Letters To The Editor

August 27, 1998


In his Aug. 5 article, ``Cost estimate may sidetrack light rail plan,'' Patrick Lee Plaisance indicates that the ``massive price tag'' to build a light rail line in Hampton Roads may ultimately sideline the project. More accurately, nearsightedness and misinformation threatens the project's future.

Plaisance suggests that building a light rail line would be more expensive than adding new highway lines. This statement is certainly not true for the double-tracked light rail line that would run between downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach ocean front. Light rail would carry the equivalent of six new lanes of interstate highway at a cost of $22 million per mile.

Even at a modest estimate for a new highway lane mile in each direction of $10 million, equivalent capacity would total $30 million per mile. Along a developed area such as the Route 44/I-264 corridor, the purchase of the necessary right of way could easily double or triple that price tag.

Once built, the LRT would be able to increase its readership simply by adding train cars or by increasing the frequency of service. Unlike our highway system, expanded LRT would require no new infrastructure, no new lane miles and cause no highway construction headaches.

If Hampton Roads is to enjoy continued economic development, a fully integrated light rail system serving the Peninsula, via the CSX corridor, and the Southside, via the Norfolk-Virginia Beach corridor, is essential.

Plaisance acknowledges public consensus that widening roadways won't solve ever-increasing congestion and gridlock problems in Hampton Roads. He's right. No transportation system is free. All require taxpayer support. But, with LRT, we'll get more capacity for the buck.

William Welch, president

Hampton Roads Public Transportation Alliance

Virginia Beach


I was outraged to read the Aug. 20 account of the Newport News EMT's day in court, "Jail sentence is suspended in assault." One gets the impression that an upstanding adult citizen joined innocently into a game with a group of teens and fell victim to an accident blown out of proportion. Nothing is further from the truth.

As testified to at trial by the other children, this EMT invited himself into a game with six children ranging in age from 8 to 13. The 13-year-old victim was the only teen-ager in the pool. The children further testified that this EMT wanted always to be the ``shark,'' and wanted only to pursue and tag the 13-year-old girl.

This EMT not only ``grazed his knuckles'' (all 10 of them) against her skin, but as this 13-year-old struggled to pull her bicycle shorts-style suit back up, he proceeded with both hands to touch her again.

The commonwealth's attorney believed her account. A grand jury believed her account. The judge believed her account, stating before conviction that ``he believed it happened just as (the victim) says it happened.''

Thomas Norment, the defense attorney, said his client did not mean harm, yet his client, an EMT, effectively compromised a child's ability to safely tread in 8 feet of water and then took full advantage of her predicament.

Norment said, ``There is nothing inherently insidious about an adult playing with children.'' I agree with him, but this was not ``playing.''

The EMT profession is highly regarded by all of us and is deserving of the utmost respect. Having this grown man hide behind its good name cloaked as the victim while the 13-year-old is left defending her virtues is a travesty.

Patricia Pruitt

Isle of Wight


I am somewhat confused as to the reason why so many Americans are looking to Washington for moral leadership. I am a black male who can easily recall that a few years ago the quickest way into prominence in political life was trashing blacks, therefore, black folk had to look elsewhere for inspiration and leadership.

My father was a deacon who commanded that only death would be accepted as a legitimate excuse for not attending church and Sunday school. In addition to that, I was in my mother's class until I was about 10 years old.

My role models were my parents. Before golf carts, those distinguished American gentleman such as doctors, lawyers, judges and other prominent professionals used caddies to carry their golf bags, since we were regarded as sand or grass, the country club Americans spoke openly.

I truly am thankful to God that I never had to look outside the family unit for role models or morals.

Ned Cary



President Clinton's inappropriate relationship with an intern of his daughter's age and his denial of it while looking into your eyes is sending a strong message that he is a liar, two-face deceiver and untrustworthy due to his stained personal integrity, flawed character and blemished credibility.

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