Pubdate: Wed, 29 Aug 2001
Source: Charlottesville Daily Progress
Copyright: 2001 Charlottesville Daily Progress
Contact:  "Letters" The Daily Progress, P.O. Box 9030, Charlottesville, VA 22906
Fax: (434) 978-7252.
Website: http://www.dailyprogress.com
Note: Letters must mailed to above address or may be faxed - no email at 
this time
Author: Peter Savodnik , Daily Progress staff writer
Mentioned: Reams Reeferendum  http://www.reeferendum.com

KATZEN, KAINE AIR DIFFERENCES ON RADIO SHOW

The two major-party candidates vying for lieutenant governor went head to 
head Tuesday night, Republican Jay K. Katzen trying to tar his Democratic 
opponent, Timothy M. Kaine, as a liberal, and Kaine accusing Katzen of 
needless labeling and mud-slinging.

I'm unapologetic about being a conservative, Katzen, a Fauquier County 
member of the House of Delegates, declared in his hour-long debate with 
Kaine on WVTF's Evening Edition, hosted by Daily Progress political writer 
Bob Gibson.

I'm very proud of the progress we have made, Katzen continued, citing new 
public-school standards and parole reform. He added that government should 
get the taxes back to the people and make sure that our streets are safe 
for the people of Virginia.

Kaine, the mayor of Richmond, shunned any liberal-conservative distinctions 
and instead sought to portray himself as a results-oriented, can-do 
centrist who has forged alliances between gun-rights and gun-control 
activists, among others.I've been a crime-cutter, a tax-rate cutter, a 
school-builder and I think we'd be better off just skipping labels,' Kaine 
said.

Katzen also contended that Kaine supports homosexual marriage and would 
rather make room for homosexual groups to use public-school facilities in 
Richmond than the Boy Scouts.

Kaine replied that he was once a Boy Scout and his children are Boy Scouts 
and that he had never countenanced homosexual marriage.

I've only advocated that people not get kicked out of their apartments or 
lose their jobs because of who they are, Kaine said.

Kaine further voiced support for spending more money on public schools and 
universities.

Asked if he would support greater school choice a hallmark of Katzen's 
campaign, which supports tuition tax credits Kaine said he would agree to 
multiple choices within the public framework.

While the candidates disagreed on a slew of polarizing issues from the car 
tax to abortion rights to handgun restrictions they both voiced unequivocal 
opposition to legalizing marijuana, libertarian candidate Gary Reams issue 
of choice.

At one point in the radio show, Reams called in to promote his campaign and 
voice his support for a referendum on marijuana legalization.

It amazes me that these experienced politicians could turn their backs to 
this constituency, Reams said, observing that other states have supported 
using marijuana for medical purposes.

Reams call prompted a handful of other callers to weigh in on the 
legalization debate. One caller, a self-described conservative veteran who 
said he'd used marijuana for medical purposes, sounded on the verge of 
tears as he slammed Katzen for turning his back on legalization and said 
he'd be voting for Reams this fall.

Both candidates also more or less agreed the state should share some of its 
income-tax revenue with localities.

And both candidates said after the radio show that their politics and the 
values that underlie those politics stemmed, in part, from their 
experiences abroad, Kaine citing his year on a Jesuit mission in Honduras, 
Katzen, his career in the Foreign Service.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth