Lincoln Chafee in 2014 Governor's State of the State speeches

On Civil Rights: People of color are the future of Rhode Island

[We funded a study], "An Equity Profile of Rhode Island"; it tells us:

RI's share of people of color increased from 7% to 24% between 1980 and 2010.
That all of our state's recent population growth is attributable to people of color, who will continue to drive growth for the foreseeable future.
That by 2040, 41% of RI's residents will likely be people of color.
That communities of color are growing not just in our core cities, but throughout RI.
And , that today, 36% of Rhode Island's youth population is people of color, while only 9% of our seniors are.

This is the future of Rhode Island. And the best way to prepare for it is to ensure that all Rhode Islanders have access to quality public education. We cannot afford to have disparity in RI where there are areas of opportunity and others where poverty holds back our economy as a whole. If we can open the doors of opportunity to those who are driving growth, it will be a bright future for all, not just for some. Source: 2014 State of the State Address to Rhode Island legislature Jan 15, 2014

On Local Issues: $10 million for world-class sailing event center

Building on the success of the 2012 America's Cup World Series in Newport, my proposed budget includes $10 million to create an event center at Fort Adams State Park. This facility will allow Rhode Island to host large-scale, world-class sailing events, such as the America's Cup, the Extreme Sailing Championship, and the Volvo Ocean Race, which will have its only North American stopover in Newport in 2015. Source: 2014 State of the State Address to Rhode Island legislature Jan 15, 2014

On Technology: Sales & use tax on online sellers with no physical presence

I also see an opportunity in the near future to change the tax climate in Rhode Island. I and the Congressional Delegation have lobbied in recent years for passage of the federal Marketplace Fairness Act. This would level the playing field between bricks-and-mortar and online retailers by allowing each state t o collect sales and use taxes from sellers with no physical presence in the state. After a series of encouraging signs, including 69-27 passage by the US Senate, I now urge the House to take action on this important legislation. While current Rhode Island law dictates that should Marketplace Fairness Act pass, the state sales tax would be reduced from 7.0% to 6.5%, I believe that there are more effective ways to use the resulting revenues to increase our relative competitiveness. My proposed budget calls for reducing the corporate tax rate to 6.0% consistent with my goals in previous budgets. I also propose to eliminate the sales tax on electricity and gas for all businesses. Source: 2014 State of the State Address to Rhode Island legislature Jan 15, 2014

On Welfare & Poverty: Yes, government has a role in struggle against poverty

Recently, we marked the 50th anniversary of the "War on Poverty." While we would all agree that this is a war worth fighting, I don't think any of us could say it's a war we've won. On the contrary, I strongly agree with Pope Francis, Pres. Obama, and other leaders who have expressed alarm at the widening disparity of opportunity in our communities. It se ems as though the battleground in the "War on Poverty" is increasingly the fundamental question of whether the government has a role to play in helping Americans help themselves out of poverty and up into the middle class. To that question, I answer an unequivocal : yes, government can be a force of good in people's lives. Unfortunately, the Tea Party and so-called conservatives have waged a war of their own on beneficial social programs that have proven to grow our essential middle class. Meanwhile our national economy sputters and the wealth disparity grows larger. We in this chamber have the responsibility to address it here in Rhode Island. Source: 2014 State of the State Address to Rhode Island legislature Jan 15, 2014

The above quotations are from 2014 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts from 2014 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts by Lincoln Chafee. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018