Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 7, 1995 TAG: 9510090030
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
A chunk of that comes from manmade attractions like Busch Gardens, another from natural features like the Blue Ridge Mountains and the seashore. But another huge chunk comes from Virginia's historic sites, which about three-quarters of first-time visitors to the state stop to see.
Politicians proud to claim a link with the state's history while politicking might be expected to deal kindly with efforts to preserve that past.
But no. State grants for historic properties totaled only $3 million this year, about one-third the amount received in the late 1980s.
Theme parks can be built anywhere. Not so colonial settlements and Civil War battlefields. Virginia's history is a unique asset. The state should do more to preserve it, for the sake of our history and of our future.
THE CENSUS bureau reports that, last year, 40 million Americans or 15 percent of the population lacked health insurance. Because they're more likely to be covered by Medicare or Medicaid, nonworkers were covered at higher rates than were part-time workers.
In short, the health-insurance crisis has yet to go away by itself. Any plans to revisit the matter?
by CNB