Democratic candidate for governor Creigh Deeds was in Roanoke earlier this week to announce a comprehensive plan he claimed would create jobs and renew Virginia’s economy. It includes targeted tax cuts for small businesses, partnerships to generate new jobs in the alternative energy industry and initiatives to jump-start an economic recovery in rural regions.
“Energy technology is the future,” said Deeds at the news conference.
Speaking at the State & City Building on Campbell Avenue, which was remodeled to LEED standards, Deeds was accompanied by U.S. Senator Mark Warner. Deeds also appealed for a common sense approach to solve Virginia’s statewide transportation challenges via bipartisan leadership.
The 100-year-old State & City retail/office/residential complex was the first building in the Roanoke and New River Valleys to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environment Design certification. It is one of the first buildings in Virginia to combine LEED-certification and historic preservation.
The “Deeds Plan to Jump Start the Economy” targets additional resources for worker training and education, including a health care option for the temporarily unemployed and new tools to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. It also commits to expand access to broadband and wireless communications to the entire state.
“Our plan will jumpstart our economy, create jobs, reduce taxes on small businesses and position Virginia to succeed and win in a new economy once we recover from this challenging time,” Deeds said. “This plan also provides targeted resources to help families facing unemployment, workers in need of job training, and students interested in high-wage, high-demand jobs.”
Warner, who won high marks during his 2002-06 term as governor for his focus on increasing educational and economic opportunities across the Commonwealth, said, “Virginia led the nation in telecom in the 1980’s; we helped lead the Internet revolution during the 1990’s, and I firmly believe that the next generation of jobs and wealth will be found in the ‘green’ economy.”
“[Deeds] has put together a road map that allows Virginia to grasp that opportunity and take advantage of all of those possibilities if we prepare Virginians to take a leadership role in the alternative energy field,” Warner added.
The Deeds plan includes giving tax credits to businesses that create jobs, offering loan guarantees for Virginia community college students, building a Virtual Energy Research Triangle to coordinate R&D in green energy industries and developing high-speed rail, while also expanding traditional freight and passenger rail.
By Gene Marrano [email protected]