NEW: RISC Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary
Monday, August 06, 2012
The Rhode Island Statewide Coalition (RISC) on Saturday celebrated a decade since its founding and formally unveiled a new direction for its sister organization, the RISC Foundation, at its annual summer meeting.
Judge Flanders will serve as Chairman and Sasse as Research Advisor for a redesigned RISC Foundation, which will operate with a wider public policy mission while maintaining a taxpayer orientation.
“I have great appreciation for the work that RISC has done for a number of years to raise awareness of issues that have great implications for the taxpayers, and am enthusiastic about the chance to head up this new research Foundation,” Flanders said. “This state is at a critical crossroads and our hope is that this new entity will be able to shape the type of public policies that not only bring fairness to the taxpayers, but create a better economic climate for the state.”
RISC Executive Director Donna Perry discussed an Issues Platform for the 2012 campaigns for General Assembly which emphasized support for efforts to rein in the excesses of public compensation; a freeze and complete overhaul of the economic development loan program strategy of the EDC and a demand for stronger General Assembly oversight of all taxpayer subsidized loan programs; support for school reforms, including improved teaching standards as well as support for charter school expansion; support for the state’s newer income tax rates and rejection of efforts to raise rates on higher income earners; and improved transparency and access to the legislative hearing process of the General Assembly.
“RISC is noting who is working in the best interests of the taxpayer, and who is working against them,” Perry says. “Our platform calls for trimming the costs of public compensation and retirements; advancing education reforms; stronger oversight to all loan programs; and improved transparency in the legislative hearing process, among other issues. Incumbents and new candidates seeking seats in the General Assembly need to fit that profile if they want to claim they are working in the best interests of the taxpayers. We will hold them to that this fall.”
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