Bill Bolling Is Full Of It

WWJD ... on taxes?

The Lt. Governor’s race has hit the airwaves. The television ads are flying and it’s tough to keep up. But we do need to stop, take a second, and see if what is being aired… is really the truth. Are the candidates doing a good job explaining the issues? Well, in thirty-second spots no one expects a thorough analysis of tax policy. But when you only have thirty seconds to contrast yourself with your opponent, the truth starts to get lost, and Bill Bolling is fudging the truth. See Jody’s latest video on youtube on how Bill Bolling is not being honest.

Now we need to have an honest discussion about taxes. “Taxes” is a dirty word in politics… in most states, especially a traditionally red state, taxes = political suicide. But people tend to forget that governments cannot function without revenue. The school bus that takes your kids to school cannot run without revenue. The crossing guards at the local elementary school cannot help your kids cross the street without revenue. Stoplights, education, construction projects, and hundreds of buildings, roads, and programs cannot exist without revenue. And where does revenue come from? Oh right… TAXES! The state of Virginia is not invincible to the global recession. Everyone is hurting right now. Unemployment is touching every corner of the country, and Bill Bolling’s ads claiming Jody is responsible for job losses are ridiculous and wasteful rhetoric. So when the state is crying for better roads and improved transportation, no one thinks the money to pay for them is going to appear out of thin air. And McDonnell’s ideas about drilling offshore for oil to improve roads are laughable. What we need is to have an open and honest discussion about finding diverse ways to raise revenue, even if that does mean some tax increases.

Excluding tax raises from the discussion is politically expedient and dangerous to future generations. Bill Bolling and Bob McDonnell plan to avoid making the tough decisions and say whatever is necessary to get elected, all the while kicking the bucket further down the road for other officials to deal with later. The fact is that Jody and Governor Kaine have made hard and painful cuts, and in doing so managed to balance the state budget WITHOUT raising taxes. But the current taxes in place aren’t paying for what they need to. The gasoline tax (one of the lowest in the country) is not raising the revenue needed to make drastic changes in transportation. People are driving more fuel-efficient cars and the funding just isn’t there. At a Fairfax Democratic Club meeting a citizen stated, "I drive the roads, and I don't like sitting in long lines, so I don't mind paying more, because I'm using it…Why can't we add 10 cents more? Would that do it?" In response Wagner said "It is not the ultimate panacea we would like to think it is. So, ultimately, that is not the ultimate solution. It may be a bridge. But, ultimately, we're going to have to be more diverse in the way we handle it…” Clearly Jody is interested in having a discussion about realistic ways to improve Virginia’s roads (not drilling for oil). In my opinion, when you have an open and honest discussion about taxes and really think about what they are used for, maybe some increases don’t sound so bad.

Jody vs. Bill on the Environment

Young people tend to care more about environmental issues than older folks. As a young voter I think its necessary to look into the respective positions of Jody Wagner and Bill Bolling when it comes to the environment. Both of the candidates have sections related to the environment and energy on their websites:

Jodi Wagner: http://www.jodyforva.com/files/wagner_energy_environment.pdf

Bill Bolling: http://www.billbolling.com/issues/environment

http://www.billbolling.com/issues/energy

Now it’s hard to tell if Bill Bolling actually denies the science of climate change, but its resoundingly clear from his platform that he doesn’t think it’s a problem. He wants to drill for oil off of Virginia’s shores – a plan that isn’t going to make the price of gas go down, will ruin the ocean views in some of Virginia’s most popular tourist locales, and put beaches at the risk of devastating oil spills. Bolling also believes in the magic unicorn of global warming solutions: clean coal. He mentions clean coal on his energy page as if it were a viable technology. He fails to mention if he is talking about coal that doesn’t make as much smog or coal that doesn’t emit greenhouse gases (there's a huuuuuuge difference).

His belief in the drill-baby-drill fantasy and the mythology of clean coal doesn’t suggest he understands other environmental issues very well. On the other hand, Jody Wagner has a detailed plan for creating green jobs in the renewable energy and efficiency sectors. In fact, conservation groups in Virginia have caught onto this and have made endorsements accordingly.

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters has endorsed Jodi Wagner over Bill Bolling: http://www.valcv.org/majority/endorsement_list.html#statewide

The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club also endorsed Jodi Wagner:

http://votegreenva.com/

Jody's New Ad

The Virginians for Wagner campaign has just released its first television advertisement. It highlights Jody's achievements during her service as Tim Kaine's Secretary of Finance (she was the first female to hold this position) and Mark Warner's Treasurer.

The ad's focus on Jody's economic achievements highlights her strengths that can really help Virginia. The entire country is feeling the effects of the recession, and Virginia is no exception. Jody's record demonstrates that she has strong economic credentials. As Lieutenant Governor, her experience will be a strong asset to people across the state.

During Jody's tenure, Virginia was ranked Best Managed State, Best State to Raise a Child, and Best State for Business four years in a row. This demonstrates that Jody really does have what it takes to be an effective leader and to find solutions for the people of Virginia.

By putting this ad on television, people across the state will have a chance to learn about Jody's record of leadership and will be able to see that she is the kind of leader that Virginia needs in these tough economic times. Jody will bring her strong background and experience to the office of Lieutenant Governor and will help create jobs and find solutions to the difficult problems that face Virginians.

Voter Registration Deadline TODAY Oct. 5th

Virginia citizens wanting to vote in the statewide elections on November 3rd must register to vote today October 5th by 5pm.

Registration applications must be postmarked by October 5 or hand delivered to the local or state registrar's office by close of business. Registration applications can also be filled out at any local DMV.

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is October 27 if you want a ballot mailed to your home.

No Show Campaign Video

Jody Wagner has the right idea on how to get a voter's attention.

Her new campaign video (http://www.jodyforva.com/tv) highlights Lt. Governor Bill Bolling's high number of absences, and does so in a funny manner. A single camera focuses on an empty office chair, and several prominent Republicans "call in" to remonstrate the incumbent for not being there.

The video is brilliant for several reasons.

1) It's simple. Some candidates like to throw as much as possible at the voter in hopes that something will stick. In a full-frontal assault, a poorly-run campaign will try to overwhelm the opponent by pushing as many arguments at once. But this rarely works. The viewer might forget all of the barbs, and without a concise message, the ad will lose its power. In an age of quick-attention spans and lots of entertainment to watch, the good candidate knows that any attack must be short, sweet, and succinct.

2) It's easy to understand. When trying to tar your opponent, it's generally a bad idea to use murky and complicated assaults. Remember the details of Obama's real-estate deal with Tony Rezko, which McCain tried to use against him? Neither does anyone else. The best attacks can be summed up in one or two sentences, and are universal. Not everyone can explain Bolling's record in office. But every Virginian knows what it means to not show up to work.

3) It's funny. Parodying Republicans like Dick Cheney, Mark Sanford, and Bob Mcdonnell, this video manages to draw a laugh. And that's a good thing. So many people switch off their brains when they see boring footage of a candidate talking into a camera. LAME. Using humor, on the other hand, always brings people back for more. And a candidate that can crack a smile is much more likable. The perfect example is Bill Richardson's hilarious presidential campaign commercials from 2008, which showed the governor in awkward job interviews (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjOuL5qwNIc).

The point? Jody Wagner's campaign commercials will attract good coverage, and should spread like wildfire across the internet. Will they move voters to the polls? Only time can tell.

WWJD... for Women?

Anyone following the state races across Virginia has surely noticed that one topic is dominating the political scene... women's issues.

Every other TV commercial I see these days is a battle between Deeds and McDonnell over who represents women better. Perhaps both of these candidates have ideas about how they are the right choice for female voters, but slinging mud instead of having real discussions, could begin to alienate women.

You may wonder why is everyone courting female voters? In addition to the McDonnell thesis drama, in Virginia, women make up 54% of registered voters. That is quite a lot, and that number continues to grow. According to the Washington Post on September 30, "Since the 1980's, as women have entered the workplace in increasing numbers and taken on greater financial responsibility for their families, they have made up an increasing proportion of the electorate."

Instead of spending an enormous amount of money on TV ads to tell everyone how she is the right choice for women, Jody is leading by example. Jody has raised four children, runs a small business, has been a leader in her community, served as State Treasurer, and was the first female Secretary of Finance. Her dedication to promoting job growth, building a greener economy, and improving education shows that she is ready and willing to tackle the big issues that impact all Virginians.

Jody is paving the way for women across Virginia not through empty words, but by actively working to make the Commonwealth a better place for every person male OR female.