Creigh Deeds

Robert Creigh Deeds (born January 4, 1958) is a member of the Virginia Senate and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Virginia in the 2009 election, in which he was defeated by Republican Bob McDonnell; Deeds also ran unsuccessfully against McDonnell for Attorney General in 2005, though in a much closer race.

Spurning pleas from President Obama, former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder refused to endorse Deeds, taking issue with the candidate's willingness to raise taxes in a weak economy. Wilder, the first black governor, carries great weight with Virginia's African American population. Blacks will vote for Deeds, but Wilder's refusal may lower their turnout rate, which was quite high in 2008.^[1]

Issues[edit]

Abortion[edit]

Creigh Deeds is strongly pro-choice on abortion, in the state legislature he voted for partial birth abortion, against a 24-hour waiting period, against the parental consent amendment and offered an emergency contraception access bill. "I am pro-choice...we have to keep abortion legal." ^[2]

Taxes[edit]

Creigh Deeds has stated the following on tax reform:

Reporter: Is that a pledge that you won’t raise taxes?

Deeds: No it’s not a pledge I don’t take pledges. No.

Reporter: So you still would be willing to sign a bill that included a tax increase?

Deeds: Absolutely. I did not mean to make news with that perspective, with that answer, I didn’t mean to change anything. I’m willing to sign a bill that raises money for transportation and in fact I intend to sign that bill.

Reporter: Let me just clarify. You said, “I have no plan to raise taxes.”

Deeds: Right

Reporter: Is that correct?

Deeds: That’s right.

Reporter: General fund taxes?

Deeds: General fund taxes. I have no plan to raise taxes, what I want to do is get a transportation bill passed next year and we’re going to have to raise money. Um, to fund transportation that’s the bottom line. Everything is on the table with me except one thing. Taking money out of the general fund.

Reporter: But when you said “I’m not going to raise taxes”, what did you mean? You said in the debate “I’m not going to raise taxes” what did that mean?

Deeds: What that meant in the general sense of the term, I’m not going to raise general fund taxes. I know we’re going to have to raise money for transportation.

Reporter: So you would raise other types of taxes?

Deeds: I think I, I meant what I said. I have no plan to raise general fund taxes.

Reporter: So what kind of taxes would you raise?

Deeds: We’re going, everything is on the table when we consider raising money for transportation.

Female Reporter: So yes that’s a general fund tax?

Deeds: I guess. That’s what goes to the transportation trust fund.

Female Reporter: So it would not be covered under raising general fund taxes.

Deeds: I think I made myself clear young lady.

Female Reporter: I’m sorry I’m not trying to be mean I’m just trying to understand.

Reporter: I think what people are trying to understand is that…

Deeds: For transportation everything is on the table except taking money out of the general fund and taking money out of education. We have to raise money for transportation. We have the need to exceed a billion dollars a year. We have to come up with a billion dollars a year in new money. Everything’s on the table except taking money out of the general fund and taking money out of education. Now here’s the problem. The other guy will tell you if you take money out of the general fund for any reason I guess literally that’s correct. But honestly last week the governor announced a 1.3 billion dollar reduction in general sums, primarily from higher education from other services. Now the reality is we got major needs in the general fund areas and we can’t rob Peter to pay Paul.We have real transportation and we need to put money into it.

Reporter: And for people who don’t understand, with the general fund, will Virginians see a tax increase if you are elected?

Deeds: Virginians will not see a tax increase that goes in the general fund.

Reporter: But they might see one that goes to transportation?

Deeds: They might see that. We’re going to raise money for transportation until we can bring people together and develop incentives and new ideas and what forum that’s going to take. But we’re going to afterwards fund transportation.^[3]

References[edit]