37th Senate candidates debate

BY JENNIFER COOPER
jcnoper®timespapers.com

Candidates for the 37th state Senate district, Republican incumbent Sen. Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Jim Mitchell, went head to head in a debate Tuesday morning at the Westfields Marriott sponsored by the Herndon Dulles Chamber of Commerce.
During the hour, the candidates were asked how they feel about everything from transportation to the impact personal religious beliefs should have in their political decisions.
While much of what the two had to say was similar, they each attempted to draw contrasts.
"I'm the pro-business candidate in this race," Cuccinelli said, noting that he favors a creative, fiscally restrained approach to solving the state's financial shortfalls.
One of those creative approaches, he said, is the use of HOT lanes, carpool lanes that single drivers can access by paying a toll. He also plans to advocate keeping a lid on rising taxes and changing the education and transportation funding formula.
Cuccinelli also said he has worked hard to forge alliances with other legislators to get things done for Northern Virginia. Mitchell disagreed. "He has an extremist social agenda," Mitchell said. "I'm a consensus builder, I want to work with everyone and not push a partisan social agenda."
Mitchell also attacked Cuccinelli's ability to get along with other legislators. "He's a strident partisan who cannot work with Democrats and has antagonized people in his own party," Mitchell said." He's slammed so many doors in his face he cannot possibly make progress."
Mitchell said he wants to find real solutions to traffic, what he called a hidden tax. And, he said he fully supports not only HOT lanes, but public-private partnerships such as the one in place to improve Route 28 and plans to push for rail to both Dulles and Centreville.
Without firing back at Mitchell, Cuccinelli said he has spent more time on transportation than anything else. If re-elected, Cuccinelli said his first order of business will be to stop the raids on the transportation trust fund.
In a quick round of questions, both candidates said they would support changing the lower tax brackets, increasing the taxes on cigarettes and streamlining the tax code to conform with federal codes. On increasing the gas tax, Mitchell was for it, while Cuccinelli was against it until it can be guaranteed that all the money goes to transportation.
When given more time to elaborate on restructuring the tax code, Cuccinelli said any tax reform must be revenue neutral and not raise overall taxes. He also would like to cap real estate tax increases at 5 percent.
"The tax cap is a gimmick," Mitchell responded. He added that Prince George's County demonstrated its pitfalls when the county was forced to dramatically cut education and police services.
In his proposal, Mitchell would not balance the budget on any one sector.
"A tax cap is a legitimate restraint," Cuccinelli said, noting that it would allow the budget to still grow by a quarter of a billion dollars over the next several years.
"We're literally chasing people out of the county," he said.
When asked how their personal religious belief's play into their political careers, Cuccinelli said his core values do not change from vote to vote.
"I'm not a malleable candidate," Cuccinelli said. "I am a consensus builder. I just don't sacrifice my principles."
Mitchell said certainly his personal religious beliefs are important, but it is wrong to push those views on anyone.
Both men are Catholic.
In the end, Mitchell said he is a better candidate who will make decisions based on common sense.
Cuccinelli said he has already gotten things done, like making HOT lanes a very real possibility.