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March 10, 2011
Chafee Shows Us Who's Boss
Another interesting fact emerges when comparing Governor Carcieri's last five-year forecast with Governor Chafee's first. This table shows the degree of change that the former has made from the latter forecast:
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel expense | -$16.8 M | -$12.3 M | -$27.9 M | -$45.5 M |
| State operations (including personnel) | -$43.7 M | -$38.4 M | -$53.6 M | -$71.3 M |
| Aid to local governments | $13.6 M | $69.1 M | $100.1 M | $139.7 M |
So, for 2015, if we find the difference between the amount that Chafee intends to increase revenue ($302.5 M) over and above the amount that he plans to reduce the deficit ($240 M), we get $62.5 M. Add that to his reduction in operations (however fanciful that may actually prove to be), and we wind up with $133.8 M, which is almost the amount by which he's increasing the aid to local governments, most of which winds up in the hands of municipal-level unions, including his biggest supporters, the teachers' unions.
So, tax and fee payers are paying the entirety of Chafee's deficit reduction, and state workers are picking up the bill for a good chunk of the wealth being funneled to their comrades at the local and city level.
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"Fanciful" is indeed the correct word-just like the Congress okaying a toll road on 95 and an internet tax.
Look for that 1% to steadily rise as the "need for revenue" does.
Posted by: Tommy Cranston at March 10, 2011 2:15 PMIn California, with an 11% sales tax I just saw illegal aliens operating impromptu "stores" right on the roads. No papers, no sales tax, no nothing.
If you aren't following the events in Madison, WI at althouse.blogspot.com, you are missing a glimpse at actions (and the virulent reactions) that must happen in most states, including RI.
Posted by: chuckR at March 10, 2011 2:48 PMFrom takeovers of the Capitol Building to Loughner-grade threats against Senate Republicans, it's appalling.
"If something cannot go on forever, it will stop." Herbert Stein's Law - a concept completely foreign to the bitter clingers in unions and believers in Social Security, Medicare and welfare. These all will change over the next few years.
TGILRI
My heart goes out to all of the readers here who will be flushing their hard-earned income down the Rhode Island sinkhole for many years to come.
Posted by: Dan at March 10, 2011 5:12 PMOh really
What municpal unions endorsed Chafee?
AFSCME didn't. The Laborers didn't.
Thats point #1.
Point #2 is there is a huges difference in aid to local and aid to schools districts. You should know, you post about it all the time.
Point #3. You leave out the 25% increase in pension contributions that teachers are being asked to make and the 30% increase in pension contributions that state workers are being asked to make.
So please spare your readers your rhetoric, even they must see through it by now.
Posted by: Pat Crowley at March 11, 2011 9:42 AMCaw, caw, there goes the seagull again...
Posted by: Patrick at March 11, 2011 12:16 PMI can't imagine why Crowley has any concern about opinions here at AR.
Posted by: joe bernstein at March 13, 2011 7:31 AMWe aren't the people who are going to pay more and lose benefits while he,Walsh,and the top union echelons in the public sector continue to sail along without giving anything up.
Their members aren't stupid and they will get it sooner rather than later.