New Poll Tests Tax Reduction for Rich

Several weeks ago, a group of Rhode Island community leaders floated a proposal to reduce taxes on individuals making over $200,000. Their idea, which met with quick derision from most quarters, was to cut taxes on the rich in order to stimulate new job creation in the state.

Despite the lukewarm political reception, the gang of well-to-doers is not giving up. This week, people were called as part of a poll to see how Rhode Islanders felt about cutting taxes on the rich and modifying the state's income tax which currently piggybacks on the progressive federal income tax.

The poll started with standard questions on party identification and whether the person had voted in previous elections. It asked whether the person supported or opposed keeping the Rhode Island income tax based on the federal rate as opposed to making it a fixed rate independent of federal tax levels.

In an effort to determine how convinced the person was by pro and con arguments about the tax change, the survey tested a variety of arguments pro and con on tax reconfiguration. Pro positions included the following items: 1) the tax change would create jobs, 2) executives would leave the state if we do not fix it, 3) the state is dead last in "tax friendliness," and 4) how about if the change guaranteed 2500 jobs by a certain date or the law would be reversed.

Con arguments were as follows: 1) we should help kids instead, 2) if you made a million dollars you would get a $25,000 tax break, and 3) put it in education and social programs instead.

The survey also wanted to know whether we should keep the momentum going with more tax breaks because Fidelity and Fleet recently created jobs through other tax breaks.