2009 Election

Deeds open to tax increase for transportation

By Jim Nolan
Published: August 12, 2009

Democratic gubernatorial candidate R. Creigh Deeds today said that if the General Assembly passed a bill to fund the state’s transportation needs that included an increase in taxes, he would sign it.

But the state senator from Bath County said he would not sign a transportation bill that took money from education or other “general fund priorities” to fund the plan.

“People can look at my record and know that I’m willing to make tough choices,“ Deeds said during a live, online chat on TimesDispatch.com.

Deeds in 2008 voted to support a statewide Senate transportation plan that included an increase in the state gas tax.

Deeds was asked: “If you’re governor and you get a bill that funds transportation in some form of either general or non-general fund tax increase, will you sign it?“

Deeds responded by saying he is committed to working with the next General Assembly to “get past the obstructionist viewpoints that have blocked progress on the issue” and build consensus “around a series of ideas that allow us to fund transportation. Ad yes, I will sign that bill.

“What I will do and what I’ll commit to do right now is work with whomever is in the General Assembly after January. Because we’ve got to get past the obstructionist viewpoints that have blocked progress on the issue of transportation. What I will do is work with Democrats and Republicans to build consensus around a series of ideas that allow us to fund transportation, and yes, I will sign that bill.

“What I will not do is take money away from existing general fund priorities,“ Deeds added.

“My opponent has released a plan that takes $5.4 billion, essentially out of education over the next 10 years. You won’t see me with that kind of approach. Democrats and Republicans alike have said that kind of approach is dead on arrival,“ Deeds continued.

Republican candidate Bob McDonnell has proposed a dozen mechanisms to fund transportation, including privatization of ABC stores and placing tolls on Interstate 85 and 95 to be paid by drivers entering the commonwealth from North Carolina.

“My plan will work because I’ll bring people together around a series of ideas that I think can get transportation resolved,“ Deeds added.

“What those ideas are, that’s going to be the question that we have to develop a consensus around the idea of transportation. I’ll sign a bill that funds transportation. I won’t take money away from existing priorities. I won’t take money away from education.“