Baffles on trade mission

Baffles on trade mission

RICHMOND — Gov. Gerald L. Baliles said today that his 12-day European trade mission will focus on tourism, filmmaking and automotive products, as well as unspecified investment opportunities.

“I want European countries to ‘rediscover’ Virginia with investment decisions made during this trip,” Gov. Baliles said at a capitol news conference.

He left Saturday for London, the first stop on the tour. He also will go to Gothenburg, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Gov. Baliles already ha* made a «imiiar trip to China. He said the trip cost the state about 137,000. “I considered the trip a success, with immediate and longterm results that benefit the Port of Hampton Roads and communities throughout the entire state,” Gov. Babies said.

He said he did not know how much the European trip will cost He also is planning a trip to Japan in October as part of his “Year of Trade” agenda.

Welfare head to retire

RICHMOND — Gov. Gerald L. Baliles will recommend a successor to William L. Lukhard, the state social services commissioner who is retiring, within 60 days.

Both Gov. Baliles and Secretary of Human Services Eva S. Teig said Thursday that Lukhard, 60, had not been asked to resign.

The state Department of Social Services oversees weUare, child support payments, food stamps, fuel assistance, the licensing of day care and child care centers, the licensing of adult homes and determines the eligibility for Medicaid payments. Mr. Lukhard has been the department head for 13 years.

In the last year, the department has come under increased criticism for delays in child support payments. A parents’ group has called for Mr. Lukhard’s resignation, both for the foul up in the state’s new procedures for handling the child support payments that have been running up to six months late, and for authorizing the purchase <rf a computer system that it blamed for delays in payments. The system has never worked property, according to a federal report, and is not capable of handling the increased number of payments.

Hie federal government also has criticized the de