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

DATE: THURSDAY, August 5, 1993                   TAG: 9308050461
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

IT'S INCUMBENT UPON HIM

THE CITIZENS of Virginia deserve a debate between the two candidates for lieutenant governor, Republican Mike Farris and the incumbent, Democrat Don Beyer. I was amused at the reasons given by Gail Nardi of the Beyer campaign for Beyer's refusal to debate. (Letter to the editor, July 26, "Beyer didn't accept debate invitation.")

Beyer, she says, is just too busy this summer working on welfare reform and child-abuse prevention to debate Farris.

These are indeed important issues, but come now. Are we to believe that the governing elites can't be bothered with the trivial trappings of democracy because they are too engrossed in their own governing?

Obviously, Beyer is foregoing any vacation or weekend plans. Virginia would not be able to absorb the explosion of new welfare and child-abuse cases that would surely result from even a moment's rest. We should remind him that the legislature won't be in session to discuss his initiatives until January, giving him plenty of time to spend an evening chatting with Mike Farris.

SAMUEL J. WALLIN\ ROANOKE

by CNB