Rhode Island Politics
In today’s Pawtucket Times, Jim Baron points out that Governor Carcieri’s proposed (the Governor proposes, the General Assembly disposes) supplemental budget does not just reduce monies to cities and towns but would also provide a counterbalance; namely, relief from unfunded state mandates. Carcieri’s proposal also resuscitates several initiatives to allow cities and towns to cut…
It seems to me that those city leaders whining about the Governor’s proposed cuts (PDF) would be better served attempting genuine contract reform instead of nibbling at the edges, as they have up to this point. In short, isn’t it about time we get rid of the contract step scheme? Set the entry level salary…
As I walked down the cold, dark driveway to retrieve this morning’s paper, it occurred to me that, for all of the badmouthing that Governor Carcieri will be receiving throughout the Christmas season, he’s really set the tone for avoiding large, broadbased tax increases. Doing so has forced conversations about the way government operates that…
The governor should veto this legislation: Legislation approved by the General Assembly in the waning hours of a special session in October could transform the work force for large public projects in the state. The bill would limit the number of apprentices employed on certain building projects by requiring that a higher share of more…
The General Assembly will no doubt search for tricks and methods of denial, but the state is going to have to continue cutting its budget, and according to the Providence Business News, Governor Carcieri is looking toward the cities and towns: The state budget would be balanced by cuts in spending for local education, aid…
The question below is spurred by this excellent OpEd in today’s ProJo. Rhode Island’s pension picture is getting increasingly alarming. Soaring unfunded liabilities are pushing the state toward bankruptcy, and putting a mounting strain on both state and local budgets. … Similarly, the League of Cities and Towns pushed a plan to require higher contributions…
From the ProJo’s 7 to 7 News Blog a little while ago; thanks to Andrew for the heads up. Tom Sgouros publishes a bimonthly newsletter that takes a fresh look at the state’s economic policies; he recently published a book. Now, he is hoping to put his analytical skills to work for the state. The…
Even with the article’s lack of specificity about Levesque’s meaning, this is a bit hard to take: “In a way, I’m disappointed in everybody,” Sen. Charles J. Levesque, D-Portsmouth, said to Kai-Yan Lee, of the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston, who presented a series of graphs on foreclosures, but “quite frankly no real suggestion of…
We can all appreciate the benefits, from an administrative point of view, of bringing in strong-willed people to help shock some of the Rhode-apathy and corruption out of state government, but we’re barely three months past this announcement: Less than a day after a Supreme Court justice blocked the first of 12 proposed government shutdown…
URI Economic Professor Edward Mazze’s tax-cutting suggestions sound reasonable enough, but one can’t help but be suspicious of the urge to control: Murphy said of Mazze’s plan, “I want to be open to it.” Murphy said he was particularly interested in Mazze’s proposal geared toward revitalizing local downtown business districts. Murphy said he remembers a…