Tax Policy, Migration, and the Battle of Good and Evil in Rhode Island, Part 2

JB: Why haven’t you migrated to lower tax environments with more jobs? Are those features something we could produce for more people? Are they positionally more important than tax environment (by nature of you being here) or just outweigh the costs of taxation?

I don’t think anybody who shares my general government philosophy has claimed that taxes are the primary criterion that people use when deciding where to live.  It’s a problem at the margins that gains weight over time.

In my case, there are a number of factors, over a number of years, that have kept me here.

As a first-pass answer, my wife’s big family wouldn’t let her move away, and frankly, we continue to suffer for it.  We couldn’t find jobs out of college, and it’s been very, very difficult to get by, most of the years since, forcing us into more debt than is advisable.

That said, a strong family structure has allowed the various branches to help each other and to carve out some space in the local economy, mainly by everybody’s going into the trades.  And as we’ve had children (of which we have many, by regional standards), the nearby extended family has returned a great deal of value, directly (as through childcare) and indirectly.

This is a replicable model, but it would require a change of culture that emphasizes stable families and public policy that makes it easier for people to innovate, find employment, and afford to live here.  Let’s be honest: that’s got to be a major shift.  As it is, the pull of family is fading with each generation. It’s a Rhode Island cliché that your kids have to leave for opportunity (unless you’re connected).  That’s a terrible thing.

If I hadn’t married right out of college, I wouldn’t be here.  If my wife had been an only child, as I was, her parents would have been more mobile.  And if the prior generation had made the escape from Rhode Island, where they struggled for opportunity, too, then the strong family unit would already be somewhere else.

Another factor that’s probably less replicable is that, after a decade of essentially working two or more jobs, without being paid for the one I actually wanted to do, I’m making my living as a conservative counter-voice to the reigning ideology.  I suppose if public policy began to shift in my direction, there’d be more opportunity for that, but eventually the field would become crowded.

And let’s face it: that’s kind of an operational occupation.  Fixing a broken system will improve the economy, but my work doesn’t directly create new industries or products.

Finally, as I tell people who ask me why they shouldn’t leave the state, I feel a duty to improve Rhode Island.  If I were to join all those friends and fellow active conservatives whom I’ve watched give up and leave, then there’d be one fewer person advocating for what I believe to be the only viable solutions.  That would bother me for the rest of my life.

We’re in this world to serve others.  To help each other.  And I’ve found a whole state of people who need help.  How can I leave?

Moreover, for every person who leaves after having correctly identified Rhode Island’s problems, the work gets harder for those who stay, political hit men have more ammunition for the smaller number of us, and ultimately, the total amount of human suffering increases.  Other considerations may someday outweigh my moral imperative, but I can’t see breaking the line and essentially turning to the men and women holding it with me to say, “Here, take my burden, too.”  Or even more, turning to those whose lives are being ruined by the lack of opportunity, here, and telling them I’m going to use my privileged escape hatch.

I’d rather be the last one left to turn out the lights, if it comes to that.

Is this replicable?  I think so, but it’s a cultural thing, and the Rhode Island establishment, from the government to the non-profits to the news media, tends to try to crush this spirit rather than encourage it.

What’s ultimately needed, though, for people to decide to come and to stay, is hope, plain and simple.  Imagine if Rhode Island were to eliminate its sales tax or institute a nation-leading school choice program or some other shift in policy that dramatically cuts against the establishment and powerful special interests.

I think people make decisions based not just on what is, but also where things are going.  The only reason the leaches have been able to impose such a premium for living in Rhode Island is that it’s got so much to offer, by virtue of its location and history.  We’re spiraling to the depths, though, because of their collective weight.

By contrast, every indication that we give that we’re turning in the right direction, that there’s an actual battle engaged, and that there’s a chance that the good guys — the freedom fighters and patriots — will win will be a lure for people who want to contribute to a vibrant, exciting, and life-fulfilling community.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in The Ocean State Current, including text, graphics, images, and information are solely those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the views and opinions of The Current, the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, or its members or staff. The Current cannot be held responsible for information posted or provided by third-party sources. Readers are encouraged to fact check any information on this web site with other sources.

YOUR CART
  • No products in the cart.
0