THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 28, 1995 TAG: 9507270002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
Republicans are not to blame for the death of the Lake Gaston deal as was suggested by a recent letter from Marvin Geroe. There was more evidence to suggest that the Democrats were trying to avoid voting on the matter.
Where was House Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr. on this issue? He maintained a suspiciously low profile throughout the negotiations and then was the first one to jump to the attack when the governor refused to call a special session.
The Democrats' obstinate refusal to agree to simple procedural rules - including a deadline for the special session - was designed to protect their political hides rather than to serve the best interests of the commonwealth.
I suspect that the Democrats simply didn't want to vote on the agreement. Why would they? It has been a contentious issue for more than a decade and, as many people noticed during the past legislative session, avoiding votes on difficult issues is standard operating procedure among Democrats in the General Assembly.
DAVID PARKER BYLER
Virginia Beach, July 14, 1995 by CNB