Last Friday we got word that it was “Christmas in July” at the Rhode Island State House.

Fiscal crisis? Deficit? Unemployment? Quotidian pension reform talk? Word came down from above that state house workers would be getting another 3% per cent raise, on top of the 3% raise they just got in January.

Who do you know in this state that just got a 6% raise in the last 6 months?

Keep in mind state workers “work” 35 hours a week and many work part time jobs.

It was amazing how the news hit on a Friday in the summertime when half the state was making plans to “double up” riding to the beaches for a July weekend.

It was only fitting the raises came shortly after we learned that Rhode Island is ranked 50^th by CNBC, on the list of business friendly states. According to CNBC, we are now behind Alaska when it comes to doing business.

I guess we are lucky Haiti and Libya are not listed or we may have come in 52^nd.

But does any of this stop the raises on Smith Hill?

Central Falls was in the New York Times this week as a city to watch collapse into bankruptcy, and now Toray is the latest company to flirt with the idea of moving South.

It was good to hear none of the bad news prevented Governor “Gump” Chafee from going sailing…in Maine. Maybe Linc did not want to “double up" on the way to the beach, or just wanted to escape Rhody like so many tax payers.

Did I mention raises at the State House for people who work January to June?

It could be worse. You could be renting near East Matunick this summer. The state brain trust made a quisquous decision to begin a new pavilion project during this summer, which meant “12” porta johns for 2,000 beach goers. This summer, the smell at East Matunick is not the fishing boats from Skip’s dock.

Good thing we pride ourselves on revolving tourism, because any tourist who must deal with “12” oubliettes and a beach crowd is never coming back.

A state in crisis, and yet the raises at the state house continue. Alaska is beginning to sound nice this time of year.

 
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By: John DePetro | WPRO