Jun

6

Vern McKinley’s Vote Smart Quiz Answers Now Publicly Available

Filed Under 2008 Election, Abortion, Energy Policy, Gun Control, Health Care, Media, Regulation, Republicans, Taxes, big government | Leave a Comment

Vern McKinley is the first Republican candidate in Virginia to make his Project Vote Smart Political Courage Test answers publicly available. If you had or have any questions about where Vern stands on a particular issue this is a great place to start your research. It includes his views on abortion, capital punishment, taxes, spending, regulation, gun rights, and more. Two general themes can be discerned from his answers: Follow the Constitution and limit the size and scope of the federal government.

View Vern McKinley’s Political Courage Test answers here.

Apr

30

Loudoun Times: Vern McKinley Challenges Frank Wolf

Filed Under 2008 Election, Earmarks, Economics, Foreign Policy, Frank Wolf, News Items, Republicans, Taxes, big government | Leave a Comment

An article in the Loudoun Times discusses Vern McKinley’s challenge to Frank Wolf in Virginia’s 10th District.

McKinley is firmly against the federal government contributing money to the Metrorail extension out to Loudoun. The main reason, he said, is that voters need to get away from thinking of members of Congress as “ATM machines and Santa Clause.”

“Your oath as a congressman,” he said, “is not to get as much money for your district as possible.”

Read the full article at the Loudoun Times.

 

 

Apr

29

National Taxpayers Union Rates Congressman Wolf C-

Filed Under 2008 Election, Press Release, Taxes | 7 Comments

Contact: Brad Jansen

703-470-5042

vern@mckinleyforcongress.com
Congressman Wolf of the 10th Congressional District of Virginia received a C-, or 44 on a scale of 100, on the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) 2007 annual rating for members of Congress which was released earlier this month. The NTU rating is the most broad-based assessment of member voting records on fiscal and regulatory issues as the index assimilates 427 recorded votes in the House.

Congressman Wolf’s rating has seen a steady decline since it reached a peak of 80 in 1995 in the aftermath of the Contract with America and the Republican takeover of Congress and is now at its lowest point since the rating was created in 1992. Of the eight Republicans representing Virginia in the House, Congressman Wolf was dead last by far. Representative Cantor led the group with an A rating of 87. After being summarily defeated and losing their majority in the 2006 elections, Republican members improved their NTU rating from 60 in 2006 to 69 in 2007.

Vern McKinley is the Republican challenger to Congressman Wolf in the 10th Congressional District, which stretches from McLean to Winchester. “When you have an independent body review over 400 votes to come up with a rating on fiscal and regulatory responsibility, and a representative’s score is so embarrassingly low, it is a clear indication of how much Congressman Wolf has drifted since he was a signer of the Contract with America. If elected, it would be my goal to get an A rating each and every year from the NTU,” stated McKinley. Other taxpayer watchdogs have given Congressman Wolf similar poor grades: Citizens against Government Waste (20); and Club for Growth (36). “The Winchester Star, a prominent newspaper in the 10th District, had it right when they called the Congressman a tax-and-spend Republican,” McKinley concluded.

To learn more about the McKinley for Congress campaign, please visit www.McKinleyforCongress.com.

Apr

21

McKinley’s Ballot Success Mentioned In Winchester Star

Filed Under 2008 Election, Frank Wolf, News Items, Taxes, big government | Leave a Comment

Vern McKinley was mentioned in the Winchester Star yesterday. The article mentioned the successful effort to get on the ballot in opposition to Frank Wolf.

Through McKinley’s Web site, www.mckinleyforcongress.com, the candidate has informed voters that he has met the threshold that requires 1,000 signatures of qualified voters in the 10th Congressional District to get on the primary ballot.

According to the McKinley campaign, the general registrar for Loudoun County certified that he had met that requirement.

Also interesting, the article describes yet another Frank Wolf ‘yes’ vote to take money out of tax payers pockets for the greater good.

For more details read the full article at The Winchester Star.

Apr

21

McLean Connection Covers McKinley’s House Race

Filed Under Earmarks, Frank Wolf, News Items, Taxes, big government | Leave a Comment

The McLean Connection covered the 10th district Congressional race earlier this month. In the article Vern McKinley is critical of his opponent Frank Wolf on earmarks and spending.

McKinley decided to run against Frank Wolf in the primary after doing some research on the congressman during the 2006 election. McKinley was upset that the National Taxpayers Union had given Wolf a rating of only 45 percent.

“I was just amazed at how bad [Wolf] was on spending issues and earmark issues and pork barrel spending,” said McKinley.

Read the full article at McLean Connection.

Apr

21

Winchester Star Newspaper Covers Vern

Filed Under 2008 Election, Economics, Frank Wolf, News Items, Republicans, Taxes, big government | Leave a Comment

The Winchester Star covered Vern McKinley’s campaign earlier this month in an article about Virginia’s 10th District House race.

McKinley, who appeared at the mass meeting of Winchester Republicans on March 26, said he wants to offer the voters of the 10th District someone with Reagan values and a desire for smaller government.

“Since our launch of the campaign last summer, I have heard from people living in all parts of the district in person, by e-mail, by phone, and through social Web sites,” McKinley said in a statement released by his staff. “Voters in the 10th District want to put an end to big spending and big government as the answer to every policy challenge.

“They think Congressman Wolf is now part of the problem, not part of the solution.”

The GOP and the Democratic Party will each select their candidates for the 10th District race during primaries on June 10.

Read the full article at the Winchester Star.

Feb

18

It’s Still the Economy (Stupid)

Filed Under 2008 Election, Economics, Press Release, Taxes | Leave a Comment

Contact: Brad Jansen

703-470-5042

vern@mckinleyforcongress.com

Ashburn, VA—Voters in last week’s Potomac Primaries in Virginia and Maryland responded that the economy was the top issue of concern to them in the midst of weakening economic growth and a potential recession. The House and Senate passed and President Bush signed into law last week a plan of action or “stimulus package” to address these concerns. What passed was a two-year $168 billion economic stimulus package that is meant to give the economy a boost. At the core of the economic package are one-time tax rebate checks to be handed out over the coming months.

When assessing the sensibility of the stimulus package the first question is whether the economy is actually in a recession. Although the economy is slowing, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is the arbiter of that issue and they have not weighed in one way or another yet. Historically, the NBER weighs in well after a recession starts, as they did not proclaim that the 2001 recession had in fact begun until eight months after it started. So last week’s stimulus package was approved even though it is uncertain whether we are in the midst of a recession. Further, a $168 billion stimulus package in an economy of $14 trillion is insignificant if it is intended to counteract a recession.

Another question to ask is where the money is coming from for this stimulus package. It is a misnomer that the government is injecting money into the economy, as a better way to describe it is moving money around. As the economy has been running at a deficit in the years since the last recession started in 2001, the money is being moved across generations.

“I think that politicians in Washington want to be seen as ‘doing something’ about the troubled economy,” notes Vern McKinley, who is challenging Congressman Wolf for the Republican nomination in the 10th Congressional District of Virginia. Congressman Wolf of Virginia voted for the stimulus package as did most members of the House.

“There are a few good provisions in the package, but the idea that giving out rebates in this manner will give a significant boost to the economy is silly. Any stimulus of this size would not stop a recession if one is already ‘baked in the cake.’ In order to pay for the rebates the government is going to have to borrow in the market. Borrowing from future generations to pay for consumption today is not a good idea. I think we have done enough of that the past few years,” notes Vern McKinley. “We need to focus on longer term issues, like getting the corporate tax rate down or extending the earlier round of tax cuts, which will improve long-term growth prospects,” McKinley concluded.

Dec

13

Vern McKinley Signs Taxpayer Protection Pledge

Filed Under Frank Wolf, Press Release, Taxes | Leave a Comment

Brad Jansen

703-470-5042

vern@mckinleyforcongress.com

Ashburn, VA—Vern McKinley, who is the Republican challenger to incumbent GOP Congressman Frank Wolf in the Tenth District of Virginia, has signed the Americans for Taxpayer Reform (ATR) Pledge to oppose tax increases. “Americans, now more than ever, need leaders committed to fiscal responsibility and pro-growth economic policies,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR. “By signing the Pledge, Mr. McKinley demonstrates his allegiance to hard-working taxpayers nationwide, as well as dedication to taxpayers in Virginia. I applaud him for his leadership and dedication to the ideals of limited government.”

The ATR Pledge is a rite of passage for Virginia Republican candidates. For example, during the recent 2007 Virginia state races, many of the key state senate candidates took the Pledge: Patricia Phillips, Jill Holtzman Vogel, Ken Cuccinelli and Bob Fitzsimmonds. The ATR Pledge is a rite of passage for everyone, that is except Congressman Wolf. He is one of only eight Republicans in the House of Representatives, and he is the only member of the Virginia House Republican delegation who has not signed the Pledge. President Bush has also signed the Pledge.

“I think there is a very good reason why Congressman Wolf has not signed the Pledge as he is leaving the door open to increase taxes, especially in the context of addressing entitlement spending,” notes McKinley. A recent joint press release issued by Congressman Wolf and his co-sponsor on an entitlements proposal Congressman Cooper (D-TN) clearly states: “Every day that we do nothing means bigger tax hikes and more draconian benefit cuts in the future.” So the Wolf-Cooper plan clearly puts tax increases on the table. A recent article entitled “Congressman Wolf’s Bill Opens Door to Massive Tax Increase,” summarizes this plan well.

“I think most people, and certainly nearly all Republicans, agree that the problem with runaway entitlements is not that we are taxed too little in the form of payroll, Medicare or income taxes, but that the programs are just out of control on the spending side. Republicans in Virginia are looking for leadership and vision that are consistent with traditional Republican principles,” McKinley concluded.