Gilmore wants corporate tax cuts

ABINGDON, Va. – Former Gov. Jim Gilmore said he wants to help people who are struggling to make ends meet by providing jobs and opportunities.

“People are concerned about the stress of meeting the bills, they’re nervous about their jobs, they’re nervous about high taxes ... number one is I’m going to hold the line on government spending and reduce taxes wherever I can,“ he said, during a Senate campaign stop in Abingdon.

Specifically, he said he wants to keep recent federal tax cuts in place and make additional cuts for corporations.

“If we don’t get competitive with our competitors in the world, we are going to continue to export jobs,“ Gilmore said. “We’re going to have to decrease tax rates, especially on corporate America, or they will continue to ship jobs overseas.“

While the Republican convention – during which the party will select its Senate nominee – is still more than a month away, Gilmore is already campaigning against former Democratic governor Mark Warner.

The two are vying for the seat being vacated by longtime Sen. John Warner, who is retiring when his term ends.

A Richmond native, Gilmore served as attorney general from 1994-98 and as governor from 1998-2002. He highlighted his working-class roots and the two statewide wins against well-funded Northern Virginia Democrats.

In Southwest Virginia, he said construction of a new coal-fired power plant planned for Wise County will help workers and the economy.

“It’ll mean jobs for people in Southwest, it’ll mean cheaper electricity and it will mean more use of coal,“ he said. “I don’t want to see Southwest Virginia dependent on the government. These are strong, proud people, and they are entitled to an opportunity to make a successful life.“

He said the U.S. needs to take advantage of its coal and oil resources to increase energy independence and lower the price of fuel so working people don’t have to spend “an extra mortgage payment” on gasoline every month.

Gilmore’s solution: increase the domestic oil supply by drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and step up offshore exploration.

“I think that if the United States of America expresses a dedication to increase the domestic supply in a serious way, it will have an impact on gas prices worldwide,“ he said.

On the war in Iraq, he said the goal is for the Iraqis to run their own country, but setting a specific withdrawal date for U.S. troops is dangerous, and our national interest lies in keeping Iraq out of the hands of terrorists and Iran and keeping Israel intact.

On health care, he wants to create incentives for the private sector to make health insurance more accessible.

On government spending, he said “pork-barrel and earmarks” must go.

“It’s certainly good for the people that get the money, I understand that, but you have to multiply that by the 50 states and the 100 senators,“ Gilmore said. “At the end of the day, it turns into real money. And at the end of the day, the taxpayer has to spend that money.“

Reached by phone Thursday, a spokesman for Mark Warner’s campaign, said the Democratic candidate is also looking at ways to improve the nation’s energy future – with a “portfolio approach” that includes many alternative energy sources to wean the United States off foreign oil.

“He sees that as a national security issue since we’re generally purchasing oil from countries around the world that don’t like us,“ said spokesman Kevin Hall. “And he sees it as an opportunity to generate some exciting new research and development that will create jobs in areas like Southwest Virginia.“

He said the proposed power plant is “a good opportunity to challenge Dominion to work for cutting-edge, clean-coal technology that includes capturing carbon and sequestering it.“

Hall said Mark Warner deserves the credit for the hundreds of information technology jobs brought to Lebanon by CGI and Northrop Grumman, as well as efforts to transform the region’s economy with tourism.

He said Warner favors universal health care access, though not necessarily through a government program, and wants to start bringing troops home from Iraq without a specific timeline.

“He has expressed frustration though that the Iraqis are sitting on billions in oil profits while expecting American taxpayers to rebuild their country,“ Hall said.

With regard to domestic oil, he said Warner is not necessarily opposed to offshore exploration but opposes drilling in Alaska.

“At best, you would have to describe that as a very short-term solution,“ Hall said. “[Warner]’s thoughts on energy are broader and longer range, and again, involve some innovation, trying to create and develop new and renewable alternative energy sources to get us off of foreign oil.“

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