Deeds/McDonnell Project

While my internship continues with WRIR, I've become a part of the News Team. In this project I'm working with Mark Craig on the Governor's Race in Virginia. We are both picking specific topics and comparing the two sides. Below are the finished products.

Women's Issues

Environment

With freezing temperatures and wet, days one week, followed by warmer temperatures the next, the environment is something of concern for some Virginia citizens. Global warming is increasing and the efforts to find new energy options has been proposed numerous times, but with no real action.

Both gubernatorial candidates Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell, said that global warming is a serious problem. Both favor alternative energy and plan to create more green jobs. The environmental platforms of the candidates focus on energy, revitalizing lands and watersheds, and creating green jobs.

The Democratic candidate, Deeds, focuses on alternative and renewable energy. According to Deeds website, he plans to restore the Chesapeake Bay, pursue smart, green government, reduce carbon emissions and create green jobs.

The Republican candidate, Bob McDonnell, supports the protection and restoration of watersheds. He backs the development of alternative energy, but also suggests drilling off the Virginia coast and establishing a new Dominion Electric Cooperative Coal Plan in Surry County, west of Norfolk.

Crystal Cameron, McDonnell’s press secretary, said that energy is a big topic in McDonnell’s campaigning.

“One of Bob’s top priorities is to make Virginia the energy capital of the east coast,” said Cameron. “He wants to utilize all of its energy resources.”

According to Deeds website, he wants to support research on cleaner coal and enforce rigorous air quality standards for coal-fired plants.

Showing a bipartisan viewpoint, Nathan Lott, the executive director of the Virginia Conservation Network, says that alternative energy options is a big part of what is facing Americans these days. He also mentions that the term “clean coal” is something V.C.N. does not like to use.

“Our focus for a couple years now has been on energy efficiency, an area where Virginia has lagged behind,” said Lott. “I would like to see both candidates showing some leadership and resolve there. We’d like to see what energy is used in Virginia and made in Virginia produced more cleanly.”

J.R. Dolbert, an advocate for the bipartisan environmental group, Environment Virginia, says that Virginia’s future needs to be clean coal free.

“Clean coal doesn’t exist,” said Dolbert. “The fact of the matter is that Virginia has a ton of potential to meet our energy needs with the wind blowing of our shores and the sun shining down on our rooftops.”

According to Lisa Guthrie, the Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, backs Deeds in creating new jobs, stimulating the economy and finding ways to create renewable energy.

“Creigh Deeds has come out strong for providing some tax incentives for purchase of energy efficient devices and on renewable energy and is focused on creating new jobs with that,” said Guthrie. “We think that if he’s elected he’ll do a lot toward moving us toward a new energy economy.”

In 1996, Deeds was the chief sponsor of the Agricultural Stewardship Act, which helped farmers address water quality issues. Deeds wrote and then passed Virginia’s land preservation tax credit program in 1999, when Virginia was ranked last in the nation in per capita expenditures for natural resource since its passage, nearly 500,000 acres have been preserved.
When it comes to the Chesapeake Bay, both candidates favor pollution reduction and improving the bay’s water quality.

In 2000, McDonnell signed the Chesapeake Bay Agreement to obtain the outlined goals for nutrient reduction.

Deeds believes the efforts of leadership in federal and multi-state partnerships would actualize the restoration and reduction commitments to the bay.

“The Chesapeake Bay is one of our greatest natural resources and we have to make sure our future generation can enjoy it,” said Cameron.


Tax/Transportation

In the current state of the economy, the subject of taxation is never voter friendly. Candidates Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell bolster initiatives in creating tax breaks and boosting the economy. McDonnell’s plan emphasizes lowering taxes, trimming spending while improving free enterprise, and introducing new guidelines to solve transportation woes. While Deeds’s plan acts on solutions for homeowners and small businesses, the creation of jobs through his transportation plan, and simplifying Virginia’s government.

McDonnell wants to reduce business employment requirements for tax credits that create new jobs, back annual income credits for new green-jobs, and create the new role of job czar for the elected Lieutenant Governor to help stimulate Virginia’s economical future. In his plan, businesses will receive $1,000 tax credits for creating 50 new jobs, or 24 new jobs in distressed areas. Qualified energy-business will receive annual income credits for $500 for each new green job. The role of job czar involves coordination of economic development, as well as implementing new jobs for decaying state agencies.

While one the opposition, Deeds plans to offer small business tax breaks According to Deeds’s plan, businesses would be rewarded with a tax credit for the hiring of new workers or facility upgrades.

“My first priority is to create jobs in every corner of the Commonwealth and get the economy moving,” said Deeds. “That’s why I’ve focused on a plan to create jobs in every part of Virginia by awarding a tax credit for every job that’s created.”

McDonnell plans to audit state agencies in order to lower Virginia’s spending. He said tat with the doubling of the budget over the last decade a greater transparency is needed to make this state’s budget manageable.

Deeds plans to create a more efficient government by naming an efficiency improvement director from businesses, creating a state employee workforce plan, and promote energy savings within Virginia’s facilities.

According to Lisa Guthrie, the Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Deeds has a good chance of making government more efficient.

“I think that in terms of job generation the creating of some research efforts will link a lot of these priorities together,” said Guthrie.

By utilizing the surplus revenues from the general fund and identifying efficiencies in the state budget, McDonnell can avoid tax increase.

Crystal Cameron, Bob McDonnell’s press secretary said that there are several other ways to avoid tax increases, and McDonnell plans to see that through.

“It’s called leadership, it’s called accountability, it’s called going in and redoing budgets.” said Cameron. “As attorney general he cut 14% of his budget and took a pay cut. There were several other measures that he took without raising taxes to balance his budget and he will do the same as governor.”

With Deeds’s transportation plan, efforts of reviving Virginia’s roads may need a bit more support. According to Deeds, with regards to transportation, no money will be taken away from education or other amenities involving the general fund.

“Frankly, it’s going to benefit all of Virginia. Transportation is the biggest impediment we have right now,” said Deeds. “A lot of people think of transportation as a Northern Virginia and a Hampton Roads type of issue. But, it’s a statewide issue. We lose opportunity in every part of

McDonnell wants to make road construction in Virginia an immediate four-year priority. McDonnell believes current roadway projects lag in accomplishing the results needed. His strategy contains four pillars. First, projects creating benefits for taxpayers must receive priority. Second, reduce the completion times for these projects. Third, better strategies for operations and maintenance of existing roadways and the fourth pillar calls for a more stable and effective transportation funding model.


Election Night Wrap Up