State of Rhode Island secondary Archives: on Budget & Economy


Bobby Nardolillo: Rationalize onerous federal regulations

For a decade the US Federal Government has burdened our economy with more and more overhead requirements. It is high time we changed that!

One Overhead Expense with which businesses have to deal is government regulation. Without question we have to create specifications for a safe work place. When permissible levels of non-toxic chemicals in the work environment are tightened from Parts per Million to Parts per Billion, however, the dramatic increase in cost to do that is borne on the backs of our businesses.

I believe government can rationalize many of the onerous regulations it has imposed without doing any harm whatsoever to the health and safety of its citizens or the quality of its natural environment. With your help I will take my place as your spokesperson in the US Senate and begin implementing these needed changes.

Source: 2018 Rhode Island Senate campaign website bobby4senate.com Feb 3, 2018

Dan McKee: Strong supporter and advocate for local small business

Since becoming lieutenant governor, McKee has spent much of his time promoting and advocating on behalf of small businesses. During the pandemic, he's used the office as a bully pulpit to call for greater support for the business community. When asked about his greatest achievement as lieutenant governor, McKee pointed to his support of the business community, namely during the pandemic. "That's probably the highlight," he said.
Source: WPRI on 2022 Rhode Island Gubernatorial race Jan 7, 2021

Dan McKee: I understand that budgets reflect priorities and policy

[On COVID recovery]: "We're digging in now and I think we will be prepared to understand what we are looking at and that's an important thing," McKee said. "You can understand what the options might be based on real numbers and I think that is what I always did as mayor," he said. "I understand that budgets reflect priorities and policy and so I'm looking forward to trying to work through this budget even if it is on short time frame," McKee said.
Source: The Independent on 2022 Rhode Island Gubernatorial race Jan 21, 2021

Dan McKee: Make a once in a generation investment in our housing stock

For Rhode Island to be an attractive place to live, work, and raise a family, we must address the availability of housing. Rhode Island has historically underinvested in housing. We are experiencing a housing shortage in part because too few units have been built over several years. In 2020, we built fewer units per capita than any other state in New England. Let's come together again and allocate a quarter billion dollars to make a once in a generation investment in our state's housing stock.

Did you know that homeownership is one of the most important ways to build generational wealth, yet Rhode Island has one of the lowest homeownership rates in the country, largely because families and individuals cannot afford the down payment? It's time to change that. That's why I will be sending the General Assembly a proposal for investing $50 million to provide down payment assistance to Rhode Island households who need it most.

Source: 2022 State of the State Address to Rhode Island legislature Jan 18, 2022

Donald Carcieri: We cannot sustain the present level of spending

A week from today, I will submit my budget for fiscal year 2011. It will be balanced--without raising taxes! But it will require significant changes at both the state and local level. Make no mistake about it; we are going to have to find more structural ways to reduce spending at the municipal level! We cannot sustain the present level of spending; we simply do not have the revenues.
Source: Rhode Island 2010 State of the State Address Jan 26, 2010

Gina Raimondo: We've made it easier to do business in Rhode Island

We've made it easier to do business in Rhode Island, cutting thousands of pages of regulations and providing 120 loans to small business--more than half of which have gone to women and minority-owned businesses. That small business loan fund didn't even exist when I became governor.
Source: 2020 Rhode Island State of the State address Jan 14, 2020

Gina Raimondo: Put line-item veto on the ballot

It is time to pass line item veto. We know this is something the vast majority of Rhode Islanders want. Nearly every other state uses line item veto to reduce waste in government spending and corruption--and to ensure that tax dollars help all citizens, not just those with connections. Let's restore Rhode Islanders' confidence in government and put line item veto on the ballot.
Source: 2020 Rhode Island State of the State address Jan 14, 2020

Gina Raimondo: Investing in job training, incentives helped business

The governor, a former venture capitalist, points out that Rhode Island, and the state's manufacturing in particular, was "really hard hit" by the Great Recession of 2008. "We really had to put our shoulder to the grindstone, invest in our talent, invest in job training, provide incentives to make it easier to do business in Rhode Island," Raimondo said. "Because of all that we have seen a pretty remarkable turnaround, including in manufacturing."
Source: Forbes magazine on 2018 Rhode Island Gubernatorial race Jul 5, 2018

Jack Reed: Postpone sequestration; then balanced taxes & cuts

Q: Are across-the-board cuts going into effect due to sequestration?

REED: These are serious challenges to the military. I don't think it has to happen; [there is] proposed legislation that would defer the sequestration to next year. It would be paid for in a balanced way by additional revenue as well as additional reduction in spending.

Q: Tax hikes?

REED: Indeed. And that, I think, is the way to proceed, avoiding the blunt across-the-board cuts and also giving us chance to get back into regular order, proposing a budget, doing an appropriations bill. The sequestration will preempt us from getting a budget done.

Q: It's always that you guys need more time and that--can we put it off until next year. Answer me this: if these cuts not just go into effect but are allowed to stay in effect, will the U.S. be less safe as a result of these across-the-board cuts?

REED: Even if you give flexibility, you still have significant reduction. It's not just defense. It's education, it's border security.

Source: CNN SOTU 2013 interview on 2014 Rhode Island Senate race Feb 17, 2013

Lincoln Almond: $325M tax cuts & business incentives to attract investment

We've strengthened our economy. That's enabled us to cut the income tax for the fourth year in a row and we'll do it again this year. All told, we'll ease the tax burden on families by $204 million dollars. And when you tally up all of the incentives we've put in place for business, it's over $121 million. That's encouraging existing companies to expand, and it's attracting new investment to our state.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to Rhode Island Legislature Feb 7, 2001

Mark Zaccaria: Senate bank regulators are too cozy with regulated banks

Zaccaria accused Reed, who is a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, of being too cozy with the banking industry: "The people that he regulates have been very generous to him."

During his campaign, Zaccaria said, he will also lay out Reed's "anti-economy and anti-business stands," and how much his support for the Affordable Care Act--known as ObamaCare--threaten to "cost the average Rhode Islander."

Source: Providence Journal on 2014 Rhode Island Senate race Jun 24, 2014

Matt Brown: Implement rent control, build 10,000 green affordable homes

[Brown heads this RI coalition].
Source: GoLocalProv.com on 2022 Rhode Island Gubernatorial race Sep 22, 2021

Nellie Gorbea: Simplify statewide process to encourage homebuilding

Consistently fund the development of supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness and those who require ongoing behavioral health services. Work with state agencies, municipalities, nonprofit and for-profit home builders on a statewide process that simplifies and expedites the building of homes. Implement programs that incentivize the modernizing of multi-family properties. Work with municipalities to hold landlords accountable for properties not being maintained to code.
Source: 2022 Rhode Island Governor campaign website NellieGorbea.com Jun 26, 2022

Patricia Morgan: Over-regulation hurt RI business; do cost-benefit analysis

For over a decade Rhode Island has ranked at or near the bottom of Forbes's "Best States for Business" index. Over-regulation, harmful state laws, escalating energy costs and other damaging policies have depressed our economy and its ability to create well-paying jobs. In an effort to counter such business disincentives, in 2012, Patricia co-sponsored H8024, a bill requiring a cost/benefit analysis and periodic review of all regulations governing or impacting small businesses.
Source: PatriciaForRI.com on Rhode Island voting record H8024 Mar 21, 2018

  • The above quotations are from State of Rhode Island Politicians: secondary Archives.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Budget & Economy.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
2016 Presidential contenders on Budget & Economy:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI)
Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023