And the consensus is…for H6095!

Today, the House Finance Committee heard testimony on H6095, the ’95/5′ tax that would solve our state’s budget deficit in a responsible way by asking those who can best afford it to join all the other Rhode Islanders who are “sharing the sacrifice.”

And it was pretty clear which side Rhode Islanders came down on. Nearly twenty small business-owners, activists, college and high school students, and community members turned out to speak about the vital importance of generating new revenue in a fair way that doesn’t hurt the working families and small businesses on which our economy depends. And the opposition? They seemed pretty lonely, the three of them–a Tea Partier, a lobbyist for the Chamber of Commerce, and Ken Block (who attacked H6095 but, when asked if there were a better way of raising the revenue necessary to balance the budget, said the personal income tax was indeed the fairest possible way…I guess he just doesn’t want a balanced budget?).

In fact, nearly every member of the Finance Committee present at the hearing expressed support for the bill. But we’re not in the clear yet–we’ve still got a ways to go, so please call your state legislators today to ask them to support H6095, for a fairer and stronger Rhode Island.