Gov. Carcieri Outlines Ideas for Fiscal Reform in Rhode Island

Last night, in his State of the State address, Governor Don Carcieri made an appeal to reduce Rhode Island’s tax burden and create a constitutional amendment to restrain state spending growth. Selected excerpts from his State of the State address:

I am committed to working closely together with all of you to make sure that we prepare our children for the 21stcentury. To keep our children here, and to attract the businesses to employ them, we need to reduce our tax burden.

Further, to enforce greater spending discipline, I will support a Constitutional Amendment that limits the overall growth in state spending to an inflation adjusted amount. Many states have enacted such laws with great success. [Full Speech Here]

According to 2005 Tax Foundation data, Rhode Island taxpayers pay an average local and state tax burden of 11.4 percent. This equates to the 4th highest tax burden in the United States. Governor Carcieri’s long term vision to control spending and his ability to recognize the importance of competitive tax rates should serve as an example for leaders nationwide.