EDITORIAL: McKee Gives Tens of Millions to Out-of-Staters But Not to RI Small Businesses

Sunday, March 17, 2024

EDITORIAL

 

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Governor Dan McKee PHOTO: GoLocal

Governor Dan McKee continues to claim he is a champion of Rhode Island’s small businesses, but to date, he has provided ZERO funding to those hammered by the impact of the mismanagement of the inspections and repairs to the Washington Bridge.

McKee continues to encourage small businesses to take out Small Business Administration loans, a strategy that is a disaster for small businesses, as they take on more debt while their revenues are collapsing.

Instead of providing grants for small businesses, McKee has orchestrated $27 million in a de facto grant to California-based businessman Brett Johnson’s privately owned soccer stadium.

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The funding scheme of the stadium is so badly designed that the cost of the bonds and the length of the payment schedule for the bonds will cause Rhode Island taxpayers to pay back nearly $140 million over the next 30 years.

Ironically, McKee had blasted Governor Gina Raimondo for not providing grants to small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

On GoLocal LIVE in May of 2020, McKee took Raimondo to task.

McKee came out firing at Raimondo and her administration for what he said had been the lack of support for small businesses, and criticized Raimondo for not acting quickly enough to establish loan and grant programs to create a safety net to ensure that small businesses did not fail after being forced to shutter by Raimondo’s executive orders under her emergency powers.

“Every state in the country received some CARES Act money that was designated to the state.  In the guidelines -  very short guidelines - one of the allowable uses is to help small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus,” said McKee in 2020.

 

 

But now, McKee is all about the big project and the press conference. Small businesses are an afterthought. After all, there is no golfing with Armand unless you do the big project.

McKee’s legacy is playing out before our eyes —  nearly $140 million in bond payments for a California businessman’s project and ZERO for small businesses in Riverside and beyond, all at risk due to the incompetence of RIDOT.

An editorial is the opinion of a publication — specifically, the ownership.

While based on facts and news reporting, it is an opinion intended to discuss critical community issues. Often, the opinion is written with the intention of positive change.

GoLocal editorials have sparked conversations, change, and even the naming of a bridge.

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