The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Tax credits for businesses that create jobs was the key phrase Monday in the Democratic primary campaign for governor.
Two of the three candidates in the race - Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe - called for the tax breaks during dueling news conferences.
Moran, campaigning in Norfolk, said he would create a $2,000-per-worker credit for each new employee hired by a small business. He also pledged to eliminate the state corporate income tax on small businesses making less tha n $200,000 a year.
"People are struggling today, and they need us to take real action to fix our economy," Moran said. "We're going to have to grow this economy from the bottom up, not the top down. "
Moran, a former state delegate from Alexandria, did not put a price tag on his proposals. A spokesman said it is hoped the tax breaks would pay for themselves by creating new jobs that will contribute to the tax base.
McAuliffe visited Danville, a Southside Virginia city that suffers high unemployment. He proposed tax incentives for companies that go into economically stressed regions and create jobs in high-growth industries, such as energy. In such instances, McAuliffe said the state should refund to businesses the increase in federal payroll taxes they would incur by expanding employment.
The former Democratic national chairman declined to say whether he supports uranium mining near Chatham, saying he wants to wait for the results of an environmental and health study.
The third candidate, state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, campaigned in Norfolk on Monday and said he plans to release more information about his business agenda shortly.
Warren Fiske, (804) 697-1565, warren.fiske@pilotonline.com
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Candidates tax cut promises
Tax cuts don't spur jobs anymore. Didn't we learn that after eight catastrophic years with Bush? The cuts will go to the wealthy, and they'll invest in Wall Street deregulated "casinos", lose it all, then lobby for government bailouts. The ignorance of these two candidates is surpassed only by those who vote for them. Good Grief. The private sector can't create jobs, because they all got hoodwinked by Wall Streeters... Everyone is skiddish because our capitalistic greed is out of control. I knew we were headed for trouble way back when we allowed the "twinkie defense" as a viable excuse for capital murder. Now our greedy, capitalistic ways allow our blue-chip corporations to reward inept, incompetent executives with multi-million dollar bonuses, while their actual performances resulted in staggering financial losses in the billions of dollars. As a people, we Americans have lost our minds to keep letting these politicians get away with this. Are we in Rome now?
There could be no better
There could be no better investment in America than to invest in America becoming energy independent! We need to utilize everything in out power to reduce our dependence on foreign oil including using our own natural resources. Create cheap clean energy, new badly needed green jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.The high cost of fuel this past year seriously damaged our economy and society. The cost of fuel effects every facet of consumer goods from production to shipping costs. It costs the equivalent of 60 cents per gallon to charge and drive an electric car. If all gasoline cars, trucks, and SUV's instead had plug-in electric drive trains the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota.We have so much available to us such as wind and solar. Let's spend some of those bail out billions and get busy harnessing this energy. Create cheap clean energy, badly needed new jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. What a win-win situation that would be for our nation at large! There is a really good new book out by Jeff Wilson called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now