15 Reasons Why Rhode Island is Better
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Right now in Rhode Island the new bloodsport is hating on Rhode Island. We all know that in many of the business rankings Rhode Island scores poorly, but those rankings don't give big points to some of the many things that make Rhode Island fun, historical, special - and better than anywhere else in the United States.
The vast majority of Rhode Islanders think Rhode Island is on the wrong track. A Brown University/Taubman Center Poll earlier this year found that only 20% think the state is on the right track and 63% think that state is going the wrong way.
The perception and the reality have had a profound effect on the psyche of the state and even its leaders. Governor Lincoln Chafee’s decision not to seek re-election can be tied in part to the over all dissatisfaction of the voters as well as his dismal approval ratings. But too often we forget some of the elements that make Rhode Island a unique place to live, work, and play.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTA New York Times article in April ranked Chafee as the Governor with the lowest approval ratings in the U.S. – a forty-point gap between approval and disapproval. “In Rhode Island, just 28 percent of residents approve of the job performance of Mr. Chafee, their Republican-turned-independent governor. The chief reason for Mr. Chafee’s troubles appears to be Rhode Island’s dismal economy. The state is tied with California for the highest unemployment rate in the nation, at 9.8 percent.”
The Economy Looks Up
Some indicators are improving and there are a series of indicators that make the future look a little better. While the 38 Studios hangover still lingers and diminishes confidence, leading companies like CVS, Hasbro, and Textron juxtapose with a group of emerging bio and tech companies like NABsys, Andera, Swipely, MoFuse and Betaspring to name a few.
The leading private foundation – Rhode Island Foundation -- has launched a campaign to try and promote RI as a good place to work and live. GoLocal’s research team looked through all the measures and studies out there -- as well as our archives -- to find 15 reasons why Rhode Island is simply better, and in some cases, the best place in the world -- or best in the U.S. or New England, and in a few cases, just better than it was doing before (which we'll take!)
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