Like I said, the theme of racial inclusiveness kept surfacing during the five-hour summit. That is remarkable. Equally noteworthy is that some topics can now be discussed in the Richmond area without raising the issue of race. For example, if the Richmond region gets interconnected by transportation lines, people who live in public housing projects in the city will be able to take a bus to work in the suburbs. I didn't hear anyone say getting poor people out to the suburbs is a good idea or a bad idea.
Transportation is an important issue that transcends race, even in Richmond.
As for regional government, proponents obviously see that as a way to improve planning and attain more efficiency. If such a cross-jurisdictional partnership emerges, black residents of Richmond and white residents of Chesterfield County will find themselves discussing their mutual interests. That would be progress. Talk is easy, of course, but it sounds to me like Richmond will be a better place a decade from now. The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.