Which political party provides for the greater economic good?

John Hazen White Jr., a Rhode Island business and civic icon, has expended untold thousands of dollars on reaching Rhode Islanders about the looming financial challenges we all face. He doesn’t pull punches on laying blame on many of our elected officials and, by inference, those who are complicit due to our culture of indifference or inaction.

Our two dominant political parties bear examining. Their playbooks intend to attract the greatest number of supporters to branded messages of the greater good. Few would argue words and deeds often have a wide margin of difference. Who is accountable?

The prevailing message is that our national economy is strong. Let’s acknowledge there are some indicators supporting this position. But, let’s test this by an example with which many can relate. If a household pulls out home equity to reduce credit payments, they’ve reduced the strain on take home pay. If they remain living above their means (expenses higher than income) and use credit, it might be suggested they’re living at a higher standard in the short run. However, eventually, there’s more debt and inadequate earnings to cover it. This explains the higher incidence of foreclosures and bankruptcies.

Our federal government is operating in a similar manner by spending more than it takes in. More of our tax dollars are paying federal contractors and more expensive health care. These federal tax dollar expenditures are distinguishable from the consumer sector’s buying housing and new vehicles. The reduction in consumer purchases is evidenced in part by the significant lay-offs in these industries. Walmart, often a bell weather of consumer confidence, reported its first decline in revenue growth. Like increased personal debt and less income, our country is borrowing from the future with China funding our debt through bonds (loans). There’s clear evidence they plan to invest in alternative opportunities which will provide better rates of return. Few elected officials are willing to pull the pin on the “we need to raise taxes” grenade. Yet few are curbing spending or muscularly allocating funding to programs that benefit our future.

Needless to say, when it comes to Rhode Island, fewer federal dollars are being made available to one of our most contentious local issues – education. Our Democrat controlled General Assembly, with a large share of its members representing the Greater Providence area, has taken the position that quality education and well paid teachers are synonymous. This is why a large portion of state tax revenues and federal fund allocations remain in Greater Providence and fewer dollars flow back to communities not as well represented. Both businesses and homeowners know they’re shouldering the growing burden of retirements and pay that eventually trickles down to our local levels.

If it’s true that low income families don’t vote as much as those with better means and those over age 50 turn out to vote more often than most, then it's up to us to make sure our kitchen table issues are being addressed.