The Birthplace of Dumb Apathy
With the pension crisis on hold until a special legislative session, apart from a typical Rhode Island study group (or special interest group, as the case more accurately is), with Central Falls entering bankruptcy, and with the fully-mobile-yet-somehow-disabled John Sauro emerging once again as a symbol (this time of the lack of consequences for a particular class of people in the state), this Jim Bush cartoon from March continues to be accurate:
While searching for that strip, I was thrilled to spot something that didn’t used to be the case, I don’t believe: Jim has a large number of his editorial cartoons up on his personal Web page.
Even if RI enacted no pension reform in the fall and made the approx. 620 million pension payment that is forcasted, it would still be less than 20% of the 3.4 billion RI is going to spend on social services and entitlements next year alone.
Agreed, reform is needed to prevent the balloning growth. However, if anything is bankrupting this state, is the liberal welfare haven we’ve created. Not public workers.
I don’t understand this “It’s not public workers, it’s overgenerous welfare bankrupting the state” argument the union members here always trot out. Obviously it’s both. When you’re wasting money on one thing, it makes it more important not to waste in other areas, not less. Why is this a difficult concept for so many?
I conceded that pension reform is still in order. My point is every loves to say this state is broke. It isnt. We give half of our money away, 3.4 billion. a 20% reduction is social services (which could be obtained by weeding out fraud alone Im sure) would free up 720 million a year to right the pension ship (again, along with reforms) provide tax beaks and business incentives as well as provide relief to the cities an towns. 720 million a year is a lot of money. So much so that it is infact the answer to our problems. Since so many public workers are now actually suffering, the only group left out of this “shared sacrifice” is those on the public dole (the walfare state kind).
“When you’re wasting money on one thing, it makes it more important not to waste in other areas, not less. Why is this a difficult concept for so many?”
I dont know, you tell me because thats exactly my point.