Moore: RI Republicans Forfeit Credibility
Monday, June 22, 2015
The Rhode Island Republican Party state delegation made a tremendous blunder last week. I'm referring, of course, to their complicit vote for the state budget that is cleverly marketed as a "jobs" budget, but in reality, really just represents the status quo.
There is no big, bold idea in the budget or major reform (like the elimination of the income or sales tax) that will make national headlines and put the state on the map as a place for big businesses to relocate. Instead, the budget once again takes baby steps and adopts feel good measures that make for good talking points, but do little to actually improve the plight of our little state.
For instance, instead of eliminating the sales tax, the state budget cuts the sales tax on energy. Instead of eliminating the corporate tax, it cuts the minimum corporate filing fee by $50.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTFor a state that needs to be bold, the budget goes out of its way to avoid controversy. It's a feel good budget instead of a fix the state budget.
And the Republicans own it. That's because the GOP doesn't get to vote for the state budget, and then criticize it later. That's not how this works. Vote for the budget, and you own it just as much as Speaker Nicholas Mattiello.
From Democrat-light to Democrat
For a long time, the common critique of the Rhode Island Republican Party representatives and senators has been that they're merely "Democrat-light". In the past, that criticism was unfair, because in reality, the House GOP always voted against the budget and led passionate floor debates well into the early morning during the budget deliberations--the most important day of the legislative session.
Now, instead of Democrat-light, we can just call them Democrats.
With their unanimous support for the state budget, the state's Republicans no longer have the ability to criticize the state's Democrat leadership. Put simply, when you vote for the budget, you own it.
That's one of the luxuries of being in the minority. More than ever, a member of the minority party, who isn't stuck with the labors of governing, can vote idealistically. For some strange reason, the Republicans decide to throw their advantage away instead of pressing it. It makes no political sense whatsoever.
For his part, House Minority Leader Brian Newberry argued on the House floor that his rationale for supporting the budget was the fact that some of the Republican ideas were incorporated into the budget.
And yes, as noted above, there are some fiscally responsible, conservative ideas in the state budget. But they're baby steps at best. If you're going to sell out, sell out for Paradise--not New Jersey.
Be Like The Cool Kids
What's next year's campaign slogan? Vote for us, we can get the Democrats to steal some of our ideas?
Instead, the state's Republicans, who complained about their treatment by previous House Speakers, gave up their ideals to become part of the gang.
It's reminiscent of the high school cliché--the Republicans want to sit at the table with the cool kids and be part of the clique. Except these are fully grown adults tasked with insuring that the statehouse has an alternative voice in the debate, not kids who are trying to fit in and have a good time.
The problem, however, is that Republicans weren't sent to the statehouse to have a good time and be part of the clique. When Republicans campaign, they tell their constituents that they'll stand up against the decades of Democratic leadership that has led the state to economic malaise and a reputation as being "tax hell".
By the way, don't think their counterparts on the other side of the political spectrum are any better. The progressives voted for the budget as well, despite the fact that the budget takes away bus passes from people living below the poverty line while simultaneously removing taxes on social security for single people with incomes up to $80,000 and widowed and married couples with incomes of up to $100,000. One would think that would be enough motivation for so-called progressives to oppose the budget, but courage is apparently in short supply these days on Smith Hill--to put it mildly.
Spinning Wheels
In any event, the Rhode Island Republican Party has been spinning its wheels for almost 10 years now. The last real victory the party can point to was back in 2006, when Governor Donald Carcieri squeaked out a victory in the gubernatorial election (and even then at that, his razor thin margin of victory surprised political pundits).
The party has put together one blunder after another, (automatic weapon raffle, anyone?) on their way to futility. Just when you think they can't make things worse, they find a way to shock and surprise. This latest gaffe is a sad new low for a state that needs a two party system like oxygen.
It really begs the question as to what they've got in store for us next. But as far as relevancy goes, the state GOP seems to no longer have any. They've lost it “not with a bang, but a whimper”, to quote T. S. Elliot.
And how can we expect the rank-and-file Democrats to not just go along to get along when the Republicans do the same thing?
Russell Moore has worked on both sides of the desk in Rhode Island media, both for newspapers and on political campaigns. Send him email at [email protected]. You should follow him on twitter @russmoore713
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