Sparks fly over income tax talk

The accusations continue in one of the state’s most contested legislative districts over income taxes.

The House Republican Organizational Committee mailed fliers to residents in the 6th Legislative District last week claiming that Democrat John Driscoll supports the adoption of a state income tax. A different organization has targeted incumbent Democrat Don Barlow over the same issue.

Both Driscoll and Barlow say their opponents are misrepresenting their ideas, and Driscoll has a new TV ad in response that accuses incumbent Republican Rep. John Ahern of lying about his position.

The flier targeted at Driscoll attributes his position on the income tax to comments he made at a candidate forum on Aug. 14 at Rockwood Manor, a senior living complex on the South Hill.

Helen Shanewise, a Rockwood resident who attended the event, said she remembers that the income tax question was first posed to Ahern, who said he opposed an income tax. The topic was then answered by Driscoll.

“Basically, he didn’t support it either,” said Shanewise, who also opposes a state income tax and contributed to Driscoll’s campaign a few days after the forum.

Driscoll said he doesn’t remember specifics of his response to the income tax question at the Rockwood forum but that he likely added that he would consider an income tax only as a part of tax reform that reduced other kinds of taxes.

He gave a similar message in an Oct. 3 interview.

“It should be on the table as a tool,” Driscoll said in the interview. “The way I look at it is income tax in and of itself I’m totally opposed to, but in a comprehensive tax reform, if we eliminate other forms of taxes and replace it with a more fair and equitable system, I’m certainly interested in looking at all of those options.”

Shanewise said that the forum was attended by fewer than a dozen Rockwood residents.

Ahern said the flier is “right on” and that there’s no difference between supporting an income tax and expressing support for consideration of the topic.

“That’s what we call liberal-speak, and liberals have never seen a tax they didn’t like,” Ahern said. “There’s no two ways about it. He would support an income tax.”

Driscoll said politicians shouldn’t be afraid to talk about tax reform, especially given the burdens caused by high sales taxes and the state’s business and occupation tax.

“It’s just political rhetoric and fear tactics about taxation,” Driscoll said. “We need to have an open and honest conversation about spending and taxation.”

Shanewise, 85, stars in a TV ad for the Driscoll campaign. In it, she accuses Ahern of “lying about John Driscoll.”

The House Republican Organizational Committee is funded mostly from money raised by other Republican campaigns throughout the state. Besides paying almost $15,000 for the mailer, it has given $30,000 to Ahern’s campaign, according to Public Disclosure Committee reports.