Getting the word about Jim Gilmore’s candidacy and policies will be key to success. You can help by writing a letter to your newspaper or calling into talk radio shows to voice your support. Below you will find links to contact information for Virginia’s newspapers and talk radio, let’s get the word out.
Recent Letters To The Editor:
Drill in ANWR
Letter to the Editor: Daily Press
October 12, 2008
I need to commend Jim Gilmore, candidate for the U.S. Senate, for yet again identifying a key problem Virginia’s working people are facing and putting forth some simple and attainable solutions.
While candidates like Barack Obama and Mark Warner try to come up with all sorts of reasons why we should not drill in the United States for oil, Gilmore has been telling us for months now that one potential solution is the need to drill for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve. The ANWR area is larger than the combined areas of five states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Delaware. Drilling along its coastal plain would be confined to a space one-sixth the size of Dulles airport.
Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska is also a proponent of drilling, because she knows we can drill in a safe manner. Gilmore and Palin agree: We must drill in ANWR to bring down gas prices.
Lou Call
Dems Didn’t Learn Then; Will They Get it Now?
Letter to the Editor: Times-Dispatch
June 24, 2008
Back in 1979, my first job out of college was in the office of Sen. Richard Schweiker (R-Pa). After the requisite stint in the correspondence unit, I was promoted to legislative assistant for environment and natural resources. Among the topics of the day were proposals for increased drilling offshore and in Alaska to respond to the spike in gasoline prices resulting from the Iranian Revolution.
Republicans, in contrast to President Jimmy Carter’s panicked response of manufactured gasoline lines and a new wood-burning stove for the White House, called for increased domestic oil production as part of a sound, long-term strategy. Democrats opposed us, arguing that more domestic drilling wouldn’t help solve that particular crisis. Can there be a more perfect example of the maxim, “The more things change, the more they stay the same”?
Today, 30 years later, nothing has changed, except that if the U.S. had liberalized oil drilling restrictions over that period, we would today be much less dependant on foreign oil and have greater leverage in setting global prices. In 2008, Republicans in Congress, as well as Virginia’s GOP U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gilmore, are again calling for increased domestic production. The Democratic response is the same — new drilling now won’t solve this crisis.
The Washington Democrat leadership may never learn, but Americans should — increased domestic production is a sound and vital part of an overall long-term energy strategy for our country.
Linas Kojelis
Petersburg
Don’t be fooled again by Mark Warner
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: ROANOKE TIMES
June 23, 2008
Mark Warner lied his way into the Virginia governor’s office and now he’s trying to lie his way into the United States Senate.
He claims that when he took over from Gov. Jim Gilmore, Virginia was bankrupt. The truth is that when Gilmore left office, he left more than $1 billion in Virginia’s rainy day fund — this after reducing Virginia’s car tax.
While campaigning for governor, Warner promised not to raise taxes. After winning that office, he claimed Virginia’s treasury was depleted and he “reluctantly” pushed through tax increases. After his new taxes were enacted, voila! Warner “found” Virginia had more money coming in than he had projected.
Rather than reverse his new taxes, he kept them in place and said he’d put the new money into the rainy day fund.
Now Warner is running against Gilmore for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by John Warner. I hope Virginia’s voters do not allow Mark Warner to hoodwink them again.
ANITA LAMBERT
EAGLE ROCK
Letter to the Editor: Roanoke Times
Send Gilmore to the Senate
June 18, 2008
For the first time in many years, we have a choice to elect a honest person to the U.S. Senate in Virginia. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have lied about a great Virginia governor.
Jim Gilmore gave us a tax break on automobiles that was a help to all of us. Mark Warner closed DMV offices and other jobs by untruths on the finance conditions he inherited. He recanted a few months later and admitted a state surplus.
We need honest people elected to office. Warner and Kaine support the policies of the FDR/Truman party started in 1933 with dictatorial and socialist ideological beliefs that destroyed our founders’ form of government. Henry Wallace, a communist, was one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s cabinet members.
We can start a reverse to this destruction with senators like Gilmore. Harry Truman got us started fighting civil wars. Korea is still a stand-off, Vietnam a disaster, other conflicts unsettled to date. Herbert Hoover was the last president.
Voters, let’s rebuild the country to standards the U. S. Constitution was written for. In Virginia, send Gilmore to the U.S. Senate. Also say no to Obama.
EDGAR L. VEST
SALEM
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: NEWSLEADER
Car tax helped put GOP in majority
Published: June 15, 2008
I just heard former Delegate Callahan, and former Senator Chichester endorsed Democratic Governor Mark Warner to replace John Warner in the U.S. Senate.
Back in the old days when Republicans worshiped the ground Gov. Allen walked on; the GOP ran on the principles of limited government, lower taxation, elimination of regulations, punishing criminals, and reforming welfare.
Gov. Gilmore followed that up with a simple tax reduction strategy of using excess state income tax dollars when companies like Motorola and AOL were coming into Virginia in the 1990s, to eliminate the car tax. The people loved it, and GOP gained a majority in the General Assembly for the first time since Reconstruction.
Unfortunately, the Dot com stock market burst, and then the 9-11 attack, put our economy into a recession.
Luckily Gilmore steered $1 billion into the rainy day fund for just such an economic downturn. Warner and the General Assembly still spent more in 2002, than 2001, and increased the budget again in 2003.
We still held our majorities, and so what if the Democrats belly-ached for more spending. What’s new?
Meanwhile, Gov.Warner claims he inherited a $6 billion deficit. How can you have a deficit when you are spending more each successive year?
Then Chichester decided we needed new taxes, because we need to spend, well, like Democrats. But one tax increase wasn’t enough in 2004?He took the House into overtime sessions again in 2005, and 2006 to raise taxes even more!Say hello to the minority status in 2007, gentleman.
Furthermore, it needs to be pointed out that spending increased over $9 billion dollars under the Warner administration, which brings us back to the car tax. Warner pledged to also finish eliminating the car tax as governor, but froze the program at 70 percent complete, or exactly $950 million annually, instead of a full phase-out at $1.3 billion.
Unfortunately it seems Warner tricked Chichester and Callahan, into giving up on the Allen-Gilmore Revolution; and their philosophy of lower taxes and limited government that put the GOP into a majority in the first place. Instead of considering that a lesson learned, they instead endorse Warner?
Of these four men only one kept his promises. Thank you, Jim Gilmore!
CHRIS GREEN
Staunton
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: STAR EXPONENT
Many Virginians support Gilmore for U.S. senator
Published: June 5, 2008
As a delegate to the State Republican Convention this past weekend I want to comment on the article “Gilmore wins GOP nomination for Senate” which ran in the Star-Exponent Sunday.
Jim Gilmore is, for many, one of our most well-loved Virginia governors.
Gov. Gilmore kept his promises. The hated “car tax” was 70 percent phased out during his time in office.
However, Mark Warner stopped the phase out and then reversed it.
Taxing what for most of us is a necessity hurts not only the poor working class, who find it difficult to make ends meet, but also those of us in the middle class.
Gilmore cares about people and is ready with solutions. He has pledged to support the drilling necessary for new oil wells.
Bob Marshall also ran an inspiring campaign.
As both a fiscal and social conservative, Marshall has a bright future and hopefully will seek statewide office again.
Having spoken to other delegates to the convention I found that I was not alone in feeling that the choice between them was difficult, both in their respective offices, have served the commonwealth well.
I look forward to working to elect Jim Gilmore as our next senator.
Beth Orndorff
Amissville
LETTER TO EDITOR, RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH 11.9.07
Car-Tax Bill Inspires Thanks to Gilmore
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
I recently went to my mailbox to find my annual holiday gift from Hanover: my car tax bill.
Due in December, the worst possible month of the year, this bill is a difficult one to pay. However, it is also a reminder of why I voted for Jim Gilmore, and will support him wholeheartedly for the open Senate seat in Virginia in 2008. All I need to do is look on my bill to see that instead of paying $612 I will be paying only $251 this year.
Gilmore kept a promise, and I am so thankful for this tax relief.
He also had to deal with a recession and a terrorist attack in our state, which hurt our economy tremendously by keeping tourists and business travelers away for months. He governed with strength and honesty, unlike his successor, Mark Warner, who blamed the budget shortfall on Gilmore so he could raise taxes after he promised he would not. Warner imposed not just any tax increase, but the largest in Virginia’s history. I invite all of Gilmore’s detractors who say that the car tax was a disaster to feel free to pay their full amount when they receive their bill in the mail. As for me, I’ll always say a hearty thank-you to Gilmore every year when I get my car tax bill.
Jennifer Sopata. Mechanicsville.
State Leaders Ignore The People’s Will
Letter to the Editor
September 2, 2008
My son just had the luxury of paying his first car tax in the city, for $333. He called me in shock. He asked how they can tax a depreciating item. I said: Congratulations, son, you just paid one of the most offensive, fraudulent, obtrusive taxes ever levied on a Virginia citizen.
I then explained that a governor won election based on the “No Car Tax” promise in 1998. Jim Gilmore won with 56 percent of Virginians supporting him and the elimination of this horrible tax.
Needless to say, the “for the people” elected officials went against Gilmore and decided not to adhere to the voice of the majority and froze the car-tax rollback.
If that sounds a bit like how England treated the Colonies, I don’t disgree. It appears the new political slogan of the day is “Taxation With Representation.”
Johnny Cates
Richmond