Allan Fung

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Fung was elected as mayor of Cranston in 2008.[1] He previously served as a city-wide councilman from 2003 to 2007.

Fung was a litigation associate with Mandell, Schwartz & Boisclair from 1996-1999, a prosecutor in the Rhode Island Attorney General's office from 1999-2001, and Government Relations Counsel for MetLife from 2001-2009.[2]

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Candidate website

The following themes were found on Fung's campaign website.

STANDING UP FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Allan Fung’s ‘Standing Up for Small Business” plan will include:

Giving struggling businesses a break:

If a small business can demonstrate that it is not turning a profit, that business shall pay no minimum tax that year.

Stopping the practice of harassing audits:

Business owners shouldn’t have to stop their lives for harassing audits that interrupt business operations for weeks and months.

Stop penalizing the transfer of a business from one family member to the next:

The inheritance tax on the transfer of a family business from one family member to another will be ZERO, provided that the business stays in operation for the next five years. A “claw-back” provision would be instituted, if the business is moved out of state or sold within the five-year period.

Maximizing Federal Funds for Entrepreneurs:

We’ll include state matching funds in the budget for the Center for Women & Enterprise and Veteran’s Business Outreach Center, in order to leverage and maximize federal dollars. This will help to increase technical assistance for emerging small businesses.

Common Sense Limitations for Tax Liabilities

We’ll institute a 10-year statute on the ability of the state to collect back tax liabilities. Currently, Rhode Island has no statute.

Reducing Interest on Back Taxes

We’ll work to reduce the 18% interest rate on past due taxes to be more in line with other states.

Institute the Previously Announced Low Fee Guarantee

In the first six months of Fung’s administration, he will comb through every single occupational licensing, permitting, and business incorporation fee we charge, and make them the lowest in New England.

THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES WILL HELP OUR STATE’S SMALL BUSINESSES THRIVE AND GROW IN RHODE ISLAND. GONE WILL BE THE DAYS OF PROVIDING TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES TO A FEW SELECT FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES WHILE FORGETTING ABOUT THE HEART AND SOUL OF OUR STATE’S ECONOMY.

WE SHOULD CONCENTRATE OUR EFFORTS ON SMALL BUSINESSES, AND LEVERAGE DOLLARS TO INSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE ACCESS TO CAPITAL THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE

We have 306 public schools in Rhode Island, with hard-working teachers and excited students. Every one of those students is supposed to board the school bus every morning and come home that afternoon safely.

But lately, parents have had to endure watching too many episodes of school violence across this country. Moms and dads come up to me at all kinds of events, and ask, “What more we can do?” We can’t possibly sit back and give more security protection to politicians on Smith Hill than we give our children and think that’s OK.

Executive orders and sheets of paper are not going to stop criminal madmen from committing criminal acts. Just think of airports. We prevent weapons from getting on airplanes not by a sign on the door, but by TSA agents and security.

In Cranston, we have four school resources officers, conducted threat assessments, started upgrades, and added police details. But I want to do more.

TODAY I’M ANNOUNCING THAT AS GOVERNOR, I’M GOING TO SPLIT THE COST WITH EACH CITY AND TOWN TO FUND A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER, OR POLICE DETAILS, FOR EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL. THAT’S A 50/50 SPLIT, AND UP TO THE CITIES AND TOWNS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. I’LL SUPPORT ENABLING LEGISLATION TO ALLOW RETIRED OFFICERS AND MILITARY POLICE TO BE PART OF THAT FORCE.

What’s the cost? There are 306 public schools in RI and I’m considering that a school resource officer’s salary and benefits would be roughly $80,000 per year when looking at cost profiles.

At $80,000 per year x 306 schools = $24,480,000. The state’s 50% share would then be $12,240,000.

I examined the past few budgets and found one specific department that is completely out of control with its spending and needs to be reined in, and that’s the General Assembly.

UNDER RAIMONDO’S WATCH, FROM 2016 TO 2018, THE GA BUDGET INCREASED BY $9.4 MILLION DOLLARS OR ROUGHLY 25%. TWENTY-ONE INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE JCLS – THE ORGANIZATION THAT RUNS THE OPERATIONS OF THE ASSEMBLY – MAKE OVER $100,000 PER YEAR (FY 2019), WHEN THE GA IS ONLY IN SESSION FOR SIX MONTHS PER YEAR. THEY ALSO HAVE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS MAKING MORE THAN MOST MAYORS ($90,000/YR).

They’re going to need to learn to live within a sane budget so that our kids have the security these politicians enjoy when they’re at school. The remainder of the funding will come from reining in overspending in other departments as well.

Additionally, for one year, we’re going to jump-start school safety upgrades and spread it out equally. We’re not going to have some application and committee to decide who gets the fund and who doesn’t. Every school is going to be eligible for $30,000 for safety upgrades, and the schools will be able to say what safety the equipment works best for that school. This isn’t a one-size fits all approach – there will be lots of local control. However, this will be a reimbursement method so that it does not get abused and used towards other capital expenses. The idea is to rapidly improve safety mechanisms inside the schools, while cities and towns build room in their budgets for more long-term upgrades. Examples of such equipment include video monitoring, door intruder defense systems, a bullet-proof film for windows, etc.

The cost will be $9.1 million dollars, and be taken out of the School Building Authority’s Capital Fund.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ALLAN’S ECONOMIC PLAN

Allan is sick of seeing Rhode Island ranked as the “Worst Possible State to Live In” and the “Worst State to Do Business”. As Governor, Allan will roll up his sleeves and get our economy back on track by working to make Rhode Island the land of startups and small businesses, and an attractive place for companies to expand into.

For starters, he’s going to lower taxes. In Allan’s first term, he wants to responsibly lower the sales tax each year to end up at 5%, or the lowest in New England (outside of New Hampshire which doesn’t have one).

He wants to keep Rhode Islanders shopping in Rhode Island so that we can keep jobs and local businesses here.

AS GOVERNOR, ALLAN WILL WORK TO REDUCE TAXES AND CUT THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN RHODE ISLAND. INTRODUCING, THE LOW FEE GUARANTEE.

In the first six months of Allan’s administration will comb through every single occupational licensing, permitting, and business incorporation fee we charge, and make them the lowest in New England! He’ll also make it easier for startups, by waiving all fees for their first year in business.

Rhode Island charges you $230 just to file articles of incorporation, but in New Hampshire, it’s only $100, in Maine $145. Let’s get even more specific, in order to get an Auto Body Repair shop permit, it costs $900 in Rhode Island, but only $450 in Massachusetts. All this does is foster stronger border towns in Massachusetts at the expense of Rhode Island businesses. This is also the case for occupational licenses which are not in line with neighboring states. This is part of the problem for many disparities that affect the working class.

ALLAN WANTS BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO SAY, “HEY LOOK, RHODE ISLAND IS CLEANING UP ITS ACT AND NOT TRYING TO STICK IT TO US AT EVERY TURN.” THAT TYPE OF ATTITUDE AND CULTURE CAN ONLY BE CREATED WHEN YOU DO THE LITTLE THINGS RIGHT.

While making it less expensive for businesses, Allan will also work to make it the friendliest state to do business. Introducing the BUSINESS CONCIERGE PROGRAM, which has been key to making Cranston one of the Top 50 Cities in America.

The Business Concierge Center is a one-stop location for startups and business owners, walking them through the business development process from business plan to ribbon cut as quickly and as stress-free as possible. A business owner will be working with the same economic development professional from start to finish – helping them cut through red tape and letting them know what they need to do right from the start, instead of running into time-consuming roadblocks because one department isn’t talking to another.

ALLAN ALSO BELIEVES THAT RHODE ISLANDERS PAY TOO MUCH IN TAXES FOR US TO DREAD INTERACTING WITH THE GOVERNMENT THE WAY WE WOULD DREAD GETTING A ROOT CANAL.

Allan grew up in a family of small business owners so as Mayor of Cranston, he championed initiatives that would help and motivate small business owners. Allan remembers seeing his own dad dig into his own pockets to make sure payroll was met and have to deal with the newest fee or tax that would be added on the backs of small businesses. Many small businesses are at their breaking point. That’s why Allan can’t understand how Governor Raimondo can justify helping billionaires from out of state before taking care of the small business guys who have been struggling here for years.

It’s time to put Rhode Islanders and our local businesses first!

GOVERNMENT REFORM

ALLAN’S THREE PART GOVERNMENT REFORM PACKAGE: BULLDOZING SMITH HILL

1: FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURAL CHANGES:

Years of shenanigans have led Rhode Islanders to have many reasons to be cynical. It’s time to restore faith and confidence in RI government, and the Inspector General is a big part of it.

Allan believes that our government should be held accountable for every taxpayer dollar spent. As Governor, Allan will work to eliminate fraud, waste and corruption by creating an Office of the Inspector General which will be responsible for conducting investigations into agencies in the executive branch. This office will also provide recommendations, conduct policy analysis, and provide training to the agencies that need it.

Next, in a twist on the old saying, if no one changes, then nothing changes. It’s hard to innovate and capitalize on our creative state when we have the same individuals in the same positions on Smith Hill for twenty or thirty years. Allan will be proposing Term Limits for the Legislature much like we have in Cranston. An individual can serve up to a maximum of five consecutive two-year terms (10 years) in any one elected office. It’s great to have new faces and new ideas in new capacities, making RI stronger.

It’s also time to end the studying and other delay tactics, and finally give the Governor the Line Item Veto authority. It’s worked for Cranston, it will judiciously improve legislation. It’s a strong measure that will hold elected leaders accountable for every taxpayer dollar spent, and Rhode Islanders deserve it.

2: SOCIAL SERVICES

ALLAN WANTS TO GIVE ABLE-BODIED ADULTS WHO HAVE FALLEN UPON SOME HARD TIMES A HAND UP BECAUSE RHODE ISLAND IS BETTER WHEN WE PUT EVERYONE’S TALENTS TO GOOD USE.

That’s why Allan will be proposing stronger work requirements for the RI works program, or as many people know it, welfare. Currently, “job searching” counts as meeting the 20-hour a week requirement.

Under the Fung administration, Allan will strengthen the requirements so that any able-bodied adult, aged 18-59, will be required to either work, be enrolled in a job training program, or perform community service at least 20 hours a week to receive welfare benefits. Exemptions would be proposed for anyone with a chronically ill child, a parent with a dependent child under the age of 5, or those with acute medical issues.

But, it Allan’s top priority is to fix the disastrous UHIP system that Raimondo has repeatedly failed to address. Allan wants to protect funds for financially fragile households, but he also want to prevent abuse of welfare programs. He’ll be implementing a policy to use a Photo ID for EBT cards, closely following the Massachusetts model. This common-sense reform is long overdue and is being embraced by many states nationwide after Federal clarifications in 2016.

3: ELECTIONS REFORM

POLITICAL LEADERS & THEIR COMMITTEES SHOULDN’T GET SPECIAL TREATMENT.

Allan believes that everyone should be held accountable for their actions! As of March 2018, elected officials, candidates, and political committees owe over 3.6 MILLION dollars in fines to the people of Rhode Island for overdue reports. Eight individuals owe more than $100,000 each.

In order to hold our elected officials accountable, Allan will work to make sure that anyone who has outstanding Board of Election fines, cannot appear on the ballot again until they are paid, or have entered into a payment plan with the Board.

As Mayor of Cranston, Allan has been very vocal about his frustration with the emergency ballot abuses. As Governor, he’ll work to make sure that all voters absolutely must show photo identification when coming to City Hall to fill out an emergency ballot. If it’s a requirement on Election Day, it should be a requirement any other day of the year.

It takes someone from outside the Marble Dome to shake things up and right the ship here in Rhode Island, and that’s why I want to be your next Governor!

VETERANS AFFAIRS

ALLAN’S PLAN FOR OUR VETERANS

As Mayor, Allan has been at the forefront of listening to and caring for his local veterans. Under his leadership, Cranston became the first community in Rhode Island to provide a property tax exemption for its disabled veterans.

But despite its famed Naval history, the way Rhode Island has treated our veterans is a travesty. Currently, Rhode Island is ranked the worst in the country for job opportunities, and worst for access to VA health facilities per veteran. It is also one of only nine states to still tax military pensions.

So here’s what Allan is going to do:

MAKE MILITARY PENSIONS TAX EXEMPT

Over a two year period, we’ll phase out the tax on military pensions. We want these leaders to stay in our state and invest money in local businesses, not hand it over directly to state government.

EXPAND LOCATIONS FOR OUR VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICES

Even though Rhode Island is a small state, public transportation difficulties can make it hard to get around. While it’s great to have a Veterans Affairs office with people who care, if you can’t get there, it does little good. We’ll expand these services from one office to three, and look to place them in places where vets visit naturally, like community health centers. Outside of the one in Warwick, we’ll look to add one up north, and one in the East Bay.

EXPAND JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS

Currently, there are many national programs designed specifically for veterans that simply haven’t blossomed in Rhode Island.

Allan gets to cut the ribbons on so many small businesses in Cranston, and recently there’s been more veterans creating their own job opportunities by opening their own ventures. Many of Allan’s economic initiatives like cutting the sales tax, instituting a low fee guarantee on state permits and licenses, and instituting a business concierge program will help our veterans. Additionally, entrepreneurship training courses like Boots to Business, an SBA initiative currently only offered through the Center for Women & Enterprise, needs to be more available.

In the world of education, programs like Troops to Teachers can be helpful in taking veterans with real life STEM and high-tech construction experiences, and translating them into careers as teachers in career and tech schools.

He’ll also ensure that veterans hiring preferences in state government and at the universities are in place and being adhered to.[4]

—Allan Fung's 2018 campaign website[5]

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from Fung's 2018 election campaign.

"Hard Work" - Fung campaign ad, released August 27, 2018

Education

Graduate, Classical High School, 1988

Bachelor's degree, Rhode Island College

J.D., Suffolk University Law School