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

DATE: FRIDAY, August 6, 1993                   TAG: 9308060080
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

LOTTERY OFFICE TARGETED BY GOP

"This is waste. This is a symbol of waste, this pork palace, and it betokens other waste in the state of Virginia," said Del. Robert Marshall, R-Manassas. He fought the state office building section of a $145 million bond package during April's legislative veto session.

Del. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, said 33 of the 41 Republicans in the House of Delegates have agreed to co-sponsor a bill for the 1994 General Assembly session to repeal the section. He said 37 Republican House challengers and gubernatorial candidate George Allen also have pledged to eliminate the funding.

"Republican leaders are currently researching other options for housing the lottery staff, all of which will result in far less cost than the existing plan to build this high-cost edifice to Virginia's bloated bureaucracy," Wagner said at a Capitol news conference.

Del. Chip Woodrum of Roanoke, a Democrat who spoke against the lottery building when the assembly approved it, said Thursday that the bill implementing the construction program also included three prisons and other vital projects. He criticized Wagner and other Republicans who voted against the bill, suggesting they may have some explaining to do when they claim to be tough on crime.

Republican legislators said continuing to rent space - in Richmond, in Crystal City offices vacated by federal agencies or in areas of the state with high unemployment rates - would be cheaper than constructing the new building in Richmond.

Glenn Davidson, a spokesman for Gov. Douglas Wilder, disputed that claim.

"It is more cost-effective to own a building than to continue to pay rent," he said.

Wagner said that argument, used by Democrats during the veto session, overlooked the idea of purchasing a finished building for the Lottery Department.

"The so-called used buildings that were being considered would have required phenomenal refurbishment," Davidson said. "We also own that land, so that makes a big difference."

Davidson emphasized that the lottery would not be the only tenant in the nine-story building. Five other agencies are tentatively scheduled to move in.

Construction is scheduled to start in the fall of 1994 and take about 18 months.

Staff writer Dale Eisman contributed to this story.