Is Tom Perriello REALLY a Fiscal Conservative?
By Jason Johnson | Saturday, July 31st, 2010 | Politics18 months after President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (approved by congressional Democrats with virtually no Republican support or input), the promised recovery appears to be more bust than boom, while unemployment remains higher than the administration’s projected worst-case scenarios. Facing this continued economic uncertainty, Americans are frustrated and angry; polling data consistently shows widespread public dissatisfaction with a federal government that seems incapable of ending its spending binge. Yet in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, public opposition to the spending in Washington has not stopped Rep. Tom Perriello from campaigning on his record as a big spender—at least initially.
For his first television ad of the general election campaign, Rep. Perriello aired a humorous, well-produced ad touting the congressman’s diligence in bringing jobs to the economically distressed 5th District. Featuring a dirty and disheveled congressman, Perriello is seen running Ethernet cables in schools, building trails in parks and working in a barn (in which he steps in cow manure). While the ad makes sense considering the above-the-state-average unemployment rate in parts of the 5th and the success candidate Bob McDonnell enjoyed in the district last November by pledging to bring jobs to the Commonwealth, Rep. Perriello’s ad touts jobs created and paid for by the stimulus, not by private sector entrepreneurs and investors—a fact that was not lost on Jay Warren, political reporter for Roanoke NBC-affiliate WSLS: “Still, there are big question marks about just how many real jobs the stimulus plan created, particularly compared to how much money was spent. In essence was it worth the price tag?” Undeterred by this tough question, Rep. Perriello recently praised the stimulus when appearing at the groundbreaking ceremony for Danville’s new Robertson Bridge, a project financed with $23 million in stimulus funds. While campaigning on one’s ability to “bring home the bacon” might be a common electoral strategy for members of Congress, in the current political atmosphere, how can Rep. Perriello believe such a strategy will be successful?
Finally Rep. Perriello may have realized that bringing home the bacon will not safeguard his seat in 2010: a poll conducted for Roanoke CBS-affiliate WDBJ-7 by SurveyUSA released on July 20 showed Perriello trailing Republican challenger state Sen. Robert Hurt by 23 percentage points (even with independent conservative Jeff Clark on the ballot). Later in the week, a mailer from the Perriello campaign arrived in mailboxes across the district citing an article from the Charlottesville The Daily Progress, which heralded the congressman “the most frugal [member of Virginia’s congressional delegation] with taxpayer money in 2009” because his congressional office spent $270,000 less than budgeted during 2009. While Rep. Perriello may attempt to reinvent himself as a fiscal conservative, it is difficult to reconcile his new-found “frugality” with his earlier—and much-touted—vote for the stimulus (a “strategic investment,” as he prefers to call it), a $787 billion act financed with borrowed money. Time will tell if Rep. Perriello can convince enough 5th District voters that he has seen the light on spending, but in the meantime, he will likely continue facing tough questions from his constituents and local reporters alike.
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About the author
A lifelong political junkie, Jason caught the political bug as a fifth grader after meeting George Allen in 1993. Since then he has studied political science at both the undergraduate and graduate level. When not perusing the blogs or volunteering for conservative Republicans, Jason enjoys cheering on his beloved Virginia Tech Hokies and spending time at his Bedford County home.
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20 Responses to "Is Tom Perriello REALLY a Fiscal Conservative?"
Perriello a conservative in any way? surely this is a rhetorical question.
“Some of these poll numbers are mind-boggling. Tom Perriello, a 727-vote winner in Virginia 5 in 2008, has been running two weeks of humorous ads showing what a hard worker he is. A poll shows him trailing Republican state Sen. Robert Hurt 58 percent to 35 percent.”
From “House Democrats Head for a Thumping at the Polls”
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_michael_barone/house_democrats_head_for_a_thumping_at_the_polls
Why don’t we take Perriello’s word for it? Remember when he told a constituent “If you don’t tie our hands, we’ll steal again?”
http://bearingdrift.com/2010/03/18/perriello-if-you-dont-tie-our-hands-well-keep-stealing/
Doesn’t sound like a fiscal conservative to me.
Don’t worry, Kelley. I am not suggesting that Rep. Perriello is conservative; it’s simply a “Congressman, after you’ve bragged about your support for and the success of the stimulus, you expect us to believe that you’re now a fiscal conservative?” question. Somehow I suspect the SurveyUSA poll showing him getting trounced by Sen. Hurt has more to do with his new-found frugality than does any genuine conviction that he should be a good steward of our tax dollars–especially in light of Ward’s timely reminder.
I wish to dispute that the recovery is a bust. My experience as a truck driver is that the economy has rebounded quite nicely. This is not just my personal experience, as the ATA (American Trucking Association) has been reporting significantly increased freight tonnage. When I back into a dock and walk inside at customers I often conduct my own informal survey by asking them how business is for them. Almost without exception I hear glowing reports on how good business is, with quite a few reporting they are having trouble keeping up with demand.
However I am aware that this recovery does seem to stubbornly remain a jobless recovery. I have heard some of my customers’ employees complain about how much overtime they are expected to work. Most appreciate the opportunity for some overtime, but when they are expected to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week (like one fellow I talked to) they have little opportunity for recreation.
I keep hearing employers are afraid to hire new employees because they fear a double dip recession. I guess they’ll start hiring once the unemployment rate dips (grin). I just do not understand their reasoning. There is a fantastic pool of unemployed citizens to choose from right now, and if their worst fears turn out to be true and the economy slows once again they can always lay the new employees off.
I can personally testify that the wheels of the economy (that would be the trucking industry) are turning. For this past month, I had one of my best months ever. In August of ’07 I had a really exceptional month which was better, but other then that I have to go all the way back to October of ’03 to find a better month then this past July.
Well yes, I think your report is quite accurate and indicative of a general rebound. But reality does not support the republican policy of doom and gloom and obstructionism, and republican business leaders, enjoying the opportunity to further reduce costs by taking advantage of labor’s fear of losing more jobs, is racking up the profits yet testifying wherever possible that only tax cuts will spur job recovery. What a croc! We need to reinvest in infrastructure and in energy independence and get educational institutions to produce more and better intellects.
73 percent of small business owners surveyed also report current economic conditions have caused them to take home less money in July, up from 69 percent in July 2009 and 55 percent in February 2008, when the Watch first posed this question.
57 percent of small business owners said the economy is getting worse, up from 51 percent in June; 27 percent think the economy is getting better; 14 percent think it is the same; and 3 percent are not sure
75 percent of small business owners believe it is likely or highly likely that the economy will slip into another recession before it fully recovers, with 15 percent believing another recession is not very likely to happen and 10 percent feeling unsure.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/indexes/discover_small_business_watch/discover_r_small_business_watch_sm
“We Will Not Be Silenced” is about the people who fight back by simply telling their stories: We are accepting donations for the completion of the documentary.
http://wewillnotbesilenced2008.com/video/index.htm
@James Hawkins
You do understand that the majority of successful business owners did not achieve success on their first attempt don’t you? You can’t just open up for business and expect instant wealth, America doesn’t work like that.
David, with government promising more and more costs per employee, I don’t blame businesses for trying to make due without hiring new employees.
Many of these small businesses file in ways that make them look “rich” in the eyes of class-warfare Democrats who want to raise taxes on the wealthy. And the last thing you want to do with Obama’s health care mandate is add staff.
Mike, most business owners I know would be happy if their taxes and costs didn’t go up.
And I agree with you that we should “get educational institutions to produce more and better intellects” – we should’ve started with your school.
@Brian.
I am glad you support the interests of small business people like me.
I hope you also oppose the the efforts of the Tea Party members who want to increase my taxes by about $5K a year through passage of the Fair Tax. You do oppose any tax increase on the small business man don’t you?
Be careful, Little David, when you predict that the FairTax would be an additional $5k burden on you. I thought we had this conversation last year over at vbdems and you pegged the number at $2,000. Truth is there’s no way to predict with any certainty or accuracy or precision how much the FairTax will cost – or benefit – any given personal situation.
Attitudes would change, activities would change, lots of CPA’s would be looking for a different line of work, The IRS would go away, employees would keep their whole paycheck, there would probably be a spike in thrift store activity (used goods would be exempt from the sales tax), drug dealers and illegals would finally start to pay some of “their fair share”…
To speak definitively about the monetary results of implementing the FairTax in such precise terms is a red flag that you don’t have a good handle on what you’re talking about.
David, how many permanent employees has your company hired since “the economy has rebounded quite nicely”?
He claims to have saved $270,000 from his office budget on 2009 but what was his office budget and how much did he spend and how did he spend it?
Also with his campaign and associated campaign ads and mailers appearing everywhere from Dish network, to cable to the internet, how much has he already spent to get reelected and where did this money come from including his current $1.7 million war chest?
@ Famous
Gotta love the campaign, oops I mean constituent, mailers from Perriello “printed and mailed at tax payer expense.”
@LittleDavid
“You do understand that the majority of successful business owners did not achieve success on their first attempt don’t you?”
Yes. I have a bit of experience with small business.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/abrams/2004-05-06-success_x.htm
“How do you define failure?” the above article is rather interesting.
Speaking of small business.
I have a house for rent in North Suffolk. 3 bedrooms, 2 & 1/2 baths, garage, about 2200 square feet. About 10 minutes from The joint Warfighting Center and 15 minutes from Chesapeake Mall.
Rent of 1350 a month includes cable, high speed internet, yard service and a great Republican Congressman.
Anyone rents from this site and I will throw in $100 worth of Bearing Drift merchandise.
email me at freedom55000@hotmail for more info if interested.
Clearly, the republican play book has adopted the statement that businesses won’t hire because of uncertainty over added costs of health care. Of course, we find earnings sky rocketing and the stock market reflecting this recovery. Fact is, businesses are doing what businesses do to make as much profit as possible; that is, they exploit their remaining workers for as long as they can. This applies mostly to international companies whose connection to Main Street was broken decades ago as wealth and national interest became blurred. With Cantor and his ilk actualy claiming we need to continue tax cuts for these corporate titans, it makes you wonder how any middle or working class person could ever support the republican position.
@Brad Martin,
I pegged the tax increase under the Fair Tax at more than $2K for the average citizen, married with two children and making $43K per year. My taxes are more complicated then that and I have not gone through the trouble of computing my exact figures. I am incorporated and it would take too much effort to come up with an exact figure so I only estimate. Do you hate tax day? Well I do too. I pay an accountant to do my forms. But my estimate is approximately accurate because I keep such rigid accounting that it only takes my accountant 30 minutes to do up my taxes and I’m back out the door.
Let me give a plug for my tax accountants Claudette and Sandra over at Virginia Income Tax Service because they deserve it. They’ll get you every dime you’re entitled to and they’ll keep you from being thrown in jail. Tell them the red head with the beard sent you and maybe they’ll give me a discount next year.
@Tim J,
I am an independent contractor so I have no permanent employees other then myself. I do provide direct payment for the employment to other workers however to unload the freight I carry quite often. Those guys do not do too bad, though for them it depends on the economy as well. How good do they do? Well often the workers are employed by a lumper service and they might make only good money. But I have seen the vehicles the self employed lumpers drive when I catch them taking their cigarette breaks in their cars. One guy had a BMW and another had a Corvette. Their rates are getting to be obscene but I have no choice. OSHA rules are such that I can not unload myself so I must bow to extortion.
David, maybe those obscene rates your “lumpers” charge should be capped by the government, or they should be taxed more to humble them into being reasonable.
There’s nothing worse than an “employee” driving a better car than you drive as the owner of a business.
[...] claims to be fiscally frugal, yet he votes in favor of ObamaCare and for the massive energy tax known as Cap and [...]
[...] the 9th, the air war in 5th Congressional District, despite its humorous beginning, took a sharply negative turn this week after Rep. Perriello released two ads criticizing Sen. Hurt [...]
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