Need to move to fair tax system greater than ever

CRANSTON – Ocean State Action released the following statement from Executive Director Peter Asen in response to Governor Carcieri’s proposed supplemental budget cuts announced today:

“Governor Carcieri’s proposal announced today, if approved, will severely impact the quality of public services and worsen an already bad property tax situation in Rhode Island. If these deep cuts are approved, on top of this year's existing $55 million cut to non-education aid, they will force cities and towns to cut jobs, thereby reducing the quality of our public services in the bargain. Cities and towns will also have little choice but to pass these cuts onto property owners in the form of higher property taxes – the one tax that is truly out of whack in our state.

“While there is no easy way out of the state’s deficit, we do believe that General Assembly leaders must work to bring new revenue into the state in fair ways, that are truly based on peoples’ ability to pay. We need to take a hard look at tax incentive programs that are costing the state tens of millions of dollars, and we must certainly ensure that the alternative flat tax does not continue to phase in at the cost of tens of millions more.

"The need to move towards a fairer tax system that truly meets the state's revenue's needs without depending so heavily on the property tax is greater than ever."