GoLocal Voter’s Guide - GT Candidates: Kerry King
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Kerry King
Republican Candidate for General Treasurer
Born:
1944 in Providence
Education:
• La Salle Academy, 1961
• Providence College, 1965, BA in English
• Boston University School of Law, 1968, JD
Career Highlights:
• New England Mutual Life Insurance, President, started out as a junior tax attorney with the company in 1969, later became chief attorney, general counsel, and chief marketing officer before becoming president
• Met Life, Executive Vice President, oversaw a $900 million operating budget and 1,100 employees, retired in 2002
• Executive Legal Counsel to Gov. Don Carcieri, 2007 to 2009
Personal Information:
Married to Christine, lives in Providence
Views on Key Issues:
• Do you favor the expansion of casino gambling in RI to include table games in Lincoln and Newport?
Yes
• Do you think RI is culturally too accepting of public corruption?
Yes
• Do you support the Deepwater Wind Project as a way of helping RI become a hub of the new energy industry? Do you think it is a viable method of economic development here?
Have not researched it enough to give a informed answer.
• Do you think RI effectively spends its education dollars?
No
• Do you favor a state law to allow gay marriage?
No
• Do you think RI should enact restrictive immigration legislation?
Yes
• Do you think municipal government has done enough to cut spending?
No
• What specifically do you propose to change in the state pension system, and how much will your changes save in annual costs to the pension system?
Today in Rhode Island, there are over 150 pension plans and over 100 collective bargaining agreements covering government workers; each plan and agreement often can run 100 pages or more, and is often negotiated by hard-nosed labor leaders behind closed doors, and have resulted in labor costs and pensions that are no longer affordable to the taxpayers. We need to replace this mess with a single collective bargaining agreement and a single pension plan covering all governmental workers. Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) for state workers should not automatically be provided by law or through a collective bargaining agreement, but should only be approved by annual appropriations of the Rhode Island General Assembly. Additional details about my pension reform plan are on my website. Savings in the tens of millions of dollars...
• What is your strategy to address the state's budget deficit? Please be specific, i.e. what cuts or revenue enhancements you are proposing.
Reduce spending at all levels, Reduce Taxes at all levels, Balance Budgets, Combine Purchasing and Other Back-Office Functions, Have a Single Statewide Public Union Contract,Reduce the House of Representatives, Reduce the State Senate, Eliminate the Master Lever, Abolish the Lt. Governor’s Office
• What specifically will you do to improve employment for Rhode Islanders?
Rhode Island business and property taxes are too high and too complex. By limiting income taxes to a maximum of 5% and our sales tax to 6%, we can continue to raise appropriate revenues and compete for jobs. Do all of the above, and Rhode Island businesses will thrive.
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