Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 23, 1993 TAG: 9301230254
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROB EURE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SPRINGFIELD LENGTH: Medium
WILDER CUT INTO GOP ARSENAL
Republicans have been salivating at the prospect of beating up on Gov. Douglas Wilder in this fall's elections. But Friday night, their gubernatorial candidates stumbled into a discussion that suggested Wilder may have taken one traditionally Republican issue - big government spending - away from them.In a face-off before a GOP audience that was mostly pledged to one candidate or another, the Republican trio could find little wrong with Wilder's handling of the $2.2 billion budget shortfall the state confronted in 1990 and 1991.
One of the candidates, Del. Clinton Miller of Shenandoah, criticized Wilder for raiding the state literary fund - money used to finance local school construction - and state lottery profits. Using those funds to keep the government going forced Wilder to turn to a bond issue last fall to pay for construction projects.
Acknowledging the sentiment might not be popular in a GOP audience, Miller said "you have to give [Wilder] some credit" for cutting state spending without new taxes.
Earle Williams, a retired defense contractor from Fairfax County, took exception to some Wilder budget cuts. But his comments were directed at where money should not have been cut, not where they might have been made.
Williams said Wilder should have protected education, transportation and advertising to recruit new industries. The Democrat concentrated on protecting law enforcement, most social services and state jobs, all of which suffered some cuts anyway.
George Allen, the former congressman from Charlottesville who is the early frontrunner for the GOP nomination, pounded the table and argued that Wilder could have cut deeper into bureaucracy, and shifted some state work to the private sector.
The few Republicans in the crowd who have not decided on a candidate appeared unpersuaded.
"I'd like to see some more clarity on that issue," said Tom Atwood, chairman of the 8th Congressional District Republicans.
Complaints about Democratic "tax-and-spend liberals" have been a staple of Virginia Republican campaigns for 20 years. Wilder's management of the '90-'91 crisis without raising taxes may give a hollow ring this fall to the GOP rhetoric.
Kevin Gentry, vice chairman of the Fairfax County Republicans, said all three men need to focus on taxes, as well as other key Republican issues such as abortion and gun control before they can effectively challenge Attorney General Mary Sue Terry, the likely Democratic nominee.
"I don't think any of them is in a position to beat Mary Sue," Gentry said.
The debates agreed upon by the three candidates limit the possibility of undecided voters in their audiences because the crowd is divided into fourths. Each candidate gets a quarter of the tickets to give to supporters and the final fourth is given to the sponsoring organization.
Keywords:
POLITICS
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.