Kaine Campaign Responds to Karl Rove’s Lies

The Kaine campaign respondes to Karl Rove's lies: 

Richmond, VA – In advance of Saturday's first Republican primary debate, Karl Rove has come in to help his old friend George Allen with an attack that bears a far greater resemblance to Allen's big-spending decades in politics than Tim Kaine's term as Governor.  Like their attack last fall whichnewspapers, editorial boards, and independent fact-checkers called “erroneous,” and filled with“demonstrable falsehoods and distortions,” today's attack has little connection to the facts.  

Last year, Governor Kaine extended an offer to Allen to keep these false, negative ads out of the race.  Allen refused.  Then, Governor Kaine extended an offer to Allen to require these outside groups to at least disclose who is funding their attacks.  Allen refused, despite previously claiming to support disclosure and transparency.  Kaine for Virginia Communications Director Brandi Hoffine issued the following response to Crossroads GPS' latest attack ad titled 'similarities': 

“The real similarities are between Rove's claims and George Allen's big-spending record.  As Governor, it was George Allen who grew Virginia's general fund by more than 45 percent.  As Senator, it was Allen who inherited a record surplus and turned it into a record deficit, while adding $3 trillion to our national debt and even voting repeatedly to give himself a raise as our country slipped further into the red. Tim Kaine, on the other hand, inherited the economic mess George Allen and Karl Rove helped create.

“Instead of reelecting Allen, who twice promised fiscal responsibility and twice failed, Virginians are looking for a leader like Tim Kaine, who balanced Virginia's budget with $5 billion in cuts, including his own pay, and helped create the surplus the Commonwealth has today.” 

FACT CHECK

CROSSROADS CLAIM: “That’s Tim Kaine’s billion dollar spending spree.”

FACTS: 

Kaine's Outgoing Budget Proposed Two Percent Less General Fund Spending Than The Budget He Inherited.Kaine inherited a General Fund budget of $15,111,251,632 for FY2006. As he left office, Kaine proposed a General Fund budget of $14,806,626,205 for FY2011. [Department Of Planning and Budget, General Fund FY2006; Kaine 2010-2012 Budget Document, 12/19/09]
 
“New Spending” Cited In Crossroads' Ad Was The State’s Surplus; Republicans Also Favored Spending It; Some Of Kaine’s “Spending” Was Tax Relief.  In an article headlined “How To Spend A $1 Billion Surplus,” The Virginian-Pilot wrote, “Several Northern Virginia Republicans have called for every penny of the $1 billion surplus to go to transportation, instead of the $500 million proposed by Kaine. . . . Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's plan for the state surplus adds $1 billion in new spending. Here are the highlights: transportation. $500 million for road and rail projects, including Norfolk's light rail, an upgrade to the I-64/264 interchange, and $50 million for port-related projects. . . . taxes/pensions $27 million to cut income taxes for poor Virginians. $13.8 million to enhance state troopers' and sheriff's deputies' retirement benefits.” [Virginian-Pilot, 12/16/06]

CROSSROADS CLAIM: “Governor Kaine turned a billion dollar surplus into a 3.7 billion dollar shortfall.”

FACTS: 

AP: Kaine Cut Nearly $6 Billion And Balanced The Budget. The Associated Press reported, “While the recession depleted revenues, Kaine and the General Assembly cut nearly $6 billion and never finished a fiscal year with insufficient funds…” [Associated Press, 11/10/11]
 
AP: Crossroads “Applause” Ad “Erroneously Claims Virginia Ran ‘A Big Deficit.’” The Associated Press reported, “Crossroads GPS is spending $616,000 over two weeks to televise the 30-second ad in Virginia's four largest media markets. . . . It erroneously claims Virginia ran ‘a big deficit.’ While the recession depleted revenues, Kaine and the General Assembly cut nearly $6 billion and never finished a fiscal year with insufficient funds…” [Associated Press, 11/10/11]
 
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Kaine Did Not Leave A Deficit As Crossroads “Applause” Ad Claims. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, “The television ad, launched by Crossroads GPS, a GOP candidate advocacy group co-founded by strategist Karl Rove, is titled ‘Applause.’ . . . ‘As Virginia Governor, Tim Kaine’s reckless spending turned a budget surplus into a big deficit,’ the ad says. ‘Reckless spending, massive debt, no wonder Tim Kaine applauds Obama.’ In fact, the Virginia constitution requires that the budget be balanced, eliminating the possibility of a deficit.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 11/10/11]
 

CROSSROADS CLAIM: “Kaine pushed a billion dollar tax hike.”

FACTS: 

Kaine Ended Virginia’s Estate Tax In Order To Make Virginia More Competitive In Attracting “Small Businesses And Retirees.”A Wall Street Journal editorial said, “Democratic Governor Tim Kaine and the Republican-controlled legislature struck a deal to abolish the state's estate tax. […] The tax only brings in about $140 million a year to Richmond from several hundred estates, but the levy has made it harder for Virginia to compete for small businesses and retirees with Florida and the 24 other states that no longer have a death tax.” [Wall Street Journal, Editorial, 9/6/06]
 
Kaine Signed Laws That “Would Remove About 140,000 Low-Income Virginians From The Tax-Rolls.” The Roanoke Times reported, “Gov. Tim Kaine has signed legislation that would remove about 140,000 low-income Virginians from the tax rolls… Kaine signed bills…that will gradually increase the state income tax filing threshold from $7,000 to $11,950 for individuals and from $12,000 to $23,900 for married couples. The bills also increase the personal exemption from $900 to $930 for all taxpayers.” [Roanoke Times, 3/22/07]
 
Kaine Signed Bills Creating Tax Holidays “On School Supplies And Clothing.” According to the Washington Post, “Virginians will enjoy a three-day sales tax holiday on school supplies and clothing. The bills Kaine signed during a ceremony at the state Capitol lift the state's 5 percent tax on such items for a long weekend each August. . . . Consumers will not have to pay taxes on school supplies that cost $20 or less per item and on clothing and shoes that cost $100 or less per item. That weekend, businesses also can choose to pay the tax on other items for their customers and advertise those items as tax-free, a practice that had been illegal. Kaine, who was joined by several lawmakers and business lobbyists, said the new holiday would save shoppers at least $3.6 million a year.” [Washington Post, 6/3/06]
 
Kaine Signed “Sales Tax Holiday For Hurricane-Preparedness Supplies.” According to the Roanoke Times, “A separate sales tax holiday for hurricane-preparedness supplies will not take effect until 2008. Kaine signed a bill (SB 1167) that will exempt the sales tax on supplies such as portable generators, carbon monoxide detectors, batteries and cellphone chargers for a one-week period in May beginning next year.” [Roanoke Times, 3/22/07]
 
Kaine Signed Bills That Created Tax Holiday For The “Purchase Of Energy-Efficient Appliances.”According to the Roanoke Times, “Kaine also signed bills…creating a four-day sales tax ‘holiday’ each October for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances. During the holiday period…the state sales tax will be waived on appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerators that meet federal Energy Star standards and sell for $2,500 or less.” [Roanoke Times, 3/22/07]

THE REAL KAINE ECONOMIC RECORD:

Forbes Ranked Virginia “Best State For Business” For All Four Years Of Kaine’s Term. The Virginian-Pilot reported, “Forbes.com has ranked Virginia the ‘best state for business’ for the fourth consecutive year, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's office said Wednesday.” [The Virginian-Pilot, 9/24/09]
 
Virginia Was Named Top State For Business By CNBC In 2007 And 2009.[CNBC.com, 2007, 2009]
 

• CNBC: Virginia “Has What It Takes” To Emerge From “An Economy Turned Upside Down.”CNBC reported, “It has been a year of seismic shifts in American business and in the competitive landscape. An economy turned upside-down. What state has what it takes to emerge from all that? America's top state for business 2009, Virginia.” [CNBC, Street Signs, 7/23/11]

 
Pollina Corporate Real Estate Report Named Virginia Most Pro-Business State In 2007 And 2009.[Kaine Administration Press Release, 3/19/07; Virginian Pilot, 6/24/09]
 
Virginia Was Graded Best Managed State According To Governing Magazine.PolitiFact reported, “We wondered if Kaine had his facts right. We turned to Governing magazine. Since 1999, it has been publishing a report by the non-partisan Pew Center on the States that grades each state on the strength of its management. Under Kaine in 2008, Virginia was one of three states to earn an ‘A-’ grade, topping the rankings…” [PolitiFact Virginia, 4/7/11]
 
2009 Pew Study Praised Virginia Budgeting During The Recession, Saying Virginia Was “Better Positioned To Weather Bad Times.” The Pew Center on the States issued a report in February 2009 titled, “Trade-off Time: How Four States Continue to Deliver,” which praised Virginia as one of four states leading the nation in making wise budget decisions during the recession. The report specifically praised Virginia Performs — a program created by Governor Mark Warner and expanded by Governor Kaine — for allowing Virginia “to systematically tackle the state’s budget crisis and increase agency productivity.” As a result of Virginia’s budgeting and management practices, the report stated that the Commonwealth “will be better positioned to weather bad times.” [Trade-off Time: How Four States Continue To Deliver, The Pew Center On The States, 2/11/09]
 

Washington Post: “During Most Severe Economic Downturn Since The 1930s,” Kaine’s “Performance Did The State Proud.”In an editorial, the Washington Post reported, During his four-year term as Governor, “Mr. Kaine's formidable talents, intellectual, political and otherwise, were put to the test” by “the most severe economic downturn since the 1930s.” According to the Post, “Mr. Kaine rose to the occasion. . . . And even in cutting hundreds of jobs and $7 billion from the state's budget, he did so with an eye to preserving the safety net for its most vulnerable citizens. Virginia's financial and budgetary travails have been no worse than those of other states, but its future is almost certainly brighter than most. His performance did the state proud.” [The Washington Post, 1/10/10]