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Art is in the heart of the beholder -- or not

A TV station in Portland, Maine, ran a piece on Valentine's Day about a gift that some unidentified "bandit" has been giving that city for 33 years. This bandit plasters red hearts all over the city, with the largest number landing on the Portland Museum of Art, emphasizing that this is an art project, and it is well-received by all.

For the last few years, a similar (or the same) benefactor has put hearts all over downtown Roanoke. Roanoke's reaction: We call the police and our public servants hurriedly take them all down. They have never even stayed up long enough to see if the bandits would come back and take them down.

Clearly, we have an attitude problem when it comes to non-institutionalized public art. Perhaps it is our city's attitude toward all creativity that needs to be reconsidered.

This type of installation offers a unique gift -- it is free, outside and accessible to everyone. It has no intention other than to inspire and lift spirits. Why, then, does the city not embrace such cheerful creativity? Perhaps, she has no heart.

Education trumps a roundabout

VDOT announced Roanoke County will get a $3 million roundabout at Colonial Avenue and Penn Forest Boulevard, a T-intersection of two-lane roads in a residential area serviced by one stop sign. Several cars often can be seen momentarily inconvenienced, hardly a $3 million problem.

Also, our schools are facing a shortfall in funding: teachers fearing lay-offs, staff being reduced, schools to be closed, larger class sizes are predicted. How many teachers could we put in classrooms for $3 million, and how would that benefit measure against replacing a stop sign?

If any county officials read this, they should tell our state officials that education of our children is our funding priority. If our legislators or their staffs read this, they should act to decrease VDOT's budget by $3 million and put it toward education. Surely this roundabout is not the only frivolous expense in the state budget that can be easily identified.

The budget needs to be scrubbed. We don't need more taxes; we need wise spending.

Finally, if this project's funds cannot be redirected, the roundabout should be named for a laid-off teacher.

VDOT's in need of efficiency study

It was recently reported that VDOT is considering closing rest areas as part of a proposed plan to meet a reduced budget ("1,500 jobs, rest areas on VDOT's chopping list" Feb. 20 ). Job eliminations are also in the proposal, mainly through attrition.

The rest area closings proposal appears to be a scare tactic to get a public outcry and additional legislative attention for the required funding to keep the rest areas open. There are many other areas within VDOT where cuts could have been proposed.

Instead of falling for this ploy, I suggest that Gov. Kaine appoint a quality consulting firm outside the commonwealth to conduct an efficiency study of VDOT with specific recommendations on reorganization and associated job eliminations aimed toward a more efficient and cost-effective organization.

The study wouldn't be for the sole purpose of eliminating jobs, which would certainly result, but an objective and honest effort to prepare VDOT to be a more efficient organization.

This idea probably won't fly, with VDOT being such a sacred cow and because of the bureaucracy involved, but it sure does appear to make good business and common sense.

Govenor, are you listening?

Where does lottery money end up?

Every time I stop at a convenience store, in every window there is a sign with a huge amount of money from the Virginia Lottery going to public schools. Where is that money going? Seems to me there is a lot of waste going on and not enough self-control in city government for our schools and education.

Why won't the city spend another $100,000 on questions about how we can make it better like they did on the city Market Building? What a waste of money.