Fecteau: Want to Help Save Rhode Island? Demand More Syrian Refugees

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Matt Fecteau, GoLocalProv Guest MINDSETTER™

 

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Photo courtesy of IHH Humanitarian Relief/flickr

Rhode Island desperately needs people for skills and tax revenue. That is exactly why it should be kicking and screaming to acquire a larger share of Syrian refugees.

As a result of the Syrian civil war, the United States has stepped up to help.  For fiscal year 2015, the United States accepted only around 1,300 Syrian refugees. For fiscal year 2016, the United States is set to accept a total of 10,000 refugees.  While seemingly generous, this pales in comparison to Germany’s offer to welcome almost 800,000 refugees.

Several Rhode Island leaders have even said they are willing to help shelter these refugees. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo said she is willing to host some of them. The mayor of Central Falls, James Diossa, also joined seventeen other mayors to call for President Barack Obama to send refugees to their respective cities. Central Falls is the only Rhode Island city to ask for them.  

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It is the principled course of action. The refugee crisis is getting to a boiling point with almost ten million displaced Syrians fleeing the horrible violence, and destruction wrought upon it by a combination of the Syrian government, and the so-called Islamic State.

Though there are some valid concerns associated with these refugees. The critics correctly point out there will be a substantial upfront cost associated with any refugee integration.  If Rhode Island welcomes these refugees, it will be expected to provide shelters, sustenance, and job skill training.

However, the state costs are misleading.  Like most national programs, the federal government will pay almost the entire tab with federal subsidies. That’s right, the large state cost is inconsequential even in the short-term because the federal government, with money from states and territories, will help pick up the tab.

For those unmoved by the plight of the Syrian refugees, let’s put aside the old adage, “it is the right thing to do.” Let’s just do it for self-interest. After the money spent on our past wars, I typically hear from my fellow Rhode Islanders, we have to look out for our own.  

I completely agree, which is why we should provide a home to the Syrian refugees. In Rhode Island, we are facing our own crisis.  We desperately need revenue. If we continue on this path, we will have no choice, but raise taxes stunting any potential long-term growth.  Furthermore, we need to fill a critical skills gap that causes businesses to flee or avoid Rhode Island.  We have to turn this tide.

From a tax standpoint, let’s do some basic math. If Rhode Island legally absorbs, hypothetically, all 10,000 Syrian refugees, that is more money in state and local coffers.  According to the Tax Foundation, Rhode Islanders annually pays around $5,000 per capita in state and local taxes. In the longer term, multiple $5,000 times 10,000 and that is an additional $50 million yearly for the state, and cities, money in the bank.  

In addition, Syrian refugees could help fill the Rhode Island skills gap. The federal refugee relocation programs normally provide the state with grants so refugees can learn basic language and job skills.  Already though, according to a 2013 International Labour Organization survey, nearly half the Syrians were considered skilled or semi-skilled.  As is, these refugees are value-added to Rhode Island’s economy.

It should also be noted, refugees are more likely to start a small business, which means even more revenue, and even more job creation, more value added.

As a state, we wouldn’t complain about extra federal funding for our schools, or our roads, and bridges, why on earth would we complain in this case? Rhode Island will receive additional federal funding to shelter these displaced people, but also a skilled pool of people willing to contribute to our economy. This is a lifeline. My advice would be not just to take it, but ask to shelter more refugees.

When discussing the Syrian refugee crisis, I think of one famous refugee in particular. Just like these refugees, he was fleeing horrible persecution, and violence. This man would change the course of human history, and make the United States an undisputed superpower. His name was Albert Einstein.

Could one of these people change the course of human history? I would prefer to hedge my bets, and host as many refugees as possible. In the meantime, I’ll settle for the additional tax revenue, and critical skills.  If other states don’t want them, Rhode Island should take their share too. It is not just the moral thing, it also makes fiscal sense.

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Matt Fecteau ([email protected]), of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, lost to U.S. Rep. David Cicilline in last year’s Democratic primary. He is a former White House national security intern and Iraq war veteran.

 

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