It is, of course, a matter of concern — a travesty — that Rhode Island is tied for third worst among states when it comes to unemployment. The fact on which its residence should think hard, though, is Rhode Island’s position relative to its fellow New England states:

Not only is Rhode Island worst among its neighbors, but it stands a good distance on the other side of the national rate. New Hamshire’s unemployment is almost half of ours, for crying out loud!
Unless he was taken out of context to libelous degree, URI Business Administration Professor Edward Mazze brushes away his credibility like dandruff when he states (in reporter Andy Smith’s paraphrase) that “Rhode Island shouldn’t be worrying about competing with neighboring states” because in a global economy “our competition comes from place such as Alabama — or China.” Our competition for what?
I get the impression that Mazze is referring to Rhode Island as a geographical location in which businesses reside. It’s not (or not only); it’s a political entity relying on taxpayers to subsist and utterly failing in the governance of its people. Those people — especially the most productive and motivated of them — will find it much more comfortable a prospect to relocate within the few hours’ drive that New England spans than in Alabama, let alone China.
Forgive me for saying it again and again, but we have a serious problem. Those who are supposed to be guiding our state through these rough waters have shown themselves to be utterly incompetent. The less intelligent of them behave as if they have all of the authority of a college’s student legislature, and the governing principle of the more intelligent of them is scamming for their own benefit.