… and all Rhode Island leaders:  Cut spending, and rethink the role of government in our society.  Otherwise, this problem is not only irresolvable, but also understated:

Without a correction, the city [of Providence] is headed for insurmountable financial burdens, Mayor Jorge Elorza said Monday, citing findings from a White House-funded report that projects a $176-million budget shortfall in 2026.

The cost of pensions, health care and benefits, and significant state aid cuts since the Great Recession, are key factors in Providence’s “financial imbalance,” according to a news release that the Elorza administration issued after receiving a draft of the report.

It really is that simple.  The way progressives want to run government will not work in the long term, and we cannot afford to let them finish off our economy and undermine our culture in order to learn that lesson.  If elected officials can’t (or won’t) face down the labor unions, they’ll have to cut back on services and make sure that the public knows that unreasonable labor demands have sucked up the money.