Rhode Island Economy
On Saturday, the ProJo took the opportunity to compare the expansion of Manchester, NH’s airport to the lack thereof at T.F. Greene (though they’re still trying). Arguing over the efficacy of expanding T.F. Green is fine, and I have my own opinion. But comparing Green and Manchester isn’t apples to apples by any means. Here’s…
According to Cynthia Needham of the Projo, the state budget situation may kill plans for the proposed Green Airport runway extention…In a letter last week to the chairman of the [Rhode Island Airport Corporation] board, Warwick Representatives Joseph M. McNamara and Eileen S. Naughton criticized the agency for not keeping the Federal Aviation Administration and…
The Boston Globe reports on one more dire indicator of the State of Rhode Island’s economic future, produced by analysts at Moody’s Economy.com, and presented at the New England Economic Partnership’s recent semi-annual get-together (h/t Ian Donnis)…Projected Average Annual Change in Gross State Product, 2006-20011New Hampshire 3.0%Connecticut 2.3%Vermont 2.3%Massachusetts 2.1%Maine 1.9%Rhode Island 1.6%Apparently, those uncontrollable…
A few weeks back, Justin observed that the single biggest factor retarding fiscal and economic reform in Rhode Island may be the “but what can we do?” attitude of learned helplessness prevalent in Rhode Island’s legislature and municipal councils. Members of the But-What-Can-We-Do Caucus profess that they are powerless to do anything but raise taxes…
In an unbylined report in the Providence Business News, University of Rhode Island Economics Professor Leonard Lardaro reminds us that Rhode Island’s continuing fiscal troubles have been occurring while most of the rest of the country has been booming… “The third quarter was a very difficult one for Rhode Island,” University of Rhode Island Prof.…
Dan Yorke has wondered who among Rhode Island’s governing elites will be the first to break off from the pack and join the governor in taking dramatic steps to stop the sky from falling. While honesty requires me to admit that Yorke’s studies of the topic are much more extensive, and his knowledge of the…
During a commercial break from Kitchen Nightmares, featuring master chef turned restaurateur self-help guru Gordon Ramsay, I read the following comment from George to my Too Cheery post: Yesterday morning some drunk fell flat on his face at a RIPTA bus stop. 7 AM! Just think of the cost of having this loser in our…
Today’s ProJo contained this story about the latest warnings from the enviro-Henny Pennys: This fall, the state agency that regulates coastal development in Rhode Island plans to become one of the first local regulatory agencies in the country to officially recognize the likelihood of sea-level rise and write policies and regulations to prepare for higher…
Anthony DiBella’s column in yesterday’s Providence Journal has to be read to be believed: The immutable fact is that the bulk of a state’s revenue is based on scale or size. Unless we are going to merge with Massachusetts or Connecticut or become part of the United States of New England, we will always be…
I’ve got a piece in today’s Providence Journal explaining two realities that ought to be considered in tandem: that Rhode Island is toppling or driving away those who make enough to be net gains for the state to the benefit of those who are net drains, and that there are really much better opportunities for…