ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 5, 1997 TAG: 9702050082
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: A Cuppa Joe
SOURCE: JOE KENNEDY
On Jan. 21, a Roanoke teacher received a packet from the governor's office that really ticked her off.
In it she found an audiotape, a proclamation from Gov. George Allen, a color photo of Allen and his family, a letter from the state superintendent of public instruction and order forms for additional tapes if pupils or their parents wanted them.
Allen was proclaiming January "Reading Month in Virginia." On the tape, he read stories for 25 minutes - stories that she and other teachers could play for their pupils to promote reading.
The teacher was appalled. Kids would be bored by the tape, she said. Postage alone cost $2.39. What was the mailing's full cost?
The governor's office told me each packet ran about $6. One packet went to each of the commonwealth's 1,311 public elementary schools. Six dollars times 1,311 packets equals $7,866 to send out tapes of the governor's greatest hits. The money came from his office budget of $2 million.
My teacher friend thinks it's a waste of taxpayer funds.
What do you think?
The mailing's beginning
The mailing had a modest beginning last spring, when Lorraine Slater sent blank audio cassettes to about 15 politicians across the country, starting with President Clinton.
Slater, the reading coordinator at Lynnhaven Elementary School in Virginia Beach, asked each to record a message and a story for the 530 students in her "at risk" school.
She wanted them to support Reading Month in Virginia Beach, which was in January. Her theme: "Inaugurate a Good Book."
"My husband said, `This isn't going to work. You're going to send those politicians a tape, and they're going to think it's a bomb.'''
She told him, "If I get one tape, I'll be happy."
Slater received about 11 letters, several photographs and one tape, from Allen.
On it, the governor reads stories that he said he and his wife read to their children: "The King and His Hawk," "The Wisdom of Solomon," some of George Washington's "Rules for Civilized Behavior" and a pair of "Aesop's Fables," plus the beginning of the Declaration of Independence.
His manner is casual.
An Allen staffer called Slater and said the governor would declare January "Reading Month in Virginia," and send one copy of the tape to each of the state's public elementary schools.
The governor, the staffer said, cannot fulfill all the requests he gets to read in schools. The tape would take his place.
Glad she did it
Slater, who paid for the postage and some of the original cassettes out of her own pocket, said she is playing Allen's tape for her classes one story at a time.
"Some are a bit heavy for a bedtime story," she said. "There's one about cutting a baby in half."
What does she think about the statewide mailing?
"It certainly wasn't my idea to have the governor spend $7,000 for `January is Reading Month,''' she said. "But I'm glad I did it."
I'm staying out of this. I need readers, and if the governor wants to help with their training, it's fine by me.
What do you think? Was it a wise use of funds, or a waste of public money? Call InfoLine (981-0100 in Roanoke, 382-0200 in New River), punch in 7860 and listen to the governor read the stories.
Tell us what you think, and leave a daytime phone number.
I'll print the results, and we'll draw for a prize: a $20 gift certificate from a bookstore.
What's your story? Call me at 981-3256, send e-mail to joek@roanoke.com or write to P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010.
LENGTH: Medium: 77 linesby CNB