Pam Gencarella: It’s Easy to Vote for Santa
Thursday, September 04, 2014
With the primaries only a few short days away, a hard look at the gubernatorial candidates is imperative for those who will vote. Because it is so obviously the most important issue for RI, every candidate speaks to creating jobs and improving the economy. But we all know that government doesn’t create jobs. Its only role is to create the economic landscape that invites new business and encourages existing businesses to grow.
So it is incumbent upon us, as voters, to understand how each of the candidates intends to create that landscape. Saying that you will create jobs won’t make it so. Everyone knows the drill. RI has a ridiculously large budget for a state this size, it is in debt up to its eyeballs and even with the extraordinarily large budget, the state has built in overspending of $1 billion in just the next four years. So what’s a fella or gal to do?
It’s easy to promise everyone everything - more jobs, better infrastructure, improved schools, more giveaways. But when the rubber meets the road, who is talking about how to fund these initiatives and, if they are talking about how to fund them, are they just indebting future generations to do it or are they rearranging the deck chairs, creating more bureaucracy? It’s all well and good to provide funding for infrastructure, but is more debt the answer? It’s very important to improve our education system, but does that mean more taxes?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWe have seen what stimulating the economy has done for RI. Throwing money into “shovel ready” jobs did nothing but create temporary positions which ultimately left people unemployed. How much of that was provided by financing that our children (if they stay) will be paying for in the future? When cities and towns are drowning in both recorded debt as well as unfunded pension and healthcare benefits, is even low interest financing the answer? Or when talking about creating internships, don’t you need businesses in which to place them? Access to capital is great, but if it costs too much to run a company, the money runs out. What then?
The only resolution to RI’s problems is reducing the exploding budget. Does your candidate have a plan to do that? Once the budget is under control, then priorities can be set to allocate those limited resources. It’s not magic, it’s just difficult. But it needs to be done and it needs to be done first. When companies and entrepreneurs see that RI has taken control of its budget and removed the barriers that strangle businesses, the world will open up to us. The I 195 project won’t be the albatross it is quickly becoming. Businesses won’t avoid RI like the plague.
Phrases like “lead the effort ...” or “support the establishment of/efforts of...” or “encourage the (name the institution)” or “raise awareness of...” will not make for a better business environment. Reducing the cost of doing business and reducing the red tape will.
All of the candidates have posted a plan on their respective websites. Take a look and if you don’t see the answer to the question on how to fund initiatives, call them. That’s what their campaign headquarters are for - providing the voters with answers.
If you are an unaffiliated voter, you will have two decisions to make - deciding on the primary in which to vote and deciding on the candidate who comes closest to creating the landscape in which businesses will jump at the chance to either move here or expand. There will be no need to provide access to capital then. In a free market economy, capital moves to the most inviting location all on its own.
Your current elected officials passed a plan that includes overspending of $1 billion in the next four years. Is that something you have accepted or do you reject the notion of overspending, more taxes and more debt? Is your candidate going to continue to use the taxpayer as an ATM? Is he/she going to exceed the limits on the charge card? When you step in that voting booth, the choice really is up to you. We need a governor with a better vision. So next Tuesday, when you head to the polls, remember, there really is no Santa Claus.
Pam Gencarella is a member of OSTPA, a taxpayer advocacy organization in Rhode Island.
Related Slideshow: Primary Elections Results That May Predict the 2014 Outcomes
Are past primaries a prediction of future elections? See examples in Rhode Island voting history -- and that the biggest predictor might come down to turnout.
Related Articles
- Pam Gencarella: Something’s Rotten in the State of Denmark, er, RI
- Pam Gencarella: Will Spring Bring Renewed Hope to RI?
- Pam Gencarella: Another Bubble to Burst in RI?
- Pam Gencarella: Ethics is Good Business for Rhode Island
- Pam Gencarella: Introducing The People’s Resolution
- Pam Gencarella: A Civics Lesson From the East Bay
- Pam Gencarella: Witness the Crowding Out of Public Services
- Pam Gencarella: RI Has Lost Cabin Pressure
- Pam Gencarella: A Race to the Top or Running in Circles?
- Pam Gencarella: Why You Should Care About a Constitutional Convention
