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school boards. Sen. Michie said he opposes elected school boards unless they have taxing powers. He said in states where there are elected school boards, members are elected on such “emotional issues” as prayer in schools and sex education.
On handling the state’s budget crisis, Sen. Michie believes while it may be possible to cut some waste, most things have already been cut. He said unless the economy improves he would favor incresing the tax on cigarettes from the current two and a half cents to 20 cents per pack. Sen. Michie said this would bring in an increased $80 million, which could fund a 1 percent raise for state employees and teachers.
Sen. Michie said at 20 cents, Virginia’s cigarette tax would be lower than most states’.
Mr. Robb said he will announce a plan to deal with the budget problem later in the campaign. He said he does not believe Sen. Michie’s cigarette tax would bring in as much revenue as Sen. Michie claims. “I don’t want to raise any taxes until we’ve squeezed the last drop of efficiency out of state government,” Mr. Robb said.
He said he has found that state employees are under a “gag order” not to discuss the operations of their departments with him or even with imcumbents. He said he w'ould lift the gag order on state employees and “let them help save tax dollars by providing legislators with money saving ideas.”
Mr. Robb has spent much of the campaign attacking Sen. Michie’s record on his votes on crime bills. Sen. Michie has generally opposed bills to expand the death penalty and bills that require mandatory sentences. He said he that the rate of serious
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