99.2% of Rhode Islanders believe the state economy is hopeless

[Blue3]

Over 99%, in a scientific poll.

Sadly, I have to say I'm in the majority.

http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2013/02/a-majority-of-riers-support-gay-marriage-are-pesimistic-about-economicready.html


The economy here has sucked since the 1930's. It was kind of good in the 40s/50s and maybe some of the 60s, but most of the jobs that left during the Great Depression never really came back. And now the latest recession has wiped out even more, probably never to return.

And we were the original birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. As well as the birthplace of Religious Freedom and Separation of Church & State, Roger Williams actually bought our land from the Native Americans and had good relations with them, we were the 1st colony to declare independence from the British (2 months before anyone else), we didn't become the 13th state until the Bill of Rights was set to be passed, etc.

We have such a rich history, in a way we made America what it is today, both economically and politically... but we should have more to admire about our state than just its history. We should be able to admire our state now, yet obviously no one here does, we're such a mess... especially our economy. Just about everyone younger than 40 leaves once they're done with getting an education.

What hope is there for Rhode Island, and states like it?

[JerryArkansas]

No way, That can't be real.

[Blue3]

No way, That can't be real.

You don't live in Rhode Island lol.

[King]

But you guys have all the super-rich and their mansions to drive up your averages.  Those are job creators, right?

[traininthedistance]

But you guys have all the super-rich and their mansions to drive up your averages.  Those are job creators, right?

The super-rich are all in Connecticut instead.  I mean, sure, there's Newport, but the mansions there are mostly just a museum piece these days.

[Blue3]

But you guys have all the super-rich and their mansions to drive up your averages.  Those are job creators, right?

Newport is just museums, it's actually one of the poorest cities in the state (it hasn't been an economic power since the blockade back during the Revolution).

There's hardly anyone rich in the entire state.

[Indy Texas]

I've always thought of Rhode Island as a sad, very high-tax blend of Family Guy and Mystic Pizza.

[Blue3]

I don't think our taxes are even that bad... I think we're lower than average in two tax categories, and just a little higher than average in another.

Does anyone have a list of where states rank on the different types of state taxes? I know it exists somewhere.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Over 99%, in a scientific poll.

Not scientifically reported though.
The Brown press release says 94.2% for the state of the economy being not so good or poor, with a margin of error of 4.0%.  so round to 94%.  nevertheless, pretty bad.

[opebo]

Many other states are completely deluded about American 'competitiveness' - but apparently not Rhode Island.  Practical people.  The American model of $10-15/hour labor costs simply can't work in the modern globalized world.

[minionofmidas]

Annex Cape Cod.

[Blue3]

RI once-again has one of the worse unemloyment rates in the country, only Nevada and California were worse overall in 2012, though RI was the worst of them all in December:

http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2013/03/ris-unemployment-rate-for-2012-one-of-highest-in-the-nation-ready.html

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At least we're a national leader in something...

[Indy Texas]

Many other states are completely deluded about American 'competitiveness' - but apparently not Rhode Island.  Practical people.  The American model of $10-15/hour labor costs simply can't work in the modern globalized world.

So your solution is to force everyone to be paid double that and simply sit back and sigh when half of them don't have jobs?

[opebo]

Many other states are completely deluded about American 'competitiveness' - but apparently not Rhode Island.  Practical people.  The American model of $10-15/hour labor costs simply can't work in the modern globalized world.

So your solution is to force everyone to be paid double that and simply sit back and sigh when half of them don't have jobs?

No, my solution would be to completely alter global capitalism - for example, no more products from China.

However, your solution - even lower wages than the above mentioned $10-15 - might work well for the ruling class.

[muon2]

... and it will seem more dismal if RI loses a congressional seat in 2020.

[Blue3]

So, is there any hope for RI and states like it?

How can things be turned around?

Has any state in a similar situation before managed to really turn things around?

[opebo]

So, is there any hope for RI and states like it?

How can things be turned around?

Has any state in a similar situation before managed to really turn things around?

Only if either all the low-wage slave countries were to blow each other up in a nuclear war, or said Rhode-Islandish states could adopt a $3/day wage scale.  Either way.

[Blue3]

How about how to attract well-paying jobs?

And RI being as good as Michigan or Ohio would be a step up from where it is right now.

[opebo]

How about how to attract well-paying jobs?

As I said blow up all the cheap labor and jobs become automatically well paying.  Or maybe a plague - but how do you tailor it to only kill non-Rhode-Islanders?

[Indy Texas]

How about how to attract well-paying jobs?

As I said blow up all the cheap labor and jobs become automatically well paying.  Or maybe a plague - but how do you tailor it to only kill non-Rhode-Islanders?

Why do you act as though the only people in the world who have a right to earn a decent living are Americans with few marketable skills? Why don't the poor, toiling masses in China matter to you, and why do you refuse to acknowledge the tremendous improvements in living standards they've obtained over the past 20 years?

[opebo]

Why do you act as though the only people in the world who have a right to earn a decent living are Americans with few marketable skills? Why don't the poor, toiling masses in China matter to you, and why do you refuse to acknowledge the tremendous improvements in living standards they've obtained over the past 20 years?

Because they're not in the same polity.  Why should people in one tribe care about the people in another?

[memphis]

Households in RI have an above average median income. Come down to rural Mississippi if you want to see hopeless.

[opebo]

Households in RI have an above average median income. Come down to rural Mississippi if you want to see hopeless.

And all along the way!

[Indy Texas]

Why do you act as though the only people in the world who have a right to earn a decent living are Americans with few marketable skills? Why don't the poor, toiling masses in China matter to you, and why do you refuse to acknowledge the tremendous improvements in living standards they've obtained over the past 20 years?

Because they're not in the same polity.  Why should people in one tribe care about the people in another?

Why stop there? If Americans aren't supposed to care about the poor Chinese, why should a Texan like me care about a poor Ohioan or Michigander? For that matter, why shouldn't every city and municipality in the country just close itself off and operate in a state of autarky, where no good or service can be brought in from the outside and we can all only buy and sell things from and to the people who live in our same ZIP code?

[Siloch]

Vote out all the Republicans and the state will be golden, oh wait.