BREAKING NEWS: Newspapers Lead Uprising Against Chafee Tax Plan
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The publisher of a stable of local newspapers and magazines is going to let his advertisers publicly show their opposition to Governor Lincoln Chafee’s plan to increase and expand taxes by giving them a chance to sign on for free to an ad that will list them is being against the Chafee proposal.
E-mails went out to advertisers March 25 from Beacon Publications account executive Suzanne Wendoloski that read, “We will be running ads in our newspapers (Cranston Herald, Warwick Beacon, Johnston Sunrise) starting Thursday, March 31st. These ads will be listing businesses in our area that oppose Gov. Chafee's Tax Plan. There is absolutely NO COST TO YOU. All we are looking for are names of businesses and their owners who oppose this plan. Since so many small businesses in RI would be affected, we'd like to help be the voice for those businesses…”
New Tax for News
Long-time Rhode Island newsman John Howell is owner and publisher of Beacon Publications, which in addition to the three weekly newspapers mentioned in the E-mail, also publishes magazines such as East Side Monthly, Providence Monthly and Prime Time. He said he picked up on the business community discontent with Chafee’s tax proposal, and decided to “provide a forum to sign a petition as part of taking action.”
Chafee’s proposed expansion of taxes would include newspapers, applying a 6 percent tax where none previously existed. The tax would only be on newspapers that are sold individually or through subscription. The Beacon and Herald both charge, but the Sunrise is free, and the magazines also are largely giveaways.
It was gauging the communities’ business reaction as much as his own concerns that led Howell to act, he told GoLocalProv.
Public Grumbling
“In our (day-to-day) reporting, we heard a lot about how this tax stuff would affect both small and large businesses. We heard a lot of concern,” Howell said.
“I think you’ll see other publications do the same," Howell said. “I have talked to other publishers who have similar concerns. The Newport Daily News called, and I have been trading calls with (founder and publisher) Tom Ward of Breeze Publications (whose five “Breeze” newspapers in the northern R.I./Blackstone Valley region are free). He’s seeing the same thing: people voicing concerns about the tax.”
Has he spoken to the governor yet? “I haven’t talked to Chafee, I just saw him drift by yesterday at a Chambers (of Commerce) Coalition meeting at the State House,” Howell said. “But I talked to eight to 10 legislators, including (Senate President) Paiva Weed. The legislators are very, very aware of the concern about this.”GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
A Newspaper's Voice
After seeing the show of force over 150 people at the State House for the Chambers meeting, it confirmed Howell’s decision.
“Newspapers certainly have a voice here that others do not,” he said. “Landscapers don’t have a lobbyist at the State House. Neither do those who buy home heating oil."
“But papers can talk about it,” he added. “We’re saying OK, here’s a kind of dialogue we can have before decisions are made at the legislature.”
The Governor Responds
When asked for a response to Howell's free ad campaign, Governor Chafee's spokesman Mike Trainor told GoLocalProv that the governor would not address that issue specifically, but use it as a basis to respond to a week of criticism of his tax proposal from a variety of organizations.
“I have no plans to withdraw any portion of my proposed budget," Governor Chafee said in a statement E-mailed to GoLocalProv. "Regarding the criticisms of the budget proposal, this is the worst budget climate since 1933. I have had the courage, since the day I announced my candidacy for Governor, to talk very specifically about the need for more revenue as well as cuts in state spending. And I am proud that I have never tried to hide my position on this from the voters.
"Any time tax increases or spending cuts are proposed there will be critics. However, I am interested in constructive and credible criticism…which I have not heard yet. I welcome any individual or organization who is willing to come forward with specific, achievable and therefore credible suggestions for how we can close our historic budget deficit."
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