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

DATE: FRIDAY, August 26, 1994                   TAG: 9408260071
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

BALLOONS SPEAK SOFTLY, BUT CARRY A BIG MESSAGE

As Gov. George Allen touted his plans to abolish parole at a news conference Thursday in Roanoke, 10 black balloons offered a small and silent protest to another of his initiatives - cutting state jobs.

The balloons, tied to railings at the main entrance of the Commonwealth Building, across Lee Plaza from Allen's news conference, were placed there in tribute to Roanoke workers who lost their jobs as a result of the governor's efforts to trim the state bureaucracy.

"I guess it's a quiet message there," said Marilyn Donato, who said she has a friend who recently lost her job as a result of Allen's cuts.

Inside the building that houses state officers, someone had taped a sign on the directory that read: "Stop the early release of state employees."

Allen announced this week that his administration has trimmed the state bureaucracy by 413 jobs, saving an estimated $7.4 million this year. The cuts represented less than 1 percent of the state's work force.

Ken Stroupe, Allen's press secretary, said he did not know how many state workers lost their jobs in Roanoke, but that most of the cuts were located in central agencies in Richmond. Donato said she knew of at least 10 Roanoke employees who lost their jobs.

No one confronted Allen about the job cuts at his news conference, and he did not appear to notice the balloons as he hurried to his next scheduled stop on a statewide tour to promote his no-parole proposal.

by CNB