NEW: Block: Fung Flip-Flops on Corporate Tax Cut
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Republican gubernatorial candidate Cranston Mayor Allan Fung has been called out by opponent Ken Block -- as well as former Republican legislator John Loughlin -- for proposing a cut to the state's corporate tax this week, when in 2009 Fung opposed then-Governor Carcieri's budget proposal which contained similar tax cuts.
"While we applaud Mr. Fung joining Mr. Block on this important issue, Mr. Fung's history of raising taxes in Cranston and negative comments about Governor Carcieri's 2009 tax proposal - which Mr. Fung seems to have copied directly - are very troubling. And should raise concerns for any real responsible fiscal voter," said Block campaign spokesperson Jeff Britt.
Fung Response
"The Mayor was opposed to Governor’s Carcieri’s budget, not the corporate tax reduction, due to the devastating and drastic cuts to the local cities and towns where the financial burden would be borne by the local taxpayers," said Fung campaign manager Pat Sweeney. "The Mayor’s tax reduction plan, on the other hand, comes responsibly through state spending cuts and cost shifting, not putting the burden on the backs of people who can least afford it."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTFormer Rep Loughlin Weighs In
Former State Representative and Congressional candidate John Loughlin, who served from 2005 to 2010 in the General Assembly, said that Fung's turn was "ironic" and "disheartening."
"In the General Assembly, in the Republican caucus, we were always looking for a good budget from Governor Carcieri to turn the state around, then wait for [former Finance Chair Steven] Costantino to take the bite and vigor out of it," said Loughlin.
"We expected Costantino to be against it, but for the Republican Mayor to be against it, well, it's more ironic to see this now," said Loughlin. "It's hard enough to get support for a bold agenda. It would have been helpful if at the time of Carcieri's budget [Fung] had said, "This is a bold and exciting proposal, let's figure out a way to make this work."
Related Slideshow: 10 Questions Fung Has to Answer When Running for Gov of RI
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