Landes demands Marrow clarify

Thursday’s House 25 debate was apparently only the start of fireworks between candidates.

On Friday, House District 25 Del. Steve Landes challenged Democratic opponent Greg Marrow to clarify his position on funding a state transportation solution, and whether he supports Democratic gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds’ proposal.

Landes said Deeds wants to raise taxes for transportation and has a long record of support for tax increases.

The Democratic gubernatorial nominee is basing his transportation plan on a bipartisan solution that could include new taxes.

Marrow responded by saying as a fiscal conservative he does not support tax increases, and would prefer that revenue come from job creation, bureaucratic audits and efficiency.

Deeds said in a Washington Post op-ed piece Wednesday that if elected governor he would assemble a bipartisan committee to craft a transportation package.

He said he would sign a bill that is the product of a bipartisan compromise.

And Deeds did say he will sign a bipartisan bill with a dedicated funding source even if it includes new taxes.

Marrow said Landes’ description of Deeds’ proposal is inaccurate. He said it is not an unequivocal attempt to raise taxes, and said Deeds wants to solve the problem and wants a bipartisan solution.

Landes said he wants to find a solution to transportation that “does not increase the tax burden on working men and women of Virginia.”

Among the options Landes would consider to raise money for transportation are the use of bonds, further efficiencies in the operation of VDOT, privatizing more services and the use of tolls if it does not affect the Shenandoah Valley adversely.

He said Marrow has not put forward a clear transportation plan. He wants to know whether Marrow supports Deeds’ plan to raise taxes.

Marrow said Landes’ news release is one of “spreading fear about tax increases” and is a “desperate attempt by Landes to use tired, old rhetoric to misinform and scare voters in District 25.”