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Governor Carcieri on Thursday made a personal plea to the House Finance Committee to pass his proposals for sweeping changes to Rhode Island's tax structure, saying they would help create jobs amid a recession and high unemployment. . .
Opponents said the state cannot afford Carcieri's proposals, especially given Rhode Island's budget problems.
Karen Malcolm, executive director of Ocean State Action, a coalition of labor unions and advocacy groups, said previous state tax cuts have not worked. "The policies we've been following have not brought the promised jobs," she said.
Instead of phasing out the corporate income tax, for example, Rhode Island should instead seek changes to local property taxes, which represent the single greatest tax burden for business, she said.
And to improve Rhode Island's overall business climate, the state should focus on other areas, such as fixing crumbling roads and bridges, she said.
Rick Harris, executive director of the Rhode Island chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said Carcieri's proposals would drain away tax revenue at a time when it is most needed for education, health care and other programs. "If you're taking more money out of the system, how are we going to meet this need?" he said.
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