House budget: Finance Committee approves budget
5:51 PM Wed, Jun 17, 2009 | Permalink
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Journal State House Bureau PROVIDENCE, RI -- In a 16-1 vote, the House Finance Committee OKd the proposed fiscal year 2010 budget Wednesday, just moments after completing approval of individual budget articles. The budget now heads to the full House for a vote. Finance Committee Chairman Steven M. Costantino said he expects the floor debate to begin on Wednesday, June 24, at 2 p.m. The Senate Finance Committee will probably take up the budget proposal a day later, on June 25. The $7.76-billion spending plan restores cuts to human service programs, but relies on a 2-cent gas tax increase, sweeping pension changes, and the elimination of a tax break on capital gains to pay for it. Overall, lawmakers were charged with filling the largest budget deficit in decades, an estimated $590 million, or 19 percent of state spending. House Finance Committee chairman Costantino, generally considered the architect of the Assembly's budget, noted that the final plan doesn't hurt as many people as it could have. There was no sales tax increase, as has been proposed in other states. Separate proposals to raise beer taxes and taxes on services such as car repairs were ignored. And lawmakers also left in place a tax break for high-earners, known as the flat tax alternative, which was the subject of intense lobbying from interest groups and rank-and-file members. 
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no layoffs of state employees big surprise on that one.instead lets tax and take more from the poor.cicione has it right the ri dems have a pay to play when it comes to state house access.there should be an investigation of every rhode island politican
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Sorry to hear it.
Not much changes here.
What will they do next year when there is no
stimulus money?
Do you they think next year everything is just going to be back to the "good old days" when money was free?
This place (RI) is doomed. Get out now....if you can.
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The problem is not solved once again they are using one time money to patch the budget. What will happen next year?
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It doesn't matter to those of us on the Mass border. We sill pay 8 cents less for our gas instead of six cents less as we do now.
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Uh, what kind of budget leaves a $590m hole ? Sounds more like a spending plan than a balance of revenues and expenses...
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They're out of control. Just what we need, more gas tax. How about cutting spending. Welcome to Rhode Island. The Tax State!!
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There is one item in this story that infuriates my senses - why did you approve a 2 cent increase on such a basic need as gasoline, but ignored the puny 2 cent increase on a glass of beer - Tax that glass of beer!! We must help reverse our number 1 in the nation substance abuse ranking!!
An absence due to impaired workers is also a significant problem with employers - why aren't they pushing this strategy!
However, my congratulations to the finance committee on balancing countless hours of meetings, documents, testimony, with what seems to be a palatable mix of pain.
Please, please battle the selfish beer lobby!! Support those with addictions, prevention and treatment funding, reduce workplace absences, lower prison population, and prevent more victims!
RECONSIDER this embarrassment and make an amendment!!
YOU ALSO SENATE!
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This is the wrong use of the Federal Stimulus money - this only delays the pain - we will be back to deal with the real issues soon, very soon.
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Exactly WHAT obviously systemic problems will be solved with the 266 million in stimulus dollars? Apparently, incompetent groups still tend to make incompetent choices which ALWAYS result in incompetent outcomes. Just a reminder Rhode Island, THIS BUDGET IS EXACTLY WHAT THE VETO-PROOF DEMOCRAT LEADERSHIP WANT!!!!!!!!
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Don't ever touch the welfare programs!! Let's make sure these people who are also the biggest drain on community services (police, rescue, healthcare, mental health etc.) don't ever feel the need to get off the couch. The perpetual cycle of breeding and pumping out special needs children who even further drain our system when they can't afford to take care of themselves. Too bad they don't do an expose on the massive welfare fraud in this country and how entitled these people are. But instead we will keep taxing and tightening the belt on the average "JOE" who goes to work everyday and budgets and plans the amount of children his family can afford. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY is a lost concept and the government continues to enable.
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Don't ever touch the welfare programs!! Let's make sure these people who are also the biggest drain on community services (police, rescue, healthcare, mental health etc.) don't ever feel the need to get off the couch. The perpetual cycle of breeding and pumping out special needs children who even further drain our system when they can't afford to take care of themselves. Too bad they don't do a story on the massive welfare fraud in this country and how entitled these people are. But instead we will keep taxing and tightening the belt on the average "JOE" who goes to work everyday and budgets and plans the amount of children his family can afford. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY is a lost concept and the government continues to enable.
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Every comment is virtually the same here. We are not all economists, yet we can all easily see the larger problem lurking in the next budget. These guys are like all other politicians - they just kick the can down the road. WHY HAVEN'T THEY REDUCED SPENDING? HELLO? Is anyone home?
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Once again, our elite legislature is using one-time money to plug the hole. You would think they would learn their lesson that you can't have a quick fix. But, instead of improving the situation by CUTTING spending, they continue to nickel-and-dime the taxpayers to death. These people in office are supposed to represent us. Who are they really representing? Just another disappointing year.
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