Elect Tim Kaine Governor of Virginia

In the Kingsport Times-News' endorsement of Jerry Kilgore for Governor of Virginia, the discussion focused on Mr. Kilgore's record as Attorney General and his "strong law-and-order credentials." Mr. Kilgore's credentials as Attorney General do not stop there. He entered office at a time when Virginia's economy was at its worst in decades, and Mr. Kilgore did everything he could do to thwart the attempts by Governor Warner and Lt. Governor Kaine to improve the economic situation of the Commonwealth. Mr. Kilgore opposed all of the initiatives that eventually led Virginia out of near-bankruptcy while Lt. Governor Kaine fought hard to see Gov. Warner's proposals enacted.

If we look carefully at Mr. Kilgore's current economic proposals for the Commonwealth, there are two issues that must be addressed: privatizing the Virginia Retirement System; and, shifting the tax burden from the state level to the local level. Let us consider each of these in turn.

By choosing to privatize the VRS, much as the national Republican Party would like to privatize Social Security, Mr. Kilgore would offer a large percentage of workers in our region an unacceptable reduction in retirement benefits. For the southwestern region of Virginia, privatizing the VRS would impact all state and local government employees who pay into the VRS, in particular teachers in the public schools of the region. In some localities, the public school system is the largest single employer. Privatizing the VRS would have far-reaching and lasting negative impact for all of Southwestern Virginia.

Mr. Kilgore would like to place the taxation burden on localities. He conceals his true intentions by "pledg[ing] to give localities the ability, through referendum, to decide taxation issues for themselves" while planning to reduce state taxes by substantial margins (although I have yet to see in writing his complete taxation 'relief' plan). By 'offering' localities the ability to "decide taxation issues for themselves," Mr. Kilgore has essentially said to the people of Southwestern Virginia that they are on their own. State taxation funds will no longer be available to localities to help offset the costs of operating schools, landfills, sheriff's offices, prosecutor's offices, and other local necessities. The entire tax burden (at least substantially MORE of the tax burden) will shift to local Boards of Supervisors. Do you think your property taxes are high now? Just wait until Mr. Kilgore is elected Governor and see how high they climb! Does he honestly expect Southwestern Virginia to believe that shifting the tax burden back on us will be good for our communities? Does he really expect us to buy his argument that a Kilgore governorship will be good for the counties and localities of Southwestern Virginia?

Mr. Kilgore's "law-and-order credentials" certainly qualify him to be a local sheriff, but nothing he has done as Attorney General (in his brief stint in that office) can recommend him to be Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. There is only one choice on November 8 for Virginians, but more especially for Southwestern Virginians. That choice will keep our economy strong and keep money in the state coffers (not give it back to the wealthiest of us). That choice will be the man who protects retirement and maintains a fair taxation balance between state and local government. That choice is the man who has helped to lead Virginia out of dire economic straits, and who will continue the successful policies of his predecessor. That choice is TIM KAINE for Governor on November 8.