Rhode Island Fiscal Crisis -- When the chickens come home to roost

There has been quite a lot of shouting, finger pointing, denial and general childishness lately in Rhode Island by special interest groups complaining about the troubles in the Rhode Island economy and state government finances. While deeply felt, I assume, it is very selfish, self centered and wasteful. In today's Providence Journal there is a story about recent meetings (hearings??? or shoutings???) at the Rhode Island State House to discuss Governor Chafee's sale tax reform program. One of our readers has commented on what he/she sees as the real problem.

Here is a guest comment by Ethnographer in response to a story, Lawmakers seek sales-tax alternatives, in the Providence Journal  

With the Fox in the hen house, what do you think we can expect? Maybe the same old, same old stop gap squandering of state assets -- the one time sale of the state's gambling license maybe? This is the caged thinking of chickens laying eggs to get fed and denying that they are really McNuggets in waiting.

The problem is systemic and long term. What we need is leadership and strategic thinking. We need leadership with vision. We need a system-wide review and change in the tax structure. We need a long term plan to get us down to a sustainable debt level. One area that can be corrected is the sales tax which the Governor has proposed. But that is just the beginning.

Unfunded mandates need to be addressed. The chickens in the GA are happy to pay their owners with promises in the form of mandates (eggs) but lack the will to pay for (hatch) them, preferring to pass that responsibility on to the local governments. Maybe that's what we are smelling.

Let's do a complete review of these mandates -- Why do we have them? Who benefits? Do we really need them? and Can we really afford them?

The income tax structure needs to be reviewed. If RI is to be the low wage, low cost state in New England, then the wealthy who benefit from that will have to pay more of their share of costs to government for supporting this low wage environment. You can't have low wages and expect the income tax breaks to the wealthy to make up the difference, can you?

Public worker compensation definitely needs to be reviewed and reformed. But cutting for the sake of cutting is STUPID. What we need is a system that recruits talent and rewards productivity and quality. Instead, we have seniority, cronyism, and the kind of influence we are witnessing in the GA staff raises.

User fees and registration fees should at least recover the full cost of administering the services that the fee is designed to provide. For example, how much does it really cost to register and maintain a real estate deed, or to record and maintain the record of ownership title for a new or used car? Who should pay for these?

The relationships between state and federal matching funds should be looked at more closely. Are we running after short term federal funds but committing local tax payers to long term maintenance and carrying costs?

 

It is time for the chickens in the hen house to stick their heads out of their cages, and take a look at the real world in which the rest of us live. They need to start thinking outside of the cage, start thinking outside of the box.

Frances Gallo: Her side of the Story

We have been following the Central Falls School crisis with great interest.

On Saturday February 27 Superintendent Frances Gallo of the Central Falls School Department was a late addition to the Annual Winter Meeting of the Rhode Island State Coalition (RISC) held in Newport, RI. After weeks of controversy, Superintendent Gallo was given the opportunity to give her side of the story leading up to the firing of the whole teacher staff at Central Falls.

I came away from the meeting extremely impressed and moved by this very professional and articulate woman and the courage she is demonstrating to take on the Teachers' union and to call their bluff. I want to share that moment with you. Thanks to RISC the following two segment of their video record (posted on You Tube) of the Winter meeting captures the moment.

Yesterday, March 1st, her actions drew comments from President Obama supporting the need for radical change in those schools which are failing to educate their students. Here, in her own words, is her side of the story.

RISC Winter Meeting: Central Falls Superintendent Frances Gallo (part 1)





RISC Winter Meeting: Central Falls Superintendent Frances Gallo (part 2) [NOTE: If the video does not launch automatically, DOUBLE-CLICK ON IT, it should take you directly to YOU TUBE]



I think she has said it all. The issues are not local, they are national and impact the future of this nation.

Are Rhode Island Students worth investing in?

In an article published on January 14th, 2010 Teachers, R.I. education chief still at loggerheads over reform, By Jennifer D. Jordan,(page 1 Section A,) some very serious issues were raised. These are and should be central to the 2010 General Assembly election.

This is a debate for the heart and mind and welfare of Rhode Island and its children that the tax payers, politicians and educational establishment can have. Either we can come to an agreement about which is really important, teacher's rights or student's best interests and their futures, or we can watch as Rhode Island becomes less and less competitive in today's world.

Let's ask some basic questions.

Why do we need students? And, Can the teachers' unions survive without them?
Why do we need teachers unions? And, Can students learn without them?

These are not chicken or egg questions.

Humanity has survived because of children, not because of teachers unions.
Society is better off because Professional Teachers are a real asset to the community. They can assist the children in learning the skills that will make them productive citizens.

But today’s Teacher unions present teachers to the community, not as professionals, but as a commodity. Teachers are treated and treat themselves, as laborers, hired to put in X number of hours at a price and required only "to work to rule." The Teacher's Union are organized on a big business vs big labor model that no longer is valid nor viable in the 21st century economic environment

Educating and training a child is NOT like cooking a BIG MAC. A manufacturing, labor/management business model is no longer appropriate for creating a 21st Century educational system or workforce.

Children do not benefit from a labor union organized to serve the interests of the membership.The unions are not a necessity for the child to learn. What children and society needs is a profession that establishes and enforces performance standards on it members for the benefit of their clients.

A 21st century educational system requires a professional teaching force with the skill and empathy to understand the individual needs of each child and how to address his or her unique needs and issues in an ever more complex world. It needs teachers who can work with parents in the interest of the child, not blackmail taxpaying parents into more benefits.

Granted, we cannot afford to do this on a one to one basis, but we can create environments where we maximize the skills that good teachers can bring to the student.

If the teachers’ unions were professional associations, such as the AMA, ABA, etc., they would be supporting and, in fact, be demanding that that their members meet high evaluation, and accountability standards. Quality performance would be their first goal, not seniority rights.

A revolutionary approach is called for to bring Rhode Island education into the 21st Century. Such an approach is being presented to us now by Education Commissioner Gist. It questions the basic assumptions of the system. But to succeed all parties must buy into the idea of finding solutions and NOT just fight rear guard actions to protect personal or special interest privileges.

The stalemate between the unions and administration over existing contracts, constructed in an age of plenty, don't do anything to prepare today's student nor address the system needs for the future. And they certainly don't help the parents or tax payer.

How long do Rhode Island children have to wait for the adults to grow up and solve the problem, not just fight over it?

Update: Providence and Foster teachers have, with reservation, joined the state in competing for the Race to the Top federal grant. NEA, and the other 36 unions including Central Falls, seem to have decided that their self interest is more important. Rhode Island students are just not worth it?