Job-Creating Mike Pence Vs. Job-Crushing Tim Kaine
JOBS
Mike Pence Has Made Job Creation His Top Priority
When Mike Pence Was Sworn In As Governor Of Indiana In January 2013, The Unemployment Rate Of Indiana Was 8.4%, And The Total Unemployed Was At 266,731. (Indiana Statewide Statistics, The Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/22/16)
As Of Last Month The Unemployment Rate Of Indiana Has Been Nearly Cut In Half To 4.8%, And The Total Unemployed Has Shrunk To 163,072. (Indiana Statewide Statistics, The Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/22/16)
Meanwhile, Tim Kaine Has A Record Of Skyrocketing Unemployment In Virginia
When Tim Kaine Was Sworn In As Governor Of Virginia In January 2006, The Unemployment Rate Of Virginia Was A Low 3.2%, And The Total Unemployed Was At 125,379. (Virginia Statewide Statistics, The Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/22/16)
When Tim Kaine Left The Governor’s Office In January 2010, The Unemployment Rate Of Virginia Had Skyrocketed To 7.4%, And The Total Unemployed Had Increased To 304,628. (Virginia Statewide Statistics, The Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/22/16)
TAXES
Mike Pence Is An Experienced Tax Cutter
Pence Signed Into Law A 5 Percent Reduction In Indiana’s State Income Tax “When Pence took office, Indiana’s 3.4 percent flat individual income tax rate was already the second-lowest in the nation. Still, in his first state of the state address, Pence pitched a 10 percent cut as an ‘affordable’ way to ‘unleash half a billion dollars’ into Indiana’s economy. The legislature eventually passed a 5 percent reduction, bringing Indiana’s tax rate down to 3.23 percent over the next two years.” (Richard Auxier, “Trump’s Choice For VP, Mike Pence, Is An Experienced Tax Cutter,” Tax Policy Center, 7/15/16)
- The Legislation Also Killed Indiana’s Inheritance And Estate Tax. “The same legislation also immediately killed Indiana’s inheritance tax and repealed its dormant estate tax. The inheritance tax, which affected estate transfers greater than $250,000, was already scheduled to phase-out by 2022, but Pence and the legislature repealed the tax for the estates of all persons deceased after Dec. 31, 2012.” (Richard Auxier, “Trump’s Choice For VP, Mike Pence, Is An Experienced Tax Cutter,” Tax Policy Center, 7/15/16)
While, Tim Kaine Spent His Time As Governor Advocating For Higher Taxes
Kaine Was Inaugurated On January 14th, 2006; He Introduced His Tax Increase Proposal Less Than A Week Later On January 20th. (Bob Lewis, “Kaine Sworn In As Virginia’s 70th Governor,” The Associated Press, 1/14/06; Michael D. Shear and Rosalind S. Helderman, “Va. Leaders Push Increase In Taxes, Fees To Aid Roads,” The Washington Post, 1/21/06)
Kaine Proposed $4 Billion In Increased Taxes For Virginians. “By our count, Kaine proposed raising about $4 billion in new taxes — $1 billion in 2006, $1.1 billion in 2008 and $1.9 billion in 2009. Of those increases, the 2008 plan represented a second attempt to raise new road funding, and the 2009 proposal would have been partially offset by a $650 million reduction in local car taxes.” (Jacob Geiger, “George Allen Says Tim Kaine Proposed $6 Billion In Tax Increases While Governor,” Politifact , 4/16/11)
- Governor Kaine Proposed A Tax Increase On People Earning As Little As $17,000 A Year. “Allen said that Kaine proposed a tax increase that would have affected people earning ‘as little as $17,000 a year.’ Not everyone at that level would have paid more under Kaine’s plan, but it’s a safe bet that large number of them would have seen their overall tax bill rise.” (Jacob Geiger, “George Allen Says Tim Kaine Proposed $6 Billion In Tax Increases While Governor,” Politifact , 4/16/11)
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Under Mike Pence’s Leadership Indiana Is Moving Forward
Governor Pence Increased The State’s School Voucher Program To Make It One Of The Largest In The Country. “Mr. Pence also pushed to expand the number of students receiving public vouchers to attend private schools, lifting a cap that had limited the amount of money that elementary school students could receive. He also expanded eligibility to include students who had not previously attended a public school. The state’s voucher program is now among the largest in the country, with more than 32,000 students.” (Kate Zernike, “Mike Pence’s Record on Education Is One of Turmoil and Mixed Results,” The New York Times, 7/19/2016)
Governor Pence Has Also Signed Into Law One Of The Largest Infrastructure Spending Programs In Indiana Without Raising Taxes. “Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed into law on Wednesday, March 23, a two-year, $1.2 billion transportation funding deal. The short-term funding package does not increase fuel tax rates or other vehicle fees. Instead, the first part of the package relies largely on releasing surplus dollars to address infrastructure needs. The second part taps existing tax revenue.” (Keith Goble, “Indiana Governor Signs $1.2 Billion Funding Plan For Roads, Bridges,” Land Line Magazine, 3/24/16)
Governor Pence Made Providing Pre-Kindergarten Tuition A Top Legislative Priority, And Passed The First Such Program In Indiana’s History. “A last minute compromise today revived a preschool pilot, which then passed the legislature, giving Gov. Mike Pence a chance to sign into law a program that would put Indiana among 41 states that offer direct aid for preschool tuition for the first time. Pence, who made preschool one of his top legislative priorities, is expected to sign House Bill 1004. The revised version of the bill passed the House 92-8 and the Senate passed it 40-8. For supporters of preschool, it was the foot in the door for greater support of preschool that they’ve sought for several years.” (Scott Elliott, “Indiana Moving To Offer Direct Aid For Preschools For The First Time,” ChalkBeat, 3/13/14)
Tim Kaine’s Lack Of Accomplishments Is Stark, Ranking Him In “The Bottom Quartile” Of Governors
University Of Virginia Political Scientist Larry Sabato Says Kaine’s Tenure As Governor Was Not “Particularly Successful,” Ranking In “The Bottom Quartile.” Sabato: “Few nonpartisan observers in Virginia regard Kaine’s tenure in the Governor’s Office as particularly successful. Having known every governor since Albertis Harrison (1962-1966) and having studied the records of the dozen most recent governors, I would characterize Kaine’s term to this point as belonging to the bottom quartile.” (Larry Sabato, Op-Ed, “Vice President Tim Kaine?” Rasmussen , 7/29/08)
- Sabato: “[H]is executive tenure has recorded few significant successes and one giant, overriding failure in the transportation field where Kaine hoped to make his mark.” (Larry Sabato, Op-Ed, “Vice President Tim Kaine?” Rasmussen , 7/29/08)
Kaine’s Several Attempts To Pass Transportation Reform Failed. “In February, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled a funding package passed by the General Assembly and approved by Mr. Kaine unconstitutional, and two special sessions called by the governor to address critical transportation problems since 2006 have ended in failure.” (Gary Emerling and Christina Bellantoni, “Kaine State’s Last Hope For Role In Obama Ticket,” The Washington Times, 7/13/08)
- Kaine Failed To Get His Transportation Plan Into The State Senate, Which The Democrats Then Controlled. “Much of Mr. Kaine’s three-year tenure as governor has been spent in frustration trying to unclog Virginia’s choked roads. His aides argue that Republicans in the House of Delegates are obstructing that effort, and even Republicans admit that they did not want to allow Mr. Kaine the same success his Democratic predecessor, Mark Warner, had in working across the aisle. But even Mr. Kaine’s supporters note that his latest proposal did not find a sponsor in the State Senate, which his party controls.” (Kate Zernike, “Charismatic Governor Rises To The Short List,” The New York Times, 8/13/08)
Kaine Signed Into Law A Budget That Included Less Than Half Of The Funding He Had Sought For Pre-Kindergarten Funding. “The compromise budget plan (House Bill 30) contains new spending for education, mental health changes and salary increases for state workers and public school teachers. It also includes some new funding to expand pre-kindergarten for children in low-income families, but less than half of what Kaine had sought for his signature initiative.” (Michael Sluss, “Assembly Approves 2-Year Budget,” The Roanoke Times, 3/14/08)