Creigh Deeds: His Own Arguments Reject His Candidacy

A Record of Slashing Education Funding; Plans to Cut Education in the Future; Wrong about Bob McDonnell’s Plans

FACT CHECK:

Creigh Deeds: A Record of Slashing Education Funding

The Governor’s budget addenda reduced general funds for direct aid to public education by $108.2 million in FY 2009 and $583.6 million in FY 2010.

Deeds voted for the House and Senate version

In one year Creigh Deeds voted for reducing funding for Virginia’s public schools by $691.8 million!

FACT CHECK:

By Creigh’s Own Logic he Would Divert Millions from Public Education if Elected Governor

Creigh Deeds continues, in every speech he makes and in every interview he gives, to peddle the fiction that every single dollar and dime in the General Fund is for education. This despite the fact that about 45% of the General Fund is for education. By Deeds’ own logic and in his own words, he will divert millions upon millions from Virginia’s schools with his various proposals that take general fund dollars.

• His Governor’s Opportunity Fund proposal takes money from the General Fund: money from schools
• His tax credit plan takes money from the General Fund: money from schools
• His Rural Business Fund takes money from the General Fund: money from schools
• His Health Insurance Revolving Loan Fund takes money from the General Fund: money from schools
• His matching grants for tourism take money from the General Fund: money from schools
• His Permanent Efficiency Improvement Office takes money from the General Fund: money from schools

By his own logic Creigh Deeds will deprive Virginia children and teachers of hundreds in millions in funding

FACT CHECK

Creigh Deeds is Wrong in his Attacks on Bob McDonnell’s Transportation Plan

First, let’s note that Deeds’ attacks come from a candidate who has VOWED not to have a transportation plan in the campaign.

However, Creigh Deeds is still absolutely WRONG in his consistent argument that Bob McDonnell’s transportation plan will raid “$5.4 billion over 10 years from education funding to pay for roads.”

• As has already been established, this assertion relies on the erroneous “All General Fund Dollars go to Education” argument that Creigh pushes
The numbers that Deeds erroneously tosses out come from the $150 million annually in new revenue growth over 3% that Bob McDonnell will dedicate to transportation. That is NEW revenue that is not currently spent on education.
• Bob will dedicate $86 million annually to transportation by allocating 75% of future surplus funds to transportation - again, not money currently going to education.
• Creigh Deeds has already voted FOR dedicating 66% of future surplus funds to transportation
• Bob will dedicate a maximum of $300 million annually to transportation from a portion of growth generated by the Port of Hampton Roads. That is NEW revenue.
• Bob will dedicate $105 million annually to transportation in Northern Virginia by retaining .30% of the sales tax collected in the region.
• Bob McDonnell is committed to keeping a portion of the sales tax from Northern Virginia in the region to reduce congestion and get roads built.
• 3 of the 4 revenue sources that Creigh claims result in money being “taken away from education” are based on future growth. This means they are not revenue sources currently going to education. The only source that currently goes into the general fund is the sales tax collected in NOVA.
• Bob McDonnell will make transportation a priority again.

Creigh Deeds figures are wrong

His arguments are erroneous

By his own logic he is guilty of everything he alleges about Bob McDonnell

But there is one even more crucial distinction in this debate…...

CREIGH DEEDS DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A TRANSPORTATION PLAN

AND THAT SAYS IT ALL