CLT News Release
Friday, May 24, 2019
Taxpayer advocate Francis J. "Chip" Faulkner dies at 73
Citizens for Limited
Taxation announces with deep sadness the passing of Francis J. "Chip"
Faulkner on May 24, 2019. Chip was 73 and had been battling pancreatic
cancer for the past year.
Chip Faulkner, along
with Barbara Anderson, was hired by Citizens for Limited Taxation in
1979 in preparation for CLT's Proposition 2½ signature drive and ballot
campaign. Chip became CLT's associate director, and more recently its
communications director. He also ran CLT's 2½ PAC for decades, and for
a dozen years hosted the center-right coalition's monthly Friday Morning
Group meetings.
Before joining CLT he
taught high school and junior high school in New York City for nine
years. Chip Faulkner held a master’s degree from St. John’s University,
received his bachelor of arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross.
Chip Faulkner was a
relentless advocate for taxpayers across Massachusetts. He organized
and coordinated over a dozen successful volunteer statewide petition
drives, and was himself one of the state's most prolific signature
gatherers for those and many other petition drives. Some of his
accomplishments include the Proposition 2½ petition drive and campaign
for property tax relief, repeal of the state income tax surtax, defeat
of the 1994 graduated income tax ballot question, and the 2000 rollback
of the “temporary” state income tax increase ballot question.
Chip Faulkner was a
respected and outspoken taxpayers' advocate with a sharp sense of
humor. He was CLT's spokesman before legislative committees, was
regularly interviewed by the media, and frequently was a guest speaker
for political events around the state. He represented CLT's position in
countless forums and debates; he recalled his
most enjoyable debate as the one in 2017 against MSNBC's Chris
Matthews at their 50th Holy Cross college reunion, where he reminded
Matthews that back then both had belonged to the college's Conservative
Club.
Chip Faulkner took
leave early last year from his fulltime CLT activities to focus on
confronting his diagnosis, a campaign he lost this morning.
Chip Faulkner leaves
behind his brother and sister-in-law, Donald and Linda Faulkner of
Rochester, Mass.
Services (details to be
announced at a later date) will be held at the R. J. Ross Funeral Home
in Wrentham, Mass.
Francis J. "Chip" Faulkner
Nov. 13, 1945 - May 24, 2019
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Citizens for Limited Taxation ▪ PO
Box 1147 ▪ Marblehead, MA 01945
▪ (781) 639-9709
