Complicity by Inaction: Be Sure to Name the General Assembly in that Car Tax Lawsuit
Today’s ProJo:
Here in Rhode Island, Governor Carcieri’s administration said it is withholding the local aid payments until the General Assembly decides what to do with the governor’s midyear budget plan, which calls for third- and fourth-quarter motor-vehicle excise-tax reimbursements — a total of $66.7 million, half of it due last week — to be eliminated. …
One city — Woonsocket — went to court Friday, suing the state for not sending the $1.3 million excise-tax payment that was due Feb. 1, and Providence and the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns say they may do the same thing this week.
The Governor proposes; the General Assembly disposes. The GA officially received the supplemental budget when they opened for business in early January; they’ve known about various revenue shortfalls since well before then. Whether to approve, modify or toss out the Governor’s proposals, they have inexplicably chosen not to act. In failing to do so, they have placed a piece of several local budgets in limbo.
Clearly, neither a sense of duty nor empathy for local governments is providing sufficient motivation at this point. For their own fiscal clarity and as a prod to action, cities and towns need to amplify the list of defendants in their lawsuit to include the party that actually holds the power in this matter.
The recent Tim White poll should play nicely into the Governor’s plan.
Although Carcieri handed the supplemental budget back in December, it was well known by those in the know that the General Assembly shared the bulk of the blame.
Now that a poll showed 53% of the people blame the General Assembly, I submit the Governor holds his stand while all the spotlights of blame shine on the House floor and Rep. Constantino.
It’s time for “WANTED” posters with Murphy, Paiva-Weed, Fox and Costantino to be posted in municipalities across Rhode Island. Besides their photos, the posters could say something like:
WANTED!
The following members of the Smith Hill Gang, for committing outrageous crimes and misdemeanors against the people of Rhode Island, including but not limited to:
Gross dereliction of duty;
Chronic fiscal mismanagement;
Unsustainable diversion of public funds to public sector unions in return for personal political support;
Throwing Rhode Island’s children under the educational bus in return for personal political support from teachers unions.
IF you see any of these individuals do not approach, but instead call 911 and ask to be connected to the nearest federal prosecutor.
“while all the spotlights of blame shine on the House floor and Rep. Constantino.”
Don’t you mean General Treasurer candidate Constantino?
HA HA HA, really, I tried to keep a straight face through all that, I really did.
I can just see the political ads on channel 10 now:
“Hi, I’m Steve Constantino. I make pasta, and I’m running for to be your next State Treasurer. If you think I didn’t f*** up the state enough when I was the House Finance Chairman, please elect me as the State Treasurer, so I can make Chernobyl look like a day at the beach….I’m Steve Constantino and I approve this message”
Early January my *ss
House Bill No.7397
(Governor)
BY Watson
ENTITLED, AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE STATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2011
{LC1130/1}
02/04/2010 Introduced, referred to House Finance
“Truth”, my post refers to the Supplemental FY2010 budget. The GA has actually had it since mid December but I said early Jan because that is when they came into session.