Letters to the Editor

Ex-Governor Reviews His Successful Tenure

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

During my administration we created nearly 250,000 jobs. In this time of economic distress, would Cranwell describe that accomplishment as a "failed" Gilmore administration? I kept my promise to improve education. I added 4,000 new teachers to reduce class sizes and dedicated lottery profits to education. I reduced tuition to our public colleges by 20 percent, returning the money to the colleges in cash. I gave special appropriations to Virginia State University and Norfolk State University, Virginia's traditionally black colleges, as well as to George Mason University in Northern Virginia. Parents struggling under today's higher tuitions -- African-American and others -- might ask whether this is the "failed" policy Cranwell describes.

As promised, we reduced the car tax statewide by 70 percent. In this time of financial distress would the public like to be paying 70 percent more now in car taxes? Is this tax cut what Cranwell describes as "failed" administration? The truth is that the state has gone nowhere since the Warner/Kaine administrations -- except to higher spending, which could not be sustained even with their increase in taxation.

This governor's race is actually a referendum on the policies of President Obama and our two Democratic U.S. senators who support him. Their programs include enormous deficit spending, Ted Kennedy-style nationalized health care, and a mortgage program that fails to explain why one mortgage payer should be favored over another. The Obama program sows the seeds of inflation, higher and discriminatory taxation -- and attacks the businesses that create jobs. No wonder the stock market is down 20 percent since President Obama's inauguration.

Virginia's election is the first opportunity to just say "no" to President Obama's radical programs. I look forward to that debate this year.

James S. Gilmore III. Richmond.

• Editor's note: Jim Gilmore was governor of Virginia from 1998-2002.

  Don't Judge Teachers By 'Patient' Outcomes

  Editor, Times-Dispatch:

  I am a registered nurse. I worked for 17 years in an intensive-care unit. I remember when our institution went to a pay-for-performance system rather than across-the-board raises. I had to meet specific behaviors in order to achieve an "exceeds expectations" rating and therefore a higher raise.

I was evaluated by another registered nurse who was my direct supervisor and who observed my work. I could also bring documentation to my evaluation to support myself. Never did anyone ever suggest that my pay should depend on my patients' outcomes.

It should be obvious to everyone that patient outcomes are too often beyond a nurse's control to hold her or him accountable. So I am curious as to why we would want to do this to teachers.

I am not against merit pay, but I oppose just using student test scores as the only criteria. Our children are not an assembly-line product whose quality control is a standardized test score. What would be a gifted teacher's incentive to work with the most challenging students?

A highly motivated student can learn in the worst teacher's classroom and conversely, no one can force a student to learn who refuses to. Why can't teachers be evaluated by supervising educational professionals who observe them in the classroom, supply their own documentation as to how they are meeting their specific students' needs, and in short, be treated like the professionals they are?

Mary Adams. Richmond.

The Worse They Do, The More We Pay

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

The late humorist Molly Ivins was fond of saying, "You gotta dance with them what brung ya."

I wonder if somewhere over the rainbow, she's thinking it's about time to stop paying the band here in la-la land?

Charlie Davis. Richmond.