Hurt pushes lower taxes in visit to area

State Sen. Robert Hurt, the GOP nominee challenging U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Ivy, in the Nov. 2 mid-term election, swung through the Charlottesville area on Wednesday to tout his platform of lower taxes, reduced regulation and reined-in government spending.

Hurt, a Republican from Chatham, dropped by Saunders Brothers Orchard in Nelson County and King Family Vineyards in Crozet. Former Virginia Gov. and U.S. Sen. George Allen tagged along for the campaign stops.

“We’re hearing from small business owners all over across the 5th District,” Hurt said. “There’s a level of uncertainty that’s been created by Washington that makes it difficult for them to plan for the future.”

Hurt said he believes he will unseat Perriello because voters are frustrated with the freshman Democrat’s support of health care reform, cap-and-trade energy legislation and the economic stimulus bill. Hurt sees these measures as too expensive, likely to hinder job growth and bad for small businesses.

“There’s some real optimism in this election,” Hurt said. “People are concerned. They want to see a change in Congress.”

Perriello’s campaign spokeswoman, Jessica Barba, said Hurt’s rhetoric on the economy and support of small businesses is short on specifics. “We have yet to see any actual proposal from him to support small businesses,” she said.

Perriello, she said, has taken steps to assist small businesses and encourage the creation of new jobs. One example, she said, is Perriello’s vote last week in favor of a bill that reduces taxes on small businesses and creates a $30 billion small business loan fund. The measure, which President Barack Obama signed into law Monday, included a provision co-sponsored by Perriello that eliminates capital gains taxes on most investments in small companies.

At Wednesday afternoon’s campaign stop at King Family Vineyards, the winery’s owner, David King, told Hurt and Allen that employee health benefits premiums are increasing this year, putting an extra burden on the company.

Hurt told reporters that the Democratic-backed health care reform law is a key reason why health care costs are going up for many companies such as King Family. “It’s just one more of four or five things Congress has done” that are leading to higher costs on small businesses, he said.

Barba, however, said that the health care reform measure includes a 35 percent tax credit to help small businesses afford the cost of providing health benefits. “A number of small business owners have told [Perriello] that they aren’t paying any federal income taxes this year thanks to that tax credit,” she said.

Hurt has promised to repeal the health care reform law, replacing it with a more “market oriented” version of reform.

Allen praised Hurt, saying he would make a good congressman because of his amiable personality and his understanding of the legislative process brought about from his years serving in Virginia’s General Assembly.

“Washington would do well to operate more like the way Richmond does,” Allen said. “Robert is in touch with the people, [while] Washington is ignoring the views and concerns people are talking about at their kitchen tables.”

Allen, who was unseated by U.S. Sen. Jim Webb in 2006, deflected questions about whether he plans to run for office again. “I’ll make a decision on the next election once we get through this election,” he said.

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