Shoveling, but Down or Out?

I imagine we'll have commentary to offer on the supplemental budget as we all have time to digest it (or eject it from our systems by one route or another). But let's be honest; we all know the basic story: the General Assembly had big battles over relatively minor details to tweak around the edges and buy another month, another year, another election cycle of the status quo. Coshares, COLAs, contract approval — none of it adds up to a repair of the annual deficits, much less a new structure with which to effect a complete turnaround.

So, with spring in the air, we can at least package the continuing decline in the light packaging of Stephen Gerling's letter to the editor of the Sakonnet Times:

While out in my yard shoveling manure into a wheelbarrow, I got to thinking about Rhode Island politics. My purpose was to get grass to take root; a "grass-roots effort" if you will. I suppose I have a liberal lawn. It has no mind of its own. It just sits there and hopes it gets enough water to grow. It mindlessly grows until it gets cut short, but doesn't mind, it just offers more of itself up. It often needs a healthy dose of manure to make it feel better again. Lastly, underneath it are little bugs that eat away at its roots giving nothing back, just taking. Still I labor to care for it. Why? ...

What about my state? Does it want to prosper, or will it simply wait for what it needs? Will the people have their pay cut short, then make some more to give without asking where it's going? Will Rhode Islanders be happy with a healthy dose of manure? I’m scared to death that they might. I'm scared to death that when a candidate steps forward to speak for the people, their voice might be buried by the shovel of indifference, then tamped over with a little more of the dung we seem to have acquired a taste for.

Please, Rhode Island, surprise me this election cycle.