Deeds shifts his focus to education
By: William C. Flook
Examiner Staff Writer
October 20, 2009
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| FILE: Virginia State Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia, speaks at Northern Virginia Community College, August 10, 2009. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) |
Creigh Deeds' gubernatorial campaign on Monday shifted toward a greater focus on education, an area where the Democratic candidate believes he has the upper hand against Republican Bob McDonnell in the closing two weeksof the Virginia governor's race.
The Deeds campaign began a three-day bus tour drawing attention to the rural state senator's education plan, a subject that has taken on heightened importance as state revenues plummet and lawmakers consider how to protect school funding.
Despite increasingly scarce revenues, the gubernatorial hopeful has promised a bevy of new K-12 spending that includes expanding pre-kindergarten programs and bringing teacher salaries up to the national average. At the same time, he has accused McDonnell of trying to snatch education dollars to pay for transportation.
Supporters on Monday framed Deeds as a go-to education advocate in the legislature. The two candidates show a "stark contrast" in their education records, said Kitty Boitnott, president of the Virginia Education Association, which has endorsed Deeds.
If the commonwealth expects to attract good teachers, "we've got to do more than the bargain basement salaries that we're now offering," former Republican Del. James Dillard said in a conference call with reporters.
Polls suggest Deeds has had some trouble delivering that message, however. A Washington Post poll this month found 51 percent of likely voters better trusted McDonnell to handle the issue of education, compared with 40 percent for Deeds. In a poll the month before, Deeds had held a four-point lead on the same question. McDonnell has put an emphasis on expanding charter schools, awarding 100,000 more college degrees over the next 15 years and initiating turnaround programs at struggling public schools. The GOP nominee's transportation plan involves the use of some general fund dollars. Because that pool of money also pays for education, Deeds has accused the Republican of wanting to pay for roads at the expense of billions in school funding. Republicans have argued that, under Deeds' reasoning, any general fund spending would steal from education. The fund also pays for health and human resources, public safety, and other government spending. Said McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin: "Like every other empty accusation trotted out by Creigh Deeds in his negative campaign, this one is intentionally false and has been roundly rejected by objective observers."
