TruePoint wrote:BleedBlue87 wrote:ramster wrote:We do not have a revenue raising problem
We have a spending problem with considerable corruption attributes
Such a mistaken talking point. Is there waste? Yes. Enough to make any meaningful difference in the budget? No. Are people so quick to forget about Carcieri's failed "big audit". We absolutely do have a revenue problem. It's because our median household income is much lower than that of our neighbors which puts us in the terrible position of not being able to compete with services. It's a catch-22.
I was going to say the same thing. This is a bumper sticker platitude, which also happens to be factually false. There are spending issues, and those issues do include some entitlement spending in terms of funding pension state pensions. That is a fact. But there is not much you can do about those obligations because they are real obligations that the state made. A much bigger problem for the state is revenues, not just in terms of tax revenues received by the state but the GDP of the state and the incomes of the state's residents, which lag way behind most well-run states because of decades of mismanagement and shortsighted policies with respect to investment in our state economy - of which the perpetual underfunding of URI is prime example.
Corruption runs rampant just pick up the paper
Firemen and policeman claim disability and retire to Florida
Double and triple dipping with pensions
Unfriendly for industry drives companies out and does not invite in
Schillings $75 million corrupt joke that we are all paying for
High state income tax
Young, high potential, well educated don't let the door hit them on the way out
School unions with great benefits and pay to where you best know someone to get a job or go out of state
Disastrous DMV with again unqualified people who did not compete to get their jobs
Tiny towns with their own mayors, city councils, fire departments, police departments, school systems, public works departments ........there are counties in the US that have school systems and the like close to the size of this state - here we have all these public jobs and administrations and generous retirement and medical plans
Wonder whose relative will land the cushy toll director job
Tolls equate to peeing on a forest fire