EXCLUSIVE: O’Donnell Mailer Slams Democrat Chris Coons on Tax Increases
Posted on | September 28, 2010 | 27 Comments
The Delaware Senate campaign of Christine O’Donnell opened its general-election campaign assault on Democrat Chris Coons, labeling him a “big spending, big taxing, typical politician” in a Tuesday statewide mailing focused on Coons’ record as New Castle County executive:
As National Journal‘s Hotline On Call has reported, Coons “spearheaded one of the largest tax increases in state history” in New Castle County. The O’Donnell mailer, sent to tens of thousands of Delaware voters, notes that Coons promised during his 2004 campaign not to raise property taxes: “Then he broke that promise and increased property taxes by 48% and drove New Castle County to the brink of bankruptcy. Can we believe anything he promises us now?”
Some Republicans – including state party chairman Tom Ross — were disappointed by O’Donnell’s GOP primary upset of longtime Republican Rep. Mike Castle, and have been harshly critical of O’Donnell. However, in a Sept. 14 column, Byron York of the Washington Examiner urged Republicans to focus their criticism on the record of O’Donnell’s Democratic opponent:
Coons, 47, is the top executive of New Castle County, home to a majority of Delaware’s population. From a Republican perspective, there’s one really important thing to know about his time in office: In 2004, when Coons first ran for the job, he promised not to raise taxes. Since then he has raised taxes not once, not twice, but three times.
Coons inherited a surplus. Celebrating victory on election night in 2004, he said his “top priority would be to continue balancing the budget without increasing property taxes,” according to an account in the local News Journal. Yet in 2006, he pushed through a 5 percent increase in property taxes. In 2007, he raised property taxes 17.5 percent. In 2009, he raised them another 25 percent.
Coons wanted to raise other taxes, too. He proposed a hotel tax, a tax on paramedic services, even a tax on people who call 911 from cell phones.
The O’Donnell mailer demonstrates the Republican’s strategy of running a campaign targeted directly on the economic and budget issues that polls show are at the top of voters’ priorities in this year’s midterm elections.
There are indications that O’Donnell’s campaign has an edge in grassroots enthusiasm. Tuesday night, Coons brought in Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine for an event at the University of Delaware where, according to the Associated Press, “about 100 people” showed up. Meanwhile, at a nearby pizza restaurant, so many O’Donnell supporters turned out for a volunteer meet-up that it was “overflowing” with many forced to “stand out on the sidewalk,” Eric Dondero reported by telephone from the scene.

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