With the state's budget forecast looking increasingly gloomy, the two Democratic candidates for next year's gubernatorial election addressed the people on the front lines of the brewing crisis Monday: Virginia's local treasurers and commissioners of the revenue.

Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, and Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, pitched their plans for developing Virginia's economy and praised the Treasurers' Association of Virginia and Commissioners of the Revenue Association of Virginia for their roles in keeping the state's cities and counties financially solvent.

The two speeches at the Hotel Roanoke offered a foretaste of what voters can expect next year when the governor's office will be up for election, at least between the two Democratic rivals. Attorney General Bob McDonnell is the clear favorite on the Republican side.

The Democrats' speeches also came hours after Gov. Tim Kaine warned of budget cuts to cover a potential $1 billion shortfall. It also came about a week after local governments across Virginia found themselves forced to refund part of their state allocations.

"There are more cuts coming at the state level, I expect you know that," Deeds said.

Moran, in his remarks, acknowledged that some state lawmakers have pushed the burden of funding the state onto local governments.

"Anti-government gimmicks which claim to solve our problems usually make them worse," he said. "They [lawmakers] make the promise and you have to keep it while they take the credit."

Moran promised to work for "fiscal responsibility," noting that he worked closely with former Gov. Mark Warner to craft the 2004 budget agreement that raised some taxes and increased state funding to education and social services.

"We must start to prepare now for our future economic vitality," he said. We have to step up and do a better job competing in the global economy."

Both Moran and Deeds said they would work to invest in transportation, education and new forms of energy.

Although Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads get most of the attention when lawmakers talk about transportation, "in the rest of Virginia there is economic opportunity lost every day because we don't have the transportation infrastructure in place," Deeds said.

He added he wanted to create a "Baliles-esque" transportation plan, a reference to former Gov. Gerald Baliles, who shepherded a major transportation package through the General Assembly in 1986.

Deeds also said he wanted to see the state's community colleges retrain laid-off workers to make them more marketable to high-tech employers.

"We have to be ahead of the next big thing," he said.

When it came time for questions, several in the audience asked about getting more funding for training and professional development for treasurers and commissioners of revenue. The candidates promised to find the money.