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November 4, 2008

Put the Credit Cards Away

Justin Katz

Keep this in mind when you're in the voting booth, today, especially while considering bond issues:

As of June 30, Rhode Island had a net tax-supported debt of $1.7 billion, up 5.8 percent from a year ago.

That means the debt for every man, woman and child in Rhode Island is $1,766. That far exceeds the median level in the United States of $889.

Also, Rhode Island's debt level equals 4.7 percent of personal income, compared with the U.S. median of 2.6 percent.

That gives Rhode Island a rank of ninth highest in the country in debt per capita and 13th highest in debt related to personal income.

We have to stop the bleeding.

Comments

I just voted. The place was packed, I've never seen anything like it before. Usually there are a handful of people at 7:15 at the location where I vote, this morning there were maybe 70-80.

I voted NO on many things, including a big NO-BAMA vote.

Posted by: Frank at November 4, 2008 9:13 AM

I am voting NO on every bond issue at the state and local level.
Why? It's simple. Our stupid politicians are like crack addicts - they can't help but waste the money. The answer isn't to give them more crack.
To the crack addicts running this state I have but one thing to say - GO F#@& YOURSELVES!

Posted by: Mike Cappelli at November 4, 2008 10:42 AM

I voted no on both question 1 and 2. There are better ways to finance our transportation projects and open space initiatives.

Posted by: Damien Baldino at November 4, 2008 11:22 AM

I'm honestly torn about the referenda. We need highway infrastructure money badly, and if the money is going to be spent anyway, I'd rather see it go there than to a new courthouse.

Posted by: rhody at November 4, 2008 11:37 AM

I voted for McCain-Palin, all challengers at the state and local level, and against questions 1 & 2.

It may not make a difference, but I did my part.

Posted by: tchrup at November 4, 2008 11:59 AM

Yes. Vote AGAINST reasonable investments in infrastructure and farmland that will provide an immediate 400-500% return in matching federal (Question 1) and federal/private (Question 2) funds.

THAT's a good vote! Come on, people. Some of you are the same people who would argue that people are fools for turning down an immediate 50% employer match on a 401k.

Thumbing our nose at federal and foundation funding in the current economy isn't very smart!

Posted by: Ken at November 4, 2008 2:40 PM

>>Yes. Vote AGAINST reasonable investments in infrastructure and farmland that will provide an immediate 400-500% return in matching federal (Question 1) and federal/private (Question 2) funds.

NO! It's voting against the crooks in the General Assembly taking the gas tax and dumping it into the general fund to provide patronage jobs to their relatives and mistresses, and then expecting us to approve bonds to replace the gas tax money, so that we can pay principal and interest to replace the money we already paid at the gas pump.

It's long past time to "just say know" to the crooks who run this miserable state!

Posted by: Ragin' Rhode Islander at November 4, 2008 3:09 PM

This state is really this dysfunctional? I'm highly disturbed.

They need to bring some industry into this state, or take all the idle juvenile delinquents who drop out of school and send them to work on a farm, chopping wood, shovelling snow, or some other character building productive use of time.

All these urban kids want or seem to know how to do these days is play video games, yack and text on their cellphones, commit crimes, have sex, listen to gangsta rap and run around with their pants hanging halfway down, spouting vulgarities and crudity.

These kids need some sort of constructive work to do, or we're going to have an entire generation of criminals on our hands, costing 40-50,000 per year to keep at the ACI.

Put these kids in work, apprenticeship and mentoring programs now, before it's too late.

Posted by: Shocked at November 4, 2008 3:57 PM