Governor Chaffee's proposal to increase state spending on higher education b y $6 million and freeze tuition is critical to Rhode Island students, families and the economy - given findings from a new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C.
: The Institute co-released "Who Pays?" with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The study analyzes the fairness of state tax systems, and found Rhode Island is among the ten states that taxes the poor the most heavily.
: The Institute releases its biennial report showing what is costs to live and raise a family in the Ocean State, and how tax credits, food assistance and child care and health care subsidies help close the gap between earnings and expenses.
The ECONOMIC PROGRESS INSTITUTE ADDS SIX NEW BOARD MEMBERS (September 24, 2012): The Institute welcomes six new outstanding individuals to its board of directors.
NUMBER OF RHODE ISLANDERS IN POVERTY REMAINS HIGH (September 20, 2012): The Institute provides data from the 2011 American Community Survey that shows poverty is still high in Rhode Island, and deep poverty is rising.
120,500 RHODE ISLANDERS UNDER 65 LACK HEALTH INSURANCE (September 12, 2012). The Institute describes census data that shows the number of Rhode Islanders without health insurance remains unchanged, as national number declines. Share of state residents without insurance is worst in New England.
REFORMS NEEDED TO KNOW WHETHER $1.7 BILLION IN TAX BREAKS HELPED RHODE ISLAND (August 29, 2012). The Institute calls for tax expenditure reforms to ensure that 235 tax breaks are evaluated to determine whether they benefit the state's economy and residents.
REPORT SHOWS THAT RI GAVE UP MORE THAN $34 MILLION IN REVENUE TO FIVE TAX CREDITS LAST YEAR: Cost of credits rose 50 percent over prior year, mostly due to motion picture tax credit (August 16, 2012). The Institute responds to the latest Tax Credit and Incentive Report that documents the value of five tax incentive programs and the companies that received them.
INCREASING THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE WOULD GIVE MORE THAN 95,000 RHODE ISLANDERS A RAISE (
August 14, 2012): A new report by the The Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. documents the impact of a proposed increase in the federal minimum wage, including an analysis of how workers in all states, including RI, would benefit.
HISPANIC UNEMPLOYMENT IN PROVIDENCE HIGHEST IN COUNTRY FOR A METROPOLITAN AREA
PROVIDENCE, RI (July 2, 2012): For the second year in a row, Hispanics in Providence experienced the worst unemployment in a metropolitan area in the country.
STATEMENT APPLAUDING THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION ON THE ACA: Rhode Island Health Coverage Project hails ruling (June 28, 2012). The Rhode Island Health Coverage Project celebrates today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Today’s decision means that millions of Americans across the country and tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders will have access to affordable, high quality health coverage.
RHODE ISLAND TAXPAYERS AND THE BUSH TAX CUTS: Analysis compares two approaches to extending the Bush tax cuts and show the impact on Rhode Islanders (with Citizens for Tax Justice, June 20, 2012). Low- and middle-income Rhode Islanders would pay somewhat more in taxes under the Congressional Republicans approach to extending the Bush tax cuts than they would under President Obama’s approach, while high-income Rhode Islanders would pay far less under the Republican approach.
MONEY FOR SOMETHING: Job creation and Job Quality Standards in State Economic Development Subsidy Programs (with Good Jobs First, 12.11)
At a time when unemployment remains high and states are spending an estimated $70 Billion a year in the name of economic development, taxpayers are right to ask if such expenditures are creating a substantial number of good jobs. Good Jobs First has done an analysis of major state economic development programs that finds many subsidy programs require little if any job creation.