RI 14th Most Licenses for Low/Mod-Income Professionals; 22nd in Overall Burden

RI requires licenses for the 14th highest number of lower-income occupations in the U.S., imposing the 22nd greatest overall burden, disproportionately affecting men and minorities, whom the recession has hit hardest.

Shrinking Government? Not Quite.

The New York Times’ claim that President Obama has shrunk government shrivels under examination.

As State Legislatures Go, the General Assembly Is Pretty Liberal

Empirical data related to the ideology of state-level legislators suggests that, yes, Rhode Island is very liberal.

Even Minimal Take from Table Games May Be Overstated

Ian Donnis has looked into RI’s negotiations for its share of prospective casino revenue, and pulling all the data together suggests that table games may only mean $9 million per year to the state government.

Giving the Regulator the Power to Police

S2680, from Sen. Walaska, appears to open the door for the PUC to act as a police force. Senate Judiciary hears the bill, today.

Using Providence for Pension “Liability” Perspective

Pension actuaries use the word “liability” differently than the layman would. The total actuarial accrued liability of Providence’s pension system has been given as $1.3 billion, with about $0.4 billion in assets, but the liability as most people would probably conceive of it is more likely $5.7 billion, with the same $0.4 billion saved up to date.

Providence Budget Illustrates Pension Charade

Inflated assumptions for pension system rates of return mean that the budget that Providence Mayor Angel Taveras unveiled this evening (and all current RI budgets) amounts to an accounting trick to disguise future tax increases and pension cuts.

Scariest Unemployment Fact: It’s a Trend

RI’s accelerated decline in labor force and employment continues and now constitutes a full-quarter trend; combined with poor housing market results, the trend ought to be of great concern to Rhode Islanders, especially in their capacity as voters.

Lower Unemployment in Alabama Corresponds with Immigration Law

Correlation is not causation, but Alabama’s employment picture has improved in the wake of its stringent immigration law.

The Labor/Left Strategy: Shore Up Revenue

RI’s unions are behind efforts to increase state revenue through gambling and “taxes on the rich” in an apparent effort to counter the effects of Massachusetts casinos, but the state will have to decide whether the consequences are worth the attempt.

More About When a Marriage Begins than Whether Cohabiting

Couples who are engaged when they move in together are more likely to stay married than those who are not, but interesting gender differences in the survey data suggest that it matters whether one spouse has been married before.

The Meaning of “Legislation Last” in Pension Reform

Argumentation about the concept of “legislation last” when it comes to municipal pension reform appears to be an example of two sides talking past each other.

State Pension Projections Versus Actual Results

At this morning’s workshop, Treasurer Raimondo’s news that the state pension has only been earning 2.28% return on its investments jarred disconcertingly against the actuary’s projections of what 7.5% and 5.0% returns mean for the future.

The Obscurity of Appointed Public Boards

Objections that low state contributions to public institutions of higher education should mean low authority over their operational activities raise the question of what the relationship between the schools and the state actually is.

Legacy Media Woes Point to Larger Political Dynamics

Reason’s Matt Welch measures cutting-edge media against legacy media worries about the death of their industry, and reviewing the local playing field, Justin gives an example of how public policy can give them a cudgel (even inadvertently).

Bill Centralizes School Budgeting a Piece at a Time

Governor Chafee’s legislative package for municipal relief includes a bill, S2823, that would expand and deepen the Dept. of Education’s authority over school budgets, including general oversight of municipal budgets, as well.

The General Fund Revenue Surplus Continues to Disappear

Updated “budget to actual” numbers show that the extra state revenue once heralded as a sign of economic recovery continues to fade.

AG’s Gambling Bill Leaves State Lottery to Self-Police

A bill originating in the attorney general’s office transfers all authority over casino gambling in RI to the Division of Lotteries and omits “conflict of interest” rules for its employees.

The Supply Chain Is Not Immortal

From digital cameras to cancer treatments, the supply chain is not immune to disruption, and the drive to build the perfect system cannot rely on an assumption that the status quo will hold.

Superior Court: North Kingstown Schools Cannot Knowingly Overspend

A Superior Court Ruling in Town of North Kingstown v. North Kingstown School Committee requires the school department to live within its budget but solidifies legal precedent requiring town governments to cover losses in state aid unless the budget makes estimates “expressly contingent” on actual revenue.

Tax Hike Kills Four Times More Jobs than Resisting Casinos

Comparing job loss estimates related to casino gambling with those related to taxing the rich shows that the latter will be four times more destructive than avoiding the former. However, in one case, the government’s incentive is in opposition to the workforce’s.

Teacher Steps in the Law, Not Above the Law

Step increases for teachers are, indeed, mandated by law, but that does not change them into something other than raises or present the public with a single path forward.

Contrary to Left-Leaning Analysis, Tax Rates Do Correlate with a Healthy Economy

A study being touted by left-leaning think tanks defines economic health dubiously by leaving out population and workforce growth.

RI on a Spree of Losing Jobs and Giving Up

Unemployment only “ticked” up, this month, but the overall labor force dropped more from December to February than it has since the dot-com bust. Public officials looking for a turnaround should consider the power of their message.

A Movable Threshold for Municipal Pension Adjustment

An argument about pension fund discount rates by the Mercatus Center and RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity illustrates the difficulty, and risk, of setting thresholds on the availability of pension reforms.

Council Ratification Foes Layer on Technical Objections

Technical objections raised to legislation that would give town/city councils authority to ratify employment contracts appear to have been overstated or incorrect.

Winners, Losers, and Losing More

The 2010 tax reform had winners and losers in every income range. Increasing taxes this year, even if only on wealthier residents, would arguably represent two straight years of tax increases.

Differing Interpretations of Tax Effects Play into Local Decision

Experts disagree about whether the seven legislative proposals to increase personal income taxes on “the rich” will have an adverse effect on Rhode Island’s economy, but the complexity of such changes requires a more local debate.

Merging with MERS Not so Simple, or Even Beneficial

As RI leaders begin to explore the possibility of moving local pension plans in the MERS, the only matter getting any clearer is that there’s no simple fix.

Owner Liability and Renter Trust in H7136 and S2212

Foreclosure-related legislation illustrates the need for in-depth debate between advocates for and against the proposals. Even those that appear to be common sense may have unintended consequences affecting the public at large.

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