Q&A - Governor candidates on business

Q Have state leaders done enough in the past decade to attract new jobs to Virginia? What changes would you make to the state’s economic development strategy and incentives as governor?

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Creigh Deeds (D)

Deeds has served in the General Assembly since 1992. The Bath County Democrat is an attorney and former prosecutor who narrowly lost a bid for attorney general in 2005.

WE HAVEN'T FAILED to attract businesses to Virginia, but we've failed to invest in the transportation infrastructure we need to support new jobs.

Nowhere is that more apparent than in Hampton Roads. The Port of Virginia could be the busiest port on the East Coast, but we simply haven't invested in the tools we need to support it.

That's why the first thing we must do to create jobs and get our economy moving again is to invest in a statewide system of transportation. We can create enormous economic opportunity not only in Hampton Roads, but all across our commonwealth, if we ease congestion in the region and better utilize our port.

In the legislature, I've been a leader in finding creative ways to bring new jobs to our state. One of my greatest legislative accomplishments was revamping the Governor's Opportunity Fund. This fund has brought millions of dollars of investments and thousands of jobs to Virginia.

As governor, my plan to rebuild the economy starts with education. My "Better Schools, Better Jobs" plan will make Virginia the leader in 21st century jobs and create an additional 70,000 two- and four-year degrees so that higher education is affordable and accessible to every Virginian.

We must also invest in renewable and alternative energy to build our next economy. That's why I've proposed the creation of a new biofuel production facility in Hampton Roads as part of my plan to make Virginia the leader in energy.

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Terry McAuliffe (D)

McAuliffe was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001-05. He lives in McLean and has authored a book about his work as a fundraiser for prominent national Democrats.

UNDER THE LEADERSHIP of Govs. Warner and Kaine, Virginia has had many successes in job creation - we consistently rank among the best states in which to do business and have landed important deals like CGI, Northrop Grumman, Ikea and the expansion of Canon.

But the truth is, the governor needs more tools to continue to grow our economy and attract the kinds of high-demand, high-wage jobs we need. As governor, growing Virginia's economy will be my top priority. I will implement the following strategies to do so.

1. Change policy to encourage future growth industries to locate here. Renewable energy is the industry of the future. We need policies that will encourage these companies to come to Virginia, such as a mandatory renewable energy standard of 25 percent by 2025.

2. Use incentives to produce long-term economic growth. Targeted incentives such as infrastructure development grants, tax credits and exemptions, and customized training and technical support for strong businesses and good jobs are key.

3. Make sure our workforce is ready. Our most important asset is our human capital. We need to make sure our students enter the workforce with the skills to be successful. We need to focus on retraining workers whose skills need upgrading.

4. Develop regional economic strategies. Different parts of Virginia have different needs - we need to build upon the unique strengths of each region in our economic- development planning.

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Brian Moran (D)

Moran represented Alexandria in the House of Delegates for 13 years and served as chairman of the Democratic caucus. He is an attorney and a former prosecutor.

I AM RUNNING for governor because, in these uncertain times, we need a proven fighter who will put Virginia's families first. Today, Virginia's families are struggling: Some 300,000 have lost their jobs, thousands have lost their homes to foreclosure and too many families are worried that they may be next.

Their stories remind me of my own. I grew up in a family of seven kids that struggled to pay the mortgage. My father was laid off from his job, and the family station wagon was towed from our driveway. Mom began making powdered milk to save money. When I hear people's stories today, that awful taste of powdered milk comes back, because I know what Virginia's families are going through.

As governor, I will focus on keeping the doors on Main Streets across Virginia open and on putting money back into the pockets of hardworking Virginians. That's why I will rebuild our economy from the bottom up, not the top down.

My Economic Stimulus and Recovery Plan invests in small businesses with a job-creation tax credit and small business tax exemptions to get our economy moving again. My Homeowners' Bill of Rights will protect our families from predatory lending, help stabilize our housing market and keep Virginians in their homes. My Innovation Agenda will strengthen our economy and create thousands of jobs in modeling and simulation, green energy and biotechnology, making Virginia a leader in the global economy.

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Bob McDonnell (R)

McDonnell previously served as attorney general and as a Republican state delegate representing Virginia Beach. He is an attorney and a former prosecutor.

UNDER MY administration, we will make Virginia open for business again.

We can do much more to attract new employers and keep economic development projects from going to other states. We need to provide more incentives for employers to bring jobs to Virginia and be more aggressive marketing the benefits of doing business with Virginia.

We can grow small businesses by reducing obstacles and accelerating permitting. I will work to make Virginia a top state for tourism and film production, develop the top commercial space port in the country at Wallops Island and provide support and leadership for the Craney Island expansion. We have the opportunity to be the leading energy-producing state on the East Coast and bring new jobs in nuclear, offshore production and renewable energy research.

We need a better-educated workforce to keep pace with Virginia's economic needs. That is why I am advancing a bold higher education plan that will generate more than 100,000 additional college degrees the next 15 years, with more focus on science, technology, engineering, math and health care. We need a training and development program centered around our community colleges and more effective regional economic development partnerships.

In this era of worldwide competition for jobs, it is crucial that we keep taxes, regulation and litigation low, and maintain our strong right-to-work law.

I will use my experience as a manager with a Fortune 500 company, legislator and attorney general to get the job done.