Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 27, 1993 TAG: 9403180020
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Jablonski has been so focused on economic development that his opponent, Democrat Jim Martin, claims with some credibility that Jablonski is out of touch on other matters, including overcrowded schools in the rapidly developing Riner area.
Jablonski's stance on Riner's school problems may indeed be shortsighted. He wants to hold off committing to build another school until it's ascertained that Riner's growth patterns aren't a temporary blip. His position is consistent, though, with his go-slow, professional and methodical approach to problem-solving - which generally has served the county well.
Jablonski is an engineering specialist at Hercules Inc., at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant. Martin, a member of the county's planning commission for the past 11 years, also works at Hercules as an electronics technician. Their race for the District D supervisor's seat is a rematch of 1989, which Martin lost by only 240 votes. The Democrat's theme then was "it's time for a change." It's still time, says Martin, and he is in many ways an attractive candidate.
He hasn't, however, made a strong enough case for tossing out an incumbent with Jablonski's record of hard work and achievement.
A former chairman of the supervisors, Jablonski has been a member of the Montgomery Regional Economic Development Commission since its inception. He worked for the county's construction of two new shell buildings, both now occupied. In the face of numerous layoffs from manufacturing jobs, including at the Radford arsenal, and after the county lost two major industrial prospects to other states, the Republican pushed hard for the board to make a new financial commitment to economic development. One result: the purchase of the Falling Branch site for a future industrial park.
To his credit, Jablonski also spearheaded a revenue-sharing agreement between Montgomery County and Radford concerning development along the Virginia 177 corridor. In the long run, this agreement should produce revenue and new jobs for both jurisdictions. He's also been instrumental in working on cooperative projects with other localities, including annexation settlements that avoided costs of court trials.
Jablonski supports the proposed "smart road" for its economic-development potential.
Martin supports it too - now, with reservations. The Democrat supports other good things as well, including an open-space planning initiative (he'd give it a different name), less sectionalism within the county, and more cooperation with other counties in the region.
Jablonski is less reassuring in these regards. His objections, for instance, to a proposed bond issue for a new library in Blacksburg and a new health and human services building seem nit-picky. We suspect the real thrust of his opposition is political, feeding off resentment against Blacksburg and against county spending, respectively. And Jablonski could be more supportive of schools than he has been.
We hope he'll become more supportive in the future. That would add another asset to his close scrutiny of spending and his efforts in economic development that prompt us to recommend Jablonski's re-election.
Keywords:
POLITICS ENDORSEMENT
by CNB