RPV Press Release: Deeds Jobs Plan Ignores Own Record of Anti-Job Positions Big Labor Ties, Tax Increases, Cap-and-Trade Strangle Employers

Contact: Tim Murtaugh 804-780-0111

Big Labor Ties, Tax Increases, Cap-and-Trade Strangle Employers

RICHMOND - Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins today noted the irony inherent in Democrat Creigh Deeds' proposals to fix the Tim Kaine economy, highlighting Deeds' own record of being in the pocket of liberal special interest groups and supporting policies that serve to stifle job growth. Deeds' plan makes no mention of his financial dependency on cash from big labor bosses, or his support of higher taxes and job-killing legislation and proposals.

"It's good that Creigh Deeds has recognized that Tim Kaine has been absent when it comes to the economic stewardship of the Commonwealth," Chairman Mullins said. "With unemployment still climbing - and with rural parts of the state seeing high double-digit joblessness - somebody's got to do something to change the path we're on. I just don't see how you make the argument that the answer is more of the same."

Dependent on Big Labor Boss Cash

Deeds has received at least $1.1 million dollars from major unions AFSCME ($500k) and SEIU ($100k), also including sizeable donations from the Democratic Governors Association - a major recipient of national labor money. (http://www.vpap.org/candidates/profile/home/5637 or http://www.vpap.org/committees/profile/money_in_donors/2719?end_year=2009&start_year=2008)

Deeds Walked Hilton Picket Lines

In January, just a few weeks before Tim Kaine proudly announced the movement of Hilton executives to Fairfax County, Deeds and his ticket mate Jody Wagner took part in a big labor picket line at the Hilton Hotel in Crystal City in Arlington County. Deeds handed out coffee and popcorn to the people picketing a well-established employer.

"Check out, not in," chanted the picketers.

Pro-Big Labor, Anti-Free Enterprise

Deeds has a lifetime rating of 92-percent from the AFL-CIO. His rating from the pro-growth group Virginia FREE has been in the bottom half of the Virginia Senate every year (Virginia Foundation For Research And Economic Education, "2009 Virginia General Assembly Incumbent Evaluations")

Card Check: Uh, We'll Take That as a ‘Yes'

Deeds has avoided taking a public position on legislation that would force workers to publicly state whether they favor forming a union, which will place undue pressure and scrutiny on workers who resist the strong arm of big labor. Given his dependence on big labor money, it is safe to assume that Deeds supports this job-stifling measure.

"We don't know what that legislation is gonna look like right now," Deeds said in dodging the question yet again.

More Taxes

Creigh Deeds voted for the two largest tax increases in Virginia history. He opposed elimination of the death tax (HB2490, 2003). He opposed a bill requiring an economic impact analysis before new government regulations on business take effect (HB1073, 1994; SB558, 1994).

Cap-and-Trade: Job Killer in Deeds' Senate District

Deceptively called the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES Act, H.R. 2454), the bill proposes a "Cap and Trade" scheme in which entities that exceed a government-imposed emission limit would be forced to buy "credits" from entities which emit amounts under the limits. Many analysts and employers have concluded that the idea would increase costs to consumers and severely limit the ability of private companies to create jobs. The bill narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is now pending in the Senate.

"A Deeds spokesman, Jared Leopold ... said Deeds doesn't have a position on the cap-and-trade bill." ("Independents Edge Away from Obama," Politico, July 9, 2009)

Deeds implicitly supports the bill by his silence and his dependence on national Democrats for campaign cash, despite strong evidence that the plan will kill MeadWestvaco, a major paper products company with 1,500 employees in Covington, Virginia - located in the heart of Deeds' own Senate District.

"If the ACES Act passes Congress, MeadWestvaco's Covington mill operations, which provide 1,500 jobs in the Alleghany Highlands, will definitely be one of the losers. The economic future for our area will be severely impacted," George wrote ("Kill the Climate Bill: Legislation Ignores Critical Factors...," Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 25, 2009).

It all Adds Up to More of the Same

"I've seen this movie before," Chairman Mullins says. "It stars Tim Kaine and the national Democrats. We can't have more of the same failed policies and focus on what's going on in Washington if we want to dig Virginia out of this hole. It's time we went a new direction. Creigh Deeds simply does not offer that."

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