Rhode Island Economy
Sometimes the wisdom of allowing the Providence Journal Business section to indulge in “commentary” isn’t at all apparent. Edward Mazze, for example, did just fine, yesterday, until he transitioned from business and economic statistics to education with the following paragraph: Based on the number of elementary and secondary schools in a state with a little…
In a recent column, M. Charles Bakst asks Rhode Islanders to “Wake up!” He opines: Hello, Mr. Carcieri. Hello, Senate President Montalbano. Hello, House Speaker Murphy. Hello, rank-and-file lawmakers. Hello, prospective 2010 gubernatorial candidates Caprio, Chafee, Cicilline, Laffey, Lynch, Roberts Can’t someone come up with solutions and put them across? Not that I disagree that…
URI Economist Len Ladaro: Rhode Island’s recession may be entering a troublesome third phase. For the first time ever, the CCI registered a value of 0. I prefer to think of this as a long-run equilibrium: at long last, we have gotten from Rhode Island’s economy precisely what we have always demanded from our state’s…
“PRE-Dendum“: Be sure to read the comments for much clarification regarding how the credits are sold by the production companies, etc. Basically, the below analysis is flawed because I made some faulty assumptions and didn’t completely understand the tax credit “market” in this case. (It’s the same idea as the historical tax credits). What is…
Matt Jerzyk has an interesting post on Patrick Conley’s attempt to develop (via rezoning) portions of Providence’s working waterfront. Matt respond’s to Conley’s recent op-ed refuting those of the Journal Editors and Edward Achorn: The future of the area has been under a cloud since Buddy Cianci’s 1999 “Three Cities Plan” which prioritized mixed-use over…
An interesting response from rasputinkhlyst to my rejoinder to Crowley: Folks in those states have higher wage and benefit base due to less attacks on workers from right wing nut jobs. Therefore their workers can afford to live there. Salaries for their state workers are higher and the benefits are better in these states. Having…
Although I’m loath to feed his attention addiction, via his recital of standard lefty rhetoric, Pat Crowley raises a point worth addressing: … with the report basing its analysis on taxes as a percentage of personal income per $1000, it totally glosses over the point, which the quoted section above confirms, that our tax burden…
Lefty Rhode Island wonk Tom Sgouros apparently hasn’t had a chance to review the latest data available from the IRS, because he’s still insisting — as if it’s obvious — that recent upper-income tax cuts are the cause of our current financial woes: Today, though, our fiscal crisis is the result of events very much…
We’re about to find out if business tax breaks deliver on the promises: The state each year doles out tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks to businesses to encourage them to expand and create jobs. Who receives the breaks? How much do they receive? And do the businesses follow through when it comes…
Just wanted to note my observation that the Providence Journal Sunday help-wanted section is now up to two-and-a-half pages. Gone are the days when the job seeker would be dizzy after scanning column upon column of inapplicable jobs.