RI Progress Report: Tax Day, Central Falls, Callista Gingrich

Happy Tax Day, says Ted Nesi. Meanwhile, our own Tom Sgouros uses the occasion to report that the Tax Foundation says Rhode Islanders have the second lowest tax burden in the region.

Speaking of Tax Day, this from Ocean State Action: “Years of misguided tax policy that benefit Rhode Island’s highest income earners have starved our state of revenue, leading to budget deficits, cuts to cities and towns and critical programs like services for the developmentally disabled, higher college tuition rates, and massive hikes to property and car taxes. This six year experiment in trickle-down economics has failed, and it is time to restore fairness to our tax structure by asking everyone to pay their fair share. The Miller Cimini Tax Equity bill will generate $131 million in revenue to invest in education, repairing our roads and bridges and ensuring to services for the most vulnerable Rhode Islanders are restored.”

They are hosting a rally today to “call on the General Assembly to end the Carcieri tax breaks for our top earners and rebuild Rhode Island through investment not cuts” today at Network RI in Pawtucket, 175 Main St., at 4 p.m.

Offshore tax havens used by the uber-affluent and corporations are costing Rhode Island more than $450 million in lost revenue annually. That’s more than we saved on pension reform last year!

Callista Gingrich, Newt’s wife, will be at Caprice in East Greenwich tonight. Her husband, people keep saying, is still running for president.

The Central Falls School District must be breathing a sigh of relief given that it will be the state Dept. of Education rather than receiver Bob Flanders who will be charged with taking over the district. It doesn’t mean there won’t be haircuts, it just means they won’t be as obnoxious.

Five banks control 56 percent of the U.S. economy, reports Bloomberg via PBN. Conversely, two economists are largely responsible for the tax equity craze sweeping the nation.

It’s true! There is one part of the local economy that is doing quite well: exports.

The United States may be a great place to have a job, but it’s a terrible place to be out of work … 30 countries have better unemployment benefits than we do.

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