Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri, Republican, and his challenger Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty, Democrat, traded bars over taxes, jobs and Beacon Mutual Insurance Co., the state’s dominant workers’ compensation insurer, during a recent debate.
Beacon Mutual has been accused of granting some customers with ties to board members preferential pricing. Last spring the company fired its chief executive and replaced several board members.
Carcieri, who has been leading the charge against the insurer, accused Fogarty of being silent on Beacon Mutual. Fogarty said that was untrue. He asked Carcieri where his administration was when the allegedly questionable insurer practices were taking place.
The candidates also squabbled over taxes, with Carcieri praising phase-outs in the car tax and reductions to the capital gains tax. He also noted that the General Assembly earlier this year lowered the cap on annual property tax increases for cities and towns.
Fogarty said he supported property tax relief, but disagreed with tax breaks given to just the wealthiest residents of the state.
The candidates also differed on the state’s economic progress. Fogarty said the state’s unemployment rate is the highest in New England. “We are a great state, we have incredible potential, but we can do a lot better,” he said.
But Carcieri said thousands of new jobs have been created under his administration and that high-powered companies were continuing to invest and expand in the state. “We are really in the midst, frankly, of moving this economy forward at a pace we’ve never seen before,” Carcieri said.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press.
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