THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 29, 1995 TAG: 9509280147
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Long : 115 lines
In a few weeks the citizens of Chesapeake will again find themselves at the polls deciding which holes to punch in their cards.
As I reflect on the choices at the city level, one race draws my attention - that of clerk of court. In that race, we have the incumbent, Lil Hart, being challenged by Vista Cotten, a local insurance broker.
While I don't know Ms. Cotten, I hear that she's a good lady and a sharp business person. As such, I'm sure she will appreciate my approach to elections, one in which I view myself as a personnel manager making a hiring decision.
As I grow older, I am less inclined to vote along party lines, instead choosing the best qualified applicant for the job at hand. As a voter, I must (like a business manager making a hiring decision) look at the job requirements and then judge the applicants for that job based solely on their knowledge of the job and their proven ability to perform. Having applied the above sound business principles to the clerk of court contest, I have looked closely at both applicants' qualifications.
Ms. Cotten is an astute business person with plenty of experience managing a private sector business. Her track record speaks highly of her qualifications to manage an insurance agency or other private sector business. There may well be even a government job or two for which she is well qualified.
Ms. Hart, on the other hand, has very little private sector experience. However, she does have almost 40 years of experience in the court's clerk position, and all of her work experience has been centered around the law. She was one of the first 10 clerks of court in Virginia to earn and hold certified court clerk status from the University of Virginia's Center for Public Service and Continuing Education. She has held the position for which she is ``applying'' for well over 10 years and has done an excellent job while holding it.
So on Nov. 7, I will make the only sensible ``hiring decision'' for Chesapeake Circuit Court clerk. I will ``hire'' Lil Hart.
To Ms. Cotten, I say, ``Thank you for your interest in the job, but we feel that another applicant is far more qualified for the position.''
A.C. ``Andy'' Black Jr.
Hornsea Road Expensive photos
I just received notice from my son's school (Great Bridge Middle School South) that his school pictures will be taken on Wednesday. I remembered back to my school days when ``photo day'' was a pretty big deal. We would all get dressed up, smile nicely, get our picture taken, then in a couple weeks - voila! - the pictures would arrive. My parents would shell out a couple of bucks, and we would go about trading pictures.
It would be nice to report that in Chesapeake the same thing would happen; however, I am sad to say, this is not the case.
It seems as if a company called Lifetouch Studios has the photo contract in the Chesapeake school district and has had it for a few years now. Not only are their pictures outrageously expensive ($34 for their 49-picture ``A'' package), but the quality of their pictures has appeared to degrade significantly over the past two years, with an increase in price to boot!
Add to that a new twist. Now Lifetouch Studios will only print packages for those paying in advance! Well, excuse me, but I have never paid for something I haven't had the chance to see first, and I really do not expect to start now!
Instead of paying these ridiculous prices, I think I'll take my kids to our local department store, where they will sell you 100 pictures for $6.95.
I think the Chesapeake school district would be wise to scrap this company and contract with the one serving this department store. I would even be willing to pay an additional $2 or $3 for the school district's cut as well as the little picture that goes in the yearbook.
When picture day comes, I guess I'll be making the short trip to that department store, hope others will join me!
Jim Smith
Finch Street Middle-class enemy
The Republican Party is an enemy of middle-class and poor Americans!
A bold statement, but true. They believe that taxpayers will accept a tax cut for the rich to fix something that does not need fixing - the economy.
The current congressional battle goes beyond a tax break. It goes to reducing the budget deficit of this country. The Republicans claim that by reducing the protective net for impoverished children, the poor and our elderly, they can have it both ways - a tax cut and reduce the deficit. Sounds like Reagan Administration Voodoo economics. Remember, it was during such a tax cut by the Republicans to the rich and increased defense spending in the early 1980s that created this deficit in the first place.
Further, the Republican Party may be good with its rhetoric, but has no concept of what it takes for a working man or woman to keep what little he or she gains. After all, 90 percent of all Republicans in office lives in the charm of splendor, unlike the majority of the American people. Those high walls at country clubs are there for only one reason: so they don't have to know. Thus, with arrogance, isolation and lack of knowledge, they will look out for themselves only.
On the other hand, the middle class and the poor have no real voice in the legislative process, because if you are not rich or solicit the help of special interest groups, you cannot afford to run for office in today's political climate. In the end, the middle class and the poor, without real representation of their interests, discover only that the burden of taxes is passed from the federal government to the states with no real gains for themselves. The rich get their tax break, the middle class gets poorer, as does everyone below, as the deficit grows.
The Republicans are the enemy of the working class if they think that Americans cannot see through the smoke and mirrors. If the Republicans are serious about reducing the deficit, then make taxation fair for all, a flat tax for everyone, including corporate America. A flat tax would be truly democratic and a totally fair practice for every person in this country and would have the voters' overwhelming support, with the exception of the rich and corporate America.
Carl Michael
Helmsdale Court by CNB