Rhode Island?s taxes are among the highest in the country. Our property taxes are the 5th highest nationally. Our combined state and local tax burden is 9th highest.
We must manage this fiscal crisis by reducing spending, not increasing the tax burden. We are already paying too much.
Source: Campaign web site, www.CarcieriForGovernor.com
Sep 9, 2002
First priority: Taxpayer?s Bill of Rights
We need to change how we budget for the long term. The first major change Don Carcieri will look to make as governor will be to call for and support an amendment to the State Constitution putting in place a Taxpayer?s Bill of Rights.
The Taxpayer?s Bill of Rights will enact constitutional limits on spending in this state. The major component of the amendment will be a law that limits spending increases to the rate of inflation, adjusted for population, in any given year.
Any increases to state spending above the adjusted rate of inflation must be approved by a voter referendum. We need to be responsible in the good years so we have money when times turn tough. Don recognizes that we can not use the ?available money?
theory of budgeting. Just because the state can get the money, does not mean we should. This sort of constitutional budget limitation can begin to return money to the citizens of Rhode Island, whose tax burden is already among the highest in the nation.
Source: Campaign web site, www.CarcieriForGovernor.com
Sep 9, 2002
