
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 19, 1994                    TAG: 9406180079 
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON                     PAGE: 07    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Short 
DATELINE: 940619                                 LENGTH:

TARGET VOTERS ONLY IN CITY SATISFACTION SURVEY

{LEAD} Virginia Beach city staff is again about to conduct its citizen-satisfaction survey, a commendable and worthy undertaking.

Currently, 500 randomly selected citizens, over 18 years of age, will be interviewed. This makes 340,000 citizens eligible for the survey. My problem is that only 40,000 of these citizens vote in City Council elections. Electing City Council determines the policy, services and direction of Virginia Beach. Accordingly, these 40,000 citizens - or at least the 160,000 who are registered to vote - are the group the survey should select from.

{REST} I've identified the stockholders who select our board of directors. Now, find out what they want. To do otherwise is like letting the stockholders of Ford select the board of General Motors.

Among politicians there is an old saying: ``If they aren't registered to vote, they can't hurt you.'' Perhaps this would encourage voter registration and participation in City Council elections.

John T. Atkinson

Virginia Beach

by CNB