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From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
Erica, Because Obama is running for re-election and Fox isn't. Plus how much has Obama actually raised taxes? Governing and running a campaign are two different things.From: Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
in Politics
Dissed Costa, eh? Well, now we know which end of the table you guys sit on!From: City Pays $1 Million Per Month in Police/Fire Overtime
in News
Put them on salary. They are professionals right?From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
Back to Speaker Fox. Everyone needs to pay their fair share. What kind of state is it when Democrats are following Mitt Romney's advice over President Obama's?From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
George, for the second-to-last post, I definitely think there is waste in government. There is in any large organization. Most of it, in my opinion, has never been mentioned for the chopping block--military spending, an unnecessary war, an insane prison system, etc.But most of government spending is valuable and important. You can't tell me that the things the State House has been cutting--RIte Care, NOP (affordable housing), education aid, etc.--are not things we have a moral responsibility to contribute to.
To your most recent point, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult. But I don't think that simply studying hard as a student and working hard as an adult for one's own gain is holding up one's bargain with society. I do both. But I have enjoyed so many advantages and privileges. Simply by virtue of how I was born, I had access to good schools, I had access to healthcare, transportation, to a safe home, to healthy food, to freedom from real violence, all the things middle-class folks can take for granted. I didn't deserve any of that, I didn't work for it. I simply got it. And I absolutely think we have a moral obligation to provide those basics to everyone, even those who didn't through the luck of their birth receive them for free.
From: City Pays $1 Million Per Month in Police/Fire Overtime
in News
What exactly did you do for work in those firehouses all over New England? Nobody named pearl fanch ever worked in a Providence firehouse...stuffing it!!!From: The Thoughts of a New England Sports Fan
in Sports
The problem with Patriot Fans is that they all jumped on the band wagon when Brady came along. I grew up a Giants fan, there were not Patriots and have stayed a Giants fan. When a brash Patriot fan comes up to me I ask them two simple questions.1. Who was the first Heisman Trophy winner to play for the Pats?
2. What Heisman Trophy Quarterback drafted by the Patriots won two Super Bowls? If they can't answer that then they are band wagon fans.
From: Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
in Politics
Aldo, I think its common for continuing education to be a benefit for people in education.From: Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in RI Politics?
in Politics
Check back in five years after she and Raimondo have moved on and left behind the smoking wreckage of their so called "reforms"!She is VERY good at bringing in money but as for her “reforms”, that remains to be seen.
Administrators and teachers are already stressed over her RI Model evaluation system. Talk about needless paperwork. It will collapse under its own weight!
Improving the quality of teachers? Gina’s ‘reforms” have many young teachers questioning whether or not they’ve made the right decision.
Between Gist and Raimondo many of our best and brightest young teachers are considering cutting their losses and moving on.
Better to find new employment while they can than put up with the BS in Rhode Island!
Neither Gist nor Raimondo have ever taught in a secondary school environment but they are making recommendations as to how to “improve” RI Schools. Based upon what experience?
“Miss Debbie” taught a total of EIGHT years in grades 1, 2 and 3. This is an environment when all children are willing to learn. It’s “Yes Miss Debbie” May I please” etc. Not “F&^% You, I don’t have to..”
Remember the incident in Central Falls HS where she criticized a substitute for letting a student listen to his iPod in class. As Commissioner of education RESPONSIBLE for Central falls’ School why did she take action instead of leaving the room?
“Teacher of the Year?” Not in a state! Not in a District! But a single Elementary School>
I, for one am sick of the lack of real investigative reporting regarding Ms Gist background. She did a bang up job in Washington DC didn’t she? Some of the most heavily funded yet underperforming schools in the nation!
If GoLocalProv REALLY wants to inform Rhode Island, do an expose on Ms Gist. Is it true that RI Taxpayers are covering the cost of her PhD study?
From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
Aaron, I wanted to return to an earlier post where you wroteMaybe you would, George. I don't know you. But as I mentioned, you have no reason to say anything other than that you'll leave, since you know this narrative is the best way to keep your taxes down (well, other than subjective moral reasons, like that people actually should feel some responsibility for their community, particularly the people who can afford to).
The insinuation that people that would move to a state that is more fiscally responsible is shirking a moral duty struck me as less than civil. Wouldn't all members of society, (under this subjective moral code) have a moral obligation then to study hard as a student, and work hard as an adult. And contribute as much as possible to the community. Why expect so little of the less financially capable, and so much on those that have held up their end of the bargain.
From: City Pays $1 Million Per Month in Police/Fire Overtime
in News
Bruce, stuff it!! YOU firefighters have the easiest job in the world. You sit on your azzes all day, watching movies, shooting pool or making dinner. I've worked in many fire houses throughout New England, so don't try and tell me different.It doesn't matter how much investigative reporting takes place. This is a known fact that this type of corruption takes place each and every day, and not one single thing has ever been done about it.
Don't you people get it? Unions and the democratic elected officials are all in bed together, and they're screwing the taxpayers. The unions won't allow it to change. The politicians will do whatever the union wants. End of story.
You want something different, vote in a different party. Until then, it will A L W A Y S be the same!!!!
From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
Aaron, I agree that its better to have financial security, than to live paycheck to paycheck. And I agree Mitt Romney can afford to pay a higher percentage. I don't agree that he has a moral obligation to finance wasteful government spending. Lets also remember the $3,000,000 he gave his church.From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
The hypothetical high wage earner pays $20,000 a year in real estate tax and $1500 in vehicle taxes.The hypothetical working class taxpayer pays $3700 in re and $600 in vehicle tax. They both have two children in school. The more afluent children go to Wheeler and the working class kids go to public schools. The high wage earner is paying (largely)for all four of those kids to go to school. Who is subsidizing who?
From: City Pays $1 Million Per Month in Police/Fire Overtime
in News
This is particularly interesting in view of the Journal's story yesterday indicating that only 10 percent of the emergency vehicles you see on the street (not private ambulances) are transporting actual emergency patients to the ER -- the rest are transporting chronically ill folks, mostly drunks, to the ER again and again. A panel is looking into how to change procedures so that this enormous waste of money in both the health system and municipalities' fire departments can be prevented.From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
I think the "subsidizing" label is appropriate because, to me, it makes more sense to look at proportional rate vs. specific amount. Working class and poor families pay a much higher percentage of their overall income in taxes (less on income, obviously, but far higher in sales taxes, property taxes, car taxes, etc.) than high-income earners. And these regressive taxes have been raised in order to plug holes created by tax cuts for the wealthy. To me, that amounts to subsidizing.And proportional rate vs. amount, I think, is a much fairer way of looking at the issue. For example, Mitt Romney paid $6 million in taxes over the last two years. That is far, far more than most people will ever pay in taxes. But it's also only 13% of his overall income, a way lower proportion. It seems like folks that are struggling more should pay less of their overall income in taxes than folks who have so much more money to spare. I am trying to understand, but I still don't understand how people can think that's such a crazy concept (but, again, I think this is a good debate and am glad it's happening in such a civil way!).
From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
aaron,take a few hours of yoru time and visit a few estate planning attornies in RI. they will all tell you the same thing. anybody with substantial assets flees rhose island at least 6 months of the eyar to avoid incoem and estate taxes.
if you dont believe me, then believe your governor. he has publicly admitted that his mother is a florida resident to avoid ri taxes.
From: Lawmakers Push to Make Teachers Unions Optional
in News
These union hack leaders are so full of their own BS it's not even funny. Why it's even constitutionally permissible to force someone into a contract and extort money from them as a condition of employment is just unconscionable. Unions hold intimidating public votes where union members are pressured into voting for things they don't support and voting for people they don't support (and this is very well-documented). Nobody that's playing with a full deck would actually support forced unionization with its well-known widespread abuse of workers rights (via intimidation tactics) during voting processes and forced extortion of dues as a condition of having a job. True workers rights are achieved with a Right to Work law. If the unions are truly supportive and beneficial to the employees, and they do things within reason, they should have nothing to fear from a Right to Work law.From: City Pays $1 Million Per Month in Police/Fire Overtime
in News
throughout the state , ot will continue for all paid fire departments until the ga addresses the minimum manning scam forced upon municipalities .it is even more difficult for small municipalities , ie, narragansett, where very little
demand for fire calls occur and the dept. members routinely gross with their
ot in excess of a hundred thousand annually . narra . just geographically does less in a month than pfd does in a day . privatize the ems . no municipality can cut expenses until the ga repeals minimum manning and some common sense is applied to covrage. this does not even seem to be a topic this session .
From: City Pays $1 Million Per Month in Police/Fire Overtime
in News
Every fire department in RI pulls this crap. If Go Local or Pro Jo or any competent investigative reporter did an analysis of FD overtime, they would discover what a racket it is. They exist for it.From: Lawmakers Push to Make Teachers Unions Optional
in News
i often wonder how much of dues would be paid if union members had to write their own check to pay them rather than them being paid via payroll deduction.From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
Aaron,It was in the journal in the last three months.
Russ,
Good for you. But, how do think that working class people that pay $5,000 in state income tax are subsidizing high wage earners that pay $25,000?
By the way I'm not angry or a tea party type. But, I am concerned about the direction of Rhode Island.
From: City Pays $1 Million Per Month in Police/Fire Overtime
in News
Before you say another word about firefighters, maybe you should try on the uniform. Overtime is a predicament created by the city...I'm sure you keyboard commandos would turn down overtime if it was offered to you. Check out what a cop makes (unlimited paid details + OT) before you direct all your ire at the firefighters.From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
get used to the general assembly focusing alot more on fiancial issues and much less on social issues.there is no money left. and despite the optimism of some, its not going to get much better.
the world economy is down, the us ecnomy is down and ri lags behind all of them and will recover years after the worls and the us.
From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
I moved here from out of state. Property costs, quality of life/schools, and the availability of good jobs were all significant considerations. Taxes, not so much, contrary to the bleating of the angry minority of Tea Party types who predictably fill the comments on an article like this (ironically most of these folks will end up paying more to subsidize the wealthiest in the state).From: Aaron Regunberg: Shame on You, Speaker Fox
in Politics
Ask the CPA's in the state about their wealthy clients moving for tax reasons. Most of mine have left because of taxes. And, it is a high percentage of the "high" earners. New Hampshire, Maine, Florida, Texas, and Nevada are the states they have moved to.Page 817 of 1360 pages « First < 815 816 817 818 819 > Last »
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