The RTD’s Bart Hinkle notices a striking similarity between story lines in the Roanoke Times and Virginian-Pilot. Both stories ask whether Ken Cuccinelli’s proposal to clean up the tax preferences in the state’s tax code would put him at odds with the coal industry. Each article “…cites a JLARC study and notes coal’s contributions to the Republican’s campaign.”
Bart says it could be a simple “case of great minds thinking alike.” Or perhaps it was something slightly more political. Either way, Bart concludes that perhaps we should be on the lookout for such synergies in the future:
Once is a coincidence. More than once, though. . .
It’s not unprecedented for a good story to be picked up in many outlets at the same time. Readers of VPAP’s news clips have seen it happen before — and not just on the news pages, but the editorial pages as well.
So I’ll chalk it up this instance to great minds (and former Pilot colleagues) thinking alike.
And on the question of tax breaks for coal companies? Here’s hoping that Cuccinelli, if elected, would seek to end them — as a part of his larger plan to cut the state’s corporate income tax. It’s an exchange that would benefit companies and taxpayers alike.
