The claim comes despite John Lynch's pledge to veto an income or sales tax.
The Governor made his claim while speaking to reporters at GOP breakfast in Bedford. The statement came after Benson was asked to comment on John Lynch's allegations that the Governor has led the state in an unethical manner….. Benson, in turn, accused Lynch of trying to deceive voters by not spelling out his plans for the state. The governor's main example -- Lynch's school funding proposal.
"It's a back door way of creating a income tax in my opinion…..because he's not for a Constitutional amendment -- it's an unconstitutional plan he'll come up and say now we are 400 million dollars short…..and the only way we can solve it is an income tax. That to me is unethical."
Lynch's opposition to both income and sales taxes is front and center at every campaign appearance.
"The first pledge is that I will veto a sales or an income tax….I am opposed to a sales or income taxes…..I will veto any new broad-based sales or income tax…..Let me be clear, I will veto a sales or income tax."
Nearly as conspicuous is his pledge to eliminate school aid donor towns in the first budget, and to make school funding a top priority.
"It all starts with a goal of providing an equal opportunity for quality education for our children -- that's the goal that I want to see put in place for all of us in NH. I want to strengthen the state's commitment for public education……and not abandon that responsibility the way Craig Benson has done for the past two years."
Some independent observers say that Lynch's proposal is constitutionally suspect…..If Lynch does away with donor towns, then those towns pay nothing to provide an adequate education and the Supreme Court's reading of the Constitution is that all towns must pay for an adequate education at the same rate..…..As for Governor Benson, his school funding plan features a constitutional amendment, and it's unclear his proposal could survive court challenge without one.. ….. When asked why voters should take his word that John Lynch's tax pledge should not be trusted, the governor pointed fingers at his predecessor in the corner office.
"He's got the same people working for him that worked for Governor Shaheen, and when she was put in a box, even though she pledged against a sales and income tax, she proposed a sales tax. It's the same cast of characters."
Lynch's does employ several former Jeanne Shaheen staffers….They point out that Shaheen sales tax proposal came during her third term -- after an election in which she refused to take the anti-tax pledge.
