The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, March 17, 1996                 TAG: 9603150203
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS      PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth 
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   73 lines

MAYOR IS CONFIDENT CITY HAS BRIGHT FUTURE

Mayor Gloria Webb didn't have to stretch to make an optimistic State of the City report Wednesday morning.

The text of that report is printed today on the page opposite this one, and citizens should make it priority reading.

When all the good things are put together in one speech, the future of Portsmouth looks brighter than many would have us believe. And the best news is that the mayor spoke in very concrete, factual terms. There was no trickery, no political rhetoric.

Of course, in this election year, many will try to take issue with the optimism, counting on tear-them-down oratory to win votes. That's too bad, because ill-informed voters will believe the worst, and the seeds of discontent are planted.

Yet, none of what is going on really is about politics.

As anybody who has kept up with events of the past year knows, there has been great citizen involvement and the city has made good use of the collective brains of its people, gathering the best ideas from those who know the problems first-hand and who want to find workable solutions.

From time to time, I hear somebody griping that ``nobody asked me.'' Well, that just ain't so. The Vision 2005 work sessions have been open to everyone. Many of those who did take time to participate did not wait to be invited. They just showed up. And many who couldn't attend for one legitimate reason or another sent their opinions and ideas through others.

The same goes for the recent summits on crime and senior citizens. Both were open meetings designed to give everybody a chance to be heard.

This newspaper has made every effort to let readers know what is going on.

Basically, the process has worked.

Of course, there always are the nay-sayers. For many people, complaining is a way of life. Others are sore losers when everything doesn't go exactly as they want it.

But the recent trend toward citizen involvement has meant that people have learned to compromise with their neighbors to reach workable solutions. Give-and-take definitely has played a role in many of the planning meetings.

Mayor Webb likened it all to the old custom of barn-raising with neighbors helping neighbors.

The best fallout from this citizen involvement has been the increased feeling of community. People have seen results from working together.

Those who have wanted to write off Portsmouth have not reckoned with the people power, a surge that makes it evident that a lot of folks don't intend to let Portsmouth go without a fight.

That old fighting spirit is what produced the events and promise outlined by the mayor.

For a long time, there has been an emphasis on how poor this city is - in terms of resources and of spirit. Even people who have been right here in Portsmouth all their lives have come to believe it so strongly that it's hard to convince them otherwise. Many have trouble getting beyond their streets or their neighborhoods.

But over the past year, many others have stepped forward with determination to overcome some of the negative vibes sent out by those people.

Of course, there always will be those who seek power the old way, hoping to gain it by dispensing favors or by cowering people with negative oratory. But I believe Portsmouth is past that point. Citizens are not dumb. And by tapping into their collective good sense, the city not only has enlarged its scope of thinking, it has created a large bloc of voters who do not buy the old myths.

They don't want people to tell them how bad things are, and they don't want to hear people who make promises they can't keep. They don't want to hear the same old song. They want people who look at the good things that are happening, who approve of changes that will create a fantastic future for Portsmouth. by CNB