THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410060007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
I work for a large hardware retailer in Hampton Roads, and every government payday business is good.
The federal government paves our roads, builds and repairs ships in our shipyards, contributes to the education of our children, helps build sewer plants and water-treatment plants, supports our peanut farmers and tobacco growers. We are dependent on Uncle Sam for the healthy economy of our commonwealth.
When recession hit the country, we were spared because of the flow of government money that comes in many forms and is passed around to everyone. If we as Virginians counted the tax dollars we send to Washington, D.C., and compared that to the dollars that come back, we would be surprised at the profit margin we are working with. If you could run a private enterprise with that kind of return, it would be the richest company in the world.
We owe this good fortune to the fact that we send good men to Washington to represent us with the know-how to bring home the pork.
Many states are not as fortunate as we are, as some of their taxes end up here in Virginia.
We could become a state without all these big government bucks if we elect the wrong people. I cannot see Ollie North bringing home my bacon; I see him spitting in the eye of his president and making more enemies for himself and Virginia.
Ollie is a real trip. But we as Virginians cannot afford his brand of politics. We need Uncle Sam and his bucks. As for me, a guy who voted for George Allen, I am not stupid enough to vote to cut off the hand that feeds me. I pray enough people wake up before November to send Ollie back North - not to Washington, but all the way to New York.
DONALD R. LANE
Chesapeake, Oct. 2, 1994 by CNB