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

DATE: FRIDAY, June 4, 1993                   TAG: 9306040467
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HOT LINE IS FOR GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE

I AM DISAPPOINTED to see that, after numerous attempts to explain it, there is still confusion as to why we began the Mary Sue Terry Hot Line (May 29 editorial, "Unfriendly fire").

We were not looking for "dirt" and we were not looking for material dealing with Ms. Terry's personal life. We were, however, trying to provide an outlet for those who believe they may have been wronged by the attorney general's office.

The attorney general holds one of the most powerful - yet least publicized - positions in Virginia's government. The attorney general has the power to take legal action on behalf of the commonwealth against its citizens. Naturally, there is a certain "fear factor" involved in exposing potential official misdeeds of such a powerful public figure.

This is why we began the hot line. We wanted to give those who felt they'd been dealt with in an unjust manner the ability to tell their side of the story. And we wanted them to have the comfort of knowing they'd remain anonymous while we investigated.

Time and time again, I've heard Ms. Terry talk about open and honest government. Yet, I was amazed at how many exemptions her office has to the Freedom of Information Act. She and her staff can conduct much of their business entirely out of the public eye. I am surprised the media aren't concerned about this as well.

I believe that our hot line is one of the best ways to gather information, especially information on misconduct by her or members of her staff.

Ms. Terry wants to be our commonwealth's chief executive. Virginians have a right to know the full story of how she ran the attorney general's office before they are asked to give her the promotion she is requesting. Her campaign will tell voters about the positive aspects of her performance; it is our duty as the "loyal opposition" to point out areas in which the office under Ms. Terry did not perform in the best interests of our citizens.

Yes, the Republican Party of Virginia owes it to the people to ensure all our campaign material is "100 percent accurate and adequately footnoted." To get to that point, however, we must have the information supplied by those who feel they have been mistreated by an over-reaching state government. DAVID S. JOHNSON Executive Director Republican Party of Virginia RICHMOND

by CNB