Governor,VirginiaHow to use the AARP Voters’ Guide:Here’s how this Voters’ Guide works. AARP asked key questions about issues important to our members and their families of each major candidate for this race. Each candidate was allowed up to 125 words to answer each question. AARP did not edit or modify those answers. The candidates were asked to check the support or oppose circles. The candidates may have chosen not to check a circle.

AARP has provided a summary of our position for each of the issues.• Pass this guide on to friends and family.• Share your views with the candidates.• Ask for clarification from any candidate

whose answer seems unclear.

Be sure to vote on November 3.

www.aarp.org/elections

2009 AARPVoters’ Guide

Inside:Retirement Savings 2Health Care 3Long-Term Care 4Financial Exploitation 5Car Title Lending 6

November 3, 2009 | Governor

R. Creigh Deeds (D):Create an affordable way for small businesses to establish employee payroll deduction plans for retirement.

Support Oppose

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2009 AARP Voters’ Guide | Governor, VirginiaRetirement Savings

Will you support or oppose legislation that would create an affordable way for small businesses to establish employee payroll deduction plans for retirement?

Q:

The personal savings rate of Ameri-cans has been falling for the past two decades. Low savings rates do not help today’s workers prepare for retire-ment. Statistics show that employees who save through an employer-pro-vided payroll deduction plan generally are better prepared for retirement than those who do not. Today, only about 50 percent of workers have access to an employer plan. Small businesses that want to offer payroll deduction plans find the cost too high and the availability of product offer-ings limited. By pooling plans in a state supported program it would be possible to expand retirement savings plans and help workers better prepare for their futures.

I endorse the idea of encouraging employers to help employees save through a payroll deduction plan. I look forward to seeing the recommen-dations of the Virginia Small Business Commission and working with AARP to implement such programs when I am governor.

The candidate chose not to make ad-ditional comments.

AARP’s Position:Create an affordable way for small businesses to establish employee payroll deduction plans for retirement.

Support Oppose

Bob McDonnell (R):Create an affordable way for small businesses to establish employee payroll deduction plans for retirement.

Support Oppose

Governor | November 3, 2009 3

2009 AARP Voters’ Guide | Governor, VirginiaHealth Care

Will you support or oppose legislation that would expand the availability of affordable quality health care to all Virginians?

R. Creigh Deeds (D):Expand the availability of affordable quality health care to all Virginians.

Support Oppose

Bob McDonnell (R):Expand the availability of affordable quality health care to all Virginians.

Support Oppose

Today, more than one million Virgin-ians do not have health insurance. In 1998 Virginia ranked 10th among the states in health status. By 2006 that had dropped to 21st. As the economic downturn continues many more Virginians find themselves without employer-provided health coverage and unable to purchase private plans due to cost or preexisting health con-ditions. Providing health care services to individuals without health coverage drives up overall costs, compromises quality care and contributes to indi-vidual family hardships.

I will support legislation that expands the availability of affordable health insurance; during my campaign for governor I have often talked about the need to find creative solutions to the financial crisis working families face with the lack of affordable health insurance.

During my eighteen years in the Gen-eral Assembly, I have fought to make health care accessible and affordable for all Virginians and have crafted innovative legislation to ensure every Virginian has the right to choose which doctor they visit and the ability to purchase prescription medicines at a reasonable price. As governor, I will continue to fight for affordable health care.

I support making health insurance more available to more citizens. I believe that to be viable any such insurance must be provided by the private sector and employer provided coverage should balance the limita-tions and needs of both employers and employees.

Q:AARP’s Position:Expand the availability of affordable quality health care to all Virginians.

Support Oppose

November 3, 2009 | Governor4

2009 AARP Voters’ Guide | Governor, VirginiaLong-Term Care

Will you support or oppose legislation that would provide greater choices for Virginians to receive long-term care services at home in the communities where they live?

Q:

According to AARP research, more than 80 percent of all Virginians want to age in their homes as long as pos-sible. Today, however, Virginia spends 77 percent of its Medicaid long-term care budget on nursing home care and just 23 percent of it on home- and community-based services. Evidence indicates that a greater investment in home- and community-based services will better serve an aging population and could result in Medicaid savings over the long run. As Virginia’s popu-lation ages, the need for greater choice in care options will increase dramati-cally.

I wrote the legislation to offer a $500 tax credit to families caring for aged loved ones at home in order to offer a small financial benefit and incentive to the caregivers to keep their loved ones at home as long as possible. I am best prepared to be governor because of my experience and success passing issues like these through the General Assembly.

My family experienced this with my father who we kept at home for 5 years with a caretaker, before turning to a nursing home option. I under-stand that it is important for citizens to receive long term care services in their communities. As a Delegate, I supported legislation to provide up to $100,000 in matching funds to organizations for the development or expansion of adult day care services or other services that provide respite care to aged, infirm or disabled adults so that more Virginians have the op-tion to receive care at home or in their community. I support an increase in education for adults about the resourc-es available to help them better make informed decisions about long term care services

R. Creigh Deeds (D):Provide greater choices for indi-viduals to receive long-term care services at home in the communi-ties where they live.

Support Oppose

Bob McDonnell (R):Provide greater choices for indi-viduals to receive long-term care services at home in the communi-ties where they live.

Support Oppose

AARP’s Position:Provide greater choices for indi-viduals to receive long-term care services at home in the communi-ties where they live.

Support Oppose

Governor | November 3, 2009 5

2009 AARP Voters’ Guide | Governor, VirginiaFinancial Exploitation

Do you support or oppose legislation that would require financial institutions to report suspected financial abuse and exploitation of the elderly?

Q:

Financial abuse and exploitation is a crime that is not usually reported. The national Center on Elder Abuse report-ed that only 1 in 25 cases is reported. Less than 1 percent of the reports made in 2007 were from financial in-stitutions. Suspected financial exploi-tation of the elderly can be detected by trained financial employees and deterred by early and prompt report-ing. Presently, financial institutions in Virginia are not required to train their employees or to report suspect finan-cial abuse to Adult Protective Services.

I co-patroned the legislation with Senator Herring this year (SB1099) to establish a penalty for failing to report financial exploitation of an elderly or incapacitated adult. While the legisla-tion was not successful, I commend AARP for finding common ground with the Virginia Bankers Association to include training on such issues for bank personnel. In the future, I hope we can continue to educate and pro-tect elderly citizens from such abuse.

As Attorney General, I expanded the Virginia TRIAD, a cooperative effort of law enforcement, senior citizens and organizations, focused on reducing crimes against seniors. Many TRIAD chapters educate seniors on elder abuse and other crimes. I also provid-ed $150,000 in grant funding to help localities educate seniors about crime prevention and consumer protection. Under my leadership, TRIAD has been recognized by the National Associa-tion of TRIADs, Inc. as having the highest number of active local groups nationwide. Virginia has a voluntary reporting statute designed to protect seniors as well as the reporting entity. In light of the growth of such exploita-tion, I believe it would be appropriate to focus on educating and training financial institutions and their em-ployees to vigilantly report under the existing framework.

AARP’s Position:Require financial institutions to re-port suspected financial abuse and exploitation of the elderly.

Support Oppose

R. Creigh Deeds (D):Require financial institutions to re-port suspected financial abuse and exploitation of the elderly.

Support Oppose

Bob McDonnell (R):Require financial institutions to re-port suspected financial abuse and exploitation of the elderly.

Support Oppose

November 4, 2008 | Governor

2009 AARP Voters’ Guide | Governor, VirginiaCar Title Lending

Do you support of oppose legislation that would prohibit car title lenders from charging interest rates above 36% APR? Q:

Car title loans are short-term, high in-terest loans secured by the borrower’s automobile. Triple-digit interest rates make it nearly impossible to repay the loan, leading to over 6,000 vehicle repossessions each year in Virginia and the loss of what is most likely a family’s greatest asset and only way to work and school.

Car title lenders in Virginia are cur-rently allowed to charge any interest rate they wish as long as they don’t require any payment for the first 25 days. Most car title lenders are charg-ing up to 360% APR on a fully secured loan, well over the 36% APR maxi-mum allowed for banks and other lending institutions in Virginia.

I support the elimination of these predatory lenders, as I do for payday lenders.

As Attorney General, I took legal action against those in the title loan industry that illegally pursued con-sumers. I do think that the free market should ultimately dictate the terms of finance between a willing borrower and a willing lender. While higher interest loans may be the only form of credit available to some borrowers, it is imperative that they be provided full and clear information before they enter into any such arrangements. Many of the same protections put in place in the payday lending indus-try could be applied in the title loan industry.

AARP’s Position:Prohibit car title lenders from charg-ing interest rates above 36% APR.

Support Oppose

R. Creigh Deeds (D):Prohibit car title lenders from charg-ing interest rates above 36% APR.

Support Oppose

Bob McDonnell (R):Prohibit car title lenders from charg-ing interest rates above 36% APR.

Support OpposeThe candidate chose not to mark a circle.

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2009 AARP Voters’ Guide | Governor, VirginiaAARP is making a difference!

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Voter Information Inside

If you are not registered to vote, go to www.aarp.org/elections/ and click on “Helping Americans Vote” under Tools for a form to fill out and send to your local voter registrar (the address will be there). Go to the same website if you need an application for an absentee ballot or to find out if your state allows early voting and what dates that will occur.

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Candidate websites: www.deedsforvirginia.com www.bobmcdonnell.com