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GOP needs to grow up; New vans should carry bikes
Letters
GOP needs to grow up
I was thoroughly disgusted by the Republican convention (news&features, May 29). Not only did I see a completely inaccurate portrayal of Virginians (no young people, no diversity), but it was difficult to watch coverage of grown men and women hurling insults and name-calling.
My support for the Democratic ticket was cemented. The speeches of the Republican Party members hardly contained a word on platforms or anything innovative and interesting: Every other sentence was negativity towards the opposing party and especially Mark Warner. Gov. Jim Gilmore called Warner "slick" which is ludicrous. Gov. Gilmore referred to a tyrannical, Democratic, "old, one-party Virginia."
What, I wonder, would he call a Virginia with a Republican majority in the legislature, two Republican U.S. senators, four out of five Republican U.S. representatives, and two (or three, if Earley wins come November) Republican governors in a row? This fall's elections are crucial to Virginia economically, socially and environmentally. The campaign should be about issues and who will best lead Virginia to success. So far, all I hear from the Republicans is jabber.
Laura Schewel
New vans should carry bikes
No one is more pleased than I that the "long-awaited public van" crosses the county line, carrying Mr. Regional Cooperation, Sen. John Watkins of Chesterfield County (news&features, June 12).
Without detracting in any way from the efforts put forth over the years by Sen. Watkins, I recall that meetings of the Citizens Transportation Council held at St. Paul's Church in the early 1980s included discussion of a transfer point at the old Wyatt Transfer building on "Lower Broad Street" where both Greyhound and Amtrak might meet, as well as all kinds of city and county buses.
It had been just a few years since the establishment of the statewide Virginia Bicycling Federation of cycling organizations in 1980, and "multimodal" was still on our minds, recalling that most "trips" include at least two forms of transportation, with the second perhaps being pedestrian.
We applaud Sen. Watkins' achievement, but we would also like to point out that such vans and buses could well be fitted to carry bicycles.
Arthur H. Ratcliffe
I was thoroughly disgusted by the Republican convention (news&features, May 29). Not only did I see a completely inaccurate portrayal of Virginians (no young people, no diversity), but it was difficult to watch coverage of grown men and women hurling insults and name-calling.
My support for the Democratic ticket was cemented. The speeches of the Republican Party members hardly contained a word on platforms or anything innovative and interesting: Every other sentence was negativity towards the opposing party and especially Mark Warner. Gov. Jim Gilmore called Warner "slick" which is ludicrous. Gov. Gilmore referred to a tyrannical, Democratic, "old, one-party Virginia."
What, I wonder, would he call a Virginia with a Republican majority in the legislature, two Republican U.S. senators, four out of five Republican U.S. representatives, and two (or three, if Earley wins come November) Republican governors in a row? This fall's elections are crucial to Virginia economically, socially and environmentally. The campaign should be about issues and who will best lead Virginia to success. So far, all I hear from the Republicans is jabber.
Laura Schewel
New vans should carry bikes
No one is more pleased than I that the "long-awaited public van" crosses the county line, carrying Mr. Regional Cooperation, Sen. John Watkins of Chesterfield County (news&features, June 12).
Without detracting in any way from the efforts put forth over the years by Sen. Watkins, I recall that meetings of the Citizens Transportation Council held at St. Paul's Church in the early 1980s included discussion of a transfer point at the old Wyatt Transfer building on "Lower Broad Street" where both Greyhound and Amtrak might meet, as well as all kinds of city and county buses.
It had been just a few years since the establishment of the statewide Virginia Bicycling Federation of cycling organizations in 1980, and "multimodal" was still on our minds, recalling that most "trips" include at least two forms of transportation, with the second perhaps being pedestrian.
We applaud Sen. Watkins' achievement, but we would also like to point out that such vans and buses could well be fitted to carry bicycles.
Arthur H. Ratcliffe
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