Candidate Q&A: Governor

R. Creigh Deeds (Democrat) Bob McDonnell (Republican)

Q. If elected, how would you help put people back to work?

Deeds: The first job of the next governor is to restore confidence in the economy. I've put forward a comprehensive plan to create jobs in every area of the commonwealth, preserve our low-tax, business-friendly climate, and finally pass a statewide transportation plan. My plan will work best because it gives immediate incentives for job creation, giving a tax cut for every job created. It builds to last by investing in education and training and emerging industries like renewable energy. I led the effort to create the modern Governor's Opportunity Fund, which has created or saved over 79,000 jobs in Virginia. I'll double that fund and add $10 million for job training to help Virginia compete with neighboring states for top companies to move here. I'll make it easier to start and expand a small business, train more nurses and health-care professionals to work in high-need areas, and double our investment in tourism.

McDonnell: The top issue in this campaign is jobs and the economy. I'm running to be a jobs governor. I have laid out innovative ideas to create new jobs and get our economy back on track. I want to make Virginia the best place in America to open and grow a small business. I support expediting the permitting process for small businesses, the enterprise zone program and tax credits for green jobs. I will double the Governor's Opportunity Fund to help attract new business. I will give tax credits to businesses that expand or create jobs in economically distressed areas. I will protect the jobs we have by standing up against federal policies like card check and cap-and-trade that, if enacted, threaten thousands of jobs in the commonwealth. We must send a clear message that Virginia is open for business, with a pro-business climate that stands out because of low taxes and incentives for job creation, limited regulation and a fiscally sound government that lives within its means.

Q. How should Virginia fund transportation?

Deeds: We all largely agree on what we need to do to fix our transportation infrastructure. Where my opponent and I disagree is on the best approach to actually get it done. I believe we should use the only approach that has succeeded in the last 20 years. The last time we passed meaningful transportation funding was under Governor [Gerald L.] Baliles, who created a commission to make recommendations and build support for financing. Since then, each time a governor has presented a transportation plan to the General Assembly, it has failed. The day after I'm elected, I will assemble a bipartisan commission to craft a comprehensive transportation package. I'll appoint lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, business leaders and transportation experts. Everything is on the table except raiding funding from education and other core priorities. I will provide the strong leadership to fix our roads my first year as governor.

McDonnell: Virginia's transportation needs have gone unmet for far too long. Reducing congestion on our roads gives you more time with your family and brings more business and jobs to our state. In July, I stood on a parking deck overlooking I-66 in Arlington and outlined my innovative transportation plan. It consists of 12 funding mechanisms that will get long-needed projects under way and provide $1.4 billion annually in new revenue for transportation, without raising taxes. We will get dirt turned and projects moving by using public-private partnerships, market-based solutions, budget prioritization, and innovation and technology. Part of my funding plan includes privatizing Virginia's ABC stores, issuing $3 billion in available bonds for transportation, and supporting the future bond issuance of $1 billion for highly congested areas. My plan also calls for dedicating a portion of new revenue growth to transportation, including future revenue from offshore drilling and expansion of the port.

Q. What, if anything, would you protect from state budget cuts?

Deeds: We need to protect our core priorities in education, economic development, health care and public safety. I will appoint an Efficiency Improvement Director from the business community to conduct regular performance reviews of every agency of state government. These reviews will identify areas of potential savings. For instance, Virginia can save by aggregating state drug purchases and further improving energy efficiency in state facilities. We can also cut costs by transitioning to zero-based budgeting, meaning that state agencies start at zero and justify how they spend every dollar of state money. Finally, I'll expand Virginia's school review system to every school division to free up more money for classroom learning. My administration will protect our core priorities while keeping taxes low.

McDonnell: In these tough economic times, we must look for every opportunity to consolidate and streamline state functions, and to implement innovation and budget prioritization in Richmond. Just as families and businesses make tough decisions and prioritize their budgets, so too should Richmond. The manner by which we close this shortfall and create the budget in the years ahead will determine how Virginia emerges from this recession. Some would argue for tax increases to fill the revenue gap. That is the wrong approach to take. Our focus must be on supporting policies that will facilitate growth in the private sector, encourage entrepreneurship and allow Virginians to achieve their dreams and, in so doing, expand our economy. Economic development, education, public safety and transportation will be the top priorities in my administration. Priority in the state budget will be given to these core functions of government or those designed to increase revenue through job creation.

Q. What would you do about rising college tuition costs?

Deeds: My mom sent me off to college with only four $20 bills in my pocket, so I know the difference an education can make. Since 2001, the average tuition at our state's four-year colleges has spiked almost 80 percent, making it even harder for Virginians to afford college. As governor, I will commit an additional $40 million per year to college financial aid, create a tuition stabilization fund from surplus revenues, and guarantee student loans up to $15,000. I also will create the Virginia Forward Scholarship program. Under my plan, any Virginia student who maintains a "B" average in high school and commits to two years of public service will be eligible to receive a 50 percent scholarship to attend a Virginia public college or university. Finally, I plan to offer targeted loan forgiveness to encourage students to enter high-need fields and fill jobs in high-need areas, such as teaching and health care and science.

McDonnell: The cost of tuition has more than doubled in the past decade. Raising five children, my wife, Maureen, and I understand the stress that parents feel about writing tuition checks, especially in tough economic times. We need to increase affordability and accessibility. Under my administration, we will renew our commitment to higher education as a priority in the state budget process, make a greater commitment to providing need-based financial aid, and expand the capacity of our community colleges. We will also increase collaboration between high schools, colleges and community colleges, so that more early college courses and dual-enrollment options are available to high school students. We need to make greater use of new technology so that more top courses are available in higher-education centers and community colleges and other remote classrooms as well as online. I am interested in how we can use electronic reading devices, like the Kindle, to save families up to $1,500 on textbooks.

Q. What is your position on offshore drilling?

Deeds: I favor a comprehensive approach to meeting Virginia's energy needs. I support drilling offshore for oil and natural gas in a responsible way that does not adversely impact the environment, military operations, tourism or the fishing economy. As governor, I will work with Senators Warner and Webb to ensure that Virginia is able to collect a portion of the revenues from any oil and natural-gas extraction in Virginia waters.

McDonnell: I will make Virginia the "Energy Capital of the East Coast," utilizing all of our energy resources. Let's put ideology aside and be comprehensive when it comes to our energy future. We must develop new technologies for wind, solar, biomass and other renewables, but we also need oil and natural gas, and to speed up the approval and permitting process for nuclear and clean-coal plants. I support drilling for oil and natural gas 50 miles off our coast. Virginia has the opportunity to become the first state on the Eastern Seaboard to allow for offshore exploration and drilling. It is environmentally safe and will create thousands of jobs, tens of billions in investment and hundreds of millions in tax revenues. I will work with all the stakeholders, Navy, NASA, tourism leaders and government officials.

Q. What is your position on abortion? Deeds: I am pro-choice. I think these difficult decisions are deeply personal. A woman should make reproductive decisions with her family, her doctor and her spiritual adviser. McDonnell: I am pro-life.