Last Thursday, Rep. Joseph M. McNamara, D-Warwick, Cranston, introduced a bill he said would promote “the good and wonderful things” about Rhode Island — by making fried calamari the state’s official appetizer. A move so lacking in substance is a distraction that will steal valuable time and energy needed to solving the state’s real problems — debt, poverty and crime.
Proposing, debating and approving a bill takes time and resources. After the bill is written, it is read in its entirety to the legislative body. It is then handed to a committee, where it is debated, revised and given a public hearing for the committee to discuss the bill with any other interested parties. If the committee feels the bill is still worthy, it is brought to the floor for a full second reading, where it is debated by the full legislature and subjected to a simple majority vote for any amendments other lawmakers may suggest and for its general approval. If that vote passes, it moves on to a third full reading in its house of origin. Only if it passes does it move to the Senate, where this entire process is repeated again.
Potentially devoting this energy to a bill deciding the state appetizer is absurd. The legislative process clearly illuminates the bill’s insensibility, but the problem stands that the bill is being brought up in the first place. Rhode Island is under intense financial stress, experiencing serious poverty rates and a dangerous resurgence of crime visible even on College Hill. That a politician thinks time should be devoted to what is essentially a vanity trophy for the state rather than to the crucial issues that affect the state is irresponsible at best.
Following the 38 Studios fiasco and serious problems with pensions, Rhode Island was financially battered in the 2010 fiscal year. It ended with the state facing over $9 billion in unpaid debts, adding up to 107.2 percent of the year’s revenues and putting many state-run projects on hold. Though the state has rallied, bringing in a $47.3 million surplus with the 2012 fiscal year, it still faces over $69 million in debt, and some departments continue to exceed their budgets. State leaders should work to curb spending in these departments or work to increase the budget surplus for next year, rather than devoting time to appetizer-related bills.
Then there are the state’s poverty and unemployment rates. According to the 2011 Census, Rhode Island stands at a poverty rate of 14.7 percent — 1.2 percentage points below the national average but still a disconcerting number. The unemployment rate is the most shocking. Since December 2012, the state was tied with Nevada for the infamous title of the most-unemployed in the nation, with our rate of a shocking 10.2 percent. By focusing foremost on balancing the budget, Rhode Island could work to create more part-time state jobs specifically to assist those in poverty or perpetual unemployment.
Finally, crime in Rhode Island, particularly in Providence, demands constant vigilance from the state government. NeighborhoodScout, a website devoted to urban analysis, ranked Providence as the 52nd most dangerous city in the country, reporting a one in 17 chance that a Providence resident could be subject to a crime.
We are not anti-food. But the fact that state legislators are wasting valuable time on trivial issues is unacceptable, particularly when such time and energy should be channeled towards ensuring Rhode Island’s fiscal health. As one of the worst victims of the 2008 Housing Crisis and the 2010 fiscal debacle, Rhode Island has far more issues to be tackling than what pre-entree meal should be Statehouse-sanctioned, and we implore legislators to consider those rather than debate the merits of fried calamari.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editor, Dan Jeon, and its members, Mintaka Angell, Samuel Choi, Nicholas Morley and Rachel Occhiogrosso. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
ADVERTISEMENT
