The Budget: Give it a Shove, Gov

The Governor's office confirmed five minutes ago that the Governor had not yet acted on the budget. Still time to sneak in a suggestion, then.

In the category of just-because-it's-obvious-doesn't-mean-it-doesn't need-to-be-said, the Ocean State Republican urges Governor Carcieri to veto the budget bill on his desk.

... the Assembly’s budget increases taxes on investments in businesses, fails to reduce any taxes, and increases the gasoline tax at a time when Rhode Islanders are already hard hit by the recession. The token changes in the state pension system and health-insurance premiums for government employees are ineffectual in the face of enormous, and increasing, unfunded liabilities that Rhode Islanders in the private sector simply cannot afford. We note that the Assembly, in a self, cynical gesture, voted to continue free health insurance for themselves. The longer we wait to address these issues head-on, the worse they will be.