State of Virginia Archives: on Tax Reform
Ed Gillespie:
Use 40% of projected revenue growth for tax relief
The televised debate between Virginia's GOP gubernatorial candidates saw front-runner Ed Gillespie touting his income tax cut as the elixir that would revive Virginia's economy. His opponent, Corey Stewart, wasn't buying it.Stewart called Gillespie's
plan a "charade," and for good reason. It relies on that most dangerous of concepts: revenue projections. Gillespie's plan would use "40% of projected revenue growth for tax relief" and use the rest of that projected growth to cover "new spending over
the next five years."
It sounds responsible. But projecting future revenue flows--even with the most sophisticated modeling--is guesswork. And even if the guesses are correct, they [don't account for] the rainy day fund, the water quality fund, the
transportation trust fund and other priorities, including pay raises for state workers.
Gillespie says his cut would take just $1.3 billion from state coffers. Looking at the balance sheet, Virginia doesn't have that money to give.
Source: Washington Post on 2017 Virginia gubernatorial debate
Apr 14, 2017
Frank Wagner:
More taxes to pay for chronic lack of transportation funding
The televised debate between Virginia's GOP gubernatorial candidates saw front-runner Ed Gillespie touting his income tax cut as the elixir that would revive Virginia's economy. His opponents, Frank Wagner and Corey Stewart, weren't buying it.
Stewart called Gillespie's plan a "charade," and for good reason. It relies on that most dangerous of concepts: revenue projections.
Wagner is the only Republican candidate calling for more taxes to pay for what he sees as a chronic lack of
transportation funding. Wagner is at least honest about his proposals. To do what he wants--even to continue doing what the state already does--would require more money. That honesty very likely means he will lose the June primary.
Tax cuts are a Republican staple. Pushing a tax cut--without spending restraint, and contingent upon projections based on guesswork--may win votes. Just don't count on ever seeing a dime's worth of those promises in your pocket.
Source: Washington Post on 2017 Virginia gubernatorial debate
Apr 14, 2017
Don Beyer:
Restore highest personal income tax rate to 39.6%
I opposed the Bush tax cuts that reduced the highest personal income tax rate from 39.6% to 35% and supported the restoration of the 39.6% rate by President Obama. I worked for years for a reasonable estate tax limit that would allow family farms
and businesses to pass to the next generation, instead of having to be sold to pay taxes. (There were many fine proposals to put in place $3 or $5 million exclusions, but they were always blocked by Senator Jon Kyl.)
Source: 2014 Virginia House campaign website, FriendsOfDonBeyer.com
Oct 10, 2014
Ed Gillespie:
Believes in conservative ideas of lower taxes
Gillespie believes in things, like conservative ideas of lower taxes and less regulation. These may sound bland, but Ed adds a personal perspective.
Having grown up in a working-class family, he believes that the key to restored prosperity lies in a renewed middle class, one that relies on its own work ethic and a business-friendly government, not an expansion of a welfare state.
He is, I imagine, rather angry with what he sees as liberals' condescension to the
middle class and what he views as their assumption that only government can solve their problems
Source: Washington Post on 2014 Virginia Senate race
Dec 9, 2013
Robert Sarvis:
Eliminate or dramatically reduce the income tax
We need to simplify and streamline the tax system so that revenue raising is transparent and least burdensome to individuals, families, and businesses alike. I propose:- Eliminating the Car Tax, which is unpopular
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Eliminating the BPOL, Machine & Tools, Merchant Capital and other business taxes that hide the cost of taxation, burden employers, and reduce business activity
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Eliminating, or dramatically reducing, the income tax, which reduces employment and lowers take-home pay
- Moving to a uniform consumption tax on all final retail sales of goods and services
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Reforming property taxes by excluding, or lowering the rate applied to, improvements to land
- Preferring, where possible, user fees to general taxes.
Source: Virginia Governor 2013 campaign website, robertsarvis.com
Sep 21, 2013
Ken Cuccinelli:
Cut taxes by $1.4 billion a year
On economic policy, Cuccinelli declined to say how he would pay for his plan to cut taxes by $1.4 billion a year. He said he would study all tax loopholes and close those that no longer make sense. Woodruff pressed him, but he declined to elaborate.
McAuliffe said the plan "would be devastating to our economy."
Cuccinelli countered that McAuliffe was "saying whatever he thinks he has to say to get elected." And he called McAuliffe's own economic plans "pure flimflammery."
Source: Washington Post on 2013 Virginia governor debates
Jul 21, 2013
George Allen:
Letting Bush tax cuts expire is a tax hike
Allen called Kaine's plan to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire for those making $500,000 or more is a tax hike, and added that hiking taxes is a bad idea in a struggling economy. Allen promoted growing the economy through shrinking the corporate tax
level to 20% for most businesses, which should allow them to hire more workers, and increase the tax base. Allen also proposed eliminating tax loopholes, and to reform the entire tax code.Kaine promoted his compromise proposal of keeping the
Bush tax cut levels for those who make less than $500,000 a year, and allowing them to expire for people with higher incomes. Kaine said doing so will add up to about half of the money needed to balance the budget, and help make it easier to find other
targeted cuts to avoid the mandatory spending cuts. Kaine believes Allen's plan of not allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire for those who make $500,000 or more, will not work, and possibly add to the deficit.
Source: WSLS-TV-10 on 2012 Virginia Senate debate
Oct 18, 2012
Tim Kaine:
Keep Bush tax cuts except for the wealthy
Allen called Kaine's plan to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire for those making $500,000 or more is a tax hike, and added that hiking taxes is a bad idea in a struggling economy. Allen promoted growing the economy through shrinking the corporate tax
level to 20% for most businesses, which should allow them to hire more workers, and increase the tax base. Allen also proposed eliminating tax loopholes, and to reform the entire tax code.Kaine promoted his compromise proposal of keeping the
Bush tax cut levels for those who make less than $500,000 a year, and allowing them to expire for people with higher incomes. Kaine said doing so will add up to about half of the money needed to balance the budget, and help make it easier to find other
targeted cuts to avoid the mandatory spending cuts. Kaine believes Allen's plan of not allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire for those who make $500,000 or more, will not work, and possibly add to the deficit.
Source: WSLS-TV-10 on 2012 Virginia Senate debate
Oct 18, 2012
George Allen:
No tax increases; no defense cuts; no bargaining
Both candidates railed against automatic defense cuts scheduled to begin in January unless Congress intervenes. Kaine laid out a list of alternatives, including allowing Bush-era tax cuts to expire on households earning at least $500,000. Allen, who
has made those defense cuts the centerpiece of his campaign of late, offered only vague solutions. He said repealing President Obama's health care law would help; and he proposed a flat tax that households could voluntarily choose over the existing tax
code.
What he said repeatedly was that he would not entertain any tax increases to solve nation's budget morass or keep the government from heading off a "fiscal cliff" in January, when all Bush-era tax cuts expire and across-the-board spending cuts
go into force. He accused Democrats of using the pending defense cuts to force Republicans to bargain over taxes. "The men and women in our armed forces should never be used as bargaining chips to raise taxes on job-creating small businesses," he said.
Source: New York Times on 2012 Virginia Senate debate
Sep 20, 2012
Tim Kaine:
Open to some minimum income tax level for everyone
Q: Please comment on Mitt Romney's contention that only 47% of Americans pay taxes?KAINE: Well, everyone pays taxes; the statistics that have come out.
Q: I'm asking about federal income taxes.
KAINE: I would be open to a proposal that would have
some minimum tax level for everyone.
ALLEN: It is typical of Tim Kaine. His record is one of always looking to raise taxes.
Kaine argued that he wasn't calling for a minimum across the board tax, but rather showing that he is open to any suggestions.
Source: 2012 Virginia Senate Debate coverage by NBC-12
Sep 20, 2012
George Allen:
Freedom-to-choose flat tax: present tax code or flat rate
On one early question about energy development in the state, Allen said, "We are blessed to be Number 1 in the world when it comes to energy resources--Russia's Number 2. But the sanctimonious social engineers up in Washington, they look at our energy
resources as a curse."He further added: "Now the folks who are hurt by this are not the folks who may be at a U.N. climate change conference, flying off to
Source: Eric Kleefeld reporting on 2012 Virginia Senate debate
Dec 7, 2011
Tim Kaine:
Balance taxes: let Bush tax cuts expire at the top end
them, and voting for these big tax increases, the deficit has ballooned because of policies that George Allen pursued when he was a Senator. The right strategy on the Bush tax cuts, is to let them expire at the top end, over $500k. and the reason you do
that is because we should also be making a lot of cuts in the budget, and those cuts are gonna fall hardest on middle and lower income people. it's balance; you cut tax rates, eliminate exclusions, let some of the tax cuts expire--that's balance."
Kaine did part with national Democrats on a key tactical matter in the current debate: "You've got Democrats in the senate right now who are doing something I don't like, which is saying we want to fund something with a millionaire's tax.
I think that is used because millionaires don't poll well--that is a bad way to do tax policy. All we've got to do is deal with the Bush tax cuts.
Source: Eric Kleefeld reporting on 2012 Virginia Senate debate
Dec 7, 2011
Tim Kaine:
No need for millionaire's tax: just let Bush cuts expire
It's $4 trillion of potential deficit reduction, depending on how we deal with that. And again, George and his colleagues promised that these were going to be temporary tax cuts.
If you let them expire at the top end, you get hundreds of billions of dollars that you can use to then combine with spending cuts to make things happen. And that's the approach we need."
Allen criticized Kaine for accepting the role of chairman of the Democratic National Committee, saying he should have spent his final year as governor on state priorities, "not the national partisan role of advocating for the likes of, not only President
Obama's policies, but those of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.""The likes of President Obama?" Kaine responded.
"Well, the policies and agenda of President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid," said
Source: Eric Kleefeld reporting on 2012 Virginia Senate debate
Dec 7, 2011
Bob McDonnell:
I will veto any bill or budget which raises taxes
Virginians are struggling with the worst economy in generations. We will not turn our economy around by taxing Virginians more. To do so would ignore the indisputable truth that the fiscal fortune of any government is tied to the economic prosperity of
its people. Therefore, if you pass a bill in this recession that raises taxes on the hardworking families of Virginia--I WILL VETO IT. And if you pass a budget embedded with those same tax increases--I WILL NOT APPROVE IT.
Source: Virginia 2010 State of the State Address
Jan 18, 2010
Page last updated: Oct 14, 2021