|
Chichester
|
Warner
|
RETIRED REPUBLICAN STATE SEN. JOHN CHICHESTER BACKS DEMOCRAT MARK WARNER IN TELEVISION AD
Former Republican state Sen. John Chichester appears in commercial for Democrat Mark Warner
BY CHELYEN DAVIS
Date published: 6/1/2008
BY CHELYEN DAVIS
RICHMOND-- Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner is about to launch the first TV ad of this race--complete with the endorsement of a prominent Republican.
Former state Sen. John Chichester, a Republican originally from Stafford County who now lives in Northumberland County, is featured in the ad praising Warner's handling of a budget shortfall in 2002 after he took office as governor.
Warner's opponent in this fall's Senate race is former Gov. Jim Gilmore, who preceded Warner in office. Warner says Gilmore disguised the size of a budget problem as the state slid into a recession in 2001; Gilmore says he did not, and that he left the state with a balanced budget.
In the ad, Chichester sides with Warner's version.
"We were in trouble. Six billion dollars worth of trouble," Chichester says in the Warner ad. "I've seen governors come and go. Mark Warner was different."
Chichester also says Warner "brought integrity back to the budget process."
Chichester, who retired last year, was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee at the time. He led a rebellion of Senate Republicans in 2001 against Gilmore's budget, because he felt Gilmore had improperly used budget gimmicks to justify implementing the next phase of the "car-tax" cut.
Chichester also allied with Warner in 2003 to push through a package of tax changes.
It's early for a candidate to run television ads for a November election, but Warner has eight times as much money as Gilmore.
Chichester couldn't be reached for comment on the ad, and Republicans at the party's state convention yesterday declined to comment.
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
Date published: 6/1/2008
Most recent reader comments:
I may be wrong but it seems a bit funny...
(posted by
slarrivee
, June 4, 2008 1:12 pm)
they attribute the shortfall during Warners administration to Gilmore...from what I saw from figures at sites that showed the budget for Va they showed Warners budgets were larger and he raised taxes and cut services and about 1,800 lost theirs jobs to raise the money along with using the $1 billion rainy day fund Gilmore left behind.
It depends what you read. I read the article above and...
(posted by
Chiswald
, June 3, 2008 9:48 am)
http://washtimes.com/news/2008/may/31/gilmore-wins-narrow-vote-to-face-warner/?page=2
http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/local_govtpolitics/article/warner_senate_campaign_comes_to_charlottesville/21435
Wait a minute
(posted by
slarrivee
, June 3, 2008 7:51 am)
What I read says Gilmore left with about $1 billion in the rainy day fund and about a $1.6 billion shortfall in the budget so where does the - $6 billion come from??..Also remember the events of 9/11?? The economy was tanking everywhere with airports shut down and the market closed. Not exactly stuff Gilmore could control. I haven't made a decision on who I would vote for yet but I would like more facts on this -$6 billion than just a Chiswald said so and I haven't found them yet.
Warner cut massive amounts of government spending.
(posted by
Chiswald
, June 2, 2008 8:17 am)
He eliminated 50 state boards and commissions and cut spending in every state agency aside from K-12 education. In the area of technology area, he streamlined government operations by collapsing 94 agency information officers under on technology director, and integrated I.T. services across agencies saving large amounts of money. Mark Warner was able to cut spending and saved Virginia's AAA bond rating which was in jeapordy due to Gilmore's negligence.
Chichester never voted for a single republican issue!
(posted by
SMF
, June 2, 2008 6:36 am)
Yes republicans in the house and senate have let us down by
continueing to over spend and not destroying our big
government. Can anyone give me a factual example of Mark
Warner cutting a single line in the budgets while he was Gov.
or did he just raise or taxes to an unbelievable record? While
your at how did Warner misplace over a billion dollars in his
budget.
|
Star Directory
