AD WATCH

Another In a Series of Examinations of the Accuracy of Political Advertising

Candidate: James S. Gilmore III (R)

Election: Nov. 4, Virginia governor

Producer: Kim Alfano/St. Mary's Associates, St. Mary's, Md.

Time: 30 seconds

Visual: A Volvo sedan cruising the Capital Beltway gives way to a graphic of a green, blinking, left-turn signal and a quote by Democrat Donald S. Beyer Jr. criticizing Gilmore's personal property tax cut, then to a right-turn blinker and clippings stating that Beyer has copied Gilmore's tax plan. The ad ends with "Don Beyer" and "politician" in red flashing hazard lights.

Audio: Narrator: "Don Beyer is quite a politician. First, he attacks Jim Gilmore's plan to abolish the car tax, saying it cuts taxes too much. Then, Beyer pulled a U-turn and came up with a plan of his own. And now he's saying Gilmore's plan won't cut taxes enough! The truth's on Gilmore's side. Under his plan, the first $20,000 of value of every car and truck won't be taxed. Under Beyer's plan, you'll still write that tax check year after year. It's pretty simple, folks. You can trust Jim Gilmore to abolish the tax. But Don Beyer's just another politician."

Analysis: Gilmore turns up the volume on his campaign's centerpiece pledge to gradually phase out most of the personal property tax on cars and trucks, and accuses Beyer for flip-flopping on the issue. Although Gilmore persists in incorrectly claiming that his plan would abolish the tax, these ads seek to counter Beyer's claim that the Democrat's tax credit plan is bigger than the GOP version. Beyer's plan would be more generous in the first two years because it would fully take effect at once, but Gilmore's cut would give much more relief when phased-in after five years -- up to $1.4 billion a year, versus $200 million under Beyer's plan. The ad accurately reflects the fact that Beyer bashed Gilmore's plan as a budget-breaker before reversing himself and proposing a tax credit plan aimed at middle- and lower-income families. Under Beyer, vehicle owners would keep paying the property tax and take a credit on their itemized state income tax returns. Under Gilmore's plan, owners of the costliest vehicles still would pay the tax, and localities would be free to increase rates on all taxpayers. By calling Beyer "just another politician," Gilmore's ad addresses what surveys have indicated is voter skepticism that both plans are political gimmicks.

© Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company

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