Creigh Deeds’ Deeds Prove He WILL Raise Your Taxes

Creigh “Dirty” Deeds likes to say deeds not words are what really matters.  I agree — and his deeds  will surely come back to haunt him.

First up, from the Virginian-Pilot last December:

Two of the Democrats left the door open for tax increases to help the state meet its needs, though neither made an immediate call to raise levies.

“Everything should be on the table,” said Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria. State Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County took a similar position. Moran’s aide later said his candidate would consider raising taxes only for transportation.

So, here you have Deeds, the self-described “most progressive candidate” (i.e. liberal), agreeing that tax increases should be on the table — and not just for the limited purpose that Brian Moran had qualified his remark with.

Those are his words.  Now, let’s check his deeds — what really matters according to him:

• Deeds voted twice in 2008 to hike the gas tax. Even when gas was at $4 per gallon, Deeds voted to hike Virginia’s gas tax by more than 30 percent (SB 6009 and SB 713, 2008).
• Deeds Voted To Increase The Gas Tax By More Than Nine Percent Per Year For Nine Years. “A. There is hereby levied a tax at the rate of seventeen and one-half cents per gallon on gasoline and gasohol, multiplied annually by a Recapture Index. The Recapture Index shall be set at 1.09161 on January 1, 2009, and shall be incremented by a factor of .09161 on July 1 of each year beginning in July 2009 through July 2017. Annually thereafter, the Recapture Index shall be applied on July 1 of each fiscal year at the rate calculated on July 1, 2017.” (SB 6010, Senate Transportation Committee Vote, 6/24/08, Deeds Voted Yea)
• Starting With The 2008 Gas Tax Of 17.5 Cents, The Gas Tax Would Reach 38.5 Cents In July 2017. So, under Deeds’ Recapture Index. This Would Be An Increase Of 120 Percent!
• Supported hiking the motor vehicle sales and use tax by 25 percent (SB 5013, 2006 Special Session).
• Voted to double the fuel sales tax in Northern Virginia (SB 458, 2004).
• Supported increasing the motor vehicle registration fee by $10 (SB 5013, 2006 Special Session).
• Strongly supported, and voted for, the biggest tax hike in Virginia history in 2004.
• That same year he voted to increase Virginia’s cigarette tax by 12 fold (The Roanoke Times, 2/22/09).
• As far back as 1992, Deeds voted to increase the cigarette tax by 60 percent (The Roanoke Times, 2/22/09).
• Opposed Bob McDonnell’s legislation to repeal Virginia’s death tax. (The Roanoke Times, 1/10/03).

It is patently obvious that Creigh Deeds’ first response to any issue is to raise taxes.

Let’s contrast this with Bob McDonnell’s record:

• In his 14 years in the House of Delegates, Bob McDonnell voted more than 50 times to cut taxes, resulting in over $2 billion in tax cuts.
• He was Chief Sponsor of legislation to kill the Death Tax.
• Bob McDonnell led the charge for some of Virginia’s most significant legislative progress including welfare-to-work.
• Bob McDonnell received multiple 100% rankings from the National Federation of Independent Business.
• As Attorney General he fought to eliminate fraud in the Medicare system, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are being used wisely and efficiently.
• As Attorney General, Bob McDonnell proactively cut his office’s budget by nearly 15%. In 2008 he voluntarily gave back his state car and cut his own salary as well. These cuts saved Virginia taxpayers close to $4 million.
• As Attorney General, Bob McDonnell called for the permanent elimination of Virginia’s 400th Anniversary Vehicle Registration Fee after the commemoration concluded.
• As Attorney General, Bob McDonnell established the Government and Regulatory Reform Task Force to eliminate burdensome and duplicative government regulations and ensure that regulations do not unnecessarily hinder free enterprise.
• In 2007, Directorship magazine recognized that due in part to Attorney General McDonnell’s leadership on business liability and tort reform Virginia ranked Virginia #2 in the nation for its pro-business climate.

No one is perfect. On occasion Ronald Reagan supported tax increases and McDonnell has as well. But looking at the legislative records of both these men — their deeds — it is abundantly clear that Bob McDonnell is the one candidate who will keep our taxes low and Virginia a place where business can prosper.

McDonnell campaign Dir. of Communications Tucker Martin further clarified things in an email to us.

As Governor, Bob McDonnell will not raise taxes. Period. … Virginians know where Bob stands on the issues. He has consistently and repeatedly voted for lower taxes and less spending. That is how he will lead as Governor.