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The concern I hear most frequently when speaking with my neighbors is about taxes. Even in District 30, which many consider to be an affluent community, people are facing a multitude of challenges, year after year, as a result of steady increases in state and local taxes. Working families and individuals on fixed incomes are impacted the most. As community leaders and advocates, we must do more to stabilize our tax base, ensure efficient government spending, implement meaningful tax cuts and eliminate waste, in order to better help those in need.
Even though Rhode Island is less reliant on taxes as a source of revenue than other New England states, we are still higher than the national average and, over time, our dependence on various taxes (e.g.: sales, income, property, estate, other) to support increased spending has grown substantially.
Specifically, Rhode Island relies heavily on local property taxes and is ranked as the 7th-most expensive state, per capita. It has been estimated that our state collects approximately $2500 per person (man, woman, and child) in property taxes -- that is $10,000 a year for a family of four. This trend is unsustainable. Each year the state budget grows and includes more spending on costly special interest programs, duplicative government jobs and increased bureaucracy, instead of focusing tax dollars on maintaining core government functions such as infrastructure, public transportation, necessary social services and environmental maintenance.
This year's state budget totaled $13.6 BILLION! Over the last 4 years, Rhode Island's budget has increased by approximately $1 billion per year, up from $9.57 billion in 2019. Many agree that this is out-of-touch, out-of-control spending for a state our size and unsustainable given our declining population.
With the benefit of an influx of COVID relief funds, this year's state budget did include some helpful relief for select residents and businesses that were impacted by the pandemic. Several additional tax cut proposals were put forth during the budget debate that would have further eased the burden on struggling Rhode Islanders:
- Increase funding to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program;
- Place a three-month moratorium on the state's gas tax; and
- Cut taxes on electricity bills
However, all of these proposals were outright rejected by the majority of our state leaders and representatives. In a time of historic inflation levels, why would we not offer as much support as possible to fellow Rhode Islanders, especially those who need it the most?
We know we can do better. We know we need more oversight, discipline and thoughtful approaches to spending when it comes to your hard-earned tax dollars.
That is why I am running to be your voice at the State House.
Please reach out to me at www.amandablau.com to let me know what's on your mind. Also, please follow my social media sites for more frequent updates on the campaign. I'll be back in your inbox next week with another edition of Wisdom Wednesday.
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