Deeds makes stop in Staunton

By Bob Stuart

Published: July 16, 2008

STAUNTON — Creigh Deeds remembers well that he missed becoming Virginia’s attorney general three years ago by less than 400 votes.
So the state senator from Bath County is leaving no stone unturned in his current effort to become Virginia governor in 2009.
Deeds visited Staunton on Wednesday for a fundraiser after having spent the day before in Southside Virginia.
Today, he will travel to Southwest Virginia and finish the week campaigning in Northern Virginia.
“It’s devastating to lose, but it’s not the end of the world. I’ve been through worse things than losing an election,’’ Deeds said during lunch at the Mill Street Grill.
Deeds must first defeat Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria for the Democratic nomination, and then would have a rematch with his attorney general opponent of three years ago – Bob McDonnell.
Moran is winning the money battle so far. In a Tuesday release, Moran said he had raised nearly $1.4 million this year to Deeds’ $782,586.
A Moran spokeswoman said the finance report shows that “Brian has built a base of support that can meet the long-term needs of financing a successful gubernatorial campaign.”
Issues, not money dominated the discussion in Staunton.
Transportation is Deeds’ top priority, with education a close second.
Deeds proposing reviving the approach of former Gov. Gerald Baliles to tackle a $1 billion transportation funding gap.
In 1986, Deeds said, Baliles talked “to the smartest people he could find and put together a plan and sold it to communities.” Baliles also persuaded both Democrats and Republicans to support the plan.
He knows transportation is an issue that resonates with all Virginians, and said he would work to craft a plan and “then sell the plan to legislators.”
Deeds said he also would be proactive in tackling education.
Changes in Virginia’s community college system curriculum can prepare the state’s workforce for the present and future, he said. A similar effort was made in North Carolina with that state’s community college system, and it resulted in a better workforce, he said.
“Laid-off textile workers became $40- and $50-an-hour pharmacy company employees,’’ Deeds said.
Jobs with phamaceutial and computer companies could be garnered with a better trained workforce, he said.
It’s also necessary to get more feedback from employers to find out what kind of workers they are looking for, he said.
Virginia and the United States need to graduate more professionals, such as engineers, Deeds said.
“Our education system is graduating 50,000 engineers a year while India is graduating 300,000 and China, 500,000,’’ he said. “We are competing with the world.”
It is not yet clear how Virginia Democrats will choose their nominee for governor, but Deeds prefers a primary to a convention.
He said a primary involves more voters and better prepares a candidate for the general election:  “A candidate hones his message and is better prepared for the fall.”