By Michael D. Shear and Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, March 23, 2006
RICHMOND March 22 -- Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) launched a multimedia barrage Wednesday aimed at boosting support for transportation tax increases and hammering House delegates who oppose them.
Meanwhile, anti-tax activists have begun a second wave of radio ads criticizing Kaine for pushing tax increases when the state government has record surpluses.
In a radio ad running across the state, Kaine urges the public to tell their delegates that they support plans offered by Kaine and the state Senate to raise taxes and fees for transportation.
The General Assembly, divided on the transportation spending issue, adjourned March 11 without passing a budget. Kaine called for a special session, which is scheduled to start Monday, but the legislators on the budget conference committee have been meeting on and off during the interim.
During the 60-second spot, Kaine says he and his allies have put forward a "long-term statewide solution" to traffic congestion and "out-of-control development."
"House Republicans have a different idea," Kaine says in the ad. "Their plan won't pay for current transportation needs. It actually cuts priorities like teacher pay, early childhood education and gang prevention."
As the ad ends, Kaine says: "You elected me to keep Virginia moving forward. That's what I'm trying to do, but I need your help. Urge your delegate to get moving."
The radio ad, which is being paid for by Kaine's political action committee, Moving Virginia Forward, marks the beginning of an election-style campaign aimed at putting pressure primarily on Republican delegates. Sources have said the campaign is aimed particularly at 26 Republicans who are considered persuadable.
Radio listeners are directed to a telephone number, where an operator gives them the numbers for their delegates.
The PAC's Web site, http://www.movingvirginiaforward.com , was updated Wednesday to allow visitors to dash off e-mails to their lawmakers and add a "make-your-own letter to the editor" tool.
"It's crunch time," said Mo Elleithee, a PAC spokesman. "The governor's got a plan. The Senate's got a plan. The only holdouts now are the House Republicans. This entire campaign is an effort to get Virginians involved in this process and get the House Republicans on board. We can't wait anymore."
Elleithee said the radio ads are running in districts across the state and are tweaked to refer to the regions in which they are playing. He declined to say exactly where they are running or how much they cost. Kaine's PAC had about $450,000 as of the last public reporting date.
Kaine is also featured in automated phone calls that began running in some districts across Virginia on Tuesday. Elleithee said the script is similar to the radio ad.
House Republicans said the governor's telephone calls and radio ads stress transportation investments but not the tax increases Kaine has proposed to finance them.
"The big lie continues," Del. Leo C. Wardrup Jr. (R-Virginia Beach) said. "What difference does it make what he says? You can't believe any of it."
Del. Phillip A. Hamilton (R-Newport News) said sarcastically that he couldn't believe Kaine would manipulate the facts of the transportation debate to his own advantage. "Are you kidding?" Hamilton said. "He is being dishonest?"
A group called Americans for Freedom and Prosperity announced this week that it has purchased more air time for a radio ad that accuses Kaine of conspiring with like-minded lawmakers to enact higher taxes.
Titled "Again," the ad says that "Governor Kaine and leaders in the Virginia Senate have each proposed a nearly $4 billion tax hike, with higher taxes on sales of cars and trucks. Do you want higher taxes when Virginia is enjoying a billion dollar surplus?"
The Kaine and Senate plans would raise about $4 billion over four years.
The group's Web site is at http://www.afpva.org .
Even as the air war began, a handful of lawmakers in Richmond continued the on again, off again ritual of trying to reach some agreement on a two-year, $72 billion budget.
House Republicans suggested considering the transportation issue separately from the rest of the budget issues. That way the two sides could come to an agreement in other areas and return later to debate spending more for roads, tunnels, bridges and transit, they said.
They proposed putting about $1 billion into a temporary reserve fund for transportation during the next two years. The fund would include deposits of $806 million the first year and $224 million the second year, Hamilton said.
Senate Finance Chairman John H. Chichester (R-Northumberland) told House negotiators that his side would discuss the proposal and get back to them. But he had labeled the idea "a Mexican hat dance."
"They'd try to pay for specific [road] projects for political advantage and go home, and then you'd never get them back for transportation," he said.
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