Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 2 · column 1 of 4 · from the scan, no model involved
“BACKROOM POLITICS” is the name of a new book which is receiving nationwide attention, and one of its “horrible examples” is a nearby situation— the eagerness of the Prince William Board of Supervisors to have theMarriott Corporation plunk down a plastic “Great America” amusement park next to Manassas National Battlefield, even though the site lacks highway access and sewer service, has cloudy zoning, and despite a law suit by citizens claiming their due process rights have been violated.
The point is made in the Marriott example and throughout “Backroom Politics” that outright skullduggery is not necessarily involved. The authors emphasize that their point is to show how conducting public business in “backrooms” is a corruption of how the American system is supposed to work. After all, the public elects publie officials to conduct their public business. It only follows that it should be done in public.
It may follow logically, but it doesn’t always follow in practice. For example, a State Senator advised some area citizens - at a meeting Monday night that if they want to keep up with their State Legislature, the first step is to keep informed. While we agree that this is indeed important, it’s often easier said , than done.
. WE’RE IN THE business of keeping informed, and we must . admit that we aren’t always successful. Why? Well, we aren’t all that lazy. News and Virginian reporters cover more public meetings, first-hand, , than any media in this immediate area. That’s a flat statement which we’ll be glad to substantiate if there are any challengers—we know, we cover * more meetings because there ;. are seldom any. other report-.,
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