Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 21, 1993 TAG: 9304210180
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DALE EISMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Wilder has called a news conference for noon today to announce that for the second year in a row, Financial World magazine has rated Virginia the nation's best-managed state.
Neither the administration nor editors of the New York-based business magazine would comment Tuesday on the rankings. "To be honored twice in a row would be great," said Lisa A. Katz, an administration spokeswoman.
One source said Richard Greene, a Financial World co-editor who worked on the rankings, and Douglas McIntyre, president of the firm that publishes the magazine, plan to join Wilder for the announcement. Details of the rankings are to be published in an edition of Financial World due to go on sale in mid-May.
A year ago, announcement of the rating drew little more than a ho-hum from most of the in-state press. That irritated the governor, who in subsequent months repeatedly touted the magazine's appraisal of his administration.
Apparently hoping for better coverage this year, Wilder has invited editorial writers, senior editors and publishers of several state papers to today's announcement.
Wilder, who's weighing a U.S. Senate race in 1994 against fellow Democrat Charles Robb, says careful stewardship of the state's money has been one of the major achievements of his administration.
Near the outset of his term, a sagging economy forced Wilder to confront a $2.2 billion shortfall in state tax collections; a combination of accounting adjustments and budget cuts allowed him to keep the budget balanced without a general tax increase.
Despite the Financial World rankings, Republicans have been critical of Wilder's management and have promised to make it an issue in the 1993 gubernatorial campaign. They argue that his administration has neglected economic development efforts that would keep the state growing.
A study commissioned by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, this month reported concern among business leaders that the state's ability to compete for new business development may have been hurt by cuts in spending on education and worker training.
by CNB