispense with the notion that more money can solve all our problems. For instance, they are seeking further means to increase revenues in order to, among other things, pour additional money into our currently failing educational system. Many do not believe we are getting our money's worth at present - and simply spending more money will not alleviate the problem of our high-school graduates' inability to read, write, spell or work arithmetic. CLAUDE E. STEWART JR. VINTON

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