Campaign News

ApCo Has Successfully Raised Rates Seven Times Under 2007 Statute Supported by Hurt
 

September 1, 2010—Ivy, VA—Despite his clear vote for legislation that has authorized seven electricity rate hikes in the past three years, Senator Robert Hurt today falsely denied any responsibility for the raised rates.

Yesterday at a roundtable discussion in Campbell County, Congressman Tom Perriello made clear that Robert Hurt’s vote in 2007 for an electric utilities bill has hurt consumers in Central and Southside Virginia. Perriello met with a group of citizens who told stories of rising rates that have hurt their small businesses and their pocket books. But today, Senator Hurt made the patently false assertion that his vote had nothing to do with the raised rates.

“Robert Hurt knows full well electricity rates have been hiked seven times because of the legislation he supported, and that Virginia families are furious about their high electric bills. It’s no wonder he’s trying to distort the facts,” said Jessica Barba, spokeswoman for the Perriello campaign. “Like a typical politician, Robert Hurt did the bidding of his special interest donors when he voted for this bill written by the electric utilities in order to protect their profits and gouge consumers. Now Virginia seniors living on fixed income are paying the price—literally—by having to choose between putting food on the table or keeping the lights on.”

From: The Newsplex on August 29, 2010

Democrats gathered at Claudius Crozet Park in Crozet Saturday for chicken, pork and a side of politics.It's the 22nd annual Albemarle County Democratic Barbecue. Hundreds of Democrats gathered to rally for U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello.

August 24, 2010—Ivy, VA—The Robert Hurt of 2010 is once again contradicting the Robert Hurt of 2007 in his first television ad. The Robert Hurt of 2010 says in the ad, “I’ve pledged to fight any tax increase and make Washington stop spending money it doesn’t have and start creating jobs.” But the Robert Hurt of 2007 co-sponsored and voted twice in favor of a transportation plan that raised taxes, created unconstitutional taxing authorities, and ended up forcing the state of Virginia into debt to pay for it.

“We all know typical politicians say one thing and do another, but Robert Hurt has taken the about-face to a whole new level,” said Jessica Barba, spokeswoman for the Perriello campaign. “Senator Hurt’s record as a serial tax raiser won’t go away just because he now claims he’s against tax increases. The truth is: he voted twice for a transportation plan that not only raised taxes, but also created unconstitutional taxing authorities and forced Virginia further into debt. The more voters know about the chasm between Senator Hurt's record and his rhetoric on taxes, the more they realize he can't be trusted on this issue.”

The legislation that Hurt co-sponsored and voted for, HB 3202, among other things:

• Raised the taxation rate from 16.5 cents to 17.5 cents on diesel fuel,

• Imposed “abuser fees” for certain traffic offenses, otherwise known as the $3,000 speeding ticket,

• Required the Department of Motor Vehicles to impose an additional fee upon drivers whose record shows greater than eight demerit points of $100 plus $75 per point in excess of eight points, and

• Authorized local governments to declare their areas “regional transportation tax districts” and to raise commercial real estate property taxes at 0.25% of the “fair market value.”

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