Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 17, 1994 TAG: 9410180020
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WILLIAM B. HOPKINS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
What about Robb's indiscretions at Virginia Beach while governor? I agree they should be considered by the voters, although he has squared things with the most important person concerned, Lynda Robb. But as Gov. Al Smith used to say, "Let's look at the record."
Yes, it's important for Virginians to look at Robb's whole record, vis-a-vis the other candidates. That record shows he possesses strong convictions on five major tenets of government: equal rights for all citizens; fiscal responsibility; an appropriate military; the best in public education, an essential for equal rights; and a determination to make America's system of government work. More important, he has the courage to vote his convictions when faced with tough choices.
Robb graduated first in his class at Marine Corps Officers' School in Quantico. While assigned to duty at the White House, he met and married Lynda Johnson. He volunteered for duty in Vietnam, where he led an infantry company and was decorated for valor. After his military service, he graduated from the University of Virginia Law School.
While a state senator, I had the opportunity to watch him perform as lieutenant governor. Robb made the lieutenant governor's office a full-time job. There he learned the mechanics of government by closely watching Gov. John Dalton and his secretary of administration and finance, Charles Walker, two excellent administrators. The knowledge gained paid big dividends to the citizens of Virginia after Robb was elected governor.
Although he took office as governor during the recession of 1982, Robb balanced the state's budget throughout his term without a tax increase. In his four years, more than $1 billion of new money was channeled into public education. This was the largest increase in aid to public schools by any Virginia governor either before or since his administration. He reduced the number of full-time state employees by more than 2,000, the only governor in this century to do so. In contrast to Gov. George Allen, Robb cut the number of workers by attrition - not filling vacancies - rather than firing longtime career managers.
More than 400,000 jobs were created during Robb's administration, twice the number of the previous governor, eight times that of Wilder, and three times more than the goal set by Allen for his four-year term. Unlike Allen, Robb promoted economic development by aggressively emphasizing Virginia's assets rather than promising huge cash outlays of taxpayers' money to new business prospects. Throughout the Robb years, Virginia's per-capita personal-income increase far exceeded the national-average income increase. On the flip side, Virginia's crime index decreased nearly 15 percent in his term.
As one who has dedicated his life to public service, Robb recognizes that the problems faced by Congress in Washington have little similarity to those in Richmond. Present congressmen have to live with the dire consequences of Ronald Reagan's supply-side economics, which drastically cut income taxes in the upper brackets while bloating the military budget. These moves saddled our nation with an uncontrollable federal deficit, quadrupling the national debt in just 12 years. Although at the time the vote was taken public opinion in Virginia was heavily against the deficit-reduction package of 1993, Robb voted for it. The 1994 deficit shows a $91 billion reduction, the approved budget for 1995 a $104 billion reduction.
It's ironic that Robb's opponents now criticize him for being the swing vote for the largest deficit-reduction package in the history of our country.
The centerpiece of Republican Oliver North's campaign - cut taxes while adding $50 billion to the military budget - without question will accelerate our country's move down its present path of slow, steady and certain self-strangulation. Robb is unalterably opposed to such a course, as all Americans should be.
Robb has avoided excessive partisan politics, in contrast to the present rule of the day in Washington. He voted for Bush policies 75 percent of the time. He has supported President Clinton on such major issues as deficit reduction, NAFTA and crime control. Indeed, Robb's record is that of a patriotic and dedicated public servant - the Marine with the right stuff to represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate.
William B. Hopkins of Roanoke is former Democratic majority leader of the Virginia Senate, and author of "No Bugle, No Drums."
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB