What the VBTA didn’t ask Jeff McWaters
By Brian Kirwin | Sunday, November 15th, 2009 | PoliticsThe Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance was born out of the effort to fight the 2002 sales tax referendum. Saturday, the VBTA hosted a candidate forum, which was covered here. The campaign to raises taxes was called the YES Campaign.
You would think someone in the VBTA would’ve asked Jeff McWaters why he gave $10,000 to the Yes Campaign for tax increases?
McWaters touts his Amerigroup ownership. It’s all over his website. He boasts about the political contributions that have helped Republicans.
Somehow, Jeff leaves out the “I donated $10,000 to the effort to raise your taxes” talking point. His website has a whole section entitled “Jeff McWaters will fight for low taxes.”
Maybe, but his record shows he’ll fight even harder to raise them, going as far as to chip in 10 grand for the effort.
“In the past 10 years, the Commonwealth’s budget has increased 100%” says McWaters website. Funny he should complain when only seven years ago, he gave $10,000 to the effort to impose a regional sales tax to raise billions of dollars in new taxes.
A lot of business owners supported raising taxes in 2002. So, to many of us, McWaters/Amerigroup check shouldn’t be surprising.
That he’s suddenly this anti-tax warrior denouncing growth in government spending when he was a top-tier donor to the effort to raise taxes for VDOT and the Planning District Commission should at least prompt a question, especially from the group that led the opposition to it.
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The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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21 Responses to "What the VBTA didn’t ask Jeff McWaters"
I just went to VPAP and did a search for Jeff McWaters as a donor, then selected all years (http://www.vpap.org/donors/profile/index/34313?end_year=2009&filter_cmte=all&filter_cmte_radio=all&lookup_type=year&order=amount&page=1&start_year=2000) no mention of the YES campaign. These allegations are an outright lie. I’m not being naive but to claim McWaters gave to the Yes Campaign when he clearly did not is just false.
Actually it was Amerigroup that made the contribution http://bit.ly/3kDmtY
at least kirwin, you could’ve clearly stated that in your post, and not let vivian do your homework for you. an obvious attempt to mislead your readers.
why are you in the tank for wilson? her record on city council hasn’t exactly been one of staunch conservatism, voting for just about every single tax increase put in front of her.
I love being lectured about integrity by little wuss-ants who are afraid to use their real names.
Now, if the point you’re making is that McWaters doesn’t have anything to do with Amerigroup, you’ll have to rewrite his entire website. Wanna know which word is used more often on McWaters’ website – “McWaters” or “Amerigroup”?
If McWaters is going to take credit for Amerigroup’s record and take credit for donations made through the company he founded, then he needs to take credit for all of it, not just the ones he wants to brag about.
I checked McWaters’ website, and I don’t see that he is taking credit for Amerigroup’s donations. It’s normal for big businesses to give to both parties. However, if you really want to focus on Amerigroup’s donations, I’m pretty sure the majority of their giving is slanted far to the right.
Sounds to me like another clear case for None Of The Above.
JEFF MCWATERS FOR SENATE!
Well either Jeff was a in control CEO of his company like he wants to portray or he was a know nothing figurehead who took the fall for a company that lost 400 million dollars. Now tell me folks, seriously if he lost 400 mil in his own company do you really want this man having the power to tax you when he obviously supports higher taxes which is diametrically opposed to the viewpoint of the 3 Republican’s elected at the top of the ticket and every Republican elected in the HOD too. So what is it Jeff are you a fool and a failure as a CEO or are you a high tax evil RINO? Pick one and pick it now!
Well, while we are discussing the yes campaign, less we not forget, I would expect Brian to bring up the $10,000 donated by Freedom Ford (Scott Rigel, 2nd District Congressional hopeful), not to mention Rigel’s $500 contribution to Louise Lucas, $1000 to Obama, and undisclosed amounts to Brian’s favorite opposition, Margaret Eure.
OOPS! Did I forget to mention Rigell’s $10 Grand plus contribution to McWaters?
Any citizen with a modicum of common sense knows that if the cost of no new taxes is the decay of our transportation system that is the key to economic survival, then that “savings” is simply too expensive. Had we approved the referendum, the improvements would be done at a fraction of the cost in the future. Kirwin cares only about elections, not governance.
Damned if you do……damned if you don’t.
Brian, the VBTA is often criticized for being purist on taxes. It is said that this unbending path leads to all the failed candidacies that they support. They are pushed to being good little GOP robots and vote for every GOP offering, RINO or not. Maybe they’re tired of losing?
This does kinda look like a willingness to support the lesser of two evils. I agree with your point that this is out of character for that organization. I’m not a VBTA member, but I did voice my concern to one of their prominent members. The VBTA can do what they want, but I don’t fully understand this move.
I was planning to sit this one out or hope for a conservative Democrat. Now I’m not sure. Maybe one of my VBTA friends can let me know why I should vote for the lesser of two Tax and Spenders.
What the hell does this mean from Britt Howard?
I was planning to sit this one out or hope for a conservative Democrat.
There is no such thing. Did you know? – Owen Pickett cast the deciding vote for the Clinton tax increase in 1993.
As for the VBTA – they are not GOP lapdogs. They paid for several robocalls against Ron Villanueva whose principle crime is that he is more conservative than Bobby Mathieson but not as conservative (or nuts, actually) as Robert Dean. Then again Villanueva has won two citywide elections and Dean has won none. How much change have you brought to bear from the audience side of city council chambers there Mr. Dean?
Has the VBTA really endorsed McWaters? Is so, he better keep it quiet. This will certainly cost him votes.
Can’t use your real name Not Tim Murtaugh? But you can name call at Robert Dean? Robert Dean that did serve on city council and got 43% of the mayoral vote against Oberndorf with a Republican splitting off a few percentage points to boot?
So, you can point out that Owen Pickett wasn’t perfect? How about McWaters and Wilson, alleged Republicans?. Picket was MORE conservative than Wilson’s record, the letter after her name means nothing apparently. Nye isn’t a conservative democrat? With two exceptions he has voted more conservatively than many GOPers. Olympia Snowe and company looks Commie Red in comparison. Oh yea, lets talk about HRTA pushing good ‘ol Republicans. Let’s talk about socialist friendly Republicans that pushed a bill that DID NOT protect individual property rights post Kelo vs. New London (poetic justice that Pfizer closed shop on New London and left them hanging). Compare them to the likes of conservative Democrat Johnny Joannau of Portsmouth that was instrumental in passing REAL Eminent Domain reform the next year and has protected us from taxes. I’m not interested in EMPTY words, letters after names, and promises. I care about performance, not who’s “team” you’re on.
You’re right, the VBTA are not GOP lapdogs. The support of some in the VBTA is out of character. However, given Vilaneuva’s voting record on Tax and Spend council, as opposed to a real conservative like Bill DeSteph, I also question your assertion that Ron is to the right of Mathieson.
“How much change have you brought to bear from the audience side of city council chambers there Mr. Dean?” – Not Tim Murtaugh
Well, NTM……..maybe some in the VBTA agree with you now. And still…..you name call and give no credit for them backing a Republican Tax and Spender. I think you just want have a target for hurling names at regardless of the facts. I hope your fine example teaches the VBTA what to expect and they’ll learn the error of their ways.
For hwatkins:
To my knowledge, they haven’t endorsed as an organization and only a portion is actually supporting him. Maybe they will endorse. I don’t know. You should be embracing this. Either way your side wins and you have some in the VBTA backing a “Big Government” candidate that you guys should love. Now just because you don’t like Sessoms because he beat Oberndorf, that doesn’t change the facts. Sessoms also actively endorses Democrats. Sessoms current record is a bit more aggressive than Oberndorf, but it is along similar lines. Sessoms was once a “Friend of Oberndorf”.
Say what you do, and do what you say. Is it really that hard to find the the political party that you DO belong in?
“Robert Dean that did serve on city council”
He was appointed. The voters never chose him.
Oh, Brian please!
May 5, 1992
Princess Anne Borough
Thomas W. Abbott = 18,029
Robert K. Dean = 21,643
Jonas Larry Jr = 3,614
Louis M. Pace = 6,576
Brian,
I couldn’t agree MORE with your previous comment:
“I love being lectured about integrity by little wuss-ants who are afraid to use their real names.”
What are they afraid of?
For Britt Howard:
I read on another blog that the VBTA endorsed McWaters. I suspect it was not any love of him but rather their hatred of anything related to the VB City Council (other than DeSteph).
I wonder if McWaters endorses the VBTA platform? That is, firing all blue collar city and school employees and replacing them with contractors, contracting out the recreation centers, close the libraries, withdrawing from regional entities, getting out of the economic development and convention and visitor development business, closing museums and historic sites, eliminate the Patriotic festival, you know, that sort of thing.
Better check your tobacco Keyboard Commando Mike Barrett!
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