Romney, O'Brien Spar at Gubernatorial Debate
POSTED: 10-25-02

NEWTON, Mass. -- Gubernatorial candidates Shannon P. O'Brien and Mitt Romney both are trying to convince voters that their opponent will raise taxes.

At their fourth televised debate on Thursday, Romney, the Republican former Winter Olympic chief, said O'Brien had voted while in the Legislature for the sales tax, the income tax, gas taxes and the cigarette tax. He said as governor, she would do more of the same.

"A leopard doesn't change its spots," Romney said.

O'Brien, the Democratic state treasurer, criticized Romney for proposing to increase excise taxes on sport utility vehicles and to tax developers who build in open spaces.

"There's one candidate that's running for governor this year who wants to raise taxes, and that's Mitt Romney," O'Brien said.

The debate at New England Cable News was the fourth of the gubernatorial campaign and the last to include Green Party candidate Jill E. Stein, Libertarian Carla Howell and independent Barbara C. Johnson.

The debate was the most contentious so far, with several of the candidates frequently interrupting each other and refusing to yield their time to the moderator.

Stein questioned tax breaks that had been given to Raytheon Corp. and Fidelity in the 1990s, which she called "payoffs for layoffs," and pushed for a more equitable tax structure that would cut the income tax for poor people and close tax loopholes for the rich.

"I'm going to create fair taxes -- what a novel idea," she said.

Howell pushed her ballot question to eliminate the state income tax, and said she would repeal all state gun control laws. She said expanding gun ownership would drastically cut the number of rapes and other crimes.

"Guns save lives in the hands of private citizens," she said.

Johnson called for making the state's registries of deeds more efficient through technology updates and trimming some jobs. She said the state's economic approach needs to focus on alternative energy research and development, fish farming, medical technology and biochemistry.

Romney assailed O'Brien for accepting a salary increase of $45,000 per year -- from $75,000 to $120,000 -- an increase which took effect in 2000. O'Brien, who has been treasurer since 1999, said the Legislature had raised her salary along with all of the other constitutional officers at the same time.

She highlighted Romney's career as a venture capitalist, and in particular a deal his company arranged at an Indiana paper plant where hundreds of workers lost their jobs. She said Romney has profited at the expense of working people.

Romney, who founded Bain Capital, a venture capital firm, in 1984, said it was unfair to pick one or two examples where jobs had been cut. O'Brien has been running a television ad that highlights the paper plant layoffs.

"I wish I could bat 1.000. I can't," Romney said. He said his company had created tens of thousands of jobs in hundreds of companies.

"I'm basically in the investors' Hall of Fame," he said.

With less than two weeks to go, the race is tight. A new poll showed Romney and O'Brien in a tie, both with 37 percent. Stein was favored by 3 percent of respondents, followed by Howell and Johnson, each with 1 percent.

The WHDH-TV/Suffolk University poll of 400 likely voters statewide was conducted Sunday through Tuesday. The margin of error was 5 percentage points.

The candidates were asked about their position on ballistic fingerprinting, in light of the serial sniper attacks in the Washington area.

O'Brien and Stein said they would support such tests, while Howell and Johnson said they would oppose them. Romney said he would consider them if the tests were shown to work effectively. He also said if the sniper suspects were found guilty, they should face the death penalty.

Romney and Johnson support the death penalty, while O'Brien, Stein and Howell all oppose it.

The last debate is scheduled for Oct. 29, but only O'Brien and Romney will participate. Election Day is Nov. 5. (AP)