Where Does All The Money Go?

"Taxpayer-funded political spin does not come cheap. Some 53 “public relations professionals” are on the public payroll in Rhode Island this year, earning salaries totaling $4.3 million, according to an investigation by Providence Journal Staff Writer Katherine Gregg (Political Scene, Nov. 22). "

Providence Journal Editorial Nov. 30, 2015

http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20151130/OPINION/151139984/2011)

Did you see the Editorial in Monday's Pro Jo? Have you read the paper's "Political Scene" column these past two weeks? Katherine Gregg did an excellent two-part series on how much is spent by RI state government and agencies on public relations? According to Gregg
"Rhode Island taxpayers paid upward of $6,234,093 last year to private companies that do 'communications and marketing' for state government in Rhode Island. The 'quasi-public(s)' paid another $617,555 to consultants, and expect to pay $987,216 for salaries for their in-house public-relations staff."

If you haven't read the two articles, here are the links to "Political Scene" http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20151122/NEWS/151129764
http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20151129/NEWS/151129324

Gregg reporting was possible because , according to the ProJo, "On a positive note, public officials were helpful recently in getting information to Ms. Gregg about the cost [of public relations] to taxpayers of P.R. flacks."

Where does all the money go in Rhode Island? Read Gregg's articles and you will learn where more than $6 million goes.

To read these images of our database of current bills in the RI legislature of interest to the League, click on them and choose "original size."  Please read text at end of images. 

Above are images of  our updated database (as of April 22) of  bills introduced so far that are of interest to the league. 



Most bills should have been submitted by now to the 2014 legislature.  To date, none of interest to the LWVRI has gone farther than a first committee hearing. Since the committee chairs determine what bills will proceed further, it is very important League Members write, call or email their legislators who are on the committee handling the bill, to urge support for the bills they and the League favor.  This is the most important thing YOU can do to support the League advocacy agenda this year.  When you communicate with your legislator be sure to identify yourself as her or his constituent as well as a League member.

League Priorities this year include:

Restoring the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee over the Legislature, and open meetings and records.

Supporting elimination of voting for all a party's candidates by making one mark on a ballot (master lever), early voting, improved voting machines that provide a paper copy of ballots to aid in recounts if necessary, elimination of voter id, etc.

Supporting merit selection for judges

Counting prisoners as living in their home districts, not in the prison, in order to avoid skewing the census counts used for redistricting and federal funding.

Promoting gun safety

Promoting reproductive justice

Promoting a sustainable, safe environment

Protecting civil liberties

Promoting education as a right of RI citizens, and promoting  public education funding that provides equality of opportunity through a system of taxation that is sufficient equitable, flexible, and coordinated among the different levels of government.

Above are images of  our updated database (as of April 22) of  bills introduced so far that are of interest to the league.